Walking in Truth and Love: Exploring the Letters of John by Youthworks

CONTENTS Introduction 1 Day 1

The Word of life

1 John 1:1–2

Day 2

Joyful fellowship

1 John 1:3–4

Day 3

Walking in the light

1 John 1:5–7

Day 4

What to do with sin

1 John 1:8–10

Day 5

The antidote for sin

1 John 2:1–2

Day 6

Obedience: a test of true faith

1 John 2:3–6

Day 7

Loving others

1 John 2:7–11

QUESTIONS FOR DAYS 1–7

1 John 1:1—2:11

Day 8

John’s purpose in writing

1 John 2:12–14

Day 9

Love for the world

1 John 2:15–17

Day 10 Perseverance in the faith

1 John 2:18–19

Day 11 Who is the liar?

1 John 2:20–25

Day 12 Counterfeits and the ‘real thing’

1 John 2:26–29

Day 13 Children of God

1 John 3:1–3

Day 14 Why did Jesus appear?

1 John 3:4–10

QUESTIONS FOR DAYS 8–14

1 John 2:12—3:10 34

Day 15 Love or hate— what difference does it make?

1 John 3:11–15

Day 16 Love is more than words

1 John 3:16–20

Day 17 Confidence in prayer

1 John 3:21–24

Day 18 Truth and falsehood (1)

1 John 4:1–3

Day 19 Truth and falsehood (2)

1 John 4:4–6

Day 20 More about sacrificial love

1 John 4:7–12

Day 21 What do you know?

