It's All About Jesus: 44 Short Studies of 1st Epistle of John (YouTube & Podcast)

As you glance through the Bible you will see that some of the books (like the Psalms) are over a hundred pages long while others (like 2 John) are less than a page in length. 1 John is one which is not very long – about 5-7 pages in most versions (like my J. B. Phillips’s New Testament have 8 pages only). But this short book – a letter or an epistle – is packed with a great deal of vital information about our faith and many helpful guidelines regarding how to live as followers of Jesus Christ. Yes, 1 John (or the First Letter of John) is for Christ’s disciples not for non-Christians.

But before we begin our study of 1 John, let’s consider a few important questions:

Who Wrote It and Why?

In the early Church, there was general agreement that the Apostle John wrote the letter (not John the Baptist!). For one thing, the subjects, style and wording of 1 John are like those in the Gospel of John. Also, the writer of 1 John claims to have been an eyewitness to the death and the resurrection of Jesus Christ, our Lord (see 1 John 1:1,3 and 4:14). Furthermore, the author of 2 and 2 John refers to himself as “the elder.” These two letters, along with 1 John, have usually been thought to have been written by the same author. Often in his later years, John was called “the Elder.”

After serving for years as a disciple of Jesus, John spent a great deal of his time writing the Gospel according to John (or the Gospel of John), which describes the life and times of Jesus; 1, 2, 3 John which help Christians understand what they should believe and do; and the Revelation, in which he talks about the glorified and the second coming of Jesus.

We may tend to think or depicted Jesus’ disciples as saints who walked around with halos over their heads. Nah! John was a man who was very much a human being like the rest of us. Even though he talked often in his writings about love and forgiveness, he evidently had a hot temper. At least, he was. Jesus once called John and his brother James “sons of Thunder” (see Mark 3:17). One time, John got so angry – maybe he was very jealous – that he wanted God to destroy a village with fire, something Jesus refused to do (see Luke 9:51-56).

What Was the Setting?

In his later years, John settled in the city of Ephesus, a place where Christians were struggling with the teachings of false teachers and were tempted to leave their own faith. These false teachers or prophets denied that Jesus was really God’s Son (see 1 John 2:22). These teachers were claiming to be “in the light” but did not really care how they lived. They were unloving and sinful even as they claimed “special knowledge” regarding God. These false teachers were true liars, hypocrites!

In his own special way, John wrote a letter to his fellow believers (“my children”) to try to reassure and strengthen them. He wrote this letter as elder (authority) and as grandfather (relationship) to his children and grandchildren – a letter packed with wisdom, advises, encouragements, helps, truths and warnings. John was also concerned that the faith of some Christians was becoming more of a ritual than something real and active. By the time John wrote this letter (about A.D. 92, shortly after writing his Gospel), the thrill of being true believers in the early days of Christianity had begun to decrease but the hype for spirituality increase. The commitment of some Christians had become lukewarm rather than passionate. Many found it hard to stand up for their beliefs and preferred “to belong to the world” (John 15:19).

Lord Jesus Himself had predicted this possibility, as well as the coming of false teachers when He said: “Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming: ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many… At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved” (Matthew 24:4-5, 10-13, NIV).

John counters two (2) major threads in the false teachings of the heretics in this letter:

1) They denied the reality of sin. John says that if we continue in sin, we can’t claim to belong to God. If we say we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and refusing to accept the truth (1 John 1:6, 8, 10)

2) They denied that Jesus was the Messiah – God in the flesh. John said that if we believe that Jesus was God incarnate and trust him for our salvation, we are children of God (1 John 2:22, 4:1-3)

[from Life Application Study Bible, NLT page 2015]

True in the time of John as it is today that the greatest danger to the Church seemed to come from within, from people who claimed to be believers but who were false teachers seeking to confuse the true believers and lead them into damnable false teachings. Happened in our churches today? Yes! Is 1 John irrelevant for today? Think again.

Now that we’ve identified who the author of 1 John was, why he wrote it, and the setting in which it was written, let’s get started on what I hope will be an exciting experience of growing, examining our beliefs, and purified our faith in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Lord. Remember, It’s All About Jesus.

