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1 Thessalonians, lesson 1

1 Thessalonians

Lesson 1:

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, we pray for divine grace and enablement to tap into Your word of truth, wisdom, knowledge, and insight. We pray for soft, receptive, teachable hearts, spiritual eyes to see and ears to listen. We peay for the anointing and presence of the Holy Spirit, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Introduction:

Author, Date, Recipients:

Paul wrote 1 Thessalonians from Corinth between 49 AD to 51 AD was to the church in Thessalonica, Acts 18:1-18.

Theme:

The theme of 1 Thessalonians is the return of Christ at the rapture, 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17. When Christ returns, Christians who had died and Christians are still alive will be resurrected into glorified bodies to meet Him in the air.

Setting:

In his second missionary journey, Paul and his workers Silas and Timothy established the church in Thessalonica. He was there only there for three weeks and many Gentiles believers came to know the Lord. Due to strong opposition and persecutions from the Jews, Paul had to flee Thessalonica to Berea. From there Paul went to Athens, and later to Corinth. At Berea, Paul sent Timothy back to Thessalonica to assist and check on the church there. Timothy returned to Corinth and reported to Paul that the church in Thessalonica was thriving and the congregation there was very fervent for the Lord. On hearing this Paul wrote 1 Thessalonica to encourage the church.

In the first-century AD, Thessalonica was a flourishing seaport and capital of Macedonia, modern day northern Greece, and had a population of 200,000.

Purpose:

In his short time in Thessalonica, Paul had taught the believers about the second coming of Christ. However as time went by, many Christians in Thessalonica had died and they were that Christ had still not returned. Paul reassured them that Christians who had died before Christ’s return will not miss out on the resurrection.

Outline:

Greetings: 1:1 Opening

Prayer and Encouragements: 1:2-3:13

Instructions: 4:1-5:22

Doxology: 5: 23-28

Application:

Paul’s teaching on the rapture is laid out for us in 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17. The rapture precedes the second coming of Christ. Christians will be resurrected into glorified bodies to meet the Lord in the air. The rapture is imminent and could happen at any time. We will not miss the rapture if we confess of our sins, believe in the finish work of Christ on the cross, and surrendering our lives to Christ. Those who are left behind on earth will face the tribulations.

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, thank You for salvation and justification by grace through faith in Christ. We confess that we are sinners saved by grace, we believe that You died on the cross as a substitionary atonement for sins, we surrender our lives to You, in Jesus’name, Amen.

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Bible Study: Jude

Jude: now unto Him who is able to keep you from falling.

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, Bread of Life, Light of the world, Gate, Good Shepherd, Resurrection and Life, the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and True Vine, teach us Your word. We pray that You will help us to unlock the book of Jude and give us the keys to understanding and application, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Introduction:

Scholars agree that the author of Jude is Jude, the half-brother of Jesus Christ and the brother of James the just, Matthew 13:55, Mark 6:3. It is believed to have been written around 65 AD. This is a general epistle written to all Jewish and Gentile Christians to warn them against the immoral, false, ungodly, heretic Gnostic teachers who maintained that salvation by grace is a license to sin.

Matthew 13:55, “is this not the carpenter’s son? Is not His mother called Mary? And His brothers James, Joses, Simon, and Judas?”

Mark 6:3, “is this not the carpenter, the Son of Mary, and brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? And are not His sisters here with us?” So they were offended at Him”.

VV 1-2, 1 Jude, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to those who are called, sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ: 2 Mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you.

Jude identified himself as a bondservant or slave of Jesus Christ, and a brother of James. His audience was those sanctified by God and preserved by Jesus Christ. Greek for preserved is “teteremenois”, which means kept. Greek for sanctified is “kletois”, which means called. Christians are divinely called by God and kept in the faith by Jesus Christ. Jude pronounced mercy, peace, and love to his audience.

VV 3-4, 3 Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints. 4 For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ.

Jude initially wanted to write a general letter on salvation but he changed his mind when he saw immoral and ungodly men who perverted the grace of God and taught wrong doctrines to the Christians.

V 5, But I want to remind you, though you once knew this, that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe.

God delivered the Jews under the leadership of Moses out of Egypt but because of unbelief, they perished in the wilderness. Only Joshua and Caleb made it into the promised land after 40 years of wilderness wandering.

V 6, And the angels who did not keep their proper domain, but left their own abode, He has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day;

This verse supports the view that in Genesis 6:4, fallen angels had sex with women on earth and produced giants. These fallen angels were to keep locked up in the bottomless pit.

