Watchout For Deceivers

                                      Sunday School Lesson
                                            

Lesson: II John 1:1-13                                                                                                  
Golden Text: “Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward” (II John 1:8).
I.  INTRODUCTION.  The book of Second John warns against showing hospitality to those who were false teachers.  A believer’s loyalty to Christ’s truth could be seen by refusing to cooperate with anyone who promotes error.  This week’s lesson reminds us that we need to be cautious about deceivers especially those who lead people away from God’s truth.  We must evaluate teachers only by the truth of God’s Word.
II. JOHN’S GREETING (II John 1:1-3)
A. The bond of truth (II John 1:1-2).
1. (vs. 1).  Our first verse says “The elder unto the elect lady and her children, whom I love in the truth; and not I only, but also all they that have known the truth.”  The apostle John introduces himself to his readers both here and in III John as “The elder.”  Some have suggested that the writer of both II John and III John was a certain John the elder and not John the apostle.  However, comparing these epistles with I John and John’s Gospel makes it clear that the same person wrote all of these books.  That John would call Himself an elder is not unusual for two reasons.  First, he was very old at this time, which is one meaning of the word “elder” in the New Testament (see I timothy 5:1).  Second, as a church leader he could appropriately be called an elder, just as Peter was (see I Peter 5:1).  We should also be mindful that in a personal letter like this one, it doesn’t seem out of place for a man of John’s age and spiritual leadership to refer to himself as an elder.  John addressed this letter to “the elect lady and her children, whom I love in the truth.”  A number of views have been expressed as to who these persons were.  Some believe that “the elect lady” refers to a church and that “her children” were the individual members.  Others see “the elect lady” as simply an unnamed Christian lady and “her children” as members of her family.  Both of these explanations have some merit, so it’s impossible to say that either one is wrong.  But whoever the recipients of this letter were, John affirmed his genuine love for them with the words “whom I love in the truth.”  In other words, John loved them “in truth” or “sincerely.”   There was no hypocrisy in his love for these believers.  Not only did John love them, but He said that they were also loved by “all they that have known the truth.”  They were all bonded by “the truth” which here refers to the revealed truth of God, especially regarding Jesus Christ (see John 14:6).  Note:  Christian love is based on God’s truth revealed in Christ.  Without His gospel, there can be no love, for it is through receiving Christ that God’s love is implanted in us (see I John 4:15-17; 5:1).  Since all believers are bonded by “the truth” who is Jesus Christ, not only did John love his readers, but so did every believer who had come to know “the truth,” Jesus Christ.
2. (vs. 2).  John continues to say in this verse “For the truth's sake, which dwelleth in us, and shall be with us for ever.”  The phrase “For the truth's sake” simply means because of the truth.  Love existed among these believers because God’s truth was dwelling in them and would remain with them forever.  False teachers and heretical fads will change, but truth will remain.  The believer’s love endures because the truth endures and never will never change.  A unity had been established between John and his readers because they shared a common adherence to correct teaching and consistent living.
B. The blessings of God (II John 1:3).  In this verse John says “Grace be with you, mercy, and peace, from God the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love.”  This greeting of “Grace be with you, mercy, and peace” was not a wish or a prayer, but a confident declaration of blessings.  Literally, the Greek says “There shall be with us grace, mercy, peace.”  The term “grace” is God’s undeserved favor that He freely gives.  “Mercy” is God’s compassion that He shows to those who are miserable and helpless.  “Peace” is the harmony we have with God, ourselves and others.  Notice the order in which these three comforting words occur.  God’s grace comes before His mercy.  God’s peace is extended to those who have experienced His grace and mercy.  John continued to say that these blessings come “from God the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father.”  John stressed the fact that whatever blessings come from the Father also come from the Son.  To receive these blessings, one must acknowledge both the Son and the Father.  False teaching reduced Jesus to less than divine, but John’s unique reference to Christ as “the Son of the Father” reflects his constant emphasis on Jesus’ divine son-ship (see I John 4:1-3; II John 1:7).  Finally in this verse, John tells us that the manner in which God gives His blessings is “in truth and love.”  These words express aspects of God’s nature as well as describing how we as His redeemed people should deal with others.   

III. JOHN’S EXHORTATION (II John 1:4-6) 

A. A commendation for walking in truth (II John 1:4).  In this verse John writes “I rejoiced greatly that I found of thy children walking in truth, as we have received a commandment from the Father.”  John was greatly overjoyed that he “found of thy children walking in truth.”  The word “found” indicates that John had met these believers somewhere during his ministry and he was glad to see them “walking in truth.”  For sure, “truth” here refers to God’s revealed truth in Scripture and in Christ.  However, since it is not preceded by the definite article as in “the truth,” the meaning could simply be sincerity and faithfulness.  Depending on one’s interpretation, these “children” were the offspring of the lady addressed in the greeting, or they are individual members of a church (see the commentary above for II John 1:1).  The word “walking” is in the present tense indicating a habitual pattern.  The phrase “walking in truth” means to live daily in faithfulness to God’s revealed truth in Scripture.  It includes being faithful or committed to sound doctrine and obedience in conduct.  This is not optional because John said that we walk in truth “as we have received a commandment from the Father.”  In other words, we are faithful to sound doctrine and obedient conduct because we have been commanded by the Father to be so.  God expects us to “walk in truth,” therefore it’s not optional! 
B. A call to walk in love (II John 1:5-6).
1. (vs. 5).  John continues to say “And now I beseech thee, lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment unto thee, but that which we had from the beginning, that we love one another.”  John gently urged the practice of love saying “And now I beseech thee, lady.”  The word “beseech” means to beg or to plead.  As an apostle, he had full authority to command; yet he chose to plead.  Here is an example for us.  When correcting errors of fellow believers, tenderness should be the rule (see II Timothy 2:24-26).  Note:  Since John used the term “lady” here, some think that he was actually writing a personal letter to a Christian woman.  However, more likely “lady” refers to the church.  Elsewhere in the New Testament, the church is depicted as the bride of Christ (see Romans 7:4; II Corinthians11:2; Ephesians 5:22-33).  Likewise, the Old Testament frequently pictures God as married to the nation of Israel (see Isaiah 54:6; Jeremiah 3:14; Hosea 2:19).  In his plea for love, John said that he was not writing concerning “a new commandment.”  Though it was once a “new commandment” (see John 13:34), it is no longer new to those who know the Lord Jesus as Saviour.  John said that this commandment about love was not new because it was “that which we had from the beginning.”  The word “beginning” doesn’t mean the beginning of the world, but to the beginning of the gospel being announced to the world by the Lord Jesus Himself (see Mark 1:1).  John was simply reminding these believers of the commandment of Christ that “we love one another.”  By using the word “we” in this verse, John made sure to include himself as subject to the same commandment.  Here again John is an example for us.  We should always place ourselves under the authority of God’s Word before instructing or correcting others.  This is what sets Christians apart and identifies us as true disciples of the Lord (see John 13:35).  Note:  Love is the fruit of the Spirit (see Galatians 5:22), the crowning virtue in Christian growth (see II Peter 1:5-7), the greatest gift (see I Corinthians 13:1-3), the fulfillment of the law (see Romans 13:10), and the one virtue that binds everything together in perfect unity (see Colossians 3:14).  When God’s love becomes part of our lives because we possess His Spirit, it produces a proper response to both God and man.  Therefore, will fulfill Christ’s commands (see Romans 13:8-10), one of which is love.
2. (vs. 6).  In this verse John defined genuine love, writing “And this is love, that we walk after his commandments. This is the commandment, That, as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it.”  While love may be expressed in any number of ways, John emphasized that true Christian love is shown when as “we walk after his commandments.”  No one can say that he loves God and then deliberately disobey Him.  Just as Jesus was obedient to the Father’s will, so we must be obedient children of our Father (see Hebrews 5:8-9).  John then repeats that his readers have heard this commandment since the beginning of their salvation.  Therefore, they “should walk in it.”  The word “it” could refer to either “commandment” or “love.”  However, “love” seems better because it is the content of the command.  To walk in love is to display it daily as a habit of life.        
IV. JOHN’S WARNING (II John 1:7-11)