CLICK TITLE to listen or watch These Short Studies of 1^st Epistle of John

#1 Jesus: I Heard, Seen and Touched Him, No Secondhand Faith (1 John 1:1-2) https://youtu.be/eygEqZepw70 (Podcast: http://bit.ly/LegasiEpisode1)

#2 Jesus: The Reason for Authentic Fellowship and the Source of Real Joy (1 John 1:3-4) https://youtu.be/pC4LPn8Q-CA (Podcast: http://bit.ly/LegasiEpisode2)

#3 Jesus Is Light and There Is No Darkness in Him at All (1 John 1:5) https://youtu.be/LGS_Tnlokvo (Podcast: http://bit.ly/LegasiEpisode3)

#4 Jesus Shows How Practical Our Faith Is (1 John 1:6-7) https://youtu.be/I18yrHu1xx8 (Podcast: http://bit.ly/LegasiEpisode4)

#5 Jesus, God's Forgiveness Assured: Confess Your Sin, Don't Hide It (1 John 1:8-9) https://youtu.be/-x7W15zGYgA (Podcast: http://bit.ly/LegasiEpisode5)

#6 Jesus the Righteous Advocator, Is Our Habitual Sin Breaker (1 John 2:1-2) https://youtu.be/E0j44xpLJbk (Podcast: http://bit.ly/LegasiEpisode6)

#7 Jesus Is Not Only Our Saviour but He Also Our Example of Obedience & Living (1 John 2:3-6) https://youtu.be/NGC1UIHEclc (Podcast: http://bit.ly/LegasiEpisode7)

#8 Jesus has Brought a 'New' Richer & Deeper Meaning of An 'Old' Commandment (1 John 2:7-8) https://youtu.be/GLOR9be1Vqo (Podcast: http://bit.ly/LegasiEpisode8)

#9 Jesus' Message: Love and Light Belong Together (1 John 2:9-11) https://youtu.be/3cnELUrKxjw (Podcast: http://bit.ly/LegasiEpisode9)

#10 Jesus on Spiritual Maturity: From Children to Young Men to Fathers (1 John 2:12-14) https://youtu.be/rq-xw8Hoi4I (Podcast: http://bit.ly/LegasiEpisode10)

#11 Jesus asks for Your Loyalty: God the Father or Money of this World (1 John 2:15-17) https://youtu.be/e_6BESDJYiI (Podcast: http://bit.ly/LegasiEpisode11)

#12 Jesus Hate these 3 Sins: Dominated by Appetites, Outward Show & Try to Look Important (1 John 2:15-17) https://youtu.be/ECGwrucNIRM (Podcast: http://bit.ly/LegasiEpisode12)

#13 Jesus reminds Us: Material Things have No Future and Will Pass Away (1 John 2:17) https://youtu.be/k3qOvQDXhyY (Podcast: http://bit.ly/LegasiEpisode13)

#14 Jesus is Coming Soon: We are Living in "the Last Hour" (1 John 2:18) https://youtu.be/hAWKjMcUPPU (Podcast: http://bit.ly/LegasiEpisode14)

#15 Jesus wants Us to Beware of Antichrists and False Teachings (1 John 2:18-21) https://youtu.be/rao6E51zYAE (Podcast: http://bit.ly/LegasiEpisode15)

#16 Jesus is God's Son: The Liar Denies This Truth (1 John 2:22-23) https://youtu.be/Ix8Sw1_0tns (Podcast: http://bit.ly/LegasiEpisode16)

#17 Jesus is the Original Message: Remain Faithful to Him (1 John 2:24) https://youtu.be/tQnEhhTkv5I (Podcast: http://bit.ly/LegasiEpisode17)

#18 Jesus Promises Fellowship and Eternal Life, If You... (1 John 2:25) https://youtu.be/pdqHWQqVku0 (Podcast: http://bit.ly/LegasiEpisode18)

#19 Jesus Sends the Holy Spirit to Lives within Us (1 John 2:26-27) https://youtu.be/a1e6iCxf4q0 (Podcast: http://bit.ly/LegasiEpisode19)

#20 Jesus' Return Soon: What Will We Be Like? Who Will We See? (1 John 3:1-3) https://youtu.be/v7VKzPS9nW4 (Podcast: http://bit.ly/LegasiEpisode20)