Genesis 6:4, “There were giants on the earth in those days, and also afterward when the sons of God came in to the daughters of men and they bore children to them. Those were the mighty men who were of old, men of renown”.

VV 7-8, 7 as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities around them in a similar manner to these having given themselves over to sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh, are set forth as an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire. 8 Likewise also these dreamers defile the flesh, reject authority, and speak evil of dignitaries.

The Gnostic teachers behaved like the people of Sodom and Gomorrah in Genesis 19. God destroyed these two cities were because of immorality and sexual perversion.

Genesis 19:29, “So when God destroyed the cities of the plain, he remembered Abraham, and he brought Lot out of the catastrophe that overthrew the cities where Lot had lived”.

V 9, Yet Michael the archangel, in contending with the devil, when he disputed about the body of Moses, dared not bring against him a reviling accusation, but said, “The Lord rebuke you!”

God buried Moses after his death and His body was never found. According to Jude, satan disputed with God over Moses’ body because he was a murderer. Archangel Michael challenged satan saying “The Lord rebuke you!”.

V 10, But these speak evil of whatever they do not know; and whatever they know naturally, like brute beasts, in these things they corrupt themselves.

The Gnostic teachers spoke evils, behave like beasts, and were corrupted in their activities.

V 11, Woe to them! For they have gone in the way of Cain, have run greedily in the error of Balaam for profit, and perished in the rebellion of Korah.

These immoral, heretic and false Gnostic teachers behaved like Cain, Balaam, and Korah of the Old Testament.

The story of Cain is found in Genesis 4. Cain and Abel were brothers. God accepted Abel’s offering and rejected Cain’s offering because Abel offered a better sacrifice than Cain. Out of jealousy and wickedness, Cain murdered Abel.

The story of Balaam is found in Numbers 22-24. Balaam was a greedy Jewish prophet who accepted a bribe from the Moabite King Balak to curse Israel. Every time Balaam wanted to curse Israel, he ended up blessing Israel.

The story of Korah is found in Numbers 16. Korah and his followers were Levites who challenged the leadership of Moses and Aaron. God divided the ground under their feet and buried them and their families alive.

V 12-13, 12 These are spots in your love feasts, while they feast with you without fear, serving only themselves. They are clouds without water, carried about by the winds; late autumn trees without fruit, twice dead, pulled up by the roots; 13 raging waves of the sea, foaming up their own shame; wandering stars for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever.

The Lord’s supper in the first century Church was also called the agape feast. These false teachers would come to the agape feast serving themselves, behaving badly, causing harm, and deceiving the Christians.

Acts 2: 46-47, “Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved’’.

1 Cor 11: 20-21, “So then, when you come together, it is not the Lord’s Supper you eat, for when you are eating, some of you go ahead with your own private suppers. As a result, one person remains hungry and another gets drunk”.

VV 14-15, 14 Now Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men also, saying, “Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of His saints, 15 to execute judgment on all, to convict all who are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have committed in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.”

According to Jude, Enoch the 7th descendant of Adam prophesied about these false teachers, quoting from the book of Enoch, a pseudo-epigraphical book, which is not part of the Christian Canon.

VV 16-19, 16 These are grumblers, complainers, walking according to their own lusts; and they mouth great swelling words, flattering people to gain advantage. 17 But you, beloved, remember the words which were spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ: 18 how they told you that there would be mockers in the last time who would walk according to their own ungodly lusts. 19 These are sensual persons, who cause divisions, not having the Spirit.

The false heretic teachers were boastful, lustful, ungodly, opportunistic, and dishonest who grumbled and complained. Jude reminded his audience to remember and hold fast to the words of the apostles.

VV 20-23, 20 But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. 22 And on some have compassion, making a distinction; 23 but others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh.

Jude encouraged his audience to live holy lives, to pray in the Holy Spirit, and to love God. He encouraged his audience to have compassion for some and to save others by pulling them out from sin and judgment.

VV 24-25, 24 Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, And to present you faultless, before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, 25 to God our Savior, who alone is wise, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever. Amen.

The epistle of Jude ended with a beautiful doxology, giving praise, honor, and glory to God, our Savior.

Application:

The epistle of Jude reminds us that there are false teachers out there who come as wolves in sheepskins to deceive Christians. We need to stay vigilant and build up a strong foundation of scripture. We need to countercheck with scripture whatever we hear to discern false theology.

