Scripture is the sufficient source for knowing and testing what is true. 1 John 4:1–6 (NIV) Dear friends Summary The first letter of John is an excellent overview of the basics of the faith. Many false teachers were causing confusion on these foundational truths, and John wrote this letter to The apostle John has the same goal as his gospel account in this letter, “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life” (1 John 5

John's poetic style defines God's love and grace. 1 John 4:7-10 (NIV) 7 Dear friends, let us love one Summary It often seems like John writes in big loops, like he's repeating the same thing over and over Subpoint Subpoint Point 2 Subpoint Subpoint John, on the other hand, writes in a more near-eastern style In the case of this passage, the primary message that John wishes to convey is that God is love, and Dig Deeper Ironically, it's the final line in John's passage that attracts our attention today.

1 John 5:19-20 (ESV) 19 We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil Summary The way John put it doesn't sound right, does it. or anything in the world (1 John 2:15)." The big idea that John tells you here is that "we know that we are from God." John here explains exactly what it means to have your heart/mind regenerated.

Summary John's favorite term for the Christians he writes to - not just 2,000 years ago, but now - is Certainly John isn't referring to our age here, but as one Bible dictionary puts it, he means "a person That day will come (John tells us about that in another book he wrote called Revelation). Yet you can know that this is true, and John tells you how in v5-6. He is, as John describes in v1, the Righteous One.

You might be surprised to hear the real reason Christ appeared. 1 John 3:7-10 (ESV) 7  Little children John writes, "Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he [Christ] is righteous. John is speaking in very general terms here. style ), John explains in no uncertain terms why Jesus came. "The reason the Son of God appeared," John explains, "was to destroy the works of the devil."

Summary In this letter John is writing to a church during a time of struggle to encourage them after John reaffirms what the false teachers tried to deny: the full divinity and humanity of Christ. In the third chapter of this letter, John addresses how to respond to what had occurred. John gives a means of testing to see where one’s allegiance lies, writing that “anyone who does not do will come; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Revelation 1

Summary As John begins to close his letter, he makes clear his intention in writing it: so that those Not only is this the theme of John's first letter, it's the theme of the entire Bible: that you might Let passages like this one here in 1 John build your confidence that "God will surely listen to your according to His will; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - John

God's law is simple, but step one in salvation is confessing you can't keep it. Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 5 Q. Can you live up to all this (God's Law) perfectly? A. No. I have a natural tendency to hate God and my neighbor. Summary A sinful nature is part of the human condition, as part of our inheritance of original sin from the first human, Adam. To say that we are without sin is a falsehood. Jesus paid the penalty for our sin, has granted us forgiveness, and made us a new creation; yet we are not without sin. God enables spiritual growth in the life of the believer, however none of us will reach a point of complete righteousness in this life. It is part of our condition to continually battle our fallen nature. Those who deny their sinful nature do more than fool themselves. Not only would such a claim betray the truth, but it would also suggest a belief that you were not in need of the grace of Jesus. The truth is that we have all fallen short and are in desperate need for the grace of Christ. To claim otherwise is to disregard, or at minimum misunderstand, the Gospel. Dig Deeper While Jesus calls us to love our God and our neighbor, our natural tendency is to do the exact opposite. Respect, manners, and sharing are all things that are taught to children either in the home or at school. None of us teaches a child to be selfish, hit when angry, or throw a fit when you don’t get your way; yet these behaviors are still commonplace. These tendencies are ingrained in our very being. Part of living as a Child of God is battling our fallen nature. While the Holy Spirit does empower believers to do good; the faithful remain locked in combat with our fallen nature. This battle will continue to rage on until the end of the age when our sanctification is complete. As you acknowledge your natural state of sinfulness, lean on the Holy Spirit for the strength to do what you cannot do on your own, which is to love God and love others. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Father God, you are faithful and just to forgive my sins and to cleanse me from all unrighteousness ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Help me to recognize and confess my own sin, and strengthen me with the Spirit to trust in the righteousness of my Savior. ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Mark 10

We see that with 1 John 1:5-7.

Summary A of the primary themes in the book of 1 John is love. John talks about God’s love for us, and how amazing it is.