Living in the Light of God's Love - A Study of 1 John. Lesson Three - Walking in Confident Knowledge 1. If you’re going to tell someone to not sin (as John did early in chapter 2), you better have something to say about how such a difficult thing could actually be done. John backs up his encouragement with direction in how to actually do it. 1 John 2:12-14 I am writing to you, dear children, because your sins have been forgiven because of his name. 13 I am writing to you, fathers, because you have known him who is from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the Evil One. 14 I have written to you, little children, because you have known the Father. I have written to you, fathers, because you have known him who is from the beginning. I have written to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God remains in you, and you have overcome the Evil One. 2. If anyone is going to grow in sinning less, what bit of information needs to be formational? 3. Being a father is a challenge (both physical and spiritual father). How does a father benefit from knowing “him who is from the beginning”? 4. Being a young man is a challenge. How does help it a young man to know that “you have overcome the Evil One”? 5. I thought we’d be fighting the devil til we’re in glory, how can John say to anyone still
breathing, “you have overcome the Evil One”? 6. Are you a little child, a young man (or woman), or a father (or mother)?
1 John 2:15-17 15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the desire of the eyes, boasting about material possessions—is not from the Father but from the world. 17 The world and its desires pass away, but the one who does the will of God remains forever.
7. Either love the world, or love God. But aren’t there times that you can love both? Why or why not? 8. The words “lust” and “desire” in v.16 are actually the same word. The over-desire of the flesh and the over-desire of the eyes. Desire is a good but dangerous thing. What kind of desire of the flesh is good? When does desire of the flesh go too far? 9. When is it ok to look at something with your eye and desire it? When is it not ok? 10. Why is boasting about material possessions dangerous? 11. Either chase desires which won’t last, or become the kind of person who endures forever. Seems like one is obviously better than the other. So why do we still have such a hard time simply doing the will of God if the upside is so good? 1 John 2:18-25 18 Dear children, it is the last hour. The Antichrist is coming, just as you have heard, and even now many antichrists have come. (This is how you know that it is the last hour.) 19 They went out from us, but they really were not part of us. If they had been part of us, they would have stayed with us. Instead they all showed that they were not part of us. 20 You have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all things. 21 I did not write to you because you do not know the truth but because you do know it and because no lie comes from the truth. 22 Who is a liar but the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is an antichrist: the one who denies the Father and the Son. 23 Everyone who denies the Son does not have the Father. But the one who confesses the Son has the Father as well. 24 Let what you have heard from the beginning remain in you. If what you have heard from the beginning remains in you, then you will remain in the Son and the Father. 25 And this is what he promised you: eternal life. 26 I have written these things to you about those who are misleading you. 27 As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you have no need for someone to teach you. Rather, since his anointing teaches you all things and since it is true and is no lie, remain in him, just as it has taught you.
12. About 2000 years ago, John wrote, “this is the last hour.” Seems like a ridiculously long hour. Was it really the last hour when he wrote that? Why or why not?
13. Antichrists go out from the group who call themselves followers of Jesus, but they were really not part of the group who actually are followers of Jesus. So let’s say you’re interacting with someone who claims to be part of the group of Jesus-followers, but you start to have doubts. How could you go about trying to discern whether or not they are antichrists? 14. Seems like a scary reality we face: not even all who claim to follow Jesus actually do. Some are actually set against him. How can we be confident that things will work out in the end? 15. I thought we always have more to learn about God as long as we’re in this world - why does John say things like “you have no need for someone to teach you”, and “you know all things”? Do we need to learn new things or not? 16. God has promised you eternal life. When will you begin to experience the life that he has promised? 17. What “anointing” have you received? What’s the value of this “anointing”?