Acts 17:11, “These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so”.

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, thank You for speaking to us through the epistle of 1 John, 2 John, 3 John, and Jude. Thank You for preserving Your inspired, inerrant, and infallible word through the millennium for our benefit. Thank You for Your amazing love, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

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3 John

3 John: do not imitate what is evil but what is good

Lesson 10:

Introduction:

Scholars agree that the author of 3 John is John the apostle, who wrote this epistle around the same time as 1 John and 2 John, between 85-95 AD. John rebuked Diotrephes, a dictatorial leader in the Church around Ephesus who rejected itinerant teachers sent by John and excommunicated those who supported the itinerant teachers. The epistle was written to Gaius who supported John’s itinerant teachers.

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, we pray that You will open our spiritual eyes, ears, and hearts to understand scripture and wisdom to apply spiritual truth into our lives. We pray that You will speak to each one of us individually through Your word, in Jesus’ name, Amen,

3 John 1-14, Gauls, Diotrephes, and Demetrius.

VV 1-4, 1 The Elder, To the beloved Gaius, whom I love in truth. 2 Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers. 3 For I rejoiced greatly when brethren came and testified of the truth that is in you, just as you walk in the truth. 4 I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.

This epistle from John, the Elder, was addressed to the beloved Gaius whom he loved in truth. John prayed for Gaius’ health, material, and spiritual prosperity. He rejoiced when other Christians testified to him that Gaius was walking in the truth.

VV 5-8, 5 Beloved, you do faithfully whatever you do for the brethren and for strangers, 6 who have borne witness of your love before the church. If you send them forward on their journey in a manner worthy of God, you will do well, 7 because they went forth for His name’s sake, taking nothing from the Gentiles. 8 We therefore ought to receive such, that we may become fellow workers for the truth.

John commended Gaius for his generosity in receiving, showing hospitality, and looking after the needs of itinerant teachers that he sent to him.

VV 9-10, 9 I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to have the preeminence among them, does not receive us. 10 Therefore, if I come, I will call to mind his deeds which he does, prating against us with malicious words. And not content with that, he himself does not receive the brethren, and forbids those who wish to, putting them out of the church.

John rebuked a dictatorial leader called Diotrephes, who rejected itinerant teachers that John sent to the churches in the region of Ephesus. Diotrephes even excommunicated those who supported the itinerant preachers.

VV 11-12, 11 Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. He who does good is of God, but he who does evil has not seen God. 12 Demetrius has a good testimony from all, and from the truth itself. And we also bear witness, and you know that our testimony is true.

John warned his audience and us not to do evil but to do good. Those who do good are from God, those who do evil do not know God. John commended Demetrius who had a good testimony.

VV 13-14, 13 I had many things to write, but I do not wish to write to you with pen and ink; 14 but I hope to see you shortly, and we shall speak face to face. Peace to you. Our friends greet you. Greet the friends by name.

John wanted to write a longer letter but he preferred to speak to them in person by visiting them soon. He pronounced peace to them as a farewell greeting.

Application:

We are to do good and not evil. We are not to imitate Diotrephes, the dictatorial leader, but to imitate Gaius and Demetrius who supported preachers and teachers of the Word. There is no place for dictatorial leaders in the kingdom of God.

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, thank You for speaking to us through the epistle of 1 John, 2 John, and 3 John. Thank You for the timeless messages that transcend time, culture, geography, history, and language. Help us to have a strong foundation in the Word so as not to be deceived by false doctrines, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

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2 John

2 John; this is love, that we walk according to His commandments

Lesson 9:

Introduction:

Scholars agree that the epistle of 2 John was written by apostle John who wrote 1 John around the same time, 85-95 AD. John wrote this epistle to warn his audience against the same heretic gnostic teachers.

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, we pray that You will enlighten our spiritual insights to study your word with boldness and confidence. We pray that we will abide in You and Your words will abide in us, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

2 John 1-13, walk-in truth and obedience

VV 1-3, 1 The Elder, to the elect lady and her children, whom I love in truth, and not only I but also all those who have known the truth, 2 because of the truth which abides in us and will be with us forever. 3 Grace, mercy, and peace will be with you from God the Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love.

John, the Elder, wrote this epistle to the elect lady and her children. Scholars are not in agreement as to the identity of this elect lady, whether this was a real person or just a figure of speech. Her children refer to the Christians in the region of Ephesus. John loved them in truth and prayed that truth abides in them forever. He pronounced grace, mercy, and peace to them from Father God and Jesus, the Son, in truth and love.

