Verse to memorize: John 5:11
And this is what God has testified: He has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.
This week we will finish up the book of 1 John, looking at the beloved apostle's concluding thoughts in this epistle (or letter).
Day 1: Read 1 John 5:1-4; 2 John verses 5-6; Titus 3:4-7; and Galatians 2:16
Dig In: What is the prerequisite to being part of the family of God? Does obedience to God come before or after faith in Jesus? Why do we obey God? Who loved first, us or God? How does loving someone lead to obedience? Can our "good works" get us any closer to God? Can we "earn" our way to God?
Take Root: As Pastor Bruce said, the Gospel IS Good News! Obedience out of love is a joy, not a burden.
Cultivate: Do you feel you must "do" or "perform" in order to please God or to keep from disappointing Him? Do you fear that God might love you less if you fail Him? Or do you worry that you might act (or forget to act) in a manner that would cause Him to reject you? Or cause others to reject you? Pray for God to make clear to you how much you are loved as His child.
Journal: Is God's love shown by your actions? Who do you need to show love to this week? What specifically are you planning to do?
Day 2: Read 1 John 5:6-12; 1 John 1:7; Leviticus 17:11; Hebrews 9:19-22; John 19:34-35
Dig In: 1 John 5:6-12 is a hard passage to understand. Let's approach it from one commonly held view (although there are other ideas that are consistent with Scripture). If John is indicating his eyewitness in the gospel (John 19:34-35), what is he then referring to in 1 John? Who also testifies to the water and blood? Why is the shedding of blood necessary? What did Jesus' death and resurrection do for us? Why is Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection important? Whose testimony is superior to all others? Who guides us in the truth?
Take Root: John is emphasizing the truth of who Jesus is. Remember that one reason John wrote this epistle was to counter false beliefs about Jesus. Some people claimed that Jesus was not eternally God and part of the Trinity. Others denied Jesus' sinless life and perfect sacrifice for us. John states we should not listen to men who claim they are inspired, but listen to God and to the apostles who taught God's truth without changing it (see 1 John 1:1-2).
Cultivate: Praise God for His eternal and always true word. Ask the Holy Spirit to point you to the truth as you study the Bible.
Day 3: Read 1 John 5:13; John 1:12-13; John 10:27-28; and John 6:37-40
Dig In: What is one of John's purposes in writing this epistle? Who initiates this birth into God's family? What does Jesus promise?
Take Root: Another of John's purposes in writing this letter was to assure believers of their eternal life as they saw unbelievers in the church returning to false beliefs about Jesus and then leaving the church.
Cultivate: Do you ever doubt your salvation? Upon whom does the assurance of your salvation rest? Who is responsible for your eternal life?
Journal: What things in your life are guaranteed to never fail? What things are backed by an eternal "warranty"?
Day 4: Read 1 John 5:16-18; Hebrews 10:26-27; 2 Peter 2:20-21; and Mark 3:29
Dig In: 1 John 5:16-18 is another difficult passage. Again, we will look at one perspective that many Christian scholars hold. Is there a sin that leads to eternal damnation (a sin that God doesn't forgive)? What is that sin? If an unrepentant sinner is finally touched by the Holy Spirit and turns to belief in Jesus, will God forgive and accept that person? Is knowledge of God's saving grace through Jesus the same thing as accepting His grace and believing that Jesus saves us from our sins? What does a life devoted to constant and repeated sinning (and not just a short-term lapse into sinfulness) indicate (see 1 John 5:18)? Are we the judge of others' salvation?
Take Root: John states that we should pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ. We pray for God's guidance and correction away from those sins that we all commit every day, for ourselves and for each other. One way to view John's message is that we cannot pray for those who are not believers to receive eternal life apart from repenting and turning to Jesus.
Cultivate: Do you know someone who seems to be living a life of profound sinfulness or a life of unbelief in Jesus? What does Jesus tell us to do in this case? Pray for a chance to witness about Jesus to this person.
Day 5: Read 1 John 5:14; Proverbs 10:24; Psalm 145:18-19; and Matthew 21:22
Dig In: What assurance does John give us? Does God give us anything we ask for in prayer? Are there any conditions or specifications to God answering our prayers affirmatively? What are these?
Take Root: I read a wonderful Christian novel (Jan Karon, The Mitford Series) in which the main characters often prayed the "prayer that never failed." What was that prayer? "Thy will be done", of course!
Cultivate: Do you pray for your will or for God's will to be accomplished? How do you know the difference? Are you willing to accept God's will in everything? That can be very hard! Pray for God to reveal His will, and for the Holy Spirit to strengthen you to accept God's will.
Journal: Write down some prayers that God has answered for you. What are some prayers that God has answered "No" to? Do you have any thoughts why God didn't answer those prayers? Are there prayers that you are still waiting on an answer? Are you praying for God's will to be done?
Cultivating the Soil
How do you determine if someone is preaching the truth about Jesus? What are some indications?
How do you determine God's will for your life? Are there any ways to know God's will? Could God's will for you consist of more than one specific action, each of which could be godly and biblical?
How can obedience to God be a joy? Can obedience to parents (if you are a child) be joyful? Can other ways of obedience be joyful and not burdensome?
Small Group Questions
John ends this epistle warning against idols (1 John 5:21) . What do you think he is referring to? If we "behave" in order to earn God's favor, could our self-image become an idol? What other things become idols in our lives? What could be considered mankind's basic source of idolatry (See Genesis 3:5). Why is humility so important to God?
Is it possible that God speaks new and different truths to the church today? How would answer someone who claimed to have new revelations from God? What Scriptures would you use?
Why is accepting God's will sometimes so difficult?
Another biblical view of 1 John 5:16-18 is that God sometimes allow believers to physically die because of their grave and harmful sins. Did this ever happen in the Bible? Do you think this could happen today? Would we know if God chose to do this? Do you think we should ever assume that this happened to someone?