#21 Jesus the Perfect Saviour wants Us to Take Sin Very Seriously (1 John 3:4-7) https://youtu.be/gpo8oUqT3Uk (Podcast: http://bit.ly/LegasiEpisode21)

#22 Jesus Came to Destroy the Works of the Devil (1 John 3:8-10) https://youtu.be/D5rGZY4Cdys (Podcast: http://bit.ly/LegasiEpisode22)

#23 Jesus Loves People But Why They Hated Him and the Christians so Much? (1 John 3:11-13) https://youtu.be/ImShQBbD1KM (Podcast: http://bit.ly/LegasiEpisode23)

#24 Jesus says Love and Hate are a Matter of Life and Death (1 John 3:14-15) https://youtu.be/OUzA8rqK7ow (Podcast: http://bit.ly/LegasiEpisode24)

#25 Jesus showed that Real Love is Costly (1 John 3:16-18) https://youtu.be/KC3NdFuaQGo (Podcast: http://bit.ly/LegasiEpisode25)

#26 Jesus is Greater than Our Heart: Be Confident, Don't Feel Guilty (1 John 3:19-20) https://youtu.be/9PgKraoGsIY (Podcast: http://bit.ly/LegasiEpisode26)

#27 Jesus Answers Whatever We Ask For, So Come with Bold Confidence (1 John 3:21-22) https://youtu.be/1bm_LfP8MKM (Podcast: http://bit.ly/LegasiEpisode27)

#28 Jesus' Commandments: Believe in His Name and Love One Another (1 John 3:23-24) https://youtu.be/t3LVdpTu0QY (Podcast: http://bit.ly/LegasiEpisode28)

#29 Jesus Don't Want Us to Believe Every Spirit but to Test Them all (1 John 4:1-3) https://youtu.be/vblVL_lFvCI (Podcast: http://bit.ly/LegasiEpisode29)

#30 Jesus is Concerns about What You Believe: Be Open and Closed (1 John 4:4-6) https://youtu.be/4WIwUaPSuro (Podcast: http://bit.ly/LegasiEpisode30)

#31 Jesus is the Embodiment of "God is Love" (1 John 4:7-8;13-16) https://youtu.be/tOrNjCOlRnI (Podcast: http://bit.ly/LegasiEpisode31)

#32 Jesus Loved Us [First] While We Were Still Sinners (1 John 4:9-10) https://youtu.be/xYSyiESd84U (Podcast: http://bit.ly/LegasiEpisode32)

#33 Jesus' Love is Not Only For You (1 John 4:11-12) https://youtu.be/3FzmYP-hc3Q (Podcast: http://bit.ly/LegasiEpisode33)

#34 Jesus gives Us the Key that Unlocks the Door (1 John 4:13-16) https://youtu.be/7S7eagA56yI (Podcast: http://bit.ly/LegasiEpisode34)

#35 Jesus' Perfect Love = No Fear of God's Judgement and Punishment (1 John 4:17-18) https://youtu.be/c6-jUABafjM (Podcast: http://bit.ly/LegasiEpisode35)

#36 Don't Say "I Love Jesus" But Hate Others (1 John 4:19-21) https://youtu.be/OJeA4erXNsY (Podcast: http://bit.ly/LegasiEpisode36)

#37 Jesus makes Us Sons and Daughters of God (1 John 5:1-2) https://youtu.be/-n9ogipN90Y (Podcast: http://bit.ly/LegasiEpisode37)

#38 In Jesus, We Are Victorious! (1 John 5:3-5) https://youtu.be/hMtnQG6nFvY (Podcast: http://bit.ly/LegasiEpisode38)

#39 Jesus is the Son of God: Three Witnesses, Come Forth! (1 John 5:6-8) https://youtu.be/DY64F1hO3ts (Podcast: http://bit.ly/LegasiEpisode39)

#40 Jesus is the Son of God: Nobody can both accept God and deny his Son (1 John 5:9-10) https://youtu.be/iDric6zC8rA (Podcast: http://bit.ly/LegasiEpisode40)