VV 4-6, 4 I rejoiced greatly that I have found some of your children walking in truth, as we received commandment from the Father. 5 And now I plead with you, lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment to you, but that which we have had from the beginning, that we love one another. 6 This is love, that we walk according to His commandments. This is the commandment, that as you have heard from the beginning, you should walk in it.

John rejoiced that his audience was walking in truth, obedience, and love. The test of loving Christ is obedience to his commandment to love.

VV 7-11, 7 For many deceivers have gone out into the world who do not confess Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist. 8 Look to yourselves, that we do not lose those things we worked for, but that we may receive a full reward. 9 Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son. 10 If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into your house nor greet him; 11 for he who greets him shares in his evil deeds.

Deceivers speak of the heretic gnostic teachers, who rejected the incarnation of Christ and had the spirit of antichrist. Those who follow the false doctrines of the heretic gnostic teachers do not know God. John warned his audience to reject these heretic gnostic teachers, do not invite them into their houses, and do not even greet them.

VV 12-13, 12 Having many things to write to you, I did not wish to do so with paper and ink; but I hope to come to you and speak face to face, that our joy may be full. 13 The children of your elect sister greet you. Amen.

John hoped to be able to meet his audience personally to share in their joy. He sent them greetings from their elect sister, whoever she was.

Application:

We are to beware of false heretic teachers. Today, false teachers are preaching false doctrines and cults are peddling false theology. The only sure way to discern false doctrines is to have a strong foundation on the word of God. Do not be deceived by false preachers who claim to be from God but are not.

2 Timothy 2:15, “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth”.

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, we pray for wisdom and discernment to tests every spirit because not all spirit is from You. We pray for the spirit of wisdom, understanding, discernment, and insight to rightly divide the word of truth, to discern and reject false doctrines, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

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1 John, Lesson 8

Lesson 8

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, You are Jehovah Rapha, Rohi, Jireh, Nissi, Tsidkenu, Shamma, Seboath, and Shalom. Thank You that You are all these and much more. There are no words to describe all of Your attributes and characteristics. We pray for the spirit of wisdom, understanding, insight, knowledge, and obedience to reside in us, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

1 John 5: 1-21, the tests for loving God.

VV 1-2, 1 Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves Him who begot also loves him who is begotten of Him. 2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments.

The tests for loving God and spiritual regeneration are to believe that Jesus is the Christ and to keep His commandments.

VV 3-5, 3 For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome. 4 For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world, our faith. 5 Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

We show our love for God by keeping His commandments. His commandments are not difficult to keep if we love Him. Spiritually regenerated people overcome the world by believing that Jesus is the Son of God.

VV 6-8, 6 This is He who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ; not only by water but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who bears witness because the Spirit is truth. 7 For there are three that bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one. 8 And there are three that bear witness on earth: the Spirit, the water, and the blood; and these three agree as one.

Jesus’ incarnation through natural birth, by water and blood, was witnessed by the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of truth. There are three witnesses of Christ’s incarnation in heaven, Father God, Jesus, the Word, and the Holy Spirit. There are three witnesses on earth, the Holy Spirit, the water, and the blood. Water could be a reference to Christ’s birth or Christ’s baptism, and blood could be a reference to Christ’s crucifixion.

VV 9-10, 9 If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater; for this is the witness of God which He has testified of His Son. 10 He who believes in the Son of God has the witness in himself; he who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed the testimony that God has given of His Son.

God’s witness is greater than man’s witness. God’s witness testified to the authenticity of Jesus Christ. Those who believe in Jesus Christ believe in God’s witness. Those who did not believe in Jesus Christ did not believe in God’s witness.

VV 11-12, 11 And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. 12 He who has the Son has life, he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.

God gave us eternal life in Christ. Whoever has Christ had life, whoever does not have Christ does not have life. 1 John 5:12, is a promise to claim and a memory verse to memorize. “He who has the Son has life, he who does not have the Son does not have life.”

V 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.

John reassured his audience and us to believe and continue believing in the name of Christ so that we will have eternal life.

VV 14-15, 14 Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. 15 And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.

If we ask Christ anything according to His will, He will hear us. Since we know that He hears us, we have a basis to ask with confidence and boldness.

