Our current series through 1 John is Life in the Light: Knowing Christ. Walking in Truth. Loving One Another.

These sermon notes are not a full manuscript but a listening guide designed to help our Tabernacle Church family follow along. I encourage you to add your own notes as you listen each week. The service will be available on YouTube by Sunday afternoon. You can also find sermon notes, family devotional guides, our prayer list, and other resources on our church website.

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1 John 2:1-2

INTRO

• John continues his teaching about sin, confession, and cleansing from 1:8–10.
• Grace does not make us comfortable with sin.
• John calls us to pursue holiness while recognizing that believers still stumble.
• When we sin, our hope is found in who Jesus is and what Jesus has done.

OUR PURSUIT OF HOLINESS — v. 1a

“My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin…”

We Are Called to Holiness

• John’s goal is clear: “that you may not sin.”
• Grace never gives us permission to become comfortable with sin.
• The direction of the Christian life is toward greater holiness and Christlikeness.

We Still Battle Sin

• John adds: “But if anyone does sin…”
• Christians are not sinless.
• Sin remains, but it no longer reigns — Romans 6:14.
• We may fall into sin, but we cannot make peace with sin.

When We Sin

• Recognize it — Allow God’s Word to expose it.
• Confess it — Agree with God about it.
• Forsake it — Turn from it.
• Fight it — Put off sin and put on righteousness.
• Press on — Continue pursuing Christ.

When we sin, we do not hide it, excuse it, or stay down—we confess it, turn from it, and press on in Christ.

JESUS STANDS FOR US — v. 1b

“But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.”

“We Have an Advocate”

• John does not say we might have an Advocate. He says “we have.”
• When believers sin, Christ does not abandon us.
• Our hope after failure is Jesus Christ.

Advocate — Paraklētos

• One called alongside to help.
• A helper, representative, intercessor, or advocate.
• Jesus represents His people before the Father.
• He does not argue that we are innocent.
• He stands for people who really are guilty.

“Jesus Christ the Righteous”

• We sin — He is righteous.
• We fail — He remains faithful.
• Our righteousness is insufficient — His righteousness is perfect.
• Our confidence before God rests in Christ, not our performance.

When we stumble, Jesus Christ the righteous stands for us before the Father.

THE CROSS IS OUR HOPE — v. 2

“He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.”

Propitiation — Hilasmos

• An atoning sacrifice that satisfies God’s righteous judgment against sin.
• God is holy and just; He does not simply overlook sin.
• Jesus bore the judgment our sin deserved.
• The cross displays both the seriousness of sin and the greatness of grace.

God does not forgive our sin by ignoring it. He forgives us because Christ has dealt with it.

The Price Has Been Paid

• Jesus bore our sins — 1 Peter 2:24.
• Jesus became the curse for us — Galatians 3:13.
• Jesus suffered “the righteous for the unrighteous” — 1 Peter 3:18.
• His sacrifice is sufficient and complete.

Jesus can stand for us because Jesus died for us.

“For the Whole World”

• Jesus Christ is not the Savior of only one nation, ethnicity, or people.
• His sacrifice is infinitely sufficient.
• John is not teaching universal salvation — 1 John 5:12.
• There is one Savior to be proclaimed to sinners everywhere.
• Everyone who repents and believes can confidently look to Christ.

Our hope is not that God overlooks our sin; our hope is that Jesus Christ has fully dealt with our sin at the cross.

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THE WHAT NOW?

• Pursue Holiness — Do not become comfortable with what Christ died to save you from.
• Confess Sin — Bring your sin honestly before God.
• Run to Christ — Jesus Christ the righteous stands for you.
• Rest in the Cross — Stop trying to pay for what Jesus has already paid for.
• Press On — Get back up and continue pursuing Christ.

We do not need to reinvent ministry or chase the latest methods. We need to look carefully at the New Testament, see how Christ and His church lived out the mission, and faithfully follow those biblical patterns today.

In this 4-week study, we will focus on the gospel itself, our responsibility to embrace the mission, how to share Christ clearly, and how to help others begin following Him.

What did they do? Acts 2:37–41; Acts 4:29–31; Acts 17:2–4

• proclaimed Christ
• explained the gospel
• called people to repent and believe
• prayed for boldness
• trusted God to save

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Week 1 — Know the Gospel

1 Corinthians 15:1–4

We cannot faithfully share the gospel unless we understand it rightly/biblically.