#41 Jesus the Son of God: We Can Have, Know and Enjoy Eternal Life (1 John 5:11-12) https://youtu.be/4DHv29El2QM (Podcast: http://bit.ly/LegasiEpisode41)

#42 Jesus wants to Hear You Pray: We Have Freedom of Speech with God (1 John 5:13-15) https://youtu.be/4FphmUZZI3M (Podcast: http://bit.ly/LegasiEpisode42)

#43 Jesus' Command: Pray on Behalf of Sinning Brother and Sister in Christ (1 John 5:16-17) https://youtu.be/l4i95LBevF4 (Podcast: http://bit.ly/LegasiEpisode43)

#44 Jesus holds Us Secure: Three Great Assurances from God (1 John 5:18-21, THE END) https://youtu.be/_j_oF-e2_mU (Podcast: http://bit.ly/LegasiEpisode44)

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

 

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It's All About Jesus: Studies from First Epistle of John (FREE EBOOK)

From Preface

Lord Jesus Christ himself claimed throughout his ministry to be not only God the Son incarnate but also to be at the center of God's saving purposes and revelation. He said to the unbelieving Pharisees: “You search the Scriptures because you think they give you eternal life” but the Scribes and Pharisees missed the unifying message of the history of redemption and revelation: the Scriptures "point to" Jesus (John 5:39). The Pharisees claimed to believe Moses, but they did not, because Moses, "in whom you have set your hope" (John 5:45) accuses them. The Pharisees missed the point of the Scriptures: "if you believed Moses, you would believe Me, for he wrote about Me" (John 5:46). But what about the New Testament, especially first epistle of John? The Apostle John says that Jesus is the One that he is writing about: “We proclaim to you the one who existed from the beginning, whom we have heard and seen. We saw him with our own eyes and touched him with our own hands. He is the Word of life” (1 John 1:1).

Friends, it’s all about Jesus.

In this book, I hope for us to answer more very important questions such as: What must a person do to become a Christian? Do Christians ever sin? Does sin continue to cut Christians off from God? What is the difference between “true” and “false” teaching? How do other people know that we are Christians? Who are the “false teachers,” and why are they a danger? How can we get rid of our fears? And much more – but the biggest question of all – who is Jesus?

My prayers will be with you as you read through this simple studies of God’s Word. In the end, my utmost hope for you is that you will read the Word for yourself and delight to obey His commandments.

How to have this FREE EBOOK? Just say "Hi!" to by Facebook inbox. That easy! 

Jesus Holds Us Secure: Three Great Assurances from God (1 John 5:18-21, End)

“We know that God’s children do not make a practice of sinning, for God’s Son holds them securely, and the evil one cannot touch them. We know that we are children of God and that the world around us is under the control of the evil one. And we know that the Son of God has come, and he has given us understanding so that we can know the true God. And now we live in fellowship with the true God because we live in fellowship with the Son, Jesus Christ. He is the only true God, and he is eternal life. Dear children, keep away from anything that might take God’s place in your hearts”

(1 John 5:18-21, NLT).

The Apostle John highlighted three important “we know” statements at the end of his letter. First, we know that we can be freed from the power of sin. This doesn’t mean that we never sin but we “do not make a practice of sinning” or habitually sinning anymore. We do not have to be helpless slaves to sin; it does not have to be a constant habit. Even though in reality the devil is dangerously active in this world and his power is great, we are assured that Jesus is more powerful and greater! He is with us and for us, no matter what happens. Jesus holds us “secured,” and that is why “the evil one cannot touch” us!

Second, we know that we draw our very existence from God. God is like our life support system. We receive all that we are and have from God, even though we know that Satan has tremendous power in “the world around us” (for a while). Many people are under the influence of the evil one. They have chosen to live their lives apart from God. Know that the Bible only divides the people of the world into two groups: light and darkness. Either a person chooses to live with and for God, or for the powers of evil in this world. There is no third choice. So, with God on our side, there is really no battle too great or disappointment too large that can cause us to be defeated. “We are” – after all – “children of God.”

