Authentic Christianity an Exposition of 1 John BLESSED

Authentic Christianity; an Exposition of 1 John BLESSED ASSURANCE Part 1 Assurance of Salvation 1 John 5: 11 -15 Pew Bible p. 1210

1 John 3: 18 NCV My children, we should love people not only with words and talk, but by our actions and true caring.

1 John 1: 3 CEV We are telling you what we have seen and heard, so that you may share in this life with us. And we share in it with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.

Truth to Take with You God wants His children to be confident in their relationship with Him. God wants His children to know that they have eternal life.

Important Question Do you know for certain that you have eternal life and that you will go to heaven when you die?

1 John 5: 13 I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.

How We Can Know We Have Eternal Life 1. We can know we have eternal life because having it depends on what God has already done for us through Jesus Christ. 2. We can know we have eternal life because the lives of those who have eternal life show evidence of it.

According to John, authentic Christians Believe right Do right Love right

Believe Right • That Jesus is the Messiah. 1 John 2: 22 -23, 5: 1 • That Jesus is the Son of God. 1 John 4: 15 • That Jesus came in the flesh. 1 John 4: 2 -3

1 John 4: 2 -3 This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God.

Believe Right • That Jesus is the Messiah. 1 John 2: 22 -23, 5: 1 • That Jesus is the Son of God. 1 John 4: 15 • That Jesus came in the flesh. 1 John 4: 2 -3 • Believe that teaching of John and other Apostles are true and authoritative. 1 John 4: 6

Do Right • Walk in the light, not in darkness. 1 John 1: 6 -7 • Cannot continue in sin. 1 John 3: 9 -10

1 John 3: 9 -10 No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God. This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not God’s child…

Do Right • Walk in the light, not in darkness. 1 John 1: 6 -7 • Cannot continue in sin. 1 John 3: 9 -10 • Obey Jesus’ commands. 1 John 2: 4 -5

Love Right • Do not hate others. 1 John 2: 9 -10 • Love one another as Christ has loved them. 1 John 3: 14, 4: 7 -8, 20 -21

1 John 3: 14 We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love each other. Anyone who does not love remains in death.

Two Pitfalls to Avoid Unbelief False confidence

Truth to Take with You God wants His children to be confident in their relationship with Him. God wants His children to know that they have eternal life.

Challenge • Trust in the finished work of Christ on your behalf. • Test yourself to see if you are truly in the faith. • Experience the joy of knowing that you have eternal life.