Introduction

• Evangelism begins with gospel clarity.
• The gospel is not self-improvement, religion, or simply becoming a better person.
• The gospel is the good news of what God has done through Jesus Christ to save sinners.
• Before we can share the gospel, we must know the gospel.

God Is Our Holy Creator

Genesis 1:1; Isaiah 6:1–5; Romans 1:18–20

• God created us, and we belong to Him.
• God is holy, righteous, and worthy of worship.
• Every person is accountable to God.
• The gospel begins with God, not with us.

Because God is our holy Creator, we are accountable to Him and cannot define truth, sin, or salvation for ourselves.

We are Guilty Sinners

Romans 3:10–23; Romans 6:23

• All people have sinned.
• Sin is more than mistakes or brokenness; it is rebellion against God.
• Sin brings guilt and judgment.
• We cannot save ourselves through morality, religion, or good works.

Because our greatest problem is sin against God, our greatest need is not self-improvement but reconciliation with God.

Jesus in the Only Savior

1 Corinthians 15:3–4; Romans 5:6–8; 1 Peter 3:18

• Jesus Christ is fully God and fully man.
• He lived without sin.
• He died in the place of sinners.
• He bore the judgment our sin deserved.
• He rose bodily from the grave.
• Jesus Christ is the only Savior.

Because Christ accomplished what we could never accomplish, our hope rests completely in His finished work.

God Calls Sinners to Repent and Believe

Mark 1:14–15; Acts 20:21; Ephesians 2:8–9

• The gospel calls for a response.
• Repentance is turning from sin toward God.
• Faith is trusting Jesus Christ alone to save.
• Salvation cannot be earned.
• Salvation is received by grace through faith.

Because salvation is by grace, we turn from trusting ourselves and place our confidence in Christ alone.

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Gospel Framework

God

• Who is God, and what does He require?

Sin

• What is wrong with us, and why can we not save ourselves?

Christ

• Who is Jesus, and what did He accomplish?

Response

• How does God command us to respond?

Our current series through 1 John is Life in the Light: Knowing Christ. Walking in Truth. Loving One Another.

These sermon notes are not a full manuscript but a listening guide designed to help our Tabernacle Church family follow along. I encourage you to add your own notes as you listen each week. The service will be available on YouTube by Sunday afternoon. You can also find sermon notes, family devotional guides, our prayer list, and other resources on our church website.

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1 John 1:8-10 – Walking in the light means taking sin seriously, confessing it honestly, and refusing to be deceived by it.

Introduction

• John has established that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.
• Those who know God are called to walk in the light.
• We come to Christ acknowledging that we are sinners who need forgiveness.
• As believers, we continue to recognize and confess the sin in our lives.
• The Christian life is not pretending we have no sin; it is continually bringing our sin into the light and depending upon Christ.

The Seriousness of Sin — v. 8

“If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.”

• We cannot have a right understanding of the gospel without a right understanding of sin.
• We come to Christ recognizing our guilt and need for forgiveness.
• Becoming a Christian does not mean that our battle with sin is over.
• We must never minimize, excuse, or become comfortable with sin.
• Walking in the light requires an honest recognition of our continuing need for God’s grace.

Because sin is serious, we must recognize our need for forgiveness and refuse to make peace with sin.

The Confession of Sin — v. 9

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

• Confess means to acknowledge and agree with God about our sin.
• We come to Christ acknowledging our sin and need for salvation.
• Confession continues to characterize the life of a believer.
• God promises to forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
• We do not cleanse ourselves; we depend upon the sufficient work of Jesus Christ.

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Biblical confession is more than admitting sin. It is agreeing with God about our sin and responding to it His way.

1. Acknowledge It — Bring your sin honestly into the light.
   • Psalm 32:5 — “I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity.”
2. Confess It — Agree with God about your sin.
   • 1 John 1:9 — “If we confess our sins…”
3. Forsake It — Turn from the sin rather than continuing to make peace with it.
   • Proverbs 28:13 — “He who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy.”
4. Put Off — Actively reject sinful attitudes, desires, and behaviors.
   • Ephesians 4:22 — “Put off your old self…”
5. Put On — Replace sinful patterns with attitudes and actions that reflect Christ.
   • Ephesians 4:24 — “Put on the new self…”
6. Press On — Receive God’s forgiveness, learn from the failure, and keep pursuing Christ.
   • Philippians 3:13–14 — “Forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal…”

Acknowledge → Confess → Forsake → Put Off → Put On → Press On

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Confession is not simply saying, “I sinned.” It is agreeing with God about our sin, turning from it, and depending upon Christ to keep walking in the light.

