2 John 1, Introduction to 1 John (4)

5)    Characteristics of 1 John.

a)    I John is a book of love.  The new commandment that Jesus gave His disciples in the Upper Room (Jn. 13:34-35) is one of the “commandments” John refers to that must be obeyed.  (1 Jn. 3:24 contains two commandments: to believe on the name of Jesus Christ and to love one another.)  John comes back to this command several times, each time in a different context.  We will not only be reminded of the command; John will also tell us not to love the world, that love comes from God, that God loved us in Christ, and that our love for God is a response to His love as well as an act of obedience.

b)    1 John is a book about fellowship.  From the outset (1:3-4), it is the fellowship (shared life) that we have with the Father and the Son.  We have and we enjoy this fellowship by “abiding” in Christ and in God’s love.  Abiding is the key to fellowship.

c)    1 John is a book of confidence.  Whatever kind of deception his audience was facing, it apparently caused them to fear the day they would stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ.  But John writes that they might KNOW …

i)      That we can know Him, 2:3.

ii)   That we are in Him, 2:5.

iii)            That it is the last hour, 2:18.

iv) The truth, 2:20.

v)    That we will be like Him, 3:2.

vi) That Christ appeared to take away sins, 3:5.

vii)          That we have passed from death to life, 3:14.

viii)       What love is, 3:16.

ix) That we are of the truth, 3:19.

x)    That He lives in us, 3:24.

xi) The Spirit of God, 4:2.

xii)          The Spirit of truth, 4:6.

xiii)       That we live in Him and He lives in us, 4:13.

xiv)        That we love God’s children, 5:2.

xv)          That He hears and answers prayer, 5:15.

xvi)        That we are God’s children, 5:19.

xvii)     That Christ is the One who is true, 5:20.

2)    I John is a book of truth.  In a world where people deny truth that is absolute, John reminds us we can know the truth (2:21).  Our love must be true (3:18); that is a serious issue.  Not all that is called “love” is, in fact, “loving.”  We belong to the truth (3:19), we know the Spirit of truth (4:6) who is truth (5:6), and Christ gave us understanding so we can know Him who is true (5:20).