VV 16-17, 16 If anyone sees his brother sinning a sin that does not lead to death, he will ask, and He will give him life for those who sin not leading to death. There is sin leading to death. I do not say that he should pray about that. 17 All unrighteousness is sin, and there is a sin not leading to death.

John encouraged his audience and us to pray for our brother who committed a pardonable sin. However, if someone blasphemed against the Holy Spirit, this is an unpardonable sin, and should not be prayed for, Mark 3: 28-29.

Mark 3:28-29, “Assuredly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they may utter, but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is subject to eternal condemnation”.

VV 18-10,18 We know that whoever is born of God does not sin; but he who has been born of God keeps himself, and the wicked one does not touch him. 19 We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one.

John reminds his audience and us that spiritually regenerated Christians should not sin habitually because they belonged to God.

VV 20-21, 20 And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding, that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life. 21 Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.

We belonged to Jesus Christ, the only true God, and source of eternal life. John warned his audience and us to keep away from idolatry.

Application:

The tests of loving God and spiritual regeneration is faith and obedience. We are to believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God who came to earth through His incarnation to save sinners. We are to keep His commandments to love God vertically and to love one another horizontally. Love is the greatest commandment and the greatest virtue.

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, we pray that You will give us the grace to love You and to love one another. We pray that You will keep us away from idolatry and keep us in the faith. Thank You for the gift of eternal life and the promise of heaven, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

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1 John, Lesson 7

Lesson 7

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, You are Wonderful, Counsellor, Prince of Peace, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Trinitarian God of the Bible, and the Only True God. We pray for Your presence, anointing, revelation, and guidance. We pray for divine wisdom in understanding and applying scripture, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

1 John 4:12-21, The perfection of love.

VV 12-13, 12 No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us. 13 By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit.

No one has ever seen God because He is invisible but God manifested Himself to us by becoming fully human and fully divine in Christ, Colossians 1:15, John 1:14. God’s love will be made perfect in us if we love one another. Christ’s love abiding in us through the Holy Spirit will enable us to love one another.

Colossians 1:15, “The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation”.

John 1:14, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth”.

VV 14-16, 14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world. 15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. 16 And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.

John and the apostles saw and testified that God sent Jesus into the world as Savior of the world. The test of a Christian is confessing Jesus as Son of God. Whoever confessed Jesus as Son of God abides in God, and God abides in him. The test of a Christian is knowing and believing that God is love. Those who remained in love remained in God, and God remained in them.

VV 17-19, 17 Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. 19 We love Him because He first loved us.

Love is made perfect in us by the God of love. Love is the opposite of fear. Love speaks of rewards, but fear speaks of punishments. Those who love God will not fear God’s judgment. Those who love God can approach Him in boldness and confidence. We love God because He loved us first, 1 John 4:19.

VV 20-21, 20 If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? 21 And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also.

The test of a Christian is love. Failure to love our brother and sister proved that we do not love God. We are to love God vertically and love our brother and sister horizontally.

Application:

The three tests of a Christian are confessing Christ as Son of God, believe in God, and loving God. God is a God of love. John was an apostle of love. Greek for love in 1 John is “agape”, the highest form of love. Perfect love casts out fear of God’s judgments. Love is the greatest commandment and the greatest virtue. Therefore, love God and love one another just as Christ loves us.

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, we are forever grateful to You for loving us and for sending Jesus as the atoning sacrifice for our sins. We pray for grace and divine enablement to love You vertically and to love one another horizontally. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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1 John, Lesson 6

Lesson 6:

 

Prayer:

 

Heavenly Father, thank You for allowing us to meet You again in daily devotion. We pray for a relationship, fellowship, communion, and communication with You. We pray that You speak to us as only You can, in Jesus’ name, Amen. 

 

1 John 4:1-11, God is love

 

VV 1-3, 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. 2 By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, 3 and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming and is now already in the world.

 

John warned his audience and us to test and discern every spirit because not all spirits are from God. Some spirits are from false prophets who belonged to satan. Every spirit that acknowledged the incarnation of Christ is from God. Every spirit that denied the incarnation of Christ is the spirit of the Antichrist. John refuted the heretic gnostic teachers who denied the incarnation of Christ. 

 

VV 4-6, 4 You are of God, little children, and have overcome them because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. 5 They are of the world. Therefore they speak as of the world, and the world hears them. 6 We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.

 

1 John 4:4 is a beautiful memory verse, “He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world”. Jesus Christ who is in us is greater than satan who is in the world. The world listened to non-Christians who belonged to it. God listened to Christians who belonged to Him but will not listen to non-Christians who do not belong to Him. 