The Denial of Sin — v. 10

“If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.”

• Sin deceives us into minimizing, excusing, redefining, or denying it.
• Denying our sin ultimately contradicts what God has said about us.
• God’s Word, not our feelings or culture, determines what is sinful.
• We must remain honest before the Lord about the condition of our hearts.
• Walking in the light means believing what God says about our sin and continuing to depend upon His grace.

Because sin can deceive us, we must believe God’s Word and remain honest about our sin.

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The What Now?

• Take sin seriously — Recognize your need for God’s grace.
• Confess sin honestly — Bring it to God rather than hiding it.
• Guard against deception — Never excuse what God calls sin.
• Depend upon Christ — Trust His forgiveness and cleansing.

My Bible study notes for Wednesday night, Sep;t 2. Remember, these are my personal study notes and not a manuscript of the sermon. They are provided as an outline each week for our Tabernacle Church family. You can find Sermon Notes, Family Devotional Guides, Prayer List, and other resources at our Church Website.

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Believers must guard against spiritual complacency by recognizing spiritual drift, responding to it quickly, and continually refocusing their hearts on Christ.

Intro

• Last week in Mark 8:22–26, we saw Jesus restore the sight of a blind man.
• The miracle followed Jesus’ question to His disciples: “Having eyes do you not see?” (Mark 8:18).
• The disciples were following Jesus, but they were not always seeing and understanding clearly.
• Their struggle provides a springboard for considering a related danger in our Christian lives: spiritual complacency.
• Spiritual complacency occurs when we become comfortable with where we are spiritually and lose our hunger to know, obey, and pursue Christ.
• We can remain active in church and familiar with biblical truth while becoming spiritually dull.

Recognize Complacency

Spiritual complacency often develops gradually. We become comfortable with where we are and fail to recognize that we have stopped growing.

We Can Become Spiritually Dull

• Hebrews 5:11 warns about becoming “dull of hearing.”
• We can hear God’s Word without responding to it.
• Familiarity with truth does not guarantee faithfulness to truth.
• Spiritual activity is not necessarily spiritual vitality.

We Can Become Spiritually Comfortable

• Amos 6:1 warns those who were “at ease in Zion.”
• We can become satisfied with yesterday’s spiritual growth.
• We stop examining our hearts.
• We begin maintaining rather than maturing.

Because spiritual complacency can develop gradually and almost unnoticed, we must regularly examine the condition and direction of our hearts.

Respond to Drift

Once we recognize complacency, we must not ignore it. God calls us to respond.

Remember

• Jesus asked the disciples, “Do you not remember?” (Mark 8:18).
• Remember what God has revealed… has accomplished…His faithfulness
• Apply yesterday’s lessons to today’s circumstances.

Repent

• Hebrews 2:1 warns us to pay close attention so that we do not “drift away.”
• Drift often begins through neglect.
• Confess tolerated sin. Address neglected spiritual disciplines.
• Obey what God has already shown you.

Because spiritual drift often begins with neglect, respond quickly by remembering God’s truth, turning from sin, and returning to obedience.

Refocus on Christ

The answer to complacency is not simply becoming busier spiritually. We need renewed attention and affection directed toward Christ.

Fix Your Eyes on Jesus

• Hebrews 12:2 — “looking to Jesus.”
• Turn your attention away from distractions.
• Remember who Christ is and what He has done.
• Let spiritual disciplines lead you toward deeper fellowship with Him.

Keep Pressing On

• Philippians 3:12–14 — Paul continued to “press on.”
• Spiritual maturity is never an excuse to coast.
• Yesterday’s faithfulness cannot replace today’s pursuit.
• Continue growing in knowing, loving, obeying, and following Christ.

Because Christ is worthy of our devotion, we must continually pursue knowing, loving, and following Him.

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The What Now

• Examine — Am I growing spiritually or simply maintaining?
• Remember — What truth has God already taught me that I need to apply?
• Repent — What sin, neglect, or distraction needs to be addressed?
• Refocus — What needs to change so that Christ again has my attention and affection?
• Pursue — What specific step can I take today to grow in Christ?

Our current series through 1 John is Life in the Light: Knowing Christ. Walking in Truth. Loving One Another.

These sermon notes are not a full manuscript but a listening guide designed to help our Tabernacle Church family follow along. I encourage you to add your own notes as you listen each week. The service will be available on YouTube by Sunday afternoon. You can also find sermon notes, family devotional guides, our prayer list, and other resources on our church website.