1 John 4:13–18

QUESTIONS FOR DAYS 15–21

1 John 3:11—4:18 50

Day 22 Loving brothers and sisters is a test of faith

1 John 4:19–21

Day 23 Faith in the Son of God

1 John 5:1–5

Day 24 The three witnesses

1 John 5:6–9

Day 25 Assurance of salvation for those who believe

1 John 5:10–13

Day 26 Boldness in prayer

1 John 5:13–15

Day 27 A ‘worked example’ of prayer

1 John 5:16–17

Day 28 Living as the children of God

1 John 5:18–20

QUESTIONS FOR DAYS 22–28

1 John 4:19—5:20 65

Day 29 Keep yourself from idols

1 John 5:21

Day 30 The truth promotes sacrificial love

2 John 1–3

Day 31 A cause for great joy

2 John 4–6

Day 32 Beware false teaching

2 John 7–11

Day 33 Fellowship based on love and truth

2 John 12–13

Day 34 Loving others in the truth

3 John 1

Day 35 A prayer for all seasons

3 John 2

QUESTIONS FOR DAYS 29–35

1 John 5:21— 3 John 2

Day 36 The great joy

3 John 3–4

Day 37 Partnership in the gospel

3 John 5–8

Day 38 Named and shamed

3 John 9–11

Day 39 Named and commended

3 John 11–12

Day 40 Christian love and fellowship

3 John 13–14

QUESTIONS FOR DAYS 36–40

3 John 3–14

SERMON OUTLINES

Sermon one—Him we proclaim

1 John 1:1–4

Sermon two—Warning about false teachers 1 John 4:1–6

Sermon three—Sacrificial love

1 John 4:7–21

Sermon four—Living secure in God

1 John 5:6–21

Sermon five—Walking in truth and love

2 and 3 John

101

Sermon six—Christian joy

1,2 and 3 John

103

Endnotes 105 vi

INTRODUCTION In recent years, I have come to love John’s three letters. These 40 daily readings are designed to help us better understand what God is saying through His servant John and that by so doing we might grow and persevere in our knowledge and love of God. The first Letter of John was probably written towards the end of the first century AD by the Apostle John, the author of the fourth Gospel and the Book of Revelation. It was written to scattered Christians, hard hit and shaken by the behaviour and teaching of the false teachers who had left their churches. The heresy of Gnosticism appeared to be rife and was harming the growing church. The purpose of the letter seems to be two-fold: to expose false teachers and to correct their heresies. It was also written to encourage true Christians, to assure them of the grounds of their salvation and how to live in a way that is pleasing to the Lord. It’s different in style to most of the New Testament and reads more like a tract than a letter. It is not addressed to any individual nor does it mention any. Some commentators suggest that the letter seems to expound three tests of whether a person is genuinely a Christian: the tests of belief, love, and obedience. A little mystery surrounds the identity of the recipients of John’s second letter. Three possibilities have been put forward. Firstly, it may have been written to a particular lady and her children. Secondly, the letter may have been written to a particular lady’s ‘house-church’. I personally opt for the third option whereby the letter may have been written to a local church in Asia, but in some sense secretly. Whoever the letter was written to, they were much loved by the writer. In fact he says that everyone who knows God’s revealed truth loves them! John’s third letter was addressed to Gaius whom John loved in the truth (3 John 1). It is probable that John and Gaius were co-workers for the Lord.

These letters are God’s word and therefore relevant to every generation of Christians. False teachers abound today and Christians need to be aware of their heresies and stick to God’s truth which can only be found in the Bible. Sadly, there are many church leaders in Australia and overseas who have lost confidence in the Bible. We need to keep our confidence in God’s word and remain sure of the grounds of our salvation. We need to know that the Bible, through the Holy Spirit’s inspiration, is able to bring life to the dead, hope to the wounded, and strength to the discouraged and downtrodden. One of the great themes throughout these letters is the truth. I well remember being present at a dinner hosted by a church leader and attended by several others. During an after-dinner speech, our host made the emphatic comment that we cannot know the truth. In fact he said ‘anyone who claims to know the truth has made an idol of his mind’. By making such a statement of course, he had made an idol of his mind because he claimed to know the truth that no-one can know the truth! I was deeply saddened that God’s truth seemed to be so lightly regarded and discarded. John’s letters are God’s truth revealed! My prayer is that over these next six weeks many who use this book might come to appreciate afresh God’s truth in John’s letters, not just as head knowledge, but as a help to your faithfulness to the truth and that you might continue to walk in the truth (3 John 3). There are sets of questions each week for personal reflection and/or group discussion. There are also six sermon outlines which might be useful in preaching through John’s letters. Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well. (3 John 2) David Mulready Gerringong, NSW.

DAY 1 THE WORD OF LIFE Read 1 John 1:1–2 There is something authentic about an account of an event given by an eyewitness. We take more notice when we watch a news report when an eyewitness is interviewed. That’s what we have as we begin our studies in John’s three letters. What John the Apostle records is eyewitness news of the coming of the Lord Jesus. John’s opening statement about the Lord Jesus echoes the opening statement in his Gospel (see John 1:1–4). From the beginning could refer to the fact of Jesus’ existence with the Father before he appeared in human form at Bethlehem. He makes this clear in the next verse. It could also mean from the beginning of John’s association with Him when Jesus called him to follow him with the other apostles (Matthew 4:21–22). John and the other Apostles heard Jesus teach, they saw him with their eyes, and they touched him (Luke 24:39). He was a real person whom they’d known for about three years at very close quarters. He wasn’t an invention of some religious sect. John describes Jesus here as the Word of life. In the beginning of his Gospel John writes about the Word. This is the one whom they proclaimed. This Jesus is the one they’d made known. Again in verse 2 John mentions that this Jesus is this life. And again he mentions that they had seen him. This is the one which was with the Father and has appeared to us. This repetition is important as John begins his letter. He doesn’t want his readers to be in any doubt about whom he is writing about! What does John mean by referring to Jesus as the Word of life? He means the message of life, or eternal life or the gospel (1 John 5:20). FF Bruce states that ‘this epistle then is justly called “the epistle of eternal life”. It shows how and in whom that life was uniquely and perfectly manifested; it shows how the presence

