Category Archives: 1 John

I enjoy asking trick questions. When I know have stumped somebody and they have given the answer I was expecting them to, I ask, “Are you sure about that?” Unfortunately, for some Christians, they view the assurance of salvation this way. They find themselves asking on nearly a daily basis, “Am I sure I amContinue reading “Knowing We Have Eternal Life (1 John 5:13-21)”

Christmas can be a bittersweet season. With family gatherings, the reminder of loved ones who have passed seem to surface. The sting of death flares up in our thoughts and minds. The great truth is it does not have to be this way. Death does not have to override what has been called the seasonContinue reading “Whoever Has the Son Has Life (1 John 5:6-12)”

I had no problem reading textbooks and writing papers. As a student, the matter that concerned me was always the quizzes and tests. You had to know what to prepare for and even then there was no guarantee the studying of the material would result in acing the exam. Looking back, I do understand theContinue reading “Test of Our Faith (1 John 5:1-5)”

One of the markers of genuine Christianity is love. As we have seen throughout John’s letter, love is the primary way of life God has called them to live. In 1 John 4:7–11 we saw the love of God was made manifest in the incarnation of Jesus Christ. The love of God was seen clearlyContinue reading “An Abiding Love (1 John 4:12-21)”

In one of her best-known songs, Tina Turner asks the question, “What’s love got to do with it?” While the context she sang of was a passionate romantic relationship, Christians may very well ask, “What’s love got to do with it?” in regards to the affections and actions of the Christian life. The simple answerContinue reading “This is Love (1 John 4:7-11)”

Have you ever heard someone say, “I am spiritual, not religious”? This seemingly pious statement is usually used for the purpose of someone affirming they believe in some type of spirituality, possibly even Christianity, but without any involvement or commitment to a local group which believes the same. In other words, people want spirituality withoutContinue reading “Knowing the Spirit of Truth (1 John 4:1-6)”

If we were to sit down for coffee and be honest with one another as Christians, I would dare to say we have all faced a time where we struggled with finding assurance of salvation. I believe this is, in part, to an issue we observed last week. Just as love too often is definedContinue reading “Our Hearts Reassured (1 John 3:19-24)”

One of the most popular and most misunderstood words in our culture is love. In our culture, love means we accept and approve of what the other person is doing. To be loving means we allow the person to follow whatever they feel and we dare not fringe on their lives, especially espousing our moralsContinue reading “Knowing Love (1 John 3:11-18)”

If you were to meet my family, it would be clear I am my parent’s son. I have been told by numerous people I look like both my father and my mother. People have even remarked I have the humor of my father. In my looks and actions there is a resemblance to my fatherContinue reading “Family Resemblance (1 John 2:28-3:10)”

As a pastor, one of the matters which grieves me is to see someone who has professed Christ only to later leave the faith. I remember in particular one young man I had the opportunity in discipling. When he first professed his faith he was excited to learn more about God’s Word. After a time,Continue reading “Don’t Be Deceived (1 John 2:18-27)”