Third, we know that we believe in the true God. There certainly are many counterfeit gods today. But we know that through Jesus Christ, the Son of God, we can “know the true God.” One way we know this is that our God does not make us feel confused, instead, He gives us “understanding.” In other words, being a Christian doesn’t mean that we have to put our minds in neutral and commit intellectual suicide (or blind faith or simpleton faith). Nor do we have to be obsessed with unanswerable issues (complex theological and philosophical arguments). The truth of God and about God requires faith-understanding, and thus it stimulates our thinking so we will know what is fundamentally right (or wrong) and true (or false), especially as we face false teachings and false gods. But notice that we not only know God, we are also “live in” God. It means we not only have an acquaintance with God but also live in fellowship in/with Him and He in us. This is a much deeper experience than a mere passing acquaintance might be. “We live in fellowship with the true God because we live in fellowship with the Son, Jesus Christ.”

Then John ends his letter with the affectionate phrase: “Dear children…” John’s love reflects God’s love for all of us, His children. This is wonderful! He then challenges us to “keep away from anything that might take God’s place in [our] hearts” (In Greek it translation simply: “Keep yourselves from idols”). In John’s time, it mainly refers to physical images of false gods but today it can also refer to the influences of false faiths around us; in education, religions, social media, etc. John wants us to avoid counterfeit gods – anything or anyone that claims our values, our time, our relationships, and our hearts from “the only true God.” We must avoid anything that denies Jesus Christ of His full deity and humanity, any human idea that claims to be more authoritative than the Bible, or any royalty that replaces God at the center of our lives. Therefore, “Keep yourselves away from idols!” with the exclamation mark “!!!”

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Jesus' Command: Pray on Behalf of Sinning Brother and Sister In Christ (1 John 5:16-17)

“If you see a Christian brother or sister sinning in a way that does not lead to death, you should pray, and God will give that person life. But there is a sin that leads to death, and I am not saying you should pray for those who commit it. All wicked actions are sins, but not every sin leads to death”

(1 John 5:16-17, NLT).

“If you see a Christian brother or sister sinning… you should pray.” As our faith grows, we should go beyond the concerns we have about ourselves and pray for others. This is called the intercession prayer. If we pray only about our own needs, as important as these needs may be, we can become quite self-centered and not see how great and privileged it is to be a part of the growth of other people as well. As we learn to pray for others, we become more sensitive about their needs and will keep in touch with them so we know what their needs are.

And not only do we pray about the needs of others; we should be willing to be a means or channel through which God can answer our prayers. In case this is a new thought for you, let me share an example: Let’s say that you find out that a friend is suffering from the loss of a job and an illness. You have heard that he or she has very little food or money at home. So you share these concerns with God, and you pray that God will provide for their needs, so they won’t go hungry and thus will not sin against God for the situations that he or she experiencing now. After praying such a prayer, you can ask yourselves, “In what way would God like me to be the way that an answer is provided? How can I become the answer to my own prayer?” You could buy him or her dinner, or you could help to find a job, or you could offer to care (if need be) until he or she gets better, etc.

What is amazing about this process, then, is that prayer does not become a closet activity in which we withdraw from people and think only ‘heavenly’ thoughts. As we pray about the needs of others we are drawn back into loving others. So, Lord Jesus Christ is the connecting link between ourselves and others. As we feel loved by Jesus and as our prayers are answered, we grow in our ability to love and care for others. This is especially true when it comes to praying for our “Christian brother or sister” whom we knowingly “sinning” and commit “wicked actions” against God. We must pray for and at the same time, love and lead him or her back in the faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. The Apostle James was very clear with this: “If someone among you wanders away from the truth and is brought back, you can be sure that whoever brings the sinner back will save that person from death and bring about many forgiveness of many sins” (James 5:19-20). As we “pray” earnestly and be open to being used by God in this way, He “will give that person life” [This promise applies in the context of brothers and sisters in Christ]. 

However, the part of this section that may be less clear involves what John calls: “…a sin that leads to death.” Exactly what this means has been debated for centuries until now. But let me try, in a simple way: We know that God has promised to forgive us our sins when we confess them and ask for forgiveness (read 1 John 1:9 again). But there is one attitude – only one – that seems to cut oneself off from God. Jesus talks about this sin as being blasphemy against the Holy Spirit (read Matthew 12:31-32 and Mark 3:29). This kind of sin that “leads to death” is the sin that says the work of Jesus is the work of Satan or origin from Satan, imply that Satan is really more powerful than God, and that evil is more powerful and maybe even is  – preferable to what is good and true. To talk and live like that is to live a life in spiritual ruin. So, John is saying “there is a sin that leads to death, and I am not saying you should pray for those who commit it” – because it is useless to pray for them since they already decided willingly that everything that Jesus did and done is attributed to evil one. Don’t do it!

