Who is John?

Before I begin with my thoughts on the letters written by John I thought I would tell you a little bit about what we know about John. Most of my information came from the Life Applications Bible.
He was one of Jesus’ three closest friends. The other two were his brother, James and Peter. All played major roles in the developing of the early church.
John was a disciple of John the Baptist before following Christ. He was a great writer. He wrote the Gospel of John, I, II and III John and Revelations.
John teaches about God’s Love, but like most of us he had areas in his life he struggled with, which were anger and selfishness. What hope that gives us that God was still able to use John in a mighty way. Are you allowing God to use you?
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First John


I John Chapter 1

John begins by getting right to the point. He teaches what he has been taught by Christ. Which is from the beginning we have heard, seen, looked upon and touched concerning the Word of Life. He tells that the life was made manifest and we have seen and bear witness. He declares to the readers that the life that was with the Father, which was made manifest to us. He continues to testify that which we have seen and heard which we have heard declares to us that we may also have a relationship with them, that true fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son, Jesus Christ. He also explains that we may share in the joy and that our joy may be full (1:1-4).
John also teaches that God is light in Him is no darkness. If we say we have fellowship with Him yet walk on darkness we lie and don’t practice the truth. But if we walk in the Light as He is in the light we have fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.
If we say we have no sin we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us, but if we confess our sin He (God) is faithful and just and to forgive us our sin and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned we make Him (God) a liar and His Word is not in us (1:5-9).

SO What does this say to me????

John started off by telling me that Jesus was the promised Messiah. John testifies to all that he saw as he walked and talked with Jesus. Jesus taught him directly. He teaches us what Christ taught him, that our joy is found in a relationship with God obtained through His Son, Jesus Christ. Our true fellowship is with God, the Father and His Son, Jesus.
Then he tells me that if I am proclaiming Christ as my Savior yet continuing to practice the worldly things I am lying. Because if I am in the Light of Christ and I have a relationship with him I would be in fellowship with other believers, not continually desiring the things of the world. Then blood of Jesus covers me and cleanses me from sin. If I accept the truth of Christ. Don't just talk the talk, but back it up by walking the walk.
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I John Chapter 2

John is writing to the people that they may not fall into sin, but assures them if they do we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself, was the propitiation for our sins and for the whole worlds (2:1-2).
John tells us how we can be sure we know Him (God)… By keeping His commandments. For if one says I know Him and does not keep His commandments, he is a liar and the truth is not in him. But if one keeps the commandments of God then the love of God is truly perfected in him (2:3-5).
John offer us some advise/wisdom:
He who says he abides in Him ought to walk as He walked.
He who says he is in the light and hates his brother is in darkness.
John tells us nothing new here. God has always been love, but Jesus made it new as well by setting a standard, which John refers to in verse 8 “the true light is already shining.” (2:6-11).
John tells of the spiritual state, not the ages, of those he is writing to, little children, young men and fathers. He also tells why he writes to them (2:12-14).
We are warned not to love the world or the things of the world. Because if you do the Father is not in you. He reminds us in verse 17 that the world is passing away and the lusts in it, but he who does the will of God will abide forever (2:15-17).
John continues in his teaching to tell of the coming Antichrist and that there are already many antichrists among us. They went out from us, but they were not of us or they would have continued with us. He even defines antichrist for us in verse 22 ”Who is a liar, but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is the antichrist who denies the Father and the Son.” If we deny the Son we do not have the Father and he who has the Son has the Father (2:18-23).
We are encouraged to abide in what we have heard from the beginning, it will also abide in us as we abide in the Son and the Father. Our promise being He promised us eternal life. He offers us a warning not to listen to those trying to deceive us (2:24-27).
We are encouraged to do what we know and to abide in Him so that we will not be ashamed at His return. He is righteous and those that practice righteousness are born of Him (2:28-29).

So what does this say to me???

To start with God’s love definitely shows through John in his concern for others, just as it should in each of us.
God’s love is evident in the giving of His Son as payment for our sin and then as our advocate when we continue to fall into sin. Although, our goal is to keep His commandments by this others as well as ourselves know that we love God and are of Him. Love is a verb as in an action word. We need to show our love for God by keeping His commandments.
You can not be both for God and against God by being of the world and the things of it, for the world and the things of the world are Satan’s playground, and they will be passing away, but the things of God are eternal.
We have antichrists among us today that may have one time claimed to be Christians or of God, but they really were not or they would not have left the body of Christ. They may have been talking the talk, but apparently were not walking the walk.
Many will try to deceive with false doctrine but I am suppose to stick to what I know to be true in the Word of God. So, if I am abiding in Him I have received the anointing of the Holy Spirit and He will show me all things, what is true and lies. I just need to be aware of Him and sensitive to His teachings and open to His leading. Then I will not be ashamed before Christ at His return.
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I John Chapter 3

