I John Lesson 1 – (Text is I John 1:1-10)

By Yes Clubs Instructor | March 14, 2015 | Comments Off on I John Lesson 1 – (Text is I John 1:1-10)

Introduction To I John

It is important to study God’s Word, the Bible. It is important to memorize verses and to think upon His Word. The Word of God never changes, even though we live in a world of constant change. Our friends and families change. Circumstances change. Our thoughts and attitudes change. And all around us we experience change every day. But the Word of God remains the same, and is sure and steadfast. We can always depend upon His Word. Isaiah 40:8 says, “The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.” Psalm 119:89 says, “For ever, O Lord, thy word is settled in heaven,” and in I Peter 1:23, we read that the Word of God lives and abides forever. In uncertain and changing times, we can always depend upon His Holy Word to give us comfort, strength, grace and power for each moment of our lives, regardless of our situations or our circumstances. The Word of God also helps newborn babies in Christ to grow spiritually. In I Peter 2:2 we read, “As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby.” We, as believers in Christ, are commanded in God’s Word to grow spiritually. II Peter 3:18 says, “But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.” The Word of God has always existed and will always exist. In John 1:1-2 we read, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God.” Read the following verses from the Bible: Psalm 119: 2, 9, 11, 28, 50, 67, 71, 74, 92, 114, 130, 147, 148, 162 and 165. As you begin these study courses of God’s Word, please begin them with this thought and prayer found in Psalm 119:18, “Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law.” And in Psalm 119:105 we read: “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” This tells us how to stand with God and how to go with God.

I John Key Verse: 1 John 5:11-13, “And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.”

Key Words: Love – found 48 times; Know – found more than 30 times.

Theme: “Fellows in the same ship.” “Fellows in common.”

Date: 90 A.D.

Writer: John the Apostle 1) One of the twelve apostles 2) One of the three inner circle 3) Banished to the Isle of Patmos 4) Only surviving apostle at the time 5) Called “The Son of Thunder”

Written to:  Christians in Asia Minor

From:  Ephesus (probably).

The Book:  Number in Bible – 62nd Book in the Bible; Number of Chapters – 5; Number of verses – 105; Number in order of writing – 23rd in the New Testament.

Purpose:  Four-fold – “I write…” 1) “That your joy may be full” (1:4) 2) “That ye sin not” (2:1) 3) “That you might be aware of seducers” (2:26) 4) “That ye may have eternal life” (5:13)

Divisions:       1) God is Light (Ch. 1-2) 2) God is Love (Ch. 3-4) 3) God is Life (Ch. 5)

Outline:  Introduction – The Reality of Christ

  1. Our relationship to the Father (Ch. 1)
  2. Fellowship with the Father (v. 3)
  3. Fullness of the Father (v. 3)
  4. Faithfulness of the Father (v. 9)
  5. Forgiveness from the Father (v. 9)
  6. Our righteousness and our surroundings (Ch. 2)
  7. Our righteousness and sin (v. 1)
  8. Our righteousness and commandments (v. 3)
  9. Our righteousness and others (v. 6)
  10. Our righteousness and brother (v. 9-11)
  11. Our righteousness and world (v. 15-16)
  12. Our righteousness and Holy Spirit (v. 2, 27)

III. Our responsibility to love one another (Ch. 3)

  1. Because of God’s pattern (v. 1)
  2. Because of The Blessed Hope (v. 2, 3)
  3. Because of His death for us (v. 4-8)
  4. Because of our new nature (v. 9-18)
  5. Because of The Holy Spirit (v. 19-24)
  6. Our reaction as a child of God (Ch. 4)
  7. We have light in discerning of spirits (v. 1-6)
  8. We have love in dealing with others (v. 7-14)
  9. We have loyalty in dedication to the Lord (v. 15-25)
  10. Our response to the truth of God (Ch. 5)
  11. We understand what a Christian is (v. 1-5)
  12. We understand who Christ is (v. 6-13)

Miscellaneous:  Three words about fellowship: 1) Basis – walking in light (1:7) 2) Barriers – walking in sin (1:8) 3) Benefits – fellowship with one another (1:7)  Seven “As He is” in I John: 1) Fellowship – “As He is in the light” (1:7) 2) Abiding – “Even as He walked” (2:6) 3) Likeness – “We shall see Him as He is:” (3:2) 4) Purity – “Even as He is pure.” (3:3) 5) Righteousness – “Even as He is righteous.” (3:7) 6) Love – “As He gave us commandment” (3:23) 7) Representation – “As He is, so are we in the world” (4:17) I John – An epistle of certainties, we know: 1) A righteous life indicates regeneration (2:29, 5:18) 2) We shall be like Christ at His coming (3:2) 3) Christ came to take away our sins (3:5) 4) Brotherly love indicates that we have passed from death unto life (3:14) 5) He abideth in us by the witness of the Spirit (3:24) 6) We have eternal life (5:13) 7) Our prayers are answered (5:15)


Posted in New Testament