of that life in men and women may be recognised. John’s own experience of that life entitles him to speak of it with assurance.’1 John is not the only New Testament writer who speaks of life being bound up in Jesus. The Apostle Paul refers to this in 2 Timothy 1:1, 10. John is speaking here of the Lord Jesus in a historical and factual way, as well as reporting that he had experienced a close encounter with him which was life-changing and life-giving. We read of the Lord Jesus appearing to the Disciples and specifically singling Thomas out. In response to their belief in him, he said, ‘Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed’ (John 20:29). John and the other Apostles had the privilege of seeing, hearing and touching the Lord Jesus. We can ‘hear’ him through his word. We fall into that enormous group who have not seen and yet have believed. We, who have repented of our sin and trusted in Jesus as the only Saviour, have done so by faith and not by sight (see also 1 Peter 1:8–9). I did this when I was just 17 years old. I heard the good news of the love of God, the forgiveness of sins, and the offer of eternal life available through the atoning sacrifice of Jesus, the Word of life. God’s Spirit stirred within me and drew me to surrender myself to him. It is the Word of life who is the subject of our studies in John’s three letters. May we be strengthened in our faith in him or come to place our trust in him as we spend these six weeks exploring this part of the Bible.

REFLECTION How has the Word of life impacted your life?

DAY 2 JOYFUL FELLOWSHIP Read 1 John 1:3–4 What was the message of the early church? What were the Apostles on about? If your church was to do a letter-box drop of a leaflet in your area, how would you finish this statement? ‘We proclaim to you …’ In his first letter, John wastes no time in stating what their message is. We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard. He had already described what they had seen and heard in the first two verses. It was all about the Lord Jesus. One of the outcomes of such proclamation was that you also may have fellowship with us. John’s prayer was that—through being reminded about the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus—the recipients of his letter might be strengthened in their faith. Also, that they would enter into a strong bond with John and the other Christian brothers and sisters who had not been led astray by false teaching but had remained strong in God’s revealed truth. John, and those with him, had a strong fellowship with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. The heretics of John’s day (and ours) denied that the man Jesus was the Christ, the Son of God, and therefore had no part in God the Father. John emphasises that their fellowship is with the Father and his Son, Jesus Christ! This was a joyful fellowship and would be even more joyful if the readers joined them in their fellowship with God. The word fellowship is much misunderstood in the church and cheapened by inappropriate usage. Church members talk about having fellowship in a game of cricket or football, or in a sewing circle or on a picnic. These are good things to do and fellowship might be had but simply gathering Christians together is not Christian fellowship. True Christian fellowship has to do with sharing in prayer, Bible study, and Christian conversation

in which the subject is our God and the life that we live in him. True Christian fellowship brings great joy. It begins with our relationship with God and extends to others who have repented and placed their trust in him. The idea of ‘joy being complete’ appears elsewhere in Scripture (John 15:11; 16:24; Psalm 16:11). One of the amazing things about Christian fellowship is that we can meet people for the first time from another country or background and instantly sense a common bond which is akin to close family. Our little Bible study group recently welcomed a missionary from a South American country who was holidaying in our village. He was there for a month and turned up to church on a Sunday when he was duly invited to join our mid-week group. Instantly there was a rapport as we shared together from the Bible and prayed together, hearing something of his walk with Christ and his ministry, and he ours. What a joy it was to have him with us for those four weeks. When people hear the truth about Jesus and respond by becoming Christians, it is important that they are nurtured and included in the Christian family. The same might be said of including newcomers to our church. How often visitors are treated as though they are not there at all! You may have experienced this when you’ve ‘visited’ a church on holidays or when you’ve moved house and gone ‘church shopping’! When our family gathers, we include one another. All Christians belong to the family of God and we should love them all.

REFLECTION How would you describe your fellowship with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ and your local church?

