Matt Pierson, Associate Pastor
The Letters of John: That You May Know…
The Message of 1 John:
God wants you to rejoice in the knowledge of His love for you, which has been displayed vividly in the person and work of Jesus Christ. And God wants us to share His love with one another.
The Spiral Staircase of the Christian Life
“As soon as John has defined the core belief that Jesus is the Christ as the means by which the new birth is brought about, he immediately moves into the inevitable expression and proof of faith’s existence and genuineness, love for God and for His children…. faith that does not lead to love is meaningless. Love that is not based on faith is powerless.”
– David Jackman, The Bible Speaks Today
Three categories of evidence for authentic, saving faith:
- The theological test: Do we believe Jesus Christ is the Son of God?
- The moral test: Are we practicing righteousness?
- The social test: Do we love others?
1 John 5:1-12
- Faith in the Son as the way to life
- Being born of God results in belief in Jesus
- Love of God results in love for God’s children and love of God’s commandments
- Belief in Jesus results in faith which overcomes the world
- Faith receives the testimony of God
- The Spirit testifies because the Spirit is the truth
- The Spirit, the water and the blood all testify
- Believers have this testimony in themselves
- God testifies regarding His Son and eternal life
God’s Witness:
“God is known by nature in His works, and by doctrine in His revealed word.”
– Galileo Galilei
God’s Witness in Scripture:
- “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.”
– Genesis 1:26 - “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims His handiwork.”
– Psalm 19:1 - “Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”
– John 1:29 - “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”
– Matthew 3:16 - “He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of His nature, and He upholds the universe by the word of His power.”
– Hebrews 1:3 - “But these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name.”
– John 20:31
Discussion Questions
- Compare & contrast the two viewpoints regarding whether being reborn is a cause of our faith or the result of it. What do you think are the strongest arguments in support of each?
- What are some of your favorite ways God has revealed Himself to us through nature?
- Similarly, what do you think are some of His most important revelations to us through scripture?
- Could you default less to “Get off my lawn” and more toward “Grace and peace to you”?
- How can you rely more fully on His witness, through nature and His word, to love Him and His children?
- What are some good examples of when the Church has properly demonstrated the love of God to the world?
Our Witness:
- “The message of our gospel witness and public engagement cannot be, ‘You kids get off of our lawn!’”
– Russell Moore - “The times when the church has been most relevant in its witness is when believers countered the world by lifting something more beautiful in its place.”
– Trevin Wax - “We draw people to Christ not by loudly discrediting what they believe, by telling them how wrong they are and how right we are, but by showing them a light that is so lovely that they want with all their hearts to know the source of it.”
– Madeleine L’Engle, Walking on Water: Reflections on Faith & Art
“And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.”
– 1 John 5:11