Covering John's second letter in one sitting, we see a concise presentation of fundamental points he made in his first letter, such as loving and obeying. We consider firstly, the meaning of -elect lady-- secondly, the extremely high standards of love that we are to aim for- that is, love for Him, His people and all others made in His image- and thirdly, why the apostle urges us to shun those who teach antichrist doctrine.

As John brings his first letter to a close, he speaks of faith and our associated confidence in prayer. He characteristically suggests that this privilege be employed in praying for the good of the brethren. Several conditions and warnings about prayer are highlighted. John ends with some statements of belief and signs off with a warm but challenging farewell.

Our focus is on the term -water and blood-, and it is proposed that it refers to Jesus' baptism and death. With the Spirit, they comprise a three-fold witness to the divinity of Jesus, again arguing against the Docetic view of the Gnostics. The message also proposes that water and blood figure in Jesus' birth, life and death, identifying him as a descendant of Adam. These two perspectives on water and blood take us to the wonderful mystery of the humanity and divinity of the incarnation.

Following a short address about the Christian response to the current pandemic sweeping across the world, we look at just five verses from the fifth chapter of John's letter. We examine the doctrine concerning Jesus Christ's nature and also see the necessity of obedience to God if we are to have a proper relationship with him.

True love is that which has its origin in God. We look at ten aspects of the love of God showing, for example, that it is an essential attribute of his. God's love is said to be -perfected- when we love others, this referring to a perfection, not in its quality but in its purpose.

John urges us to -put error on trial-, assessing it by the standard of God's truth which the apostles had clearly expressed. The believers of his day had overcome error, and false prophets and their supporters had departed- a faithful message will not be welcomed by the world.

We observe in the second half of Chapter 3 that the world's hatred of Christians is fundamentally a hatred of righteousness itself. They want God dead because he is all righteous. When God did visit this earth in the incarnation, they did indeed kill him. Yet, apart from its atonement aspect, this love shown at Calvary was meant to inspire us to sacrifice ourselves daily for the brethren. We do this through prayer, but whenever possible our help should cater for them materially also. This love for the brethren is a condition of prayer, and unloving Christians should not expect God to listen to them.

Starting with a brief run-through of the section, we examine the issue of John's controversial statement - as translated in the King James Version - that Christians cannot sin. Three of the most common interpretations are considered, and one is highlighted as the most satisfactory- that the new creature, being united to Christ, is incapable of sin, but that our present behaviours are a result of both that influence and the promptings of the flesh and of Satan. This explains why the product of the inner war is so often unrighteous. At the resurrection, we shall be freed from the body of death and live sinlessly forever.

The first aim in this message is to ignore the dispensational hype about antichrist and discover the less dramatic - though very serious - definition that John intended.--The passage also includes stark implications about the need for believers to bear witness for Christ Jesus. Simply put, absence of evangelism is good evidence that a person does not belong to God.

The three great facets of sin - the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life - are examined. To show how Satan tries to enflame these sinful tendencies in man, we look at two very significant temptations in the Bible- one directed at our first parents, the other at our saviour. Satan's victory in one is contrasted with his failure in the other. Our own present battle with Satan is presented, accompanied by encouragements to stand firm.