DAY 3 WALKING IN THE LIGHT Read 1 John 1:5–7 Ambassadors are appointed to clearly represent the views of the leaders of their sending nations. They need to be crystal clear about the message they give. They don’t represent themselves nor are they at liberty to change the message with which they’ve been entrusted. John states boldly: this is the message we have heard from him and declare to you. John and the other Apostles were ‘sent’. That’s what the word ‘apostle’ means. They were sent with a defined message from him, from the Lord Jesus. As John has outlined at the beginning of this letter, they had heard, seen and touched him. It was his message that they were declaring. What then is the message? God is light. God gives spiritual illumination which shows how those who believe in him should live. FF Bruce writes that ‘God is the essence of holiness and righteousness, goodness and truth; in him there is nothing that is unholy, unrighteous, evil or false’.2 Jesus claimed to be ‘the light of the world’ (John 8:12). By making this claim he was saying that he was God come in the flesh. This theme of light appears regularly throughout the Bible (Psalm 27:1, 36:9; Ephesians 5:8– 14) and elsewhere in John’s writings. What characteristics flow from the fact that God is light? 1. In him there is no darkness at all. In God there is no evil, no lie, no trickery or deceit. 2. If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light … then we have fellowship with one another. The phrase if we claim signifies that others claimed that they could live as they liked and still be Christian. People can claim to be theologically correct but if their life doesn’t match their profession of faith then they are living a lie. Fellowship with God

and with other Christians is so important. But neither are possible if we are walking in the darkness, living as though God doesn’t exist and ignoring God’s revealed truth. When we live to please ourselves, feeding our own ambitions and our own pleasures then we are living for the ‘god’ which is us! 3. The blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. Many people claim to be Christians whose lives show plainly that they are not. Some of them even attend church. Jesus’ death on the cross does not count for them. Their sins are not forgiven and they will stand condemned at the last judgement. The wonderful news of the gospel is stated in verse 7. When the sinless Jesus died on the cross, he paid the penalty that our sins deserve. God’s wrath on account of sin was satisfied (Romans 5:9–10). Those who repent of their sin and accept Jesus’ death as payment for their sins are forgiven and made clean. This forgiveness is not automatic. It cannot be earned. It is a free gift arising from God’s grace and mercy.

REFLECTION If you claim to be a Christian, what evidence is there that you are walking in the light and not the darkness?

DAY 4 WHAT TO DO WITH SIN Read 1 John 1:8–10 There is a disturbing trend in a number of modern churches where the formal public confession of sin has been removed from their practice. The reason given by some is that no-one sins and for that reason we do not need to confess sin! An old heresy has returned. This is the very issue addressed by John in our reading today. He writes if we claim to be without sin. Those receiving John’s letter were being taught by others that people did not inherit ‘original’ sin. He wants to correct this heresy. Anyone who holds such a view is totally deceived and God’s truth has not impacted their thinking. In addition to that false claim, John says that if we claim we have not sinned (ever!) we make him (God) out to be a liar and his word is not in us. To say that a person has never ever sinned is to ignore the frequent assertion of Scripture and deny the litany of sin we read about or watch on the TV news every day! Sin is failure to obey the only true and living God. Sin is rebellion and a bias against God. Sin is living life my way rather than God’s way. Every person ever born onto the face of this planet, except Jesus, has inherited sin from Adam and Eve and has committed actual sins. There are no exceptions (Romans 3:23; Psalm 14:3; Isaiah 53:6; 64:6). John explains the solution to our sin problem! Rather than denying that we have sinned, he says, If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. What an amazing promise! God is full of grace and mercy to all who repent of their sin and trust in Jesus as their rescuer from sin’s punishment. (You might like to take some time to read Romans 8.) Sin is serious. Sin is an offence against a holy and just God who demands that sin be paid for (Romans 6:23). Such is his love for mankind that God has paid the price of sin himself! He did 9