A.  Being aware of deceivers (II John 1:7-8). 

1. (vs. 7).  John goes on to say in this verse “For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.”  The word “For” connects this verse with John’s exhortation to love in the previous verse.  Christian love is essential in times of false teachings mainly because it keeps us bound together in the faith and therefore unlikely to be deceived by falsehoods or error.  In describing false teachers, John said “many deceivers are entered into the world.”  The word “deceivers” indicates an impostor or seducer.  These false teachers were those “who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh.  Popular false teaching in John’s day denied the incarnation of Christ (see I John 4:1-3), either by claiming that His physical body was not real or by saying He was a mere man only connected to a divine spirit temporarily.  Note:  The false teachers John referred to denied an essential truth of the Christian faith: “that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh.”  Apparently these heretics claimed to accept the temporary divinity of Christ but rejected His humanity.  For the Lord Jesus to accomplish our redemption, it was necessary for Him to be fully human and fully divine.  While the mystery of the incarnation cannot be fully understood by our finite human minds, nevertheless it is taught in Scripture and must be accepted by all true Christians (see John 1:1-14; Philippians 2:6-11; Colossians 2:9).  In the last part of this verse, John says that anyone who rejects the incarnation of Christ is both “a deceiver and an antichrist.”  Although the concept of the antichrist is frequently identified with the beast out of the sea in Revelation chapter 13 and Paul’s “man of sin” in II Thessalonians 2:3, the actual word “antichrist” appears only in I and II John.  In this verse John uses it to refer to the false teachers of his day of which he said there were “many” (see I John 2:18; 2:22; 4:3).  “Antichrist” can mean either “against Christ” or “instead of Christ” or perhaps combining both definitions to mean “one who assumes the identity of Christ, while opposing Christ.”
2. (vs. 8).  John continues to exhort his readers in this verse to “Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward.”  The words “Look to yourselves” can be rendered as “beware” or “watch out.”  John was reminding them to be on guard against false teachers so “that we lose not those things which we have wrought.”   The words “those things” refer to rewards that the believer could lose by following false teachers.  The word “wrought” means “labored” or “worked for.”  John was saying that his readers needed to guard against false teachers or their labors or works would be in vain and whatever spiritual progress they had made would be lost (see Galatians 2:2; 3:4; 4:11; Philippians 2:16) along with their rewards.  The danger they faced in being led astray by false teachers was not loss of salvation, but loss of rewards (see I Corinthians 3:13-15).  However, on the other hand, if he and his readers remained faithful to the Lord and His teachings John said “we receive a full reward.”  To be rewarded fully does not refer to salvation because salvation is free and no human labor or works are required (see Ephesians 2:8-10).  It refers to the rewards for loyal service to the Lord.  As before, John used the word “we” to indicate that he included himself in this warning.  Note:  God in the New Testament Scriptures offers salvation to the lost and He offers rewards for faithful service to the saved.  These Scripture passages are easily distinguished by remembering that salvation is spoken of as a free gift (see John 4:10; Romans 6:23; Ephesians 2:8-9), whereas rewards are called crowns and are earned by our works or good deeds (see Matthew 10:42; Luke 19:17; I Corinthians 9:24-25; II Timothy 4:7-8; Revelation 2:10; 22:12).  A further distinction between salvation and rewards is that believers have salvation now (see Luke 7:50; John 3:36; 5:24; 6:47), whereas we will receive our rewards in the future at the rapture (see II Corinthians 5:10; II Timothy 4:8; Revelation 22:12).  
B. Identifying deceivers (II John 1:9).  In this verse, John goes on to write that “Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son.”  Here the apostle revealed the spiritual difference between false and true teachers.  First, he warned his readers that those who “transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God.”  The Greek word translated “transgresseth” means “to go beyond” or “to go ahead of” and referred to anyone who goes beyond apostolic teaching.  Deceivers like the Gnostics, who taught that knowledge was the way to salvation, claimed to have new revelations that would give believers superior knowledge.  However, they had gone beyond God’s message into heresy (an opinion or belief contrary to the established doctrines of a church or religious system).  John said that the transgressors or false teachers “abideth not in the doctrine of Christ.” The word “doctrine” means teachings.  In the context of this letter, “the doctrine of Christ” seems to refer to convictions we hold about both Christ’s teaching and the apostles’ teaching about Him, especially belief in the incarnation.  John said that those who didn’t believe the doctrine or teachings of Christ “hath not God.”  To reject what the Scriptures say about Christ is to reject God Himself.  Since there is an essential unity between the Father and the Son (see John 10:30), we can’t have one without the other.  In contrast to the false teachers, John said “He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son.”  Unlike the false teachers who abandoned Christ’s and the apostles’ teachings, whoever continued in those teachings has or is indwelt by “both the Father and the Son” (see I John 2:22-23).  Every religion that rejects God’s revelation of Himself in Christ Jesus is false (see John 10:30; 14:6).
C. Dealing with deceivers (II John 1:10-11).
1. (vs. 10).  Now John says “If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed.”  In a day when Christian preachers and teachers traveled from church to church, John’s readers were sure to come across them.  So John commanded his readers saying “If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house.”  The word “if” in the Greek is so certain that it could read “when.”  John’s instructions are very clear.  If the teacher didn’t teach those things verified by Scripture, John told his readers to “receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed.”  To “receive” someone means to show hospitality by providing food and lodging.  The words “God speed” was a way to wish a person well whether they were coming or going.  John was saying that believers were not to invite false teachers into their homes or wish them well when they left.  Note:  John was not saying that Christians couldn’t entertain unbelievers in their homes, or even Christians who interpret Scripture differently than we do.  His words apply only to those who qualify as deceivers and antichrists---individuals who promote teachings that slander and defame Christ leaving out the heart of the gospel.  Anyone who spreads anti-Christian teaching should not be given support or encouragement in our homes and churches.  Far too often, Christians make small compromises in order not to offend people mistakenly thinking that it will open the door to greater opportunities.  Yet, we can never sacrifice the truth in all its fullness for the sake of harmony and not making waves.
2. (vs. 11).  John continues to write in this verse “For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.”  Continuing what he began saying in verse 10, the apostle declared that whoever “biddeth” or wishes a false teacher “God speed” or best wishes was a “partaker” or shared in the evil person’s deeds.  Whoever actively spreads error concerning Christ is committing “evil deeds,” deeds devoted to corrupting others.  To encourage such a person in any way is to share in his or her evil.  Note:  This is a serious charge and it should cause every Christian to study Scripture carefully and pray for discernment to be able to recognize error when we see it.  All of us need divine wisdom to know whom we can welcome into our homes and pulpits.  Inviting false teachers into our homes and pulpits show that we approve of what they say and do.  It may seem rude to turn people away who are teaching error, but how much better it is to be faithful to God than to be courteous to people who are trying to deceive us!  John is condemning the support of those who are dedicated to opposing the true teachings of God.  He’s not condemning hospitality to unbelievers who God may have sent our way so that we can share the gospel of Jesus Christ with them.     
V. JOHN CONCLUDES HIS LETTER (II John 1:12-13) 

A. John anticipates fellowship with these believers (II John 1:12).  In this verse John says “Having many things to write unto you, I would not write with paper and ink: but I trust to come unto you, and speak face to face, that our joy may be full.”  With the phrase “Having many things to write unto you” John was saying that he still had much more to write to his fellow believers.  In this short letter, it appears that he only touched on the most urgent matters.  He said “I would not write with paper and ink: but I trust to come unto you, and speak face to face.”  In other words, John preferred not to write the rest of what he had to say with “paper and ink,” but he would wait until he came to visit them personally.  This is the only time the word “paper” appears in the New Testament and it refers to papyrus sheets made from the papyrus plant.  “Ink” was usually made from powdered charcoal, lampblack, or a mixture of soot and water, and sometimes tree resin.  As John wrote, he was anticipating a visit to these saints.  The phrase “speak face to face” literally means “mouth to mouth.”  John said that he wanted to communicate with them this way so that “our joy may be full.”  In other words, speaking to them in person would be far more satisfying for both him and them.