John uses chapter 3 to teach us about the love of God and how it should be displayed in our lives. He begins by telling us the world does not know the children of God, because it did not know Him. As children of God we know when He is revealed (Christ’s return) we shall be made like Him and see Him as He is. This is our hope that causes us to purify ourselves (3:1-3).
He tells us sin is the same as lawlessness, and we should know that God was made manifest in Christ to take away our sin. There is no sin in Him. Therefore whoever abides in Him does not sin. If they do they have not seen Him nor do they know Him (3:4-6).
We are warned not to be deceived. He who practices righteousness is righteous just as Christ is righteous. But one that sins is of the devil. The devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God was made manifest that He might destroy the works of the devil. Whoever has been born of God does not sin, because he/she can’t come under the conviction of the Holy Spirit (3:4-9).
John tells how to tell the difference in those of God and those of the devil. If they do not practice righteousness and if they do not love their brother they are not of God. He reminds us of the message we have heard from the beginning “…we should love one another.” He also gives us the example of righteousness verses unrighteousness in Cain and Abel. Cain was wicked and murdered his brother. Why? Because Cain’s works were evil and Abel’s were righteous before God. He continues on explaining that those who hate his brother is a murderer and abides in death for no murderer has eternal life (3:10-15).
We know love by the fact that Jesus laid His life down for us. We should do the same. If we see someone in need when we have and do nothing how can the love of God abide in us John asks.
We are instructed in verse 18 to love in deed and truth not in word and tongue. This is how we know the truth and our hearts are set at rest before Him because if our hearts do not condemn us God is greater than the heart and knows all things. So if our hearts are clear before God we have confidence toward Him and we may ask and receive because we keep His commandments and are doing what is pleasing to Him (3:16-22).
John sums up chapter 3 with these verses: And this is the commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment. Now he who keeps His commandments abides in Him and He in him. And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us (3:23-24).

So what does this say to me???

John does a lot of stressing the need for God’s Love to be shown in the life of the believer as well as the absence of sin.
Once we accept Christ as our personal Savior the sin John refers to which is the continual habitual sin should not continue to be present in the life of the believer. If we continue to commit habitual sin we are not in the will of God and He does not live in us. Every believer will still sin. No one is perfect and sinless, but I believe that John is talking about something we know to be sin and willing chose to continue to do it repeatedly. If you are truly of God then the Holy Spirit will convict your heart of that sin and you will desire to be free from it. Righteousness will be displayed in your life and you will want to be Christ-like.
John covers the love/hate your brother in our relationship to God and how we show our love for God is made manifest in the way we treat one another. Love for the brother must be displayed. This is the example Christ set for us. That is not to say that we are to accept every lifestyle and every person’s sin and call it love for the brother so we can just get along. But instead it says to be righteous and show God’s love. God rebukes, disciplines and teaches. That is how we show that we are abiding or remaining in Him.
We are also instructed to love in deed and truth not in word and tongue. Love is a verb. Show it!
It is also important to keep our hearts clear before God that they don’t condemn us for if they do God surely will if we do not have a clear, clean heart. But if our hearts don’t condemn us then we have confidence before God that we are in His will.
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I John Chapter 4

John begins by telling us not to believe every spirit, but to test them to see if they are of God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. To be sure one is of the Spirit of God it must confess that Jesus Christ came in the flesh, then they are of God. If one does not confess Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God, but of the spirit of the Anitchrist. He reminds us that as children of God we have overcome them because "…He who is in you is greater than he that is in the world." The spirit of the Antichrist is in the world and speaks as the world and the world hears them. We are of the Spirit of God and those of God hear us. This is how we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error (4:1-6).
John goes back to explaining the importance of love continuing with what he taught in chapter 3. He points out here that God IS Love. Therefore, all that love are of God and those that don’t are not of God. Because God showed us the greatest love by sending His only begotten Son into the world that we might live. That He might be the propitiation for our sin. If God loved us so much shouldn’t we also love one another? (4:7-11)
No one has seen God, but if we love one another God abides in us and His love is perfected in us. This is how we know we abide in Him and Him in us. He has given us His Spirit. John continues to teach that one must confess Jesus as the Son of God to abide in Him and He then abides in us. For God is Love, whoever abides in love abides in God and God abides in Him. John also explains that love is perfected in us that we might have boldness in the day of judgment “…Because As He is so are we in this world.” We are reminded that love casts out all fear. Fear is not involved in love, and we love Him because He first loved us (4:12-19).
We are also commanded that if we love God we must also love our brother. How can we proclaim to love God whom we have never seen and cannot love our brother whom we have seen (4:20-21)?

