Bible Study Series: Walking In The LIght, 1 John 1:1-2:11

 WALKING IN THE LIGHT

1 John 1:1-2.11

 

PROCLAIM WHAT YOU KNOW ABOUT JESUS

V:1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched — this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. 2 The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. 3 We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. 4 We write this to make our joy complete.

A.    The word Apostle means the one who was sent, a delegate. This name was given to the 12 Jesus selected as His disciples.

1.     An Apostle is an eyewitness to the Word and the miracles of Jesus.

2.     John the writer of 1 John, the one Jesus loved, was an Apostle.

John 13:23-24

 One of them, the disciple whom Jesus loved, was reclining next to him.

 

B.     John claims his eyewitness to Jesus.

1.     He claimed the eternity of Jesus.

2.     John claimed Jesus was sent by the Father.

3.     He claimed that Jesus was with the Father in the beginning.

4.     John claimed his personal relationship with Jesus.

5.     John claimed what he heard from Jesus

6.     John claimed his eyewitness to the Word and the miracles of Jesus.

7.     John claimed his fellowship with other believers.

8.     John claimed his fellowship with Jesus.

9.     John claimed his fellowship with the Father.

10.John claimed Jesus as the Son of the Father.

11.John claimed that joy is made complete with fellowship with Father

And the Son.

 

WHAT DO YOU CLAIM ABOUT JESUS?

C.     We cannot claim that we have ever seen Jesus, but we can claim our knowledge Of Him.

1.     We can claim how we came to know Jesus.

2.     We can claim what Jesus has done in our lives.

3.     We can claim our growth in Jesus.

4.     I think it is a good idea to reflect on what Jesus has done in our lives.

5.     I think it is a good idea to rehearse what Jesus means to us daily.

6.     If Jesus is fresh in our minds, He will flow into our conversation.

7.     If Jesus is fresh in our minds, He will be the reason for our actions.

James 3:13

Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom.

 

D.    When Jesus is in our minds the joy of Jesus will be in our hearts.

John 14:1

"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me.

 

WALK IN THE LIGHT

V:5.  This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him, there is no darkness at all. 6 If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.

A.    The Greek word for fellowship is koinonia which means partnership.

1.     In this life, we find all kinds of partnerships.

2.     There are business partnerships.

a.     There are marriage partnerships

b.     There are crime partnerships

c.      There are spiritual partnerships.

B.     The one true partnership is with Jesus.

1.     Fellowship or partnership with Jesus is established through faith in the

Death and resurrection of Jesus on the cross.

2.     One of the requirements of fellowship is to walk in the truth.

3.     God is light and the light is the truth.

4.     To know the truth, we must continue studying the Word.

C.     Living life ignoring the truth is living in darkness.

1.     The benefit of walking in the truth is being purified by the blood of Jesus of all sin.

2.     The second benefit is fellowship with Jesus

3.     The third benefit is fellowship with other believers.

 

DON’T LIE TO YOURSELF ABOUT YOUR SIN

V:8 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.

A.    Notice sin is a constant part of our lives.

1.     No matter how good we think we are, we still sin.

2.     If we say we have no sin, we are liars and walking in darkness.

3.     Therefore, we must examine ourselves each day to uncover the areas of darkness.

B.     Once we recognize our sin, we must confess it to the Lord.

1.     The Lord will forgive without judgment and give us a clean slate by the purification of all unrighteousness.

2.     We make Jesus a liar if we say we have no sin.

3.     We must humble ourselves before the Lord for Him to have a place in our lives.

4.     We know that God hates the proud.

5.     We must quit thinking that our goodness is good enough for Jesus.

 

THE WORK OF OUR INTERCESSOR

V:2.1.  My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense — Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. 2 He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.

A. We cannot approach God unless we have faith in Jesus.

     1. No Jesus, no forgiveness.

     2. No Jesus, no cross.

     3. No Jesus, no covering of sin by the blood.

     4.  No Jesus, no defense against sin.

     5.. No Jesus, no righteousness.

     6. No Jesus. no atonement of sin.

     7. No Jesus, no mercy for the whole world.

     8. No Jesus, no heaven.

B. No Jesus. no intercessor

    1. No Jesus, no prayers answered

    2. No Jesus, hello hell.

 

CONFIDENCE IN THE SAVIOR

V:2.3 We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands. 4 The man who says, "I know him," but does not do what He commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5 But if anyone obeys his word, God's love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him: 6 Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.

A.    The key to our confidence in Jesus,

1.     A determination to obey God’s commands

2.     A determination to know the truth

3.     A determination to live and walk as Jesus did.

B.     We are made aware of our sins.

1.     We fall short of the glory of God when we chose to be

Disobedient.

2.     The Word convicts us of our lies when claiming obedience

And we are not.

C.     The reward of obedience is God’s love is made complete.

1.     It is probably beyond our comprehension to know the whole

Meaning of God’s complete love.

2.     Scripture reminds us of the aspects of God’s love.

a.     His Grace and Mercy endures forever.    Psalms 136

b.     God gives us peace in the midst of trouble.    Isa 54:10

c.      God is our victory.   Zephaniah 3:17

d.     God cannot lie, He keeps all his promises to us.  Deuteronomy 7:9

God made over 7000 promises to us.

e.     We will come to know that God’s love is beyond knowledge

Ephesians 3:18-19 

f.       God is our protection.    Psalms 5:11

g.     We have a home in heaven.

 

LOVE, THE PROOF OF WALKING IN THE LIGHT

V:2.9 Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the darkness. 10 Whoever loves his brother lives in the light, and there is nothing in him to make him stumble. 11 But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness; he does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded him.

A.    Is there anyone you hate?

1.     If there is, make up your mind to love them.

Matthew 5:44-48

 But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47 And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

2.     Do you pray for those who hate you?

a.     If you don’t start now.

b.     We are being reminded to be the better person.

3.     Since the prayers of the righteous accomplish much, we may be praying

For the one, God has chosen to bring out of the darkness.

B.     God gives us a chance to show the same mercy to others that He showed us.

1.     We were once the enemy of Christ.

2.     By His great mercy, He brought us out of the darkness.

3.     We stumble if we don’t love our brothers.

C.     Notice the reason God tells us to pray for the enemy.

1.     The enemy is walking in darkness and doesn’t know what they are doing.

2.     They are blinded by their own hate.

Luke 23:34

Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing."

 

3.     You don’t know what shoes your enemy walked in to hate you.

4.     God may have allowed their circumstances to show up at your

Door for you to show some love.

a.     Father forgive them.

b.     Father bless them with the light of your love.          

D.    Watch this. There is a reward for loving the unlovable.

1. We should not want anyone to perish as God didn’t allow

      Us to perish.

           2, Your love and compassion may be the turning point for

                 The one who hates you.

3.     Those that hate you, maybe the mission God has set for you.

4.     Your good works store up treasures in heaven.

Luke 15:10

' 10 In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents."

 

 

THANK GOD FOR MY ENEMIES