1 John "That You Sin Not"
Each book in the Bible gently guides God's people into a more intimate relationship with their Creator, as He knows must occur, for His people to receive Him in the depth of the relationship that He purchased for them. Each day we are covering, in sequential order, one of the twenty-seven books of the New Testament and explaining how each of them is revealing God in a more intimate way than has been given to this point in the scriptures.
Today is the twenty-third day of the series, “The Progressive Revelation of Jesus Christ” and the book is, 1 John, the twenty-first book in the New Testament as it appears in our Bible. 1 John is a letter written to a group of Christians who are in the same battle with the devil and hIs anti-Christs as God's people are today. John gives in depth instructions of how people should live, what their focus should be, and what their promise from God is.
This is a book of impossibilities made possible through Jesus in God for His people to receive and live a separated life from the rest of the world; which brings an incredible peace; knowing what is unknown to the ones outside of this depth of His relationship.
The following is an overview of 1 John and his way of presenting the way a Christian’s life looks.
We admit that we have sinned. “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.”
We have the ability to not sin, and if we do, we have an advocate. “My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:”
We must have the proper focus. “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.”
People who are not Christians will be shown over time by being separated from the Christian family. “They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.”
Eternal life is God’s promise to His people. “And this is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life.”
God’s mature people know the truth and do not need a teacher. “These things have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you. But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him. “
Christians are the sons of God. “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.”
People who are joined to Him do not sin. “Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him.”
Sinners are of the devil. “He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.”
Love in deed and truth. “My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.”
Righteous people are one with God. “And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him.”
Beware of false prophets. "Beloved, believe not every Spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world."
We are as He is. “Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.”
His commandments are not grievous to His people. “For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.”
Have life with Jesus or do not have life. “He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.”
The devil cannot touch God’s people. “We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not.”
My last comment of the day is, "God has done the unthinkable for His people and empowers them to do the impossible."
The examples in this blog are only a limited sample of the deepening relational revelation described through the letter titled “1 John.”
The intent of the blog is to demonstrate the difference in the revelation that God gives to His people as they intently follow Him and focus on what He has told them through their individual lives, and the revelation they’ve received through the Holy Spirit and His Holy Bible.
Tomorrow I will share how “2 John” brings an even more intimate portrait of the relationship through its instruction to live in love and not assist false teachers.