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1 John 1:5-7

Introduction

• John moves from the Word of Life in vv. 1–4 to what life with Christ looks like.
• He begins with who God is before addressing how we should live.
• Our walk should give evidence that our profession is genuine.
• Walking in the light does not mean walking without sin… it means we no longer make peace with darkness.

Words to Consider

• Light – God’s truth and holiness.
• Darkness – sin and falsehood opposed to God.
• Fellowship – shared life with God and His people.
• Walk – the continuing direction and pattern of our lives.

Know the God of Light — v. 5

• God is perfectly holy and true.
• There is absolutely no darkness, evil, falsehood, or moral imperfection in Him.
• God’s character determines what it means to walk with Him.
• We do not define truth by our feelings, preferences, or culture.
• We begin with who God is and what He has revealed.

Because God is perfectly holy and true, we must know Him as He has revealed Himself and order our lives according to His truth.

Reject the Darkness — v. 6

• John contrasts profession with practice.
• We cannot claim fellowship with God while our lives are characterized by darkness.
• “Walk” describes the direction, pattern, and conduct of life.
• Walking in darkness includes:
  • Rejecting God’s truth.
  • Living contrary to God’s holiness.
  • Refusing to repent of known sin.
  • Making peace with sin.
• We are not saved because we walk in the light; we walk in the light because we have been saved.
• A changed life is the fruit of salvation, not its cause.

Because genuine fellowship with God changes the direction of our lives, we must not merely profess the truth but practice it.

Walk in the Light — v. 7

• Walking in the light means living according to God’s truth and holiness.
• It includes:
  • Believing God’s truth.
  • Submitting to God’s Word.
  • Pursuing holiness.
  • Confessing rather than hiding sin.
  • Repenting rather than defending sin.
  • Growing in obedience.
  • Loving God’s people.
• Walking in the light does not mean sinless perfection.
• Walking in darkness hides and defends sin.
• Walking in the light exposes, confesses, and turns from sin.
• Walking in the light produces fellowship with God’s people.
• The blood of Jesus continually reminds us that our confidence is in Christ’s cleansing work, not the perfection of our walk.

Because Christ has brought us into the light and His blood cleanses us from every sin, we must walk openly before God, share life with His people, and continually depend upon His grace.

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The What Now?

• Know God rightly. He is light.
• Examine your walk. Does your life support your profession?
• Bring sin into the light. Confess rather than hide or defend it.
• Practice the truth. Let God’s Word shape the direction of your life.
• Walk with God’s people. Fellowship is part of life in the light.
• Rest in Christ. Your confidence is in His cleansing blood, not your perfect performance.

God’s light exposes our sin, God’s truth directs our walk, and Christ’s blood cleanses us as we walk with Him in the light.

Introduction

• Jesus has just confronted spiritual blindness (8:11–21).
• He asks the disciples, “Having eyes do you not see?” (8:18).
• Mark immediately records the healing of a blind man.
• This is the only miracle in Mark where healing occurs in stages.
• The miracle prepares us for Peter’s confession that Jesus is the Christ (8:27–30).
• Sin leaves us spiritually blind, but the grace of Christ opens our eyes and enables us to see Him clearly.

Blind and Unable to See – vv. 22-23a

The man’s physical blindness provides a picture of humanity’s spiritual blindness apart from God’s grace.

The Man Is Blind (v. 22)

• A blind man is brought to Jesus.
• Others beg Jesus to touch him.
• He cannot restore his own sight.

Jesus Takes the Man (v. 23)

• Jesus takes him by the hand.
• He leads him outside the village.
• Jesus personally begins the work of restoration.

Because sin leaves us spiritually blind and unable to see Christ on our own, we are completely dependent upon God’s grace to open our eyes and give us spiritual sight.

Seeing but Not Clearly -vv. 23b–24

The man begins to see, but his vision remains unclear.

Jesus Touches the Man (v. 23)

• Jesus touches his eyes.
• Jesus asks, “Do you see anything?”

The Man Sees Partially (v. 24)

• He begins to see.
• His vision remains unclear.
• People look “like trees, walking.”

The Disciples See Partially

• They have seen Jesus’ works.
• They believe and follow Him.
• They still do not fully understand who He is and what He has come to do.

Because our understanding remains incomplete even after we come to Christ, we must remain humble and allow God’s Word to continually correct and clarify our spiritual vision

Seeing Clearly – vv. 25–26

Jesus touches the man again and completely restores his sight.