B. John’s final greetings (II John 1:13).  In our final verse John says “The children of thy elect sister greet thee. Amen.”  The apostle closed this letter with a greeting from “The children of thy elect sister.”  The “elect sister” most likely refers to a “sister church.”  If this is true, “the children” would be the members of that church.  This gives us a glimpse of fellowship that took place between congregations in apostolic times, the latter half of the first century A.D.  The term “Amen” literally means “so be it.”  It’s a solemn word used to confirm a statement, an oath, or a covenant (see Numbers 5:22; Deuteronomy 27:15-12; Nehemiah 5:13; 8:6).  It’s also used in worship to affirm an address, psalm, or prayer (see Psalms 41:13; 72:19; Jeremiah 28:6; Matthew 6:9-13).  Note:  In Isaiah 65:16, the Lord is called “the God of truth.”  The original Hebrew means “the God of Amen.”  This was Isaiah’s way of saying that the Lord is the One who remains eternally true, the One who can always be relied on.  In the New Testament, our Lord Jesus Christ is given the same title: “the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness” (see Revelation 3:14).  He too, like the Father is eternally true and reliable.
                                  
VI. Conclusion.  This week’s lesson presents us with some self-examining questions.  Do we know enough about God’s Word to recognize false teachers and their teaching, particularly what it teaches concerning Christ?  This knowledge only comes as a result of diligent study of Scripture (see II Timothy 2:15-18).  When we identify false teachers and false teaching are we bold enough to stand firmly on God’s Word of truth?  Remember, God will reward us as we serve Him faithfully.

Believe God's Love

                                     Sunday School lesson                                            

Lesson: I John 4:13-5:5                                                                                                  
Golden Text: “Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him” (I John 5:1).
I.  INTRODUCTION.  Do you believe God loves you?  Christians will quickly respond that God does love us and will often refer to such Scriptures as John 3:16 for support.  But the real question is do you love God?  Christians may answer this question a bit more slowly, but would probably answer that they do love God.  That leads us to another question: How often do you tell God that you love Him?  Unfortunately, many Christians if they answer honestly would admit not often.  If we told our spouse, or our children, or our grandchildren, that we love them as often as we tell God that we love Him, would they be satisfied?  In this week’s lesson John encourages us to believe God’s love and to love Him in return

II. BACKGROUND FOR THE LESSON.   First John was written by John, one of Jesus’ original 12 disciples.  He is the author of the Gospel of John and widely believed to be “the disciple that Jesus loved” (see John 21:20).  This letter was not written to any specific church, but was sent as a pastoral letter to several Gentile congregations and all believers everywhere.  At the time of the letter, false teachers had entered the church denying the incarnation (becoming human) of Jesus Christ.  This week’s lesson follows last week’s text from I John 3:11-24.  John begins chapter 4 by commanding his readers not to “believe every spirit, but try (test) the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world” (see I John 4:1).  In verses 2-4, John tells us what traits mark false teachers: they don’t teach that Christ came from God in the flesh.  In verses 5-6, John said that false teachers tell people what they want to hear.   In verses 7-8, the apostle declared that we are to love one another because God is love and everyone who loves is born of God and knows Him.  Anyone who doesn’t love does not know God simply because God is love.  John then tells us how God showed His love for us.  In verse 9, he wrote that God demonstrated love toward us because He “sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him.”  Then in verse 10 John declared that this is love; “not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”  He then concluded in verse 11 that if God loved us we ought to love one another.  In verse 12, John said that even though no one has ever seen God, if we love one another, His love is “perfected” or completed in the believer, thus confirming that God dwells in us.  This is where our lesson begins. 