 

VV 7-9, 7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 8 He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. 9 In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. 

John encouraged his audience and us to love one another because God is love. To know God is to love God. We are to love God vertically and love one another horizontally. God sent His Son into the world because of love, John 3:16. 

 

John 3:16, “for God so loved the world that he gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life”. 

 

VV 10-11, 10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

Greek for propitiation is “hilasterion”, which means Mercy Seat. Mercy Seat is the golden cover on the ark of the covenant. In the Old Testament, the high priest enters the Holy of Holies to sprinkle the blood of the lamb upon the Mercy Seat as an atonement of sins for the Israelites for one year. The NIV translates propitiation as the atoning sacrifice. The Mercy Seat was a foreshadow of Christ. Christ’s death on the cross is the atoning sacrifice for our sins. We are to love one another to reciprocate Christ’s love for us. 

 

Application:

 

God is love. God demonstrated His amazing love for us by sending Jesus to the cross as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. We are justified by grace through faith in Christ. God considered us just as if we had not sinned if we believe in Christ. Having been justified by grace we have peace with God and we can come with boldness and confidence before Him in prayer.

 

Prayer:

 

Heavenly Father, thank You for loving us even though we do not deserve it. Thank You for Your mercy and grace. We acknowledged that we are sinners saved by Your grace. Thank You for all that You have done for us in our lives, in Jesus’ name, Amen. 

 

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1 John, lesson 5

Lesson 5

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, we pray for mercy, grace, wisdom, insight, and understanding into the reading of Your word. We pray for unlocking the meaning and interpretation of difficult and controversial verses, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

1 John 3: 1-24, behold, what manner of love

VV 1-3, 1 Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. 2 Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. 3 And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.

Greek for behold is ‘’horao”, which means consider. John encouraged his audience and us to consider the magnitude of God’s for us when He adopted into His family as children when we accepted Christ as our Lord and Saviour. The word love appeared repeatedly in 1 John and the Greek word for love is always “agape”. Agape is the highest form of love, the divine sacrificial love of God for people. The world rejected us because it rejected God. When Christ comes back during the rapture, He will resurrect us into a glorified body to meet Him in the heaven, 1 Thess 4:17.

1 Thess 4:17, “After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever”.

VV 4-6, 4 Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness. 5 And you know that He was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin. 6 Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him.

Greek for sin is “hamartia”, which means missing the mark. Greek for lawlessness is “anomos”, which means transgression. Whoever missed the mark of God’s perfect standard had transgressed against God. The problem of sin had been dealt with on the cross. Christ paid the penalty of our sins on the cross of Calvary on Good Friday. Whoever walked in obedience to Christ will not walk in sin because Christ is sinless.

VV 7-9, 7 Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous. 8 He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose, the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil. 9 Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God.

John warned his audience and us not to be deceived by the heretic gnostic teachers. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous just as Christ is righteous. Whoever practices wickedness is from satan. Christ came to earth to destroy the works of satan. Those who are born again will not sin because they are born of God.

VV 10-12, 10 In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother. 11 For this is the message that you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another, 12 not as Cain who was of the wicked one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his works were evil and his brother’s righteous.

John compared the children of God, Christians, with the children of satan, non-Christians. The children of God practiced righteousness, whereas the children of satan practiced wickedness. The children of God practiced love, whereas the children of satan practiced wickedness. We are to love one another just as Christ loves us. John compared Cain, a son of satan, with Abel, a son of God. God rejected Cain’s unrighteous sacrifice but accepted Abel’s righteous sacrifice. Cain murdered his brother because he was wicked and his brother was righteous.

VV 13-15, 13 Do not marvel, my brethren, if the world hates you. 14 We know that we have passed from death to life because we love the brethren. He who does not love his brother abides in death. 15 Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.

John warned his audience and us not to be surprised if the world hates us because the world hates God. We are to love our brother and not to hate him. To hate our brother is to murder him in the heart. Jesus said in the beatitude, that murder begins in the heart, Matthew 5: 21-22.

Matthew 5: 21-22, “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.’ But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca!’ shall be in danger of the council”.

VV 16-17, 16 By this we know love because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. 17 But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?

Christ demonstrated His love for us when He died on the cross for us while we were still sinners, Romans 5:8. We are to love our brothers in the same way that Christ loved us. We are to help our brother if he needs our help and if we are in a position to meet that need.

