Be RealIt’s Real

I John 1:1-4

• Theme L life that’s real found in Jesus Christ, not things or thrill

• This Life Is Revealed (1:1)– Manifest: not hidden to search for it and

find it; revealed openly– God revealed himself in:

• Creation (Rom 1:20), but it doesn’t tell the story of God’s love

• Jesus Christ; “He that hath seen me hath seen the Father.” (John 14: 9)

• Word of life (1:1)– 1 John 1:1

– Christ revealed the mind & heart of God.• To know Christ is to know God

– Warning against the false teachers• “Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus

is the Christ?” (I John 2:22)• Every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus

Christ is come in the flesh is not of God” (4:2-3)

• False teaching is a serious matter– II John 9-10– I John 1:22-23

– Trinity• By this know ye the Spirit of God: every

spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come not in the flesh is not of God. (2:4:2)

• References:– I John 4:13-15– Matt 28:19-20

– John 14: 16-7, 26– II Cor 13:14– Eph 4: 4-6

• Trinity: tri meaning 3 & unity meaning one– 3 in1 or 1 in 3– The word trinity is not found in the Bible– Not three gods nor God reveals Himself in three

different ways

• This Life Is Experienced (1:2)– John knew Jesus face to face– Spiritual nearness, not physical nearness

• Commitment to Jesus as Savior and Lord

– Born of God – six times in I John• “Except a man be born again he cannot

enter the kingdom of God (John 3: 3, 6-7)

• “Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of god (I John 5:1)

– Assurance that we are in God’s family (I John 5:9-13)

– Characteristics• A child of God lives a righteous life (2:29)

– A believer will occasionally commit sin, but he doesn’t make it a habit (3:9)

• A child of God loves one another & their heavenly Father (1: 8-2:2)

• A child of God has no love for the world system around them (2:15-17)

• A child of God overcomes the world instead of being overcome by the pressure of the world (5:14)

– If you are not a child of God;• Child of wrath (Eph 2:1-3)• Child of the devil (I John 3: 10)

– Counterfeit Christian acts saved but has not been born again (Matt 7: 22-23)

• This Life Is Shared (1:3)– “that which we have seen and heard

declares we unto you.” (1:3)– Witnessing: sharing our spiritual

experiences with others by lives we live and words we speak• Not wrangling over differences in religious

beliefs or sitting comparing churches

– Purpose of sharing• That we may have fellowship (3)

– Fellowship means “to have in common”– Partaker in “partakers of the divine nature” has the

same Greek root word as fellowship– Jesus took the nature of man that we may have the

divine nature by faith– Real life helps solve the problem of loneliness– Fellowship is Christ’s answer to loneliness

• That we may have joy (4)– Joy is Christ’s answer to emptiness of life– Joy – one time in this epistle; yet the idea of joy

throughout the epistle– Joy is the byproduct of our fellowship with God

» In the presence is the fullness of joy (Ps 16:11)– Sin is the cause of unhappiness & provides sorrow &

Temporary pleasures of sin (Heb 11:25)

• That we may not sin (2:1)– If any man sin, we have an advocate with the

Father, Jesus Christ the righteous– Our representative on our behalf– Continuing forgiveness is God’s answer to sinfulness

• That we may not be deceived (2:26)– Need to ability to know the difference between right

and wrong & truth and error– Antichrist: anti – against or instead of Christ– Christ is the truth (John 14:6 & Satan is a liar (John

8:44)» Half-truths & lie

– Devil spreads lies through religious group– Holy Spirit as the Anointing is Christ’s answer to our

need for discernment (2:27)– Protection against ignorance, deception & untruth

• That we may know we are saved (5:13)– Real life is based on assurance– Know: more than 30 times– Not I hope so or think so– Based on the knowledge of the facts (John 8:32)

• Themes: obedience, love, & truth– Conditions of fellowship– Reasons: we are made in the image of

God (mind, heart, & will)– Fellowship with God in reading and

studying the Bible and praying– Spirit-controlled mind knows &

understands truth – Spirit-controlled heart feels love

– Spirit-controlled will inclines toward obedience

– Truth vs lies, love vs hate. obedience vs disobedience

– Life begins with sonship and continues in fellowship

– Two kinds of people without joy• Unsaved• Saved who is out of fellowship with God

– Reasons for those out of fellowship with God• He disobeyed God’s will• He is not getting along with fellow believers

• He believes a lie and therefore living a lie

– Solution: confess to God (I John 1:9-2:2)

• Come and enjoy with me and with each other!

• Come and share the life that is real!