1 John ....

1 John

This Epistle ; Whilst anonymous, it is strongly linked to 'John'. It is widely regarded that 'John' spent his later years in Ephesus, and thus was written around AD: 90.

1. That they might be 'Happy'   1 v4
2. That they might be 'Holy'      2 v1
3. That they might be 'Safe'       2 v26
4. That they might be 'Know'    5 v13

Key Words of this Message are . . 

Happy ~ Holy ~ Safe ~ Know ~ Fellowship

The Joyful Life

1 John 1 4    “. . These things we write unto you, That your joy might be full . .”

1) The joy of forgiveness is the beginning of joy

   What John is trying to tell us here is, the fellowship with Him causes us to walk in the light, in the fellowship with other like-minded believers in the one-true-God, who is light.

John 11 9/10   “. .Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve

hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not

stumble, because he sees the light of this world. But

 if one walks in the night, he stumbles, because the

light is not in him . .”

   I believe what Christ is alluding to here is that, if we have Christ living in us shining bright, His love & joy will spill out into our daily lives, thus illuminating all the shadows that cause us to stumble. This will give us Joy in the fellowship of other believers. From here we can find strength to . . forgive.

( I grew up knowing the Lord’s Prayer as thus) ..

“. . Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who

Trespass against us . .”

When, in all but he ‘Message’ version of the Bible it reads ..

“. .Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. .”

. . debts does not always me ‘monetary, we’re being told to forgive those who have wronged us, and them us. Day after day it will become harder, not only this, but slowly but surely, it will consume us from within, and destroying any and all Joy. Turning us into hard hearted and bitter, ending up, consuming all our Joy.

2) The Joy of fellowship is in fullness of Joy

   In the Joy of fellowship there are 4 elements that are key, they are ..

A.  Walking in the Light

B.  The Confession of Sin

C.  The forgiveness of Sin

D. The Cleansing of Sin

A)      Walking in the Light.. This will never be easy, always   testing you metal. Another way is to put a ‘fish’ on the back of your car. This tells everyone you live in the light, striving not to be wrong, only living right.

B)      The Confession of Sin .. Bringing you wrong doings to God, for His forgiveness. As we may tell others of your doings.

C)       Forgiveness of Sin. . Now we have ‘confessed our Sin, we can move on by asking for Forgiveness, as we have to ‘Forgive’ those who have wronged us.

D)     Cleansing of Sin. . When we are saved there comes a time to be ‘Baptized’. Here we submerged in water. Thus mimicking being born, or born again, cleansing us of ‘All’ Sin.

John 3 5/7  “. .Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to

you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit,

he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is

 born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of

the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you,

‘You must be born

again.’. .”

                                 i.            Without new birth there is no ‘New-Life’.

                              ii.            New Birth gives new perspective, as we can now see the Kingdom of God

                           iii.            Through our new birth we are introduced into a new realm, allowed to enter the Kingdom we have been born-again into. Being born-again is more than just being ‘Saved’. It has re-qualified us and opening us up, waking us up to our new life and its possibilities.

The Victorious Life

1 John 2 1 “. .My little children these things Write I 

unto you, that ye may not sin. . “

   How many of you have children and constantly telling/warning them against doing things that are going to harm them? But, no matter what you say they go ahead anyway?  “My little children” were warned.

1.     The message “. .My little children. .” Was aimed so’s, to those who had already became so through Christ Jesus saving them.

2.   Bring Gods children through Christ Jesus, now meant that their lives were Victorious and now had become their own possession through Faith.                                                                

1 John 2 13  “.. I write ..because ye have overcome the wicked one..”                                            

3.   We must always remember that when we sin, and we will sin                   because we are made of flesh. So sadly we will always sin, take comfort in that there is an advocate for us.

4.   Advocacy is for ever at work for us through Jesus Christ. For those sinning saint (us), of which He carries unto the father. Where He restores the saint because of the sacrifice He has already paid.

5.    Dr Griff Thomas once said. “If any man sin, we have an advocate. There is no allowance for sin, but there is a perfect provision in case we do sin, no need to sin ~ no right to sin ~ no compromise with sin ~ no licence, but a provision in case we do. All ships have life boats these days, whilst no ship sails with the intention of sinking. We have 2 yes 2 advocates..

                     i.            Is that the Lord Jesus Christ is the direct advocate with the Heavenly Father.

                  ii.            The Holy Spirit in John’s gospel means also we have an advocate within us all.

   

   Before we move on tell me this ‘What do you term as Victorious? Is it where you follow your childhood dreams and become that Fireman/Nurse? Or, is that you design something that turns you into a multi-Billionaire? Or, Is it you train hard for a race, of which you win a Gold medal at the Olympics?

‘What do you term as Victorious?

The Safe Life

1 John 2 16  “. .These things I have written to you concerning

those who try to deceive/seduce you. .”

   How is it possible in today’s society to stay safe? When kids are able to take gun, and the like, into our schools, with the sole purpose to kill your friends & class mates. Or as in Paris and France that with thousands of people attending a concert and recently on Bastille Day, where a very large lorry was driven into a crowded area and killed 75. As well as those on that ill-fated night in Paris end up dead because of individuals who have had their heads turned. Thus they end up killing many many people.

Where and who is truly Safe?

1.     Heresy has been around since way before Jesus’ Christ time. Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many anti-christs have come, by which we know that it is the last hour. (1 John 2 18)

   Who and what is the ‘Anti-Christ’? It is not only a mythical creature. With horns on its head and has a tail. Why do we draw in our minds images of him this way? I feel we do this so we can spot them in a crowd, thus giving us a fair warning.

2.   Psalm 119 117  “. .Hold me up and I shall be safe . .”  

   So we believers shall be safe, because we are guarded by His Holy anointing.

3.   As Christians we have the whole Armour of God as told us in Eph 5. This is as well as His Holy anointing.

1 John 2 20   “. .But you have an anointing from the Holy one you all know these things. .”

   Having the Holy one in our lives, giving us untold protection, from the common cold, to the anti-christ.

The Knowing Life

1 John 5 13 “. . These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God. ."  

   In each verse there are key words showing what is meant in this particular verse. Here we see John is pointing towards the ‘Know’.

How can we be sure that we know Him? Even if

we were to keep ALL His Commandments?

   The more we read/study the Bible, the more we grow (spiritually), the closer the walk with Him we will have. Being able to have a closer spiritual relationship, again the more we grow, as well as the better we will be able to read the bible; interpret the message; have more sign posts which will help keep our lives on track.

1 John 4 1  “. . Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. .” 

   I have been on both sides as, ‘Prophesying’ over someone, &, to receive word from God through someone else. I have been told, not long after being saved, when I was taught that when one receives a word/message to pray and wait for confirmation of this personally from the Bible. As this would show if the word brought was true of false.

   Knowing is believing in God’s word, and His Son, The Holy Spirit, and of His word.

1 John 4 13    ". .By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. ."

1 John 4 2    ". .By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God. ."

1 John 5 13  ". .These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may that you have eternal life, and you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God. ."

   Once we are saved, Baptized, we ‘Know’ because inside of us is different. Why & How because we know that the Holy Spirit is now in us. Because of this everything about us & in us, became different as the belief ‘The Holy Spirit is in us. This is how we can tell our friends without saying a word because His light shines forth, giving us . .

Happy ~ Holy ~ Safe ~ Know ~ Fellowship

. .Of all things hence forth.