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Jesus Wants to Hear You Pray: We Have Freedom of Speech with God (1 John 5:13-15)

“I have written this to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know you have eternal life. And we are confident that he hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him. And since we know he hears us when we make our requests, we also know that he will give us what we ask for”

(1 John 5:13-15, NLT).

The Apostle John begins by mentioning that this letter is written especially for people who are already believers: “to you who believe in the name of the Son of God” (although anybody else is welcome to read it as well, I’m sure). Why? So that we know for sure that we “have eternal life.” John is concerned that we must have the confidence and toughness we need as we are confronted by false teachers and other pressures. Some false beliefs in John’s day as well as today, were probably attractive and promised all kinds of things. So, in moments of weakness, some people would give in to the pressure and leave their faith in Jesus. Friends, in tough times, we need to be confident in the “Son of God” that we will receive “eternal life”! No ifs, ands, or buts. Our futures are in God’s faithful hands.

There are other sources of confidence besides knowing that we have eternal life: We can live with the confidence that God cares for us so much that we can speak boldly with God through prayer. “We are confident that he hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him.” We can share with God what is on our minds without being afraid of how He will respond. We have a freedom of speech with God. We can share our frustrations and anger as well as our praise, love, and concerns with God. God can take whatever we need to share. We don’t have to force our way into God’s presence to make an appointment months in advance as if He were the CEO of a large company or government. God is always available. There is no answering service, no busy signal, and no forwarding e-mail address. God is ready to talk with us, 24-7 a day.

God wants what is best for us. Pray for “anything.” But we are taught to pray for “anything that pleases him” or more accurately – pray “according to His will” (NIV). This is a balanced prayer. In other words, we should share our concerns with God and ask that we will want what God wants for us. This can help us get beyond presenting God with a grocery list of “our requests” for which we expect certain answers. As we tell God about our concerns, we can say that we may not be sure what the best answer is – but God knows the best for us.

Remember: Prayer involves both talking and listening. Maybe you are wondering how we can listen to God. I never have heard an audible “voice” from God. I know that some people claim to hear God on a daily basis. But that hasn’t been true for me (Am I or you less ‘spiritual’ than others if we don’t? Maybe not so). I find that Lord Jesus most often speaks to me through my own common sense and conscious, through circumstances and other people, and especially – the written Word of God, the Bible. However God speaks to you – I hope mainly from God’s Word – you can be sure and confident that He wants to hear you and wants the very best for you as well. Amen.

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Jesus the Son of God: We Can Have, Know and Enjoy Eternal Life (1 John 5:11-12)

“[This] is what God has testified: He has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have God’s Son does not have life”

(1 John 5:11-12, NLT).

The Apostle John now sums up all that is in store for the believer. Not only do we have the promise of God’s Spirit living in us to help, teach, encourage, strengthen, and change us. “But you have received the Holy Spirit, and he lives within you, so you don’t need anyone to teach you what is true. For the Spirit teaches you everything you need to know, and what he teaches is true – it is not a lie. So just as he has taught you, remain in fellowship with Christ” (2:27). “[The] Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world… the Spirit of Truth” (4:4, 6). “God has given us his Spirit as proof that we live in him and he in us” (4:13). But we are also given a gift that cannot be earned, the gift of eternal life! Jesus Christ is the only true divine Son of God, and he is eternal life (5:20). We can enjoy eternal life (2:25), we can have eternal life (4:9), and we can know we have eternal life (5:13). This is the God-size-coolness beyond measure!

What is eternal life? Eternal life is not simply an unending progression of years. A common New Testament word for “eternal” is aionios, which carries the idea of quantity as well as quality. In fact, eternal life is not really associated with “years” at all, as it is independent of time. Eternal life can function outside and beyond time, as well as within time. For this reason, eternal life can be thought of as something that Christians experience now. Believers don’t have to “wait” for eternal life, because it’s not something that starts when they die. Rather, eternal life begins the moment a person exercises faith in Christ. It is our current possession.