Jesus Touches Him Again (v. 25)

• Jesus lays His hands on him again.
• His sight is completely restored.
• He sees everything clearly.

Jesus Sends Him Home (v. 26)

• Jesus sends the man home.
• The man leaves with restored sight.

Because Christ graciously opens our eyes and continues His work in us, we can trust Him to grow our understanding and help us see His truth more clearly.

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The What Now

• Recognize your dependence upon God for spiritual sight.
• Ask God to expose areas where you are not seeing clearly.
• Remain humble and teachable under God’s Word.
• Pray for God to open the eyes of those who do not know Christ.
• Keep looking to Christ as He grows you toward spiritual maturity.

We were blind and needed Christ to give us sight; now we continue to depend on His grace to help us see Him and His truth more clearly.

Our current series through 1 John is Life in the Light: Knowing Christ. Walking in Truth. Loving One Another.

These sermon notes are not a full manuscript but a listening guide designed to help our Tabernacle Church family follow along. I encourage you to add your own notes as you listen each week. The service will be available on YouTube by Sunday afternoon. You can also find sermon notes, family devotional guides, our prayer list, and other resources on our church website.

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1 John 1:1-4

Jesus Christ, the eternal Word of Life, was revealed and proclaimed through His apostles so that all who believe may share fellowship with God and experience the fullness of His joy.

Introduction

• See post 1 John Intro for a general intro remarks for the book.
• John immediately establishes the certainty of the truth about Jesus Christ.
• False teachers denied that the eternal Son had genuinely become human.
• John responds with the testimony of an eyewitness: “We heard Him. We saw Him. We studied Him. We touched Him.”
• Christianity rests upon God’s historical revelation of Himself in Jesus Christ

Jesus Christ Is the Life Revealed – vv. 1-2a

• Jesus existed eternally with the Father.
• The eternal Son entered human history in a real human body.
• The apostles heard, saw, observed, and touched Him.
• “The life was made manifest” means that eternal life was revealed and made visible.
• Jesus does not merely teach about eternal life. He is eternal life.

Word of Life

• Logos — word, message, or personal revelation
• Zōē — divine and eternal life

Because Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God, we must build our lives on His truth and look to Him alone for eternal life.

Jesus Christ Is the Life Proclaimed – vv. 2b

• The apostles personally witnessed the life, ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus.
• They testified truthfully concerning what they had seen.
• They proclaimed Christ so that others might believe.
• Their testimony gives Christianity an objective, historical foundation.
• The apostolic message has been preserved for us in Scripture.
• The church must receive, guard, and proclaim this message without alteration.

Because the gospel is the truth about Jesus Christ, we must believe it faithfully and proclaim it boldly.

Jesus Christ Is the Life Shared – 3

• The apostles proclaimed Christ so that others might have fellowship with them.
• Koinōnia means sharing, participation, partnership, or having something in common.
• Christian fellowship is shared eternal life through Jesus Christ.
• Fellowship is vertical: believers share life with the Father and His Son.
• Fellowship is horizontal: believers share life with one another.
• This shared life becomes visible through truth, obedience, confession, and love.

Because Jesus Christ brings us into fellowship with God and His people, we must remain grounded in truth and share life with one another.

Jesus Christ Is the Life Enjoyed – v. 4

• John proclaimed Christ so that their joy might be complete.
• Complete joy flows from knowing Christ and sharing His life with His people.
• Biblical joy is deeper than emotional happiness.
• It does not depend upon comfort, success, health, or favorable circumstances.
• Our joy deepens as we see others know Christ and walk faithfully in the truth.

Because true joy is found in Jesus Christ, we must find our satisfaction in Him and encourage one another to walk in truth.

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The What Now?

• Trust what God’s Word reveals about Jesus Christ.
• Reject anything that denies or distorts the truth about who Jesus is.
• Find your joy and satisfaction in Christ, not in changing circumstances.
• Walk faithfully with Christ’s church and help others know Him.

I am looking forward to beginning a new sermon series through 1 John. This short letter addresses an important and deeply personal question:

How can we know that we truly belong to Christ?

First John was written to believers who were facing false teaching, spiritual confusion, and the departure of people who had once claimed to be part of the church. John writes to strengthen genuine believers, expose false professions of faith, and give God’s people confidence in Christ.

The title of our series is Life in the Light. To live in the light is to live according to God’s truth, pursuing holiness, confessing sin, obeying His Word, and loving His people.

