Description
How do you know you are an authentic Christian? How do we recognize true Christianity in the spiritual maze and religious muddle in which we find ourselves in today? The small but important letter that we call 1 John presents us with three indisputable "tests" regarding authentic Christianity. We must pass all three tests at the same time to know with assurance that we are living a life pleasing to God.
Session One
Jesus Christ Is Central
Jesus is the basis of our faith and fellowship.
1 John 1:1–4
In this first study, we will see that John presents Jesus Christ as the basis of our faith and our fellowship.
Session Two
God Is Light
God illuminates what should be exposed in us.
1 John 1:5–10
Light has a demanding quality; it exposes what we sometimes want to hide in the darkness. In the spiritual life, we call this confession.
Session Three
Live with Assurance
God knows us, and we can know him.
1 John 2:1–17
Christianity stands at the crossroads between two great truths. It declares that God knows us. Then there is the assurance that we can know God. This study will outline for us how we can live with that assurance.
Session Four
Confidence Before God
We can know the truth from a lie.
1 John 2:18–29
This study will show what it means to live in the last hour. In a spiritual climate that can easily be marked by despair and disbelief, John writes to us so that we can live with confidence.
Session Five
Hope Is Our Bedrock
For Christians, hope is not simply wishful thinking.
1 John 3:1–10
In this study we will see how hope is to be a moral force in our lives, influencing the way we live in the present.
Session Six
Love Is Action
We prove our faith by our love.
1 John 3:11–24
In this study, we will see that the ministry of love is not a mystical feeling, but is to be given practical expression in our lives and relationships.
Session Seven
Telling Truth from Lies
We recognize heresy when we are well acquainted with the truth.
1 John 4:1–6
We live in the midst of a cacophony of spiritual voices. Which one should we follow? We will see in this study what points of belief are necessary if we are to validate something as "true."
Session Eight
God's Love Overflows
We love through God's acceptance and love for us.
1 John 4:7–21
God is love. This is perhaps the most basic statement we can make about the nature of God. But love is not just warm sentiment. God's love demands a practical response from us.
Session Nine
Victory in Jesus
We overcome with confidence through Jesus Christ.
1 John 5:1–21
We know the word Nike as a popular brand of sportswear and running shoes. But it's also a word straight from the New Testament, and especially from 1 John. Nike meant victory.
Total number of pages - 63