this on the cross as his sinless Son died in our place, taking our sins upon him (1 John 1:7b). Many years ago, we received a Christmas card which I have framed and have on display in our office. It reads: ‘HE CAME TO PAY A DEBT HE DIDN’T OWE BECAUSE WE OWED A DEBT WE COULDN’T PAY.’ Jesus didn’t owe a debt because he was sinless. Our sin separates us from God and we have no way of paying the penalty ourselves. Without Christ’s death counting for us we will pay the price of eternal separation from God in hell. Such was his love for us that he gave his life to buy us back from sin and death to make us friends with God (Romans 5:8–10). When we confess our sins and ask God to help us live in a way that will please him, he purifies us, he makes us clean from the original sin we inherited and the actual sins which we’ve committed and will (reluctantly) commit in the future. This all sounds very heavy. And it is! If our sin goes unattended to, we can never be in God’s presence. We remain God’s enemies. We will be overthrown in the end. But such love, grace and mercy are held out to us in the gospel which John and others proclaimed. When people appreciate exactly what God has done for them, it is the greatest ‘aha’ moment imaginable. There are many ‘aha’ moments in life such as seeing a magnificent view, that exciting graduation, that enormous gift, that miraculous birth of a precious child or grandchild. I’ll never forget many of them. However, understanding the love of God in Jesus and knowing that my sins are forgiven beats them all. How sad that people of John’s day and people of our own day deny that they have inherited sin and deny that they commit actual sins. They remain deluded and unforgiven. We need to pray for them and pray for opportunities to bring them to Christ to be saved.

REFLECTION ‘My Lord, what love is this, that pays so dearly, that I the guilty one, may go free.’3 10

DAY 5 THE ANTIDOTE FOR SIN Read 1 John 2:1–2 John has just corrected the false teaching about sin which was disturbing the early Christians and leading some astray (1 John 1:8–10). There he made three strong points: 4. Everyone is infected with sin and to deny this is to be self-deceived. Such a person does not possess God’s truth. 5. Everyone commits actual sin and to deny this is to call God a liar. Such a person is not directed by God’s word. 6. If we do confess our sin then our faithful and just God will forgive us and make us clean from all sin. When John wrote this letter, there were no chapter and verse numbers. They were included for our benefit by later editors. This means that our verses for today are not a new section but a continuation of the previous verses about sin. John acknowledges that once we become Christians, we still sin. We wish we did not and John’s writings are designed to help us not sin. However, when we do sin, we have a wonderful barrister who speaks to the Father on our behalf and in our defence; Jesus Christ the Righteous One, the sinless one who is at the Father’s side (Romans 8:34). He paid the penalty that our sins deserve so even the sins we commit today are forgiven on the basis of his death, unless of course we presume on his kindness and sin deliberately and constantly and refuse to repent. The statement in verse 2 is a matter of great debate. Genuine Christians take God’s word seriously and take these words at face value. Some people who claim to be Christians, take their mental scissors and cut this verse (and others that proclaim similar teaching) from the text of the Bible. So what’s the big deal? To say that he (Jesus) is the atoning sacrifice for our sins is to say that when Jesus died on the cross, he died there in our place, taking the punishment that our sins deserve, satisfying God’s wrath. He was the ransom price (Mark 10:45), buying us back 11

from Satan and the prospect of an eternity in hell. He died as our substitute. The technical phrase for what Jesus did is ‘the penal substitutionary atonement of Christ’. This is amazing grace! This is good news! It is very sad that some theologians deny this foundational truth of the Christian faith. I know one church leader who forbade his ministers from preaching this truth. I also know some of those ministers who continued to teach the truth of God’s word and were prepared to face their leader’s wrath. They though it better to face their leader’s wrath than lead their people astray, for which they would be accountable to God (Romans 3:25, 1 John 4:10, Matthew 1:21). The next few words might be a little confusing where John writes: and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world. These words too are a matter of debate. John is stating that all sorts of people around the world will benefit from Jesus’ atoning death when they respond in repentance and faith. Jesus’ death does not only count for John and those to whom he is writing. These words cannot mean that all people will automatically be forgiven for their sins, as some claim. There are preachers and writers who claim that everyone will be in heaven because of Jesus’ death and resurrection, even people of other ‘faiths’ and people who have no faith. To hold such a view is to misunderstand the whole of the Bible. Seeing that Jesus’ atoning sacrifice for our sins is for the sins of the whole world, the whole world needs to be called to repent of their sins and trust in Jesus as Saviour. That’s the responsibility of every Christian by every means possible. We are to pray, to support gospel outreach, and be actively involved in reaching the lost.