[Source: Got Questions Ministries website]

As you know, there are a lot of people who are scared to death about dying. Some people are so afraid that they won’t even talk about it, and if a loved one does die, they try to act like it didn’t really happen. We see this fear in our society with such a focus on being wrinkle-free, young, and fit, and the increase of photo editors’ apps. But the truth is that all of us will die sometime, and that can seem kind of scary for those who don’t have hope. The power or fear of death can be defeated. However, we don’t need to live our lives being deathly afraid about dying. We know it’s going to happen, but we can be relieved of the worry and fear that so many people have.

God “has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have God’s Son does not have life.” This eternal life really starts right now, when we confess our sins before God and accept God’s Son as our Lord and Saviour. With Jesus in our lives, we can live life to the fullest right now – with joy unspeakable (even in the midst of suffering and persecution) and a great sense of purpose in life (you know why and what you’re living for) we never thought possible. To live without Jesus, on the other hand, is to be (always) bored, unsatisfied life, depressed, afraid, and the worst of all is not hell but – separation from God.

As this letter 1 John is written to Christians, I want to focus on us: Not only does being a Christian increase the quantity of our life (life eternal with God) but also brings a greater quality of life (life lived in Jesus right now). Brothers and sisters, what more could we ask for? Praise and worship God!

What comes to your mind when you think about death?

Fear or faith?

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Jesus Is the Son of God: Nobody Can both Accept God and Deny His Son (1 John 5:9-10)

The Question: What is the Truth?

“Since we believe human testimony, surely we can believe the greater testimony that comes from God. And God has testified about his Son. All who believe in the Son of God know in their hearts that this testimony is true. Those who don’t believe this are actually calling God a liar because they don’t believe what God has testified about his Son”

(1 John 5:9-10, NLT).

What has been hinted at is now stated clearly: God is the One behind all of these witnesses. Through the events we see in history (“the water” Jesus’ birth and baptism; “the blood” Jesus’ death and resurrection), and the coming of “the (Holy) Spirit” into our lives, we can know beyond a doubt that our beliefs are really true (1 John 5:6-8). We know that Jesus Christ, “the Son of God” became a man to take away our sins; we know that we have passed from death to life; we know that we are God’s children and have received victory over this evil world. “True Christianity,” writes Dr. Henrietta C. Mears, “is more than a creed – it is something that can be known and felt.”

If “we believe human testimony” in court when two or three give evidence, how much more we should accept the testimony of God – “We can believe the greater testimony that comes from God.” God’s Word is greater than human’s words. Notice that John writes “believe in” the Son of God. He makes an important distinction here. There is a great difference between believing about someone (knowing lots of details about that person) and believing in someone (accepting the whole person, believing and appreciating all that he stands for). The second kind of belief is the kind that God wants us to have. God does not just want us to believe everything about Him (though it is very important); instead first and foremost, God wants us to “believe in the Son of God,” Jesus Christ – making a wholehearted commitment to Him.

“Those who don’t believe [that Jesus is the Son of God] are actually calling God a liar because they don’t believe what God has testified about his Son.” We might not directly say that God is a liar, but by our unbelieving, we in fact believe that God’s testimony is not true. God has said all over the Scripture that Jesus is the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One). He also said that Jesus is the Son of God. Some people do not believe this. They deny Jesus. They do not agree with God’s testimony. So they behave as if God tells lies. They act as if God’s words are untrue. They have refused to believe in God and Christ. “No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also” (1 John 2:23, NIV) and “No one truly knows the Son except the Father, and no one truly knows the Father except the Son” (Matthew 11:27). To receive the Son is to receive the Father. To deny the Son is to deny the Father. Nobody can both accept God and deny his Son.

Again, nobody can both accept God and deny his Son. This is a serious matter. Here is God’s verdict: “He has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have God’s Son does not have life” (1 John 5:11-12). Do you have Jesus in your life? Don’t sleep until you settle this question.

THINK BIG. START SMALL. START SMALL.