III. LOVE AND DIVINE INDWELING (I John 4:13-16)
A. The nature of God’s presence (I John 4:13).  This verse says “Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.”  We know that we are in God and He is in us because He has given us His Spirit which dwells within every believer.  We have a spiritual union with God that is mutual: we are in Him and He is in us (see Galatians 2:20).  The presence of the Holy Spirit in us guarantees this.  The Holy Spirit within us helps us show behavior that reflects Christian character which includes love (see Galatians 5:22-25).  Note:  The prophet Joel envisioned a day when God would pour out His Spirit upon all people (see Joel 2:28-29).  This prophecy began to be fulfilled on the Day of Pentecost and continues to this day (see Acts 2:14-18; Romans 8:9-11).  Before Jesus ascended to heaven, He promised that after His departure He would send the Comforter, the Holy Spirit (see John 16:7).  The Spirit wouldn’t only be with God’s people, but He would also dwell within them (see John 14:16-17).
B. The basis for God’s presence (I John 4:14-16).
1. (vs. 14).  In this verse John goes on to say “And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.”  The word “we” refers to John and the other apostles who had witnessed Jesus’ life.  They lived with Jesus, heard Him teach, and saw Him alive after His death (see John 21:24; I John 1:1).  What the apostles had seen and heard concerning Jesus was enough to convince them so that they could “testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.”  This is the heart of the gospel message (see John 3:16-17) and also the purpose for which the Father sent the Son into the world.  The “world” here refers to all unbelievers.  Note: Everyone born into this world is born into sin and destined to die both physically and spiritually (see Romans 3:23; 6:23; I Corinthians 15:21-22).  Sin puts man at enmity with God requiring the need to be delivered from sin in order to be reconciled with God (see Romans 8:5-8; Ephesians 2:11-16; James 4:4).  Faith in Jesus Christ provides deliverance from sin and its penalty---death.  Christ has delivered all believers from the penalty of sin (see Romans 6:8-11, the power of sin (it has no control over us: see Romans 6:12-14) and He will return to deliver us from the very presence of sin when we are translated to be with Him (see I Thessalonians 4:13-17).
2. (vs. 15).  Now John says “Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.”  Professing faith in Christ is an important part of receiving the Lord and eternal life (see Acts 8:37; Romans 10:9-10: I Timothy 6:12), but we must continue to acknowledge Him throughout our Christian lives (see Matthew 10:32-33; I Peter 3:15).  When we do this, it’s further proof that “God dwelleth in him (the believer), and he in God.”  We don’t stop acknowledging that “Jesus is the Son of God” once we are saved.  We must continue to acknowledge that as long as we live.  The word “is” is in the present tense and declares that Jesus is God’s Son even now and always will be.
3. (vs. 16).  In this verse the apostle continues to say “And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.”  The phrase “we have known and believed” indicates a continuing knowledge and belief that God loves us.  John and the other apostles came to know God’s love directly through their interaction with Christ.  But we learned of God’s love through the gospel message (see John 3:16-17).  So we know by experience and believe by faith God’s love for us.  John then stated that “God is love” meaning that He is the very source of love.  Our faith and experience are grounded in the reality that God is love in His nature.  Since God is love, John went on to say “and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.”  Those of us who abide in love, or let love govern our lives, we also “dwelleth” or abide in God and He abides in us.
IV. LOVE AND REMOVAL OF FEAR (I John 4:17-18)
A.  Perfect love stated positively (I John 4:17).  Now John writes “Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.” The word “Herein” most likely refers back to verse 16 and the love we show as we dwell or abide in God’s love.  In other words, Christian love is “made perfect” or made complete, or has become mature in the life of the believer as we dwell in God.  Demonstrating this love leads to “boldness in the day of judgment.”  The word “boldness” can mean confidence.  The person who allows God’s love to be completed in him or her will stand with confidence before the judgment seat of Christ, here called “the day of judgment.”  Note:  The judgment John is referring to is the judgment seat of Christ (see I Corinthians 3:12-15; II Corinthians 5:10) not the great white throne judgment (see Revelation 20:11-15).  For the Christian, this judgment is not whether he or she is going to heaven or hell.  That issue was decided when they came to know Christ as Saviour and confirmed their perseverance in the faith (see II peter 1:4-11).  At the judgment seat of Christ, the believer’s works will be scrutinized by the Almighty (see I Corinthians 3:9-15) and will result in the receiving or losing rewards.  The believer can approach this judgment with confidence because his sins have been removed by Christ’s blood (see I Peter 1:18-20).  For the Christian, judgment is not future, it’s past, because his sins have been judged already at the cross, and they will never be brought against him again (see Psalms 103:12; Romans 3:25).  John then stated that the believer can have boldness or confidence at the judgment seat of Christ “because as he is, so are we in this world.”  The word “he” refers to Jesus Christ who showed God’s love as He sacrificed Himself.  John was saying that the believer can be confident in the Day of Judgment because he or she follows Christ’s example of love.  John was emphasizing that we are now like Christ and as He loves, so should we.  
B. Perfect love stated negatively (I John 4:18).  In this verse, John writes “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.”  The word “fear” refers back to the Day of Judgment in verse 17.  When John wrote that “There is no fear in love” he was saying that for any believer who thinks about the judgment day with fear or trepidation, divine love has not yet reached its full maturity.  In addition, love and fear don’t go together.  The believer who lives in fear of God’s disapproval at what he or she has done shows that love is lacking in their lives.  John went on to say “but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment.”  In other words, love that is maturing or coming to completion is “perfect love” and this kind of sacrificial love “casteth out” or removes fear.  Divine love is able to do this because “fear hath torment.”  In other words, fear brings no peace to the believer.  He is constantly worried that his behavior does not please God.  But if we follow Christ’s example of love which resulted in God being well pleased with Him, He will be pleased with us also.  The last part of this verse says “He that feareth is not made perfect in love.”  In other words, the person who is afraid of standing before God has an immature love that needs to grow and be made perfect or mature.
V. LOVE AND THE FAMILY RELATIONSHIP (I John 4:19-5:1)
A. God, the divine source of love (I John 4:19).  Now in this verse John writes “We love him, because he first loved us.”  John was stressing the idea that God is the source of Christian love.  If we love Him, and we should, it’s only because He loved us first. We can’t understand God’s love until we realize that “he first loved us.”  Long before we ever thought of loving God, He loved us.  Our capacity for love originates in God’s love for us.  Our love for God and others should be habitual just as God’s love for us continues even though His love for us is most clearly seen in one decisive act, sending Christ to die for us.
B. Man’s empty claim (I John 4:20).  In this verse John says “If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?   Since love comes from God who has shed that love abroad in our hearts, it is only logical that we will love Him and our brothers and sisters in Christ.   But John says “If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar.”  In other words, it’s inconceivable for a person to say “I love God” while hating his Christian brother.  John said that person was “a liar.”  In other words there is no truth in his statement.  John based his assertion on plain eyesight.  He asked “for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?”  It’s hypocritical to claim to love the unseen God while not loving the brother we can see and help (see I John 3:17).   Note:  The emphasis in this lesson is on loving our fellow Christian brothers or sisters.  Of course it’s true that we must love everyone, but we must first be able to show love to those in our family, the body of Christ before we can show love to anyone else, including our enemies.  Christ’s standard is that we love all people, even our enemies (see Mathew 5:44-45).  But love for the brethren, or fellow believers, is the identifying mark of every Christian.  Jesus said to His disciples in John 13: 35 “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.”
C.  The divine command (I John 4:21).  John continues to say here “And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.”  There really is no excuse for hating a Christian brother or anyone else for that matter.  John said this was because of the commandment God has given us “That he who loveth God love his brother also.”  This is a reference to the two commands that God gave in Deuteronomy 6:5 and Leviticus 19:18.  Jesus later put the two together, loving God and one’s neighbor (see Matthew 22:37-40), and also added that people would recognize his followers by their love for one another (see John 13:35).
D. The logic of spiritual rebirth (I John 5:1).  In this verse John writes “Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him.”  When John uses the word “believeth” he was talking about total commitment to the Son of God, Jesus Christ.  Anyone who believes or shows total commitment to Jesus as “the Christ” or the Anointed One is “born of God.”  This is the same thing as Jesus’ expression when He said to Nicodemus, “Ye must be born again” (see John 3:7). Many people claim to believe in Jesus because they acknowledge the facts of His life on earth, His death on the cross and His resurrection.  But for John, believing is a total trust in Christ expressed in obedience to His commands.  The heart of the new birth is believing that “Jesus is the Christ.”  The word “Christ” is the Greek equivalent to the Hebrew word “Messiah.”  Both words mean “anointed one.”  In the Old Testament, prophets, priests, and kings were inducted into their respective offices through a ceremony of anointing with oil.  As the Anointed One, Jesus is our Prophet, Priest, and King.  Trusting Jesus as God’s Anointed makes God our spiritual Father because as John says we are “born of God.”  The phrase “him that begat” refers to God the Father into whose family we are born.  The words “him also that is begotten of him” refers to all those who are born into God’s family by the new birth.  Therefore, when John said “every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him” he was saying that since it is natural for us to love our Father or “him that begat,” it should be just as natural for us to love every believer or “him also that is begotten of him.”  Anything else would be illogical! 
VI. LOVE AND OVERCOMING THE WORLD (I John 5:2-5)
A. The tie between love and obedience (I John 5:2-3). 
1. (vs. 2).  Now John writes “By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.”   The words “By this” refer to the reason why we “know that we love the children of God.”  The apostle was about to give what assures the believer that his love is genuine. John said that “we know” or are assured that we love other believers “when we love God, and keep his commandments.”  When we truly love God, we will “keep his commandments” meaning we will obey Him from our hearts.  This does not come naturally for us, but when we set our hearts in the right direction, God, through His indwelling Spirit enables us to love as we should.  John was simply saying that obedience is the evidence or proof of genuine love for God, just as it is also evidence of saving faith (see I John 2:3; 3:24).  Jesus also said to His disciples “if ye love me, keep my commandments” (see John 14:15).
2. (vs. 3).  In this verse John continues his thought concerning God’s commandments and says “For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.”  John often repeats pertinent information in his writings and he does it here as well.  As he said in the previous verse, here again he says “For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments.  In other words, as he said previously, loving God means keeping or obeying His commandments.  John then added “and his commandments are not grievous.”  The word translated “grievous” can mean “burdensome” and refers to something so heavy that it weighs down or breaks a person down.  Those who truly know God through faith in Christ find that His commands are not burdensome.  They delight in obeying them knowing that it’s for their eternal benefit to obey God.  Obedience to God’s commandments is carried out in loving submission.  Note:  The fact that God’s commandments are not grievous doesn’t mean that they are not strict.  For sure, His commandments are demanding, but through His indwelling Spirit, He gives us the ability needed to keep them.  We are not prisoners who fear our Keeper; instead, we obey as loving children who desire to please our Father.  Many people see love and obedience as two separate issues, but in reality we cannot separate love from obeying God’s commandments (see I John 2:5).  To claim to love God and yet not obey Him is a lie (see I John 2:3-4).
B. The tie between the new birth and obedience (I John 5:4-5).
1. (vs. 4).  John went on to say here “For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.”  John uses the word “whatsoever” instead of whosoever because the power to overcome does not come from the individual believer; it comes from the divine life, the Holy Spirit, who is in the believer through the new birth (see Galatians 2:20).  In this case, John uses the phrase “born of God” to describe the new life that’s in the believer, not the believer himself.  Only the new life we have in Christ “overcometh the world” (see I John 4:4).  John uses the term “world” here as he did in I John 2:15.  It refers to worldly things not to unbelievers as in I John 4:15 above.  If we don’t overcome the world, the world will overcome us!  So how can we have victory over the world?  John declared that “this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.”   It appears that “our faith” refers not only to our initial faith in Christ that resulted in our new birth, but also everything we believe about Him.  That “faith” not only saved us, but it gives us the victory over the world and everything that comes with it (see I John 2:15-17).  A weak faith will give in to the world and its allurements.  However, a strong faith provides hope for victory over the world.  Jesus said “Be of good cheer, I have overcome the world” (see John 16:33).  By faith we share in the victory of Christ.
2. (vs. 5).  In our final verse, John asked “Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?”  In this verse John goes back to the statement he made in verse 1, declaring the importance of putting our faith in Christ.  To avoid any misunderstanding, He posed the question “Who is he that overcometh the world?”  John then answered the question by declaring “he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God.”  The word “believeth” has the idea of confidence, reliance, or trust.  By believing Christ’s central claim that He is the Son of God, the believer also commits to accepting all of His other teachings as true.  Again, believing in Jesus is far more than simply saying that there was such a historical figure as Jesus of Nazareth.  Instead, believing that He is God incarnate (in the flesh) is essential to our salvation (see I John 4:1-3).  
                                  
VII. Conclusion.  As Christians, we have to show others that we are people who respect and keep the laws of God if we want to claim that we love Him.  Walking with God is not just a Sunday event; it’s something we must do daily.  He has promised us victory if we obey His commands and His blessings follow our obedience to Him. Trusting in Jesus, the Son of God is the source of our power for our obedience to the laws He has set forth for us.  God loves us so much that He has given us love enough to obey Him daily. 