John does not present the Christian life as sinless perfection. Genuine believers still struggle with sin and need the cleansing and forgiveness found in Jesus Christ. But those who have been given new life in Christ cannot remain unchanged. New life produces a new direction.

AUTHOR

The apostle John wrote as an eyewitness of Jesus Christ, His life, ministry, death, and resurrection.

John does not write merely as a theologian discussing ideas about Jesus. He writes as one who had heard Him, seen Him, watched Him, and touched Him (1 John 1:1–3). His message rests upon the historical reality of Jesus Christ.

DATE

First John was likely written from Ephesus near the end of the first century, probably around A.D. 90–95.

John was an older man by this time and likely the last surviving apostle. Throughout the letter, we hear the pastoral concern of an older shepherd urging God’s people to remain faithful to the truth they had received.

AUDIENCE/RECIPIENTS

John wrote to believers in churches throughout Asia Minor.

These churches were facing serious false teaching from people who claimed spiritual knowledge while denying essential truths about Jesus Christ. Some had separated from the churches and were attempting to deceive those who remained.

John therefore calls believers back to the foundational truths of the Christian faith.

PURPOSE

John wrote to strengthen genuine believers, expose false professions of faith, guard the church against false teaching, and give believers assurance of eternal life.

He states his purpose clearly near the end of the letter:

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

John wants genuine Christians to possess biblical assurance. Throughout the letter, he shows that saving faith is not merely something we claim with our lips. New life in Christ produces observable fruit in the way we believe, walk, and love.

MAJOR THEMES

Throughout 1 John, several important themes appear again and again. The following themes are drawn in part from the ESV Study Bible introduction and theological themes for 1 John and will help guide us as we work our way through the letter.

God Is Light

“God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.”
1 John 1:5

God is completely holy and true. There is no darkness, evil, or falsehood in Him. Because God is light, those who belong to Him are called to walk in the light.

Walking in the light does not mean that Christians never sin. It means that the direction of our lives is increasingly shaped by God’s truth. We pursue holiness, confess our sin, obey His Word, and continue looking to Christ for cleansing and forgiveness.

Jesus Christ Is the Son of God and the Source of Life

John begins with Jesus Christ and continually returns to Him.

Jesus is the eternal Son who truly came in the flesh (1:1–3; 4:2). He is our Advocate with the Father and the propitiation for our sins (2:1–2). Eternal life is found in Him alone (5:11–12).

Christianity cannot be separated from what we believe about Jesus.

God Gives New Life

John repeatedly describes Christians as those who have been born of God (2:29; 3:9; 4:7; 5:1).

Salvation is more than adopting new beliefs or improving our behavior. God gives spiritual life to those who were spiritually dead. Because we have been born of God, our lives begin to reflect the character of our Father.

The changed life does not earn salvation. It gives evidence that God has given us new life.

God’s People Walk in Obedience

John repeatedly connects knowing Christ with obeying Christ.

“And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments.”
1 John 2:3

Obedience is not the basis of our salvation, but it is evidence of genuine faith. Those who know Christ increasingly desire to live under the authority of His Word.

God’s People Love One Another

Love for other believers is one of John’s clearest evidences of new life.

“We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers.”
1 John 3:14

Biblical love is more than emotion or words. It is demonstrated through sacrifice, service, truth, and action.

“Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.”
1 John 3:18

Those who belong to Christ love the people who belong to Christ.

God’s People Abide in Christ and His Truth

John repeatedly uses the language of abiding.

Believers remain in Christ, His Word remains in them, and God Himself abides in His people (2:24, 27–28; 3:24; 4:13–16).

The Christian life is not a temporary response to Christ. Genuine faith continues in Christ and remains faithful to the truth.

God’s People Can Have Assurance

John does not want genuine believers living in constant uncertainty about their salvation.

Those who have been born of God believe the truth about Christ, walk in growing obedience, love God’s people, confess their sin, and continue in the faith.

These things do not save us. Christ saves us. But they provide evidence that His saving work is present in our lives.

THREE QUESTIONS

Throughout our study, we will repeatedly return to three simple questions:

• What do we believe? Genuine faith believes the truth about Jesus Christ.
• How do we walk? Genuine faith produces a growing desire to obey Christ and walk in the light.
• How do we love? Genuine faith is demonstrated through sincere love for God’s people.

These are not ways to earn salvation. We are saved by God’s grace through faith in Jesus Christ.

But when God gives us new life, that life begins to show.

That is the message we will explore together as we study 1 John: Life in the Light.