So what does this say to me????

To begin with it reminds me that not everyone claiming to be of God is and they will try to trick and deceive me. Therefore I must know scripture to be able to tell the difference between those of God and those pretending to be of God. They have to be proclaiming Christ as the Son of God having come in the flesh.
If they are not of God I have nothing to fear as a child of God. Satan has no power over me. I John 4:4 says …greater is He that is in ME than he that is in the world.”
As a child of God the love He showed for me when He sent His only Son to die on a cross that I might live for eternity with Him is the love I am suppose to be showing to all people. For I can not say I love God and not show His love to my brother. For GOD IS LOVE.
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I John Chapter 5

John continues to teach that the proof of our love for God is in keeping His commandments. And that these commandments are not to be burdensome. He also continues explaining that the children of God (believers) have overcome the world because of our faith (5:1-5)
He shows Christ revealed first in His baptism, the water and the then blood, His crucifixion. If we believe the witness of man we should believe the witness of God even more for He is greater and He testifies of His Son.
You must believe in the Son to receive the Father (God). God has given us eternal life and this life is in His Son, Jesus Christ. He that receives The Son has the life and he that does not receive the Son does not have life.
John tells us he is writing to letter to those that believe, that we might be sure we have eternal life and that we continue to believe in the Son of God (5:6-13).
John just touches on prayer telling us that if we ask according to the will of the Father He hears us. He also tells us to pray for our brothers in sin (5:14-17).
He closes his letter by summing up what he has taught.
  1. whoever is born of God does not continue in a lifestyle of sin, but guards himself that Satan does not touch him.
  2. we know we are of God and the world is under the sway of the wicked one(Satan)
  3. we know the Son of God has come and given us understanding that we may know Him who is true
  4. we are in Him who is true, in His Son, Jesus Christ
  5. this is the true God, eternal life
And he ends with a warning to keep ourselves from idols (5:18-21).

So what does this say to me???

The same thing John has said all along. If you are talking the talk you need to walk the walk by keeping God’s commandments. That is how we show we are of God.
God has great love for us, and He is a greater witness than any man.
Satan has no power or control over the believer because the Holy Spirit lives in them and He is greater than Satan.
My eternal life is found in the receiving of and believing in God’s Son, Jesus Christ.

*to find out about receiving and believing in Jesus please go to one of the links at the bottom of page
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II John

II John

John greets the elect lady (the church) and her children.
He tells of his joy for finding some of them walking in the truth as they were commanded, by the Father. He pleads with the lady that all ought to walk in the commandment which they had received for the beginning… to love one another.
John then warns them of the deceivers that are in the world. Those that do not confess Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. If anyone come and does not bring this doctrine we should not invite them into our homes, nor greet them.
John closes his letter with a farewell to the church (verses 1-13).

So what does this say to me???

That loving one another is very important. It is commanded by the Father (God) and Jesus set the example for it.
We should also protect ourselves from the deceivers/antichrists that do not teach Jesus came in the flesh. We also should not invite these people into our homes or greet them. Greet them meaning spending unnecessary time with them. I don’t believe we are being told to ignore them or to be rude to them. We should be kind and love them God’s way.
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III John

III John

John writes to the Elder Gaius. He offers a prayer for health and prosperity, physically and spiritually. He tells of his rejoicing upon receiving the news that he and others walk in the truth. He commends Gaius for his walk and encourages him to continue to be faithful in what he does and to do for strangers. Send them out as missionaries and receive missionaries. Because they go out forth in God’s name. They did not take from the Gentiles (to whom they witnessed) and they share the truth (verses 1-8)
John also wrote to Diotrephes but he was wanting preeminence in the church. John says that if he comes he will remind him of his deeds, malicious words and not receiving the brethren and putting those who do out of the church. He warns not to imitate this evil, for he who does good is of God and he who does evil has not seen God.
John says Demetrius has a good testimony from all and from the truth itself (verses 9-12).
John tells them there is are many more things to write, but he does not wish to do so with pen and ink. He hopes to see them soon and speak face to face (verses 13-14).

So what does this say to me????

To me it tells of the importance of encouraging one another and praying for each other. It also is important to recognize people for what they are among us. Not everyone in church is of God. We should imitate what is good not evil because those that do evil have not seen God.
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In His Light, Missie


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Why Study the Bible you may ask.
Well I have attempted to give some reasons on my new page
Why Study God's Word?

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The midi you are listening to is from Psalm 118:24 "This is the day that the Lord hath made we will rejoice and be glad in it."

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