Romans 5:8, “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us”.

VV 18- 20, 18 My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth. 19 And by this we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him. 20 For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things.

John warned his audience and us not to love in words alone but in action and truth because we are of the truth. Greek for condemn is ‘’kataginosko”, which means accuse. If our heart accused us of sin, God is greater than our heart and He will not accuse us of sin.

Romans 8:1. “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit”.

VV 21-23, 21 Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God. 22 And whatever we ask we receive from Him because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight. 23 And this is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment.

Greek for confidence is “parresia”, which means boldness to speak. If our heart did not accuse us, we can come before God with boldness and confidence in prayer and He will answer us, Hebrews 4:16, Ephesians 3:12. We are to believe in the name of Christ and love one another as Christ loved us, John 13:34.

Hebrews 4:16, “Let us, therefore, come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need”.

Ephesians 3:12, “in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through faith in Him”.

John 13:34, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another”.

V 24, Now he who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. And by this, we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us.

John encouraged his audience and us to keep Christ’s commandments and remain in Him. Christ will abide in us through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

John 15:4, “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me”.

Application:

God loved you with an everlasting love, Jer 31:3. Christ’s death on the cross showed the extent of His love. Love is one of the tests of knowing Christ. We are to love God vertically and love our brothers and sisters in Christ horizontally. Love is the greatest of the ten commandments and is the greatest virtue of all, 1 Cor 13:13.

1 Cor 13:13, And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

Jer 31:3, The Lord has appeared of old to me, saying: “Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore with lovingkindness, I have drawn you.

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, thank You for sending Jesus Christ to be our Lord and Saviour. Thank You for Your love, mercy, and grace. We pray for the grace to love You, to love our brothers and sisters in Christ and our neighbors. We pray for divine enablement to keep Your commandments and to abide in Your love, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

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1 John, Lesson 4

Lesson 4

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, we come before You again to study Your word. We pray that You will speak to us through the pages of scripture. We pray for illumination and enlightenment by the Holy Spirit. We pray for eyes to see and ears to hear, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

1 John 2: 12-29, do not love the world

VV 12-14, 12 I write to you, little children, Because your sins are forgiven you for His name’s sake. 13 I write to you, fathers, Because you have known Him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, Because you have overcome the wicked one. I write to you, little children, Because you have known the Father. 14 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 abides in you, And you have overcome the wicked one.

John wrote to three categories of people, little children in the faith, new believers, fathers in the faith, mature believers, and young men in the faith, those in between the two extremes. He commended them because their sins were forgiven, they knew Christ, they had overcome satan, they were strong in the faith, and they knew the word of God.

VV 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 all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father but is of the world. 17 And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.

Greek for love in all of 1 John is “agape”, which means the divine love of God for people. Greek for world is “kosmos”, which means the earth. We do not love or be too attached to the things of the world. Our real citizenship is heaven although we are living on earth. Greek for passing away is “parago”, which means disappear. This world will disappear soon as Jesus’ second coming is imminent. The lust of the flesh speaks of the desires of the flesh. The lust of the eyes speaks of covetousness. The pride of life speaks of arrogance. Satan tempted Jesus on these on the Mount of temptation but Jesus overcame them by the word of God. Satan tempted Jesus to satisfy his hunger by changing stones to bread, (the lust of the flesh), showed Him the Kingdom of the world and bow down to him, (lust of the eyes), and defy God by jumping off the pinnacle of the temple (pride of life).

V 18, Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour.

John warned his audience and us about the imminent second coming of Christ and the coming of the Antichrist onto the world scene. The Antichrist is a ruthless dictator who will rule the earth during the last seven years of world history called the tribulation. He is also called the beast, the man of lawlessness, and the man of perdition.

VV 19-23, 19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out that they might be made manifest, that none of them were of us. 20 But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all things. 21 I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and that no lie is of the truth. 22 Who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is an antichrist who denies the Father and the Son. 23 Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father either; he who acknowledges the Son has the Father also.

They who “went out from us, but we’re not of us”, speaks of the false heretic gnostic teachers. The anointing of the Holy Spirit should enable Christians to discern truth from lies. Anyone who denies Jesus as the Christ, and the Father as God is an antichrist. Whoever denies Christ, denies the Father. Whoever acknowledged Christ, acknowledged the Father.

V 24, Therefore let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in the Son and in the Father.

John encouraged his disciples and us to abide in Christ and in the Father.

