David Henneke's Podcast

1 John 3:11 serves as the thesis statement for this next section. John’s audience already knows that they have been commanded to “love one another”. Here, John seeks to encourage others as to how that command is to be understood and practiced in our everyday lives.  Verses 12-15 explain the contrast between love, hate and murder. Verses 16-28 provides a positive example of love (the cross) and explains what such love looks like in everyday terms. John wraps it up in verses 19-24 by discussing how we can have confidence despite our failures. 

1 John 2:28-29 helps to serve as an introduction to the concerns of 1 John 3. Christianity begins by believing and trusting in Jesus….then what? Once you repent of your sin & turn to faith in Christ, then you are to continue (or abide) in Him.

John knew that he was involved in a battle for truth. If false teachers successfully infiltrate the Church then the church would become indistinguishable from the world around her. That is precisely the tragedy we see happening in many churches today.  John has already warned us about the conflict between light and darkness (1 John 1:1–2:6) and between love and hatred (1 John 2:7–17). Now He warns about a third conflict: the conflict between truth and error. Once again we see why it is so important for us to know the word of God. Last week we learned that God’s will is revealed to us in His word….KNOWING His Word will reveal His will and KNOWING His Word will expose false teachers.

Once again belief and behavior are linked together, here John makes it clear that one cannot simultaneously love the word and love God. Again, we are encouraged to “walk like Jesus”. How did Jesus “walk”? In relentless pursuit of the will of God! Are you fully committed to pursuing the will of God for your life or are you still trying to love this world?

The person who truly follows God has the love of God in Him. The love that we show to each other demonstrates to the world that the light of Jesus continues to shine in the darkness. Love should be the unifying force and the identifying mark of the Christian community. 

Have you ever struggled in your relationship with God? Have you ever wondered if what you have is the real thing? Has doubt ever flooded your mind, leaving you frustrated and confused as to whether or not you were a genuine child of God? If so, this message is for you because in this text we will see how John launched into an explanation of HOW we can KNOW that we truly KNOW Jesus. After all, KNOWING JESUS CHANGES EVERYTHING!

CORRECTION:
Please understand that sometimes my words get ahead of my mind :-)
At the 51:52 mark I said "Although His sin is sufficient for all of it" when what I meant to say was "Although His DEATH is sufficient for all of it". Please forgive me!

Instead of pretending or hiding your sins, we need to acknowledge them before God, confess them and seek His forgiveness, and God’s forgiving grace will remove every barrier between You and Him.

Other Text:

John 1:4-5

John 1:7-9

John 3:19-21

John 8:12

John 9:5

John 12:35-36

John 12:46

Revelation 21:22-24

John 1:5

John 3:19

John 12:35 [twice]

1 John 1:5, 6 

1 John 2:8, 9 

1 John 2:11 [twice]

Galatians 5:19-21:

1 Corinthians 6:9–11

1 Peter 2:21-24

James 1:22

Ephesians 1:7

What do we do when good things happen to us? We immediately find a way to share that news with other people. Something about good news practically demands that we share it. How much more the wonderful and marvelous truth that God sent His Son into the world to die for our sins, to absorb the punishment that we deserve so that thru Him we might enter into a right relationship with the Father?

1 Corinthians 15:1-20

The Christian faith is not based primarily on the teachings of Jesus. It is not based on the miracles of Jesus. It is not based upon the compassion of Jesus. It is not even based on the death of Jesus. The Christian faith IS based on all of those things culminating in His resurrection. The theological issue of the resurrection of Christ is no minor issue! Either JESUS is alive or Christianity is a lie!  WHICH ONE IS IT?

While God loves us with a never-dying love, He also hates sin with a never-dying hatred. When someone persists in being identified with sin, even though God has provided a way to be separated from the enslavement of sin, then that person will inevitably suffer the fate of receiving the full weight of the wrath of God.  This was true of Israel then and it is true of individuals today. Take comfort…our God is a God of mercy. The nations would be sifted, the sinners would be punished, but not one of His true worshipers would be lost.