Love One Another

        
                                     Sunday School Lesson
                                          

Lesson: I John 3:11-24                                                                                                 
Golden Text: “For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another” (I John 3:11).
I.  INTRODUCTION.  As parents instructing our children, there were some messages that we repeated time and time again.  How many times did we tell our school-age children to look both ways before crossing the street?  This rule is not complicated, but a child’s mind is very easily distracted and the children could have entered a busy street before they were aware of it.  Our love and concern for our children and their safety compel us to reiterate certain rules.  In this week’s lesson, the Apostle John continued to exhort the believers to love one another with brotherly kindness because it’s our divine obligation as children of God.
II. BACKGROUND FOR THE LESSON.  First John was written by John, one of Jesus’ original 12 disciples.  He is the author of the Gospel of John and widely believed to be “the disciple that Jesus loved” (see John 21:20).  This letter was not written to any specific church, but was sent as a pastoral letter to several Gentile congregations and all believers everywhere.  At the time of the letter, false teachers had entered the church denying the incarnation (becoming human) of Jesus Christ.  John wrote to correct these serious errors.  He opens this letter by declaring that he was an eyewitness of the humanity of Christ and stating his reason for writing (see I John 1:1-4).  He then presents God as “light,” symbolizing absolute purity and holiness (see John 1:5-7), and he explains how believers can walk in God’s light and have fellowship with Him (see I John 1:8-10) with Christ as their defender (see I John 2:1-2).  John urges his readers to obey Christ fully and to love all the members of God’s family (see I John 2:3-17).  He warns his readers of “antichrists” and the antichrist who will try to lead them away from the truth (see I John 2:18-29).  In I John 3:1-10, John emphasized righteousness as a way of distinguishing a Christian.  Our lesson begins with verse 11 as John gives another way to identify Christians---love for others.     

III. LOVE MARKS THE CHILDREN OF GOD (I John 3:11-15)

A. John presents a divine command (I John 3:11).  Our first verse says “For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.”  The word “message” here refers to the command “that we should love one another.”  John reminded his readers that this message to love one another was not a new revelation (see I John 2:7).  It was a commandment they had “heard from the beginning.”  The term “beginning” does not mean the beginning of the world, but it refers to the beginning of his readers’ salvation when they accepted the gospel of Jesus Christ (see Acts 11:15; Philippians 4:15).  Loving one another was to be their habit, for it’s one of the defining marks of a believer.  Even though the command to “love one another” is not new to the Christian, unfortunately we must be reminded frequently of how important it is to show Christian love in all our actions, attitudes, and words.  Note:  There are three basic Greek words for love.  “Phileo” describes a love between friends.  “Eros” describes sexual love and is not found in the Bible.   “Agape” describes a selfless, sacrificing love.  “Agape” is the word John uses when speaking of love.  It’s the word used for God’s love for sinners (see John 3:16; Romans 5:8).  This is a divine love that never seeks its own gratification, but always seeks the good of others (see I Corinthians 13:4).  It’s the love that Christ had for us in giving His life for us.  This is the love that God expects us to show.  However, in our own power we cannot pass the test of loving one another as Christ loved us.  This is a job for the Holy Spirit, for love is a fruit of the Spirit (see Galatians5:22).  The natural spirit and heart of man is evil continually (see Genesis 6:5), but when we submit to the Holy Spirit He empowers us to overcome hate, malice, and envy and teaches us brotherly kindness instead.

B. John presents a negative illustrations (I John 3:12-13).
1. (vs. 12).  In this verse John gives an example of one lacking love.  He said “Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous.”  The phrase “Not as Cain” indicates that believers are to love one another and not be like Cain “who was of that wicked one.”  In other words, Cain belonged to the “wicked one” or the devil.  In verse 10 John said that children of the devil don’t practice righteousness nor do they love their brother.   Since Cain belonged to the devil, whom Jesus called “a murderer from the beginning” (see John 8:44), being under the influence of Satan he “slew his brother.”  The word translated “slew” speaks of brutal slaughter.  The Septuagint (the Greek translation of the Old Testament) uses this word to describe the butchering of sacrificial animals.  Therefore, the first murder in history was extremely vicious (see Genesis 4:8-15).  John then asks why did Cain do it, and then answered the question saying “Because his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous.”  Neither John nor the account of this event in Genesis chapter 4 reveals exactly why Cain’s offering was evil and Abel’s was righteous.  However, the Bible tells us that by faith, Abel offered a sacrifice that was pleasing to God (see Hebrews 11:4).  As the Book of Genesis relates, Cain was angry because his brother Abel was accepted by God and he was not (see Genesis 4:2-5).  Even when the Lord gave Cain an opportunity to repent and offer an acceptable sacrifice, he refused and instead rose up and killed his brother (see Genesis 4:6-8).  Note:  The conflict Cain had with Abel was a religious one.  God established the way of sacrifice, but Cain wanted to follow his own evil way of religious observance.  Abel followed God’s righteous way.  They both brought sin offerings or sacrifices (see Genesis 4:7).  Abel is a type of the spiritual man.  His sacrifice, in which atoning blood was shed (see Hebrews 9:22), was his confession of sin and the expression of his faith in a substitute (see Romans 5:6; Hebrews 11:4).  In contrast to Abel, Cain’s bloodless offering of the fruit of the ground proclaims even in the early stages of the human race, the truth that “without shedding of blood is no remission” (see Leviticus 17:11; Hebrews 9:22).  Cain acknowledged God as the source of all natural good but he rejected God’s revealed way of worship.  Abel, on the other hand, brought a blood offering therefore confessing that he was a sinner.  In Cain, all false religion began, which is the essence of man’s coming to God in his own way.  It should be noted that Cain and Abel, being brothers, had the same parents and they both brought sacrifices to God.  Cain isn’t presented as an atheist; he is presented as a worshipper.  And this is the point: children of the devil masquerade as true believers.  They attend religious gatherings and may even bring offerings as Cain did.  But these actions in themselves are not real proof that a man or woman is born of God.  The real test is his love for the brethren and Cain failed that test.
2. (vs. 13).  John goes on to say in this verse “Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you.”  The word “Marvel” means to be amazed or surprised.  The apostle was simply saying that Christians shouldn’t be surprised if they are hated by the world (see I Peter 4:12-13).  “The world” here refers to unbelievers who live by standards that don’t come from God (see I John 2:15-16).  Jesus warned His disciples that since the world hated Him, they would also be hated (see John 15:18-20).  Obviously, we can’t expect any better treatment than the Lord Jesus received from the world or unbelievers.  Note:  Jesus even warned the apostles that a time was coming when those who killed them would think that they were doing God a service (see John 16:2).  We should, in fact, expect to be persecuted for our faith.  Paul advised Timothy that “All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution” (see II Timothy 3:12).   Perhaps one reason so many of us are not persecuted is that we so often blend in with the world around us (see II Timothy 3:1-5).
C. John makes a personal application (I John 3:14-15).
1. (vs. 14).  In this verse John says “We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death.”  Of course the term “we” here refers to believers.  Unlike the world or unbelievers, “we have passed from death unto life.”  The word “life” does not refer to physical life, but to spiritual life, which is eternal and found in Christ (see John 10:10).  John stated that this “life” is the present possession of the saints meaning we have it now because we “have passed” into life.  The words “have passed” are in the past tense indicating an action that’s already completed.  John said that “we know” or are sure of it by faith.  The words in this verse are quite similar to Jesus’ words in John 5:24: “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.”  One of the ways that we know we are in a saved relationship with Christ is “because we love the brethren.”  Simply put, we have taken a transforming journey from the realm of spiritual death into the realm of spiritual life, and the proof of this is that we love “the brethren” meaning other believers.  The word “love” here is in the present tense indicating that it’s a habit.  John also reminds us that the opposite is true.  He said “He that loveth not his brother abideth in death.”  In other words, anyone who doesn’t love his fellow Christians “abideth” or remains in spiritual death, that is, in sin in which everyone was born (see I Corinthians 15:22).  They have never been transformed or changed and therefore don’t have divine love.  This doesn’t mean that unbelievers cannot be kind and love one another, but they don’t have the divine ability to love Christian believers or our God.
2. (vs. 15).  In this verse John writes “Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.”  Using very strong language, John declared that anyone who “hateth his brother” meaning fellow believers, “is a murderer.”   In other words they are as guilty as if they had actually committed murder.  Hatred in the heart preceded the outward act of murder.  It’s unlikely that any of John’s readers had literally murdered a brother, but they had possibly committed murder in their hearts (see Matthew 5:21-22, 27-28; 12:35: 15:19; Mark 7:21-22).  Since God sees hating as a form of murder, John was clear in stating the eternal ramifications of hatred.  He said “and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.”  This doesn’t mean that murder is an unpardonable sin.  Some well known heroes of faith were guilty of murder such as Moses (see Exodus 2:11-14), David (see II Samuel 11:14-17), and Paul (see Acts 22:4; 26:10).  All of them were forgiven.  John was simply stressing the seriousness of the sin of hatred and how impossible it was to stay in fellowship with God while harboring hatred toward a brother in Christ.  Unfortunately, many who profess faith in Christ exhibit murderous attitudes toward others.
IV. LOVE IS VERIFIED BY GOOD DEEDS (I John 3:16-18)    A.  A supreme challenge: Christ’s example (I John 3:16).  John now says “Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.”  The word “perceive” is the same word that in other places is frequently rendered “know” (see I John 2:3, 29; 4:13).  To perceive God’s love is to know God’s love!  The primary way that we know God loves us is because “he laid down his life for us.”  The essence of love is self-sacrifice and Jesus is the supreme example.  There is no greater demonstration of God’s love for sinners than the death of Christ on Calvary (see John 10:11; Romans 5:8; Ephesians 5:25).  Since Christ set the supreme example of sacrificial love for believers, John challenged Christians by saying “we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.”  While this may include literally giving one’s life for a fellow believer, the truth is, we can never do for others what Jesus did for us.  However, in a limited way we ought to be willing to make the ultimate sacrifice.  There are other ways we can make sacrifices for fellow Christians.  Certainly, helping those in need is an appropriate way to do this.
B. John asks a legitimate question (I John 3:17).  In this verse, John poses a question to his readers.  He asked “But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?”  The word “seeth” here means more than just glancing at someone in need.  It has the idea of recognizing and understanding that need.  Therefore, John’s question is this: “How can God’s love dwell in anyone who has plenty and recognizes that a fellow Christian has a need, and refuses to have compassion or mercy on him by sharing what he has?”  Putting this in perspective, if love can motivate us to sacrifice our life for someone, certainly it should motivate us to sacrifice our goods for someone.  Love will not allow a believer to “shutteth up his bowels of compassion” from a believer in need.  This simply means that love will prompt us to show pity and mercy on a needy fellow believer.  We won’t selfishly hold on to our material goods when we know a believer is in need, and we have the means to help.  Note:  There are needy people who can and should be helped by their Christian brethren.  This may include people who are sick, out of work, or otherwise suffering financially.  To these we should reach out and help, for in doing so we are ministering to Jesus (see Matthew 25:31-46).  Although our primary concern should be for those in the family of faith, or other believers, we should not exclude helping anyone (see Galatians 6:10).
C. John’s pointed exhortation (I John 3:18).  In this verse John goes on to say “My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.”  As an apostle and leader in the Christian church, John lovingly addresses his readers as “My little children.”  He then encourages them saying “let us not love in word, neither in tongue.”  In other words, genuine love is not shown by words that really don’t mean anything.  Genuine love is demonstrated “in deed and in truth” not just telling people we care.  As James 2:15 says, “If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?”  The evidence that we have God’s love is action.  Concrete action must back up the fact that we have God’s love living in our hearts.  However, since actions can be hypocritical, we must be sure that our acts of love are done “in truth” meaning sincere. 
V. CONFIDENCE FLOWS FROM OBEDIENCE (I John 3:19-24) 