VV 25-27, 25 And this is the promise that He has promised us, eternal life. 26 These things I have written to you concerning those who try to deceive you. 27 But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teaches you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him.

We have the promise of eternal life from Christ. John warned his audience and us not to be deceived by the false teachings of the heretic gnostic teachers. If we abide in Christ His anointing on us reveals and teaches us all things.

VV 28-29, 28 And now, little children, abide in Him, that when He appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming. 29 If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone who practices righteousness is born of Him.

John encouraged his audience and us to abide in Christ and to have confidence in His second coming because. Christ is righteous and those who practice righteousness are His children.

Application:

We are not to hold too tightly to the things of the world because we do not belong to the world. We are not immortal and the world will not last forever. Our real citizenship is heaven. One day, we will be with Christ in heaven until eternity. Our years of earthly existence are insignificant compared to eternity. We are to invest in the things of the kingdom that will last into eternity.

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, we confessed that we are sinners. We pray for forgiveness of sins and obedience to Your calling. Help us not to cling on tightly to the things of the world but cling to the things of the kingdom. We pray for kingdom perspective, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

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1 John, lesson 3

Lesson 3

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, we acknowledged that You are Emanual, Lamb of God, Lion of Judah, city of refuge, shepherd of our souls, and captain of our souls. We pray for soft, faithful, obedient, teachable, and sensitive spirits to tap into Your goodness, grace, and love, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

1 John 2: 1- 11, The tests of Knowing Christ

VV 1-2, 1 My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 2 And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.

John, the last surviving apostle of Christ, addressed his audience tenderly as little children. As Christians, we are not to habitually sin but if we sin, we have Jesus Christ as our Advocate with the Father. Greek for advocate is “parakletos’, which means counselor or defense attorney. Greek for propitiation is “hilasterion” which means the mercy seat. The Mercy Seat was the golden cover on the Ark of the Covenant which was kept in the Holy of Holies. Before the destruction of the temple, the high priest enters the Holy of Holies once a year on Yom Kippur day, to sacrifice a lamb and splash the blood of the lamb onto the mercy seat as atonement for the sins of the Israelites for 1 year. On Good Friday, Jesus Christ died on the cross as a substitutionary atonement for our sins. He meets us on the mercy seat of the ark of the covenant to forgive our sins.

VV 3-6. 3 Now by this, we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. 4 He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5 But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. 6 He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.

The tests of knowing Christ are obedience to His commands, love God, and love people. We cannot claim to know Christ if we do not obey His commands. Christ is truth. The test of knowing Christ is to walk in truth. Christ is love. Another test of knowing Christ is to walk in love, vertical love for God, and horizontal love for people. Greek for abide is “meno”, which means remain or endure. If we remain in Him, we are to obey Him and conduct our lives according to His commands.

VV 7- 8, 7 Brethren, I write no new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you have had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which you heard from the beginning. 8 Again, a new commandment I write to you, which thing is true in Him and in you, because the darkness is passing away, and the true light is already shining.

The old commandment is from the Old Testament, love the Lord with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength, Duet 6:4. The new commandment is from the New Testament, to love another as Christ loved us, John 13:34. The true light of Christ’s righteousness had come to remove the darkness of evil in the world, John 1:5.

Deut 6:5, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength”.

John 13:34, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another”.

John 1:5, “And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it”.

VV 9- 11, 9 He who says he is in the light and hates his brother, is in darkness until now. 10 He who loves his brother abides in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him. 11 But he who hates his brother is in darkness and walks in darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.

Christ is light. Another test to know Christ is to walk in the light of Christ. We are to walk in the light of Christ and love our brother. If we hate our brother we are in darkness and deception and the light of Christ is not in us. Light is symbolic of Christ, truth, righteousness, and goodness. Darkness is symbolic of satan, deception, sin, and evil.

Application:

We are not to sin habitually, but if we sin, we are to come before Jesus Christ in confession and repentance. If we confess our sins, Christ is faithful and just and will forgive and cleanse us of all our unrighteousness. We are to walk in obedience, in truth, in love, in light, in the Holy Spirit, and in Christ. These are the tests of knowing Christ.

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, we confess that we are sinners saved by grace. We pray for forgiveness of sin, justification, salvation, sanctification, and eternal life. We pray for divine guidance and enablement to walk in obedience, in Christ, in the Holy Spirit, in truth, in light, and in faith, in Jesus’ name, Amen.