It takes time to know one another even between coupleCIC’s Young Couples’ Fellowship @ Drew & Linda’s apartment

Life that abides in Christ

(1 John 2:3-29)

Ephesus Laodicea

Philadelphia

Sardis

Thyatira

Smyrna

Origin/Recipients 291

Pergamum

The admonition to keep oneself from idols (5:21) substantiates the tradition of John writing from Ephesus since idols were prominent in the pagan Greco-Roman

culture but rare in Palestine.

John combats two forms of Gnostic teaching in his letter:

Docetic Gnosticism denied the humanity of Christ

(4:2-3), saying that he only seemed to be human, so

John wrote that he actually touched Jesus (1:1).

Occasion 291

Cerinthian Gnosticism denied the deity of Christ. Cerinthus,

who lived near John in Asia Minor, taught that Jesus was only a man upon whom "the

Christ" descended at His baptism but left before His

crucifixion. John replied that Jesus Christ came both by water (His baptism) and by

blood (His death), thus refuting Cerinthus.

I. Our true knowledge of Christ will be seen in our life-styles (2:3-11)

A. We know Christ if we keep His commandments (2:3-5)

1. Knowing Christ through personal relationship

2. Keeping Christ’s commands by loving God and loving other believers

B. We abide in Christ by living like Him (2:6-8)

II. There are three levels of Christian maturity in knowing God (2:12-14)  

A. Newly born again Christians (2:12, 13c) 

II. There are three levels of Christian maturity in knowing God (2:12-14)    B. Growing Christians who are strong in the LORD (2:13b, 14b)

II. There are three levels of Christian maturity in knowing God (2:12-14)  

C. Mature Christians who have more experiences with God (2:13a)

III. We are in the period of the last hour(2:15-29)

A. Children of God do not love this world (2:15-17)

 

B. Antichrist is coming already (2:18-19, 22-23)

 

C. The anointing of the Holy Spirit empowers us to

understand all truth (2:20, 24-27)

D. Let’s live a righteous life not to be ashamed when Christ returns (2:28-29)  

• Do we truly live a righteous life before God and man by loving God whole-heartedly and loving other believers compassionately?

• Are we struggling between loving God and loving worldly things?

• Are we ready to meet our Lord Jesus Christ with confidence, without shame?

• By keeping Christ’s commands we abides in Him, the Holy Spirit empowers us to overcome the deceptions of the Antichrist and to live a righteous life (Main Idea)