My Bible has a beautiful description of The First Epistle of John and I will include that here:
God is light; God is love; and God is life. John is enjoying a delightful fellowship with that God of light, love, and life, and he desperately desires that his spiritual children enjoy the same fellowship.
God is light. Therefore, to engage in fellowship with Him we must walk in light and not in darkness. As we walk in the light, we will regularly confess our sins, allowing the blood of Christ to continually cleanse us. Two major roadblocks to hinder this walk will be falling in love with the world and falling for the alluring lies of false teachers.
God is love. Since we are His children we must walk in love. In fact, John says that if we do not love, we do not know God. Love is more than just words; it is actions. Love is giving, not getting. Biblical love is unconditional in its nature. Christ's love fulfilled those qualities and when that brand of love characterizes us, we will be free of self-condemnation and experience confidence before God.
God is life. Those who fellowship with Him must possess His quality of life. Spiritual life begins with spiritual birth which occurs through faith in Jesus Christ. Faith in Jesus Christ infuses us with God's life -- eternal life.
Although the apostle John's name is not found in this book, it was given the title Ioannou A, the "First of John."
Verses 1-3 Love God and Jesus
In continuing fashion, John reminds us in the first three verses of the final chapter of First John that we know who belongs to God and who doesn't based on who loves Him. If we believe Jesus is the Christ, God's own Son, and we love God who begat Jesus, and we love Jesus, God's Son, then we belong to Him. We are also to keep His commandments. These are not hard things to do because if we love Him, we will want to please Him and do as He says to do.
Questions: What commandments do you find hard to keep? Are there things about God's Word that you find challenging to do? Are you able to love others like God tells us to do? What commandments do you find easy to do?
Verses 4-5 Overcomers
When we place our faith in Jesus, we are made overcomers because Jesus overcame the world. His work on the cross completed the battle we have against evil. Good already won! Satan does not want us to believe this, or to live a life of victory, so he constantly distracts us with what things we lack, or things we think we need but do not have, and reminds us of how big the problems and concerns we have in our life. He does not want us to remember that we can do all things through Jesus Christ as He strengthens us. (Philippians 4:13)
Remember what Jesus said in John 16:33? Jesus said, "These things I have spoken unto you, that in Me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer: I have overcome the world."
Second Timothy 3:12 Yea, and all that will live Godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. If you are living for God, in a way to please Him, you will suffer persecution. The devil will not like what you are doing and he will do whatever he can to stop you. Do not let him! Jesus causes us to triumph!
Romans 8:37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us. That means through Jesus we are more than a conqueror. We are not just making it through, we are excelling!
Questions: Do you struggle with feeling like your problems are bigger than the solution? Do you feel discouraged and defeated? Have you meditated on what the Bible says about your victory through Jesus? Because He lived a perfect, sinless life, He was worthy to lay down His life for us and with His precious blood we are saved and free. Do you believe this? Do you sometimes get off course with looking at your circumstances instead of what God has said about it? Whose report will you believe?
Verses 6-8 Trinity
We are told there are three that bear record in heaven, these are God the Father, Jesus the Word, and the Holy Ghost. There are not three separate entities. These three persons are one. They fellowship together. They agree together. There is a purpose, an order, and a flow. On the earth, the Spirit, the Water, and the Blood agree. This is the order God has put in motion.
Questions: Do you have a hard time understanding the Trinity? Do these scriptures help you to see the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost are one? How have you experienced God the Father? How have you encountered Jesus, God's Son? How have you been ministered to and comforted by the Spirit of Truth?
Verses 9-13 Witness
A witness is a person who sees an event take place; evidence or proof.
Verse 9 says if we believe the witness of men, we should believe more the witness of God. The Bible says that if someone does not believe God's witness is true of Jesus, His Son, that person makes God a liar. Verse 11 says the testimony God gave us is that we will be given eternal life through His Son Jesus. Verse 12 makes it very clear, if you belong to God, you get eternal life; if you do not belong to God, you do not get eternal life. There is no need for a debate or argument about the goodness of God, or the fact that He is loving. If you do not love Him and desire to live in a way that pleases Him, lined out in the scriptures from Genesis to Revelation, then you will not live with Him forever.
Verse 13 tells us we have assurance of this. John said the purpose he is writing this letter is so that we may know that we have eternal life because we believe in Jesus! That is a verse of power and hope!
Questions: Have you struggled with being sure of your salvation? Do you know that you have assurance of eternal life when you give your life to Jesus Christ and serve Him? Do you know others who have thought they should go to heaven based on works or good behavior? What does this scripture reveal to you about God's plan for those who do not love and serve Him by accepting His Son Jesus?
Verses 14-15 Precious Promises
These two verses are underlined in my Bible. If you are praying about something really big right now, and you are not sure how it can all work out, study these two verses and lean not on your own understanding. Stand on these verses and believe it.
Verse 14 says this is the confidence we have in Him, that if we ask any thing according to His will, He hears us. As long as we are praying for things that line up to the will of God, that will bring glory to His name, that will honor Jesus, we can trust that He hears us. He will listen to us. He does not ignore our requests. He does not turn us away.
Verse 15 continues with assurance. If we know He hears us, whatever we ask for, we know He will give us what we are praying for. He will do it. He will honor our request. If we are seeking selfish gain, or want something to put the glory and honor on ourselves, God will not give us those things, because it does not line up with His will. He is a jealous God and He wants all the glory. He deserves it. He is God. He is Abba Father. All honor and glory are due His great name.