A. Confidence and the condemning heart (I John 3:19-20). 

1. (vs. 19).  Here John continues to say “And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him.”  Just in case John’s previous words could result in his readers having feelings of failure and spiritual discouragement that all Christians experience, he told them how they could be confident that they were “of the truth” meaning people of God.  The words “And hereby” refers back to the divine love believers should show in deed and in truth.  John was saying that when we show this kind of love it proves that we are “of the truth” or God’s people.  John said that understanding this “shall assure our hearts before him.”  In other words, if we have any doubts in our hearts or our conscience about our salvation, knowing that we demonstrate genuine love confirms that we are saved.  Love doesn’t save us, but it assures us that God dwells in us.  By loving in deed and truth, believers can know that they are children of the God of truth (see John 14:6).  Those who are truly redeemed have a confidence in their hearts that only God can give.  Indeed the Holy Spirit testifies with our spirits that we are God’s children (see Romans 8:16).
2. (vs. 20).  In this verse John goes on to say “For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things.”  Sometimes Satan and the false teachers he inspires will try to get us to doubt our salvation.  John describes this as our “heart” condemning us.  The word “heart” here refers to our conscience.  The apostle was saying that “if our heart (or conscience) condemn us” which means causing us to question our salvation because we may have sinned, we can be assured that “God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things.”  In other words, since God knows everything, He knows better what’s in our hearts than we do because He “is greater than our heart.”  We may misjudge ourselves, but God in His omniscience never does.  Note:  Many who profess to know Jesus Christ as Saviour have doubts from time to time about whether they truly belong to the Lord.  They question whether their profession of faith was or is genuine.  Such doubts often arise when a believer falls into sin.  It’s quite appropriate for someone who professes faith in Christ but is controlled by sin to have doubts.  Such doubts should at least cause believers to examine themselves to see whether they are truly in the faith.  However, Christians shouldn’t find themselves constantly in doubt.  Thankfully, God, who is greater than our heart or conscience, pronounces a more authoritative verdict about who we are than we do because we may sometimes have doubts.  When God declares that we belong to Him, His verdict is based on His perfect knowledge of us and includes all relevant circumstances including everything we say and do.  Our worst is always known to Him, and He still loves us.  God knew David’s sins, but He still said he was a man after His heart (see Acts 13:22).  This should assure us that God has forgiven us of our sins for Christ’s sake, and we can enjoy peace of conscience.  However, we must always take time for self-examination, and if we find that we have any un-confessed sin, we need to confess it promptly (see I Corinthians 11:27-29; I John 1:9) to be restored to fellowship with Christ.  Remember, when we are saved and we sin, we can’t lose our relationship with Christ (see John 10:27-29; Romans 8:35-39), but we can lose our fellowship (see Psalms 66:18; I John 1:5-8).  That’s why we need to confess any un-confessed sin and repent in order to restore the fellowship.
B. Confidence and answered prayer (I John 3:21-22).
1. (vs. 21).  In this verse John says “Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God.”   The phrase “if our heart condemn us not” means that our conscience is clear regarding sin and we have no doubts about our salvation.  When we are sure of our relationship with Christ, John said “then have we confidence toward God.”  In other words, when our conscience is clear, we have confidence that we can approach God.  Gaining confidence before God requires that our hearts (conscience) don’t condemn us because of sins of omission (faced with doing what is right, but we do nothing).
2. (vs. 22).  Still talking about having confidence in God, Paul goes on to say “And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.”  The word “And” connects this verse with verse 21.  When we have an un-condemning heart or conscience that assures us we are God’s children (see Romans 8:15-17), John said this assures us that “whatsoever we ask, we receive of him.”  If our conscience is clear, we can come to God without fear, confident that our requests will be heard.  Of course, God does not give us whatever we ask automatically.  Only petitions or requests that are in God’s will for the believer will be granted (see I John 5:14).  Note:  It is true that Jesus promised that one who asks receives (see Matthew 7:7-8) and that God responds to the prayer of faith (see Mark 11:24).  However, we must interpret these promises in light of all scriptural teachings on prayer.  John said one of the conditions for answered prayer is that “we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.”  John made it clear that success in prayer requires obedience to God’s commands and doing whatever pleases Him.  We will receive if we obey and do what pleases God because we will be asking in line with His will.  Of course, this does not mean that we can have anything we want, like instant riches.  If we are truly seeking God’s will, there are some requests we just won’t make. 
C.  Confidence and God’s command (I John 3:23).  John continues to say here “And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment.”  In the previous verse, John declared that answered prayer was dependent upon keeping God’s commandments.  But in this verse John summarized God’s commandments in the previous verse into one “commandment.”  There are two aspects to the commandment that John gives.  First, “That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ.”  In the Bible a person’s “name” stands for their character.  It represents who they really are.  Therefore, we are to believe not only in Jesus’ words, but also in His very person as the Son of God.  Moreover, to believe “in the name” means to pattern one’s life after Christ’s life to become more like Him.  If we are living like Christ, then we will be able to demonstrate the second aspect of the commandment which John said was to “love one another, as he gave us commandment.”  What’s important here is that we can’t accomplish one without doing the other.  In other words, we can’t love one another as God has commanded us without believing in Jesus Christ, God’s Son.    
D. Confidence and the divine presence (see I John 3:24).  In our final verse John says “And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.”  The statement “And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him” means that the person who obeys Gods words by living the obedient life of love abides in God and God abides in him (see John 15:1-7).  John then tells us how we know that we have this special union with the Father.  He said “we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.”  Scripture tells us that God’s Spirit has taken up residence in those who are redeemed (see Acts 2:38; Romans 8:9; I Corinthians 6:19; Galatians 3:2).  Note:  The obedient believer dwells in God and God dwells in him by the Holy Spirit.  Out of this intimate relationship will flow real acts of love and practical kindness.  Living a godly life in an ungodly world requires an uncommon power that exceeds man’s own ability.  Being aware of man’s inability to demonstrate divine love, Jesus prayed to the Father to send the Holy Spirit, our Comforter and teacher to be God’s continual presence with us and making plain God’s good pleasure.  Although the Holy Spirit lives in the Christian, it’s possible to grieve Him (see Ephesians 4:30) and quench or cut off His power (see I Thessalonians 5:19) in our lives.  The evidence that the Holy Spirit is in our lives is when we demonstrate the fruit of the Spirit.  And one characteristic of the Holy Spirit is love. 
VI. Conclusion.  How do we know that we are truly Christians?  The answer is given to us in this week’s lesson and it is simple: we have learned to love others because of Jesus.  The world is looking for genuine Christianity so that they can follow it, but it’s hard to find.  How much like a fresh breath of air it is when we find someone who loves unconditionally and who has learned to react to situations the way Jesus would.  Love is the mark of those who say they are following Jesus.  When asked about the greatest commandment Jesus quoted the Law which declared that we are to love both God and our neighbor (see Mark 12:28-34; Deuteronomy 6:5; Leviticus 19:18).  While love is one of the most talked about teachings of Christ, it may be one of the least practiced.  The Lord Jesus said, “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another” (see John 13:35).  As we learned in this week’s lesson, the Apostle John continued to exhort the believers to love one another with brotherly kindness because it’s our divine obligation as children of God.

