Intro
1. John is writing this letter in his old age while in Ephesus, to all the children of God in Asia Minor and to us today.
2. The Gnostics had been influencing the people with their false teachings.
a. Knowledge is superior to virtue
b. The Scriptures can only be understood by a select few.
c. Evil in the world, prevents God from being the only creator
d. The incarnation is incredible because deity cannot unite itself with any material (Body)
e. There is no resurrection of the flesh.
3. God called us to live out our knowledge also.
4. John writes about fellowship in this scripture, which in the Hebrew is (koinonia), which means to share a common life or partnership.
Body
What Conditions are required for a Partnership with God?
1. Conform to the Standard (vv.1: 5-7)
a. Leave the Dark (v.6)
i. There is no darkness in God
ii. We cannot have a foot in both worlds. You are either walking in the light or stumbling around in the dark. There is no middle ground.
b. Be in the Light (v. 7)
i. To walk in the light is to live in obedience to God’s commandments
ii. Result from being in the Light
1. Fellowship with other believers
2. Continual cleansing from sin
a. Sin cannot survive in the light
b. New sin will be revealed, that needs cleansing
c. Man will hold grudges, God doesn’t
2. Sin Confessed (vv. 1:8-2:2)
a. There is no man without sin
i. If you say you have no sin, you just deceive yourselves and the Word is not in you
b. God is faithful and righteous to cleanse us (v. 1:9)
c. God is the only one offering that can satisfy the cleansing of our sins (2:2)
d. The denial of sin makes God a liar, and the word is not in us.
3. Proper Conduct (vv. 2:3-6)
a. You know God if you know his commandments
i. Are you making a constant effort to follow God’s commands
1. Ten Commandments (Deut. 5 & Exodus 20)
2. The Great Commission (Matt. 28:19-20)
a. Evangelize – Baptize – Disciple
3. The Great Commandment (John 13:34)
a. Love one another, as I have loved you.
b. Walk the walk (v.6)
Closing
True Christianity is more then the mere knowledge of God. When God forgives us and cleanses us, He expects us to live out the knowledge of God that we have and will yet receive.