Questions: Do you ask for something from God and then expect not to get it? Do you think He wants to withhold good things from you? Do you think He will turn you away? What are you believing God for? What are you praying about and expecting? Do these scriptures encourage you?
Verses 16-19 Sin
Sin is not a popular topic. It is not something most pastors in many churches in America today want to discuss. It is so important to discuss sin and the impact it has. Sin is serious. It separates us from God. The Bible says that the wages of sin is death. You pay for sin by dying and going to hell. But Jesus came to this earth, became a man, and lived a perfect, sinless life so we could go free. He paid the penalty of our sin, so we do not have to. We can now go to God and ask Him to forgive us for our sins, but we should be careful to not sin. Sin is so serious it cost Jesus His life.
In verse 16 we are instructed that if anyone sees their brother or sister sin a sin "which is not unto death," or in other words, a sin for which forgiveness is possible, we are to encourage our brothers and sisters to go to God and repent. We do not want anyone to be separated from God. But there is a sin that we have to watch out for. The sin that can never be forgiven, which is to completely denounce Christ, to fully walk away from the Truth, and deny Jesus is the Son of God.
John is not saying in verse 18 that Christians never sin. Rather, he is saying that when we sin, we can come in our sorrow and repentant heart to God and ask forgiveness through the blood Jesus shed on Calvary. This blood cleanses us from all unrighteousness.
Verse 19 is the perfect statement of the world's status today. The whole world lies in wickedness. The deception of this world, including Christians, baffles me and saddens me to my core. When will people wake up and see the Truth? The Holy Spirit warns us, if we are listening, to not follow the world and the things of this world. If you look like the world, act like the world, and love what the world loves, how can you be a part of God's family? The world is the enemy of God.
Questions: Do you see the consequences of sin in the world around you? Can you see the effects of sin in your school, your neighborhood, your church? Why do you think preachers are so afraid to talk about sin? Do you have unconfessed sin in your heart? Do you find yourself compromising what the world wants from you instead of giving yourself completely to what pleases God? What ways do you see the deception in our society?
Verse 20 Assurance
We know, we have assurance, we have confidence that Jesus has given us information to open our understanding about who He is and who He is that sent Jesus. We know that He is true. He is honest. He is the true God and He wants to have a relationship with us. He wants to teach us the right way to live, to think, to interact, to react, to respond, to love, and to live. He did not make us figure it out for ourselves. He left us a detailed map that has countless witnesses and encouraging stories to boost our faith, and to increase our learning. We can become like Him as we study the scriptures and seek out His truth.
Questions: How does verse 20 make you feel? Are you encouraged about your faith journey? Do you have a better understanding of what God wants and expects from you? In a world full of lies, isn't this verse refreshing in the truth?
Verse 21 Warning!
John ends chapter 5 and this book of First John with seven words of a warning. Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen. Does that seem an odd way to end the book? I kind of expect to see a few more verses as he expounds on this topic. Yet, we can infer a few things here.
What is an idol? We know in the Old Testament, when God gave Moses the Ten Commandments, He said in Exodus 20, Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in the heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God. The children of Israel made idols, fell down before them and worshiped them, time and time again. This caused God to become angry and His wrath was poured out on them over and over. God was very clear that He does not want His people to do this.
An idol is defined as an image or representation of a god used as an object of worship. If you have a statue, an image, or something you worship, you have an idol. Most of us, do not have anything like that. We do not pray to statues or worship them. But that is not the only definition of an idol.
An idol can also be a person or thing that is greatly admired, loved, or revered. You can make an idol out of a person. You can love someone so much that you turn them into your god. We must be careful to never say things like, "You are the reason I breathe. You have my whole heart. I can't live without you." Those statements should be spoken to God alone. He wants your whole heart. He is the reason you breathe. He is the one you truly cannot live without.
Sometimes a career, a child, a relationship, a hobby, or an automobile becomes an idol. You put this thing before God. You put it before any prayer time, any praise and worship, and miss out on time with God because your time is spent on your idol. We must be so careful, brothers and sisters, to keep ourselves away from that kind of thing.
Maybe John meant to keep ourselves away from the lies, hate, and rebellion of the world. He went to great lengths to show us how loving and good and true God is, and how angry, defiant, and dishonest the world is. Let's satisfy our souls with the things found in God's Word, the messages, the meanings, the passages that tell us how good and wonderful God, our creator is. Let's immerse ourselves in the red letters of Jesus as He walked the face of the planet, preaching and teaching. Let's let the Holy Ghost, Spirit of Truth, and Comforter, lead and guide us.
Questions: Do you have an idol in your life? Have you ever had one? What do you need to get rid of that does not line up with God's plan for your life? Are there things that you think more highly of than Him? Do you have someone or something on a pedestal that you need to knock down and put God up there where He belongs? Where is God and your faith rating in your list of priorities? What do you think John's warning means for you?
Friends, it has been a great journey through First John. I really enjoyed learning so much about the love, light, and life that God brings. I hope that you have enjoyed this weekly Bible study as well. I do apologize that this week's Bible study went up a day late. I have had quite a lot of changes happen this week, good things in answer to my prayers, but it caused me to get behind on my blogging. I do apologize. Next week I am excited to start a new Bible Study series. It will be great to dive in and explore God's Word together.
As always, feel free to leave your thoughts, opinions, and ideas in the comments section below. I try to read and answer them as quickly as I can. Invite a friend to study with us, and I look forward to seeing you next post!
God bless you!
~Bridgett Owens
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