Resurrection Guaranteed

                                        Sunday School Lesson                                

Lesson: I Corinthians 11:1-11, 20-22;
                                                                                            
Golden Text: “For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive” (I Corinthians 15:22).
I.  INTRODUCTION.  In this week’s lesson, Paul explained the meaning of Christ’s resurrection to the Corinthian believers.  He stressed that the glorious future resurrection of Christians is guaranteed by Christ’s resurrection.  This Easter morning, as we study this lesson we have the opportunity to glory in the understanding and blessings of Christ’s resurrection.
II. BACKGROUND FOR THE LESSON.  As Greeks, the people of Corinth were most likely influenced by Greek philosophers, who scoffed, or made fun of the very idea of a resurrection (see Acts 17:32).  While it is unlikely that the Corinthian believers doubted the resurrection of Christ, it was apparent from I Corinthians 15:12 that they had doubts concerning the future resurrection of Christians.  This prompted Paul to write fully about the resurrection in I Corinthians chapter 15.

III. THE GOSPEL AND CHRIST’S RESURRECTION (I Corinthians 15:1-4) 

A. The gospel and salvation (I Corinthians 15:1-2). 
1. (vs. 1).  In our first verse Paul says “Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand.”  The word “Moreover” indicates a change from what Paul wrote in chapter 14 to what he was about to write now.  Of course he called the Corinthian believers “brethren” because they were all members of the same family, the church of God (see I Corinthians 1:2).  He went on to say “I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you.”  Paul was about to remind the Corinthian believers of the gospel that he had preached to them on his second missionary journey (see Acts 18:1, 4).  The word “gospel” means good news.  Paul told them that the gospel he preached “ye have received, and wherein ye stand.”  In other words, by faith they had accepted the message of the gospel, which included the resurrection.  However, false teaching had entered in saying that there was no resurrection for Christians who had died, even though they accepted Christ’s resurrection (see I Corinthians 15:12).  With the words “wherein ye stand,” Paul affirmed their faith as they stood firmly in that same gospel he preached.
2. (vs. 2).  Paul continued to say in this verse “By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.”  The words “By which” refers to the gospel message.  The Corinthian believers were “saved” by the gospel.  However, the gospel alone does not save.  Paul was simply affirming that salvation comes through the preaching of the gospel (see Romans 10:14-15).  The phrase “keep in memory” means to persevere or hold fast by faith.  With the words “if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain” Paul was saying that the Corinthians demonstrated their salvation by holding fast and being obedient to the gospel message.  The only way that their salvation would not be sure was if they “believed in vain.”  In other words, their salvation wouldn’t be sure if the gospel that Paul preached and they believed was “vain” meaning worthless or phony.  A person can have all the faith in the world, but it means nothing if the message that they believe is false or phony.
B. The gospel defined (I Corinthians 15:3-4).
1. (vs. 3).  In this verse, Paul defined the gospel by giving the facts of it to prove that it is the basis of salvation.  He began by saying “For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures.”  With the words “For I delivered unto you” Paul was preparing to repeat the same gospel message that he had previously given to them.  The phrase “first of all” does not refer to the first time Paul preached to them, but it means that the gospel message itself was of first importance to Paul.  The apostle then said that the gospel message he gave to them was “which I also received.”  In other words, Paul taught the Corinthian converts what he had been taught.  He received the gospel message directly from the Lord (see Galatians 1:11-12, 15-19).  Paul went on to say that the gospel or good news consisted of two basic historic facts.  He gives the first historic fact here as he said “Christ died for our sins.”  The death of Christ was good news because it was for “our sins.”  Jesus was crucified for all sinners and satisfied the justice of a righteous God. No message can claim to be the gospel unless it presents Christ’s death as God’s remedy for sin.  Note:  As a result of man’s rebellion and sinfulness (see Romans 3:23), alienation exists between God and man.  The just penalty for that rebellion is eternal death (see Romans 6:23).  Christ died on behalf of sinful people to satisfy the just or right penalty and to deliver them from the bondage of sin (see Romans 3:25-26; 6:8-10).  Paul also said that Christ’s death was “according to the scriptures.”  This refers to the Old Testament Scriptures.  Paul made sure that these believers understood that Jesus’ death was foretold in sacred Scripture long before it happened.  Jesus also told His disciples that everything written in the Scriptures had to be fulfilled (see Luke 24:44-47).  Paul was no doubt thinking of Psalms 16:10, all of Psalms 22, and Isaiah 53.  These Scriptures among others declared that Christ would suffer and die.
2. (vs. 4).  Paul continued his definition of the gospel by saying “And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures.”  The evidence of Jesus’ death was “that he was buried.”  Christ was taken down from the cross and laid in a tomb (see Acts 13:29).  His burial was important because it confirms both His death and resurrection.  Not only was Jesus buried but “he rose again the third day according to the scriptures.”   The burial of Jesus was a prelude to the empty tomb.  Note:  Witnesses saw a stone placed at the entrance of His tomb (see Mark 15:42-47).  They knew that no one could have stolen the body (see Matthew 28:1-13).  The resurrection that followed Jesus’ burial was real not merely a spiritual phenomenon.   Christ’s resurrection was permanent and triumphant.  His victory over death gives us our victory over death (see I Corinthians 15:20-23).  Paul also said that Jesus rose on “the third day.”  This would be three days after His crucifixion.  Jesus foretold this and it happened just as He said (see Matthew 12:40; John 2:19-21).     Paul said that Christ’s resurrection, like His death was also “according to the scriptures.”  The Old Testament Scriptures do teach His resurrection (see Psalms 16:10; Isaiah 53:10-12).
IV. EVIDENCE OF CHRIST’S RESURRECTION (I Corinthians 15:5-11)

A.  Christ’s earliest appearances (I Corinthians 15:5).  Paul continued to say in this verse “And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve.”  The words “And that” indicates that Paul considered the appearances of Jesus to be as much of the gospel as His death and resurrection.  The testimony of the Scriptures should be enough to satisfy anyone that Jesus rose from the dead.  However, Paul assured the Corinthians that many witnesses had seen the risen Christ.  Paul first said that Jesus “was seen of Cephas” or Peter (see Luke 24:34).  “Cephas” is Aramaic for the Greek name Peter.  Jesus gave him this name (see John 1:42) and like Peter it also means “stone.”  Paul then said Jesus was seen “of the twelve.”  The words “the twelve” refer to Christ’s disciples and was used here as a general term for them.  When he appeared to His disciples the first time after His resurrection, there were only ten disciples present.  Judas had committed suicide and Thomas was not present (see John 20:19-24). 

