Christ is extolled by the aged apostle as truly man and God, who is holiness and truth, genuine believers being identified by their sensitivity to sin and concern for biblical obedience, and false Christians by their relative indifference to one or the other.

John looks back sixty years recalling with amazement how the apostles listened to Christ, and watched Him through His earthly ministry, constantly convinced of His redeeming work, and by the wonder of personal fellowship with God. Here is the basis and joy of such fellowship.

A surprising number of striking helps stand out in the course of the epistle, some designed to jolt us, and others to help motivate us to more conscientious effort. From true confession to steps for keeping the soul, here are ten inspired counsels for the battle against sin.

Why do we need forgiveness? Why should we be accountable to God? What are God's motives in requiring repentance? What is the role of Christ in reconciling people to God? How does a person seek forgiveness? Is forgiveness and reconciliation with God a verifiable experience? If we confess our sins,…

The aged apostle speaks out of concern for believers everywhere, urging all to avoid spiritual lifelessness by keeping in full view: 1) The campaign for personal holiness; 2) The price Christ paid for us; 3) All His commands to serve Him; 4) Our love for Him.

After extolling Christ and exhorting to holiness, the first topic of the epistle (showing its importance) is mutual love in the congregation. Here are the grounds of solid ties, and the blessings and helps, along with the Apostle's warnings about opting out of this precious duty.

John's words to little children, fathers and young men seem repetitive and puzzling at first sight, but they are a call to think of the considerable changes brought about in those who are converted, and to stir assurance and zeal. Here are the triumphs of grace.

In three famous verses, John shows that love for the world cannot coexist with love for God, then defines worldliness, shows its offensiveness to God, and describes how it passes away to judgement before our eyes. What believers do, however, lasts forever.

'Love not the world' texts are frequently twisted to mean - be worldly as long as you don't sin. Past believers always saw the world as a complex evil campaign orchestrated by Satan. Here are passages proving this view and defining worldliness.

Surely we are moving into the last age end-phase of licence and lawlessness. Here we briefly review history since the 1960s, and then consider a gulf between church and world, then study the command to love not the world and its things. What are these?

The biblical view of man held for centuries until recent times and very obvious to all, is that human nature is flawed, especially by pride. Here is how pride steers us, its characteristics, its consequences and how it may be pardoned and cured by Christ. You May Be Also Interested…

Is pride ever good? Yes, but here are the dangers and delusions that blind us to ourselves, cause us to resent the oversight of God, deform the character, spoil decisions, and take away our power to believe in Christ and gain eternal life.

The old view that human nature is influenced by sin-tendencies, and in need of regular cleansing and servicing has been thrown out, so that few take note of what drives them. Here is God's book on the subject of pride, its stealth, power, and only cure.

The apostle John provides the facts about the emergence of antichrist, what exactly antichrist will do, and the twin means by which believers will discern 'many antichrists'. These two, the unction of the 'Holy One' and the test of truth, are here explained.

Are we truly saved? Do we need a jolt to examine our status before God, or do we need reassurance that we are saved? In a single study, here are two major signs from 1 John: our commitment to the Gospel, and our changed relationship with sin and the world

In five verses John describes three major aspects of the spiritual life, the word 'abide' appearing six times. Here is how we should make use of the body of Christian doctrine, maintain close union with Christ, and keep alive the illumination of the Spirit.

Gaining Christian perspective by comprehending all aspects of God's mighty love, then by looking forward to seeing Christ and being transformed, then by appreciating deliverance from the dominion of sin, and then by knowing how to stay close to the Saviour.

The apostle John describes five aspects of love, in the church, at the same time showing that each one is evidence of true conversion. Here love, helpfulness to fellow believers, and the promised greater instrumentality in prayer, are seen as bulwarks of assurance.

The duty to test all who teach by four standards: (1) Do they proclaim the divinity and humanity of Christ, our infallible mediator? (2) are they truly converted? (3) are they separate from the world? (4) are they bound by the authority and sufficiency of scripture?

From the warning against false teachers, the apostle turns again to the great duty of love to fellow believers, providing fourteen compelling reasons (with benefits) for honouring this obligation. Here love is defined, its actions and activities listed, and the reasons surveyed.

The apostle describes seven solid evidences of the work of salvation in the true believer (different from the 'marks of grace' usually described). All provide either strong assurance, or a profound challenge in the case of those who have not yet experienced conversion to Christ.

The message of personal salvation and eternal life obtained through Christ naturally provokes the question - Is it true? It seems too good to be true. Here is a review of its credibility, its effectiveness, and the many proofs experienced by those who trust it.

Why does God not make Himself more obvious? - so the question goes. Though His existence is obvious, it is obscured by mankind's attitude to Him. Here are the reasons for our hostility and alienation, and how God ends the 'war' by the conversion of seekers. You May Be Also…

As unbelievers we thought unbelief was 'innocent'. Surely it was for Christians to demonstrate God's reality to us. But here is God's viewpoint - the depths of wilful unreasonableness in our rejection of Him. And here also is what we owe to Him for His mercy.

(ii) — Doubts about salvation: experienced both by young and seasoned believers, their form and our response. Here are five surprising and powerful evidences of salvation presented in 1 John to show troubled souls that they should regard themselves as saved and move forward in faith.

Here is the necessity of prayer and why God requires it; the meaning of God's promise to answer 'according to his will'; the things for which we should pray; the manner in what we should pray; and the vexed exception of the 'sin unto death'.

John sets out the authentic characteristics of truly saved believers. What he means by saying that they sin not, and how they fight sin. Here also are Satan's attempts to ruin them, and a key work of redemption - a certain and personal walk with God.

Is Christ true? Is reconciliation with God possible? Is the source of Christian salvation - the Bible - true? Can it be tested? Does it work? What about alternative explanations and policies for life? These answers to plain questions will help all who seek reality, and peace with God.

The unshakeable certainty and assurance of an apostle who can say, 'We know that we are of God.'  How? Here is the solid basis of truth of the Christian message and the quality of evidence that runs through the lives of Christian believers. You May Be Also Interested in… Sermon: The…