REFLECTION How extraordinary to think that the risen and ascended Lord Jesus is seated at the Father’s right side, at this moment, praying for us!

DAY 6 OBEDIENCE: A TEST OF TRUE FAITH Read 1 John 2:3–6 From our earliest years of life, most of us were taught to obey our parents, teachers, the police and other authority figures. Failure to obey brought us trouble. In the past at school, so I’m told, encouragements to obey included the use of the cane, and detentions continue to be used. One of the great privileges of being a Christian is that we know God. I’m not talking about ‘knowing about God’ but knowing God personally. John tells us how we can be certain that we know God. It has to do with obeying his commandments (1 John 5:2). Jesus said, ‘If you love me, keep my commands (John 14:15). Obedience to what God says is a test of whether we really know God; whether we are really a Christian. John then gives a description of two different sorts of people: 1. We are told of a person who claims to know God but does not do what God says. He or she is a liar, and the truth is not in that person. These are strong words and probably describe the false teachers of John’s day. They are of course relevant in our own day (2 Thessalonians 1:8). 2. We are told of a second person who claims to know God and obeys his word. Of such a person it is said God’s love is truly made complete in them. This believer is seen as an authentic Christian of whom we might say ‘they practise what they preach’. God’s love has so impacted their life that they seek to honour God by the way they live. John then gives a challenging summary statement: Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did, or in other words, walk in the same way in which he walked (1 John 2:6b, ESV). To live in him involves knowing him and being united to him in the way Jesus describes in the vine and the branches section in John 15. What does it mean to walk as Jesus walked? Jesus obeyed His Father perfectly. He was without sin. His sole purpose in life 13

was to bring glory to God. He was the only person ever to have kept the Ten Commandments and every other direction given by his Father. Jesus was obedient to his parents (Luke 2:51). Jesus obeyed His Father by dying on the cross (Philippians 2:8; Romans 5:19) and walked humbly, compassionately, honestly and with complete purity. What does it mean for us to walk as Jesus walked? The early Christians had some degree of ‘success’ in obeying God. The Corinthian Christians were commended for their obedience (2 Corinthians 7:15, 9:13). When I think of the life of the Lord Jesus, there’s no way that I can ever live like he did. For a start, we are all sinners (see Day 4). Jesus never sinned. And yet God calls upon his people, Christians, to live a life of obedience. This can only happen in any measure with the help that God himself gives by his Spirit working within us. In my prayers each day, one of the things for which I pray for myself is that God might make me a godly man today. This is another way of praying that God might help me to walk as Jesus walked. Anyone who knows me will know that I fail God often. You might like to read Romans 7:7–25 where we find the Apostle Paul had the same problem: I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing … Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. (Romans 7:18b-19, 21) There are things which God has given us which can help us live as Jesus did, in other words, walk in the same way in which he walked (1 John 2:6b, ESV). If we want to become a better golfer or cook or whatever, then we’ll spend time with others who play golf or cook. We’ll read books about it and watch instructional DVDs. If we want to grow in the Christian faith, then we’ll do the following things: 1. Pray that God might help us to live obediently. This will involve action on our part, putting some things off and putting some things on (Colossians 3:5–10, Ephesians 4:22–24 and Romans 6:11–13).

2. Belong to a small group in which we might be held accountable and learn from others. 3. Be regularly reading Godâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s word privately and letting his word guide our thinking. 4. Be regularly reading the Bible and praying with our marriage partner if we are married. 5. Be regularly sitting under the teaching of Godâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s word in church. 6. Be reading helpful Christian books and attending Biblebased conferences.