B. Christ’s later appearances (I Corinthians 15:6-7).  
1. (vs. 6).  Still identifying those who saw Jesus after His resurrection, in this verse, Paul said “After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep.”  After appearing to the Twelve, Paul said Jesus appeared to “above five hundred brethren at once.”  Paul doesn’t say exactly when the more than five hundred people saw Christ, but he did say that “the greater part remain unto this present.”  In other words, a large part of the more than five hundred people were still alive so the Corinthians could check with them if they felt it was necessary.  Even though some were still alive, Paul also said that “some are fallen asleep” which was a phrase used to describe a believer’s death (see I Thessalonians 4:13).
2. (vs. 7).  Paul went on to say in this verse “After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles.”  The next person to see Jesus Paul said was James, Jesus’ half-brother (see Matthew 13:55).  James didn’t believe in Jesus until after His resurrection (see John 7:5; Acts 1:14).  James was a leader in the church in Jerusalem (see Acts 15:13; 21:18) and he wrote the book of James.  After appearing to James, Paul said Jesus appeared to “all the apostles” (see Matthew 28:16-20; Acts 1:4-9).  Although prior to Jesus death, the word “apostle” meaning “sent ones” only referred to Jesus’ twelve disciples (see Matthew 10:2; Mark 6:30; Luke 6:13; 9:10), Paul seems to use the word “apostles” here to describe anyone who had seen Christ and was commissioned by Him after His resurrection (see I Corinthians 9:1).
C. Christ’s appearance to Paul (I Corinthians 15:8-10).
1. (vs. 8).  Paul now says in this verse “And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.”  The last person to witness the resurrected Christ was Paul himself (see I Corinthians chapter 9).  Although he was an apostle, Paul considered himself “as of one born out of due time.”  This was a phrase used in ancient Greek literature to describe a dead or miscarried baby.  It has the idea of a violent or untimely birth.  Paul was saying that unlike the other apostles, who were nurtured gradually by Jesus, he saw himself as being suddenly ripped from the womb of anti-Christian Judaism when he met Jesus.
2. (vs. 9).  Still referring to himself, Paul went on to say “For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.”  By describing himself as “the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle” Paul considered himself unworthy to be an apostle and also “not meet” or unfit to be called an apostle.  He never denied his apostleship, but he recognized that he was not worthy of it.  The reason Paul gave for feeling unworthy to be an apostle was “because I persecuted the church of God.”  He often remembered his past life of persecuting the church of God (see Acts 22:4-5; 26:9-11; Galatians 1:13; I Timothy 1:12-13).  Persecuting the church was terrible because when he persecuted the church he was persecuting God (see Acts 9:4-5).
3. (vs. 10).  Now Paul says “But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.”  The apostle realized that God’s grace changed his life.  The phrase “by the grace of God I am what I am” means that because of God’s unearned favor Paul was called to be an apostle with a special ministry to the Gentiles (see Romans 11:13; Ephesians 3:8).  Paul then said “his (God’s) grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain.”  In other words, the grace that God bestowed on Paul was profitable and not “in vain” or worthless.  As a result, he said “I laboured more abundantly than they all.”  In other words, Paul worked harder than all the other apostles; suffered more than they did; he travelled more miles to spread the gospel and he established more churches (see II Corinthians 11:23-29).  Paul concluded that he was only able to do these things because of “the grace of God which was with me.” 
D. The summary (I Corinthians 15:11).  In this verse Paul concluded saying “Therefore whether it were I or they, so we preach, and so ye believed.”  In other words, Paul told the Corinthian believers that they could look at him or any of the apostles and see the same thing: they all preached the same gospel of the resurrected Christ and having heard it the Corinthians believed.  The bottom line was that it didn’t matter whether Paul or another apostle preached the gospel: Christ’s death for sins, his burial, and resurrection.  The most important thing was the message which they believed not the messenger.  That’s still true today!
V. FUTURE IMPLICATIONS OF CHRIST’S RESURRECTION (I Coronthians 15:20-22).   Our printed text doesn’t include verse 12-19 but they are significant.  In those verses, posing hypothetical situations, Paul first addressed the false teaching concerning Christ’s resurrection.  Even though it had been preached that Christ rose from the dead, it was being falsely taught that there is no further resurrection of the dead (see verse 12).  If this was the case, then Christ didn’t rise either, and their preaching and the Corinthians’ faith both were in vain (see verses 13-14).  And if all this was true, then Paul and all the apostles would be false witnesses because they preached that God raised Christ up when He really didn’t (see verse 15).  Paul went on to say that if the dead don’t rise neither did Christ and therefore the Corinthians’ faith was vain or worthless, and they were still in their sins (see verses 16-17).  In addition, those believers who had already died have perished and if they only had faith in Christ for this present life, they all were most miserable (see verses 18-19).  Of course, all of that was not true.  This is where the remainder of our lesson begins.

A. Christ as the first fruits (I Corinthians 15:20).  In this verse Paul said “But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.”  The resurrection of Christ is a historical fact, so Paul could rightly declare “But now is Christ risen from the dead.”  There would be no gospel message if Christ didn’t rise from the dead.  Paul also used an agricultural symbol to illustrate how Christ’s resurrection is a pledge or guarantee of the resurrection of all believers.  Paul said that since Christ rose from the dead, He had “become the firstfruits of them that slept.”  The word “slept” was a way of describing the death of saints.  The word “firstfruits” refers to the Feast of Firstfruits in the Old Testament (see Leviticus 23:9-14), when the first ripened grain harvested was presented to God.  This was considered to be a guarantee that the rest of the grain yet to be gathered would come to fruition.  Since Jesus conquered the grave and rose from the dead first making Him the firstfruits, He was God’s guarantee to all of us who are believers that we too will either rise from the grave when Jesus Christ returns in the air, or be translated to be with the Lord if we are still living when He returns (see I Thessalonians 4:13-18). 

B. Christ as the last Adam (I Corinthians 15:21-22).

1. (vs. 21).  In this verse Paul says “For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.”  Paul further supported the certainty of the resurrection using an analogy between Adam and Christ.  He said that by a “man came death” into the world (see Romans 5:12).  Of course this first man was Adam.  Likewise, by a “man came also the resurrection of the dead.”  This second man was Jesus Christ.  Adam’s sin brought disaster upon himself and the entire human race.  Jesus Christ initiated resurrection from the dead, and those who are united with Him will join Him in new life. 
2. (vs. 22).   Paul goes on to say in the final verse “For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.”  The phrase “in Adam all die” means that the entire human race is subject to death due to our kinship with Adam.  But in contrast those who are “in Christ shall all be made alive.”  There is no doubt that the “all” in the phrase “in Adam all die” refers to everyone who has ever been born into this world, because everyone dies.  However, there is some discussion as to who is included in the word “all” in the phrase “in Christ all be made alive.”  Many believe that Paul was saying that all mankind will be given new life as a result of Christ’s resurrection.  Jesus did teach that there would be a resurrection for both the good and the evil: the good are resurrected to life and the evil are resurrected to damnation (see John 5:28-29; Revelation 20:5-6, 12-13).  However, in the context of our lesson, Paul was dealing with the question of whether dead believers will be raised (see I Corinthians 15:18, 23, 53-58).  It’s difficult to see how unbelievers could be “in Christ.”  Therefore, it appears best to understand that the “all” in the phrase “in Christ all be made alive” only includes the resurrection of believers.
                                    
VI. Conclusion.  The fact that Christ rose from the dead assures us that all believers shall also rise to new life.  We have a glorious prospect of resurrection life, but it’s only because of the work of Christ.  Jesus is not dead in some Jerusalem tomb.  He is alive forevermore.  This is why we have Easter, the grand climax of God’s story of salvation.