REFLECTION How is your obedience to God going? How are you walking as Jesus walked?

DAY 7 LOVING OTHERS Read 1 John 2:7–11 In our last study, we noted John’s logical statement: Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did (1 John 2:6). To claim to be a Christian (to live in him) implies and requires that our lives reflect our profession of faith. To claim to be a Christian and then live habitually in ways contrary to what God says makes nonsense of our claim to belong to him. John continues with a ‘worked example’ to how this principle affects the Christian’s life. In fact he states that the issue he’s addressing of genuine love is seen in him (in Christ). There is nothing new in what John has to say about love, and yet there is! Sound confusing? From the beginning of the gospel, the Old Testament law of love was taught. The Lord Jesus combined two Old Testament commands: ‘Love the LORD your God’ (Deuteronomy 6:5) and ‘… love your neighbour as yourself’ (Leviticus 19:18). We find Jesus’ statement in which he combined the two in Mark 12:28–31. The Apostle Paul claimed that this truth fulfilled ‘the entire law’ (Galatians 5:14; Romans 13:8–10). So John was correct in saying that he was writing an old command. In what sense then is what he writes a new command? The Lord Jesus said these words to his Disciples just prior to his death. ‘A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another’ (John 13:34–35). Jesus demonstrated his love for them (and us) by dying in our place on the cross, carrying our sins and taking our punishment. This was sacrificial, self-giving love. This sort of love was an expansion of the love previously known and expected of God’s people. This was the extent to which Christians are to love one another: the ‘as I have loved you’ type of love. Wow! That’s a huge call for us.

When non-Christians see Christians showing genuine sacrificial love, reflecting the love of Christ, they will know that such people are Jesus’ disciples. John says of this love that its truth is seen in him and in you. Jesus embodied this love and to some extent, so did those to whom John was writing. This quality of love is not found in the realm of darkness but in the light. A new era has begun with Jesus as the light of the world. Claiming to live in the light of Christ has consequences. A true knowledge of God will transform one’s life and relationships with others. ‘Hatred’ of one’s brother or sister does not reflect the sacrificial love which Christ displayed. Those who hate their brother or sister are still in the darkness and know nothing of the light of Christ. The light of Christ has not shone into their hearts and they walk around in the darkness, blinded by the darkness. Try walking around in the darkness for a while. You don’t know where you’re going and in some sense you are blinded by the darkness. Here we have a picture of a person who claims to love God and continues to hate others. Who is the brother or sister referred to here? This is a fellow believer for whom Christ died. Christians are brothers and sisters. We are family, Christ’s family. Sometimes we offend one another or our personalities grate on others. Sometimes we are thoughtless with our words and actions and we take one another for granted. We might disagree strongly on important matters. How are we to relate? Forgiveness is essential (Matthew 6:14–15). With God’s help we are to love those whom we find irritating and those who offend us. Then the world will sit up and take notice. John states that the antidote to hate is sacrificial love for our brothers and sisters in Christ (1:10). Such love shows that we live in the light. Such people won’t stumble in their faith like those who are wandering around in the darkness hating one another.

REFLECTION How are you going in relating to other Christians who upset you?

QUESTIONS FOR GROUP DISCUSSION OR PERSONAL REFLECTION Questions for days 1–7 1 John 1:1—2:11 1. What are the similarities between 1 John 1:1–4 and the Gospel of John 1:1–18? 2. What do you understand by the term fellowship? How does your understanding measure up against the description in 1 John 1:3–7? 3. What evidence is there in Chapter 1 that this letter was written by an eyewitness? 4. Does this fact add to the credibility of what John writes? 5. What are the characteristics of light and darkness? How do we know whether a person is in the darkness or in the light? 6. What do we find here about love, faith and obedience as evidence of whether a person is a genuine Christian? 7. What does it mean to you that you know God?