1 JOHN LESSON 5


     We will begin this lesson in I John 3:13 "Marvel not, my
brethren, if the world hate you."

     It is not a thing to be concerned about, if the world hates you,
Christian. They hated Jesus {our Leader}, and they will hate us, also.
The real reason they hate us, is because we remind them of the life
they are living. Their guilt comes before them more, when they are
around those who are trying to live right. We are not of the world. We
are a separated people. Christians are even spoken of as peculiar.
This means peculiar to the world.

     I John 3:14 "We know that we have passed from death unto life,
because we love the brethren. He that loveth not [his] brother abideth
in death."

     One of the evident signs of being a Christian, is the fact that
we love other Christians. Hate and greed rule the worldly people. Love
and sharing is of the Christian. Hate brings death. Love brings life.

     I John 3:15 "Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye
know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him."

     Hate and murder go hand in hand. Hate leads to murder. If you do
not carry the murder out, you have already committed it in your heart,
if you hate.

     I John 3:16 "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."

     "Perceive" goes beyond just seeing. It has with it an
understanding. Greater love hath no man, than He lay down His life for
His friends. Jesus gave it all, because of His great love for us. His
love is God love, which none of us can quite live up to. We can
pattern our love after the example He left us. We must learn to love,
not because of what we can get out of something, but in spite of what
it might cost us. Unselfish love should be the character of all
Christians.

     I John 3:17 "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?"

     This is just saying, we should show our love by being
compassionate to those who have a need. If someone is hungry, we
should feed them. If someone is cold, we should clothe them. If they
have no place to sleep, we should furnish them a bed. If we have the
love of God within us, we will share with those who have need.

     I John 3:18 "My little children, let us not love in word, neither
in tongue; but in deed and in truth."
     Just talking about helping someone will not help them. We must
reach in our pocket and help them, if we can. We must act out what we
believe about helping others.

     I John 3:19 "And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and
shall assure our hearts before him."

     Truth and God are interchangeable here. We know we will have no
regrets, if when we stand before God, we have acted out the faith that
we say we have. Our heart will not condemn us, if we know we have done
the best we can by everyone.

     I John 3:20 "For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our
heart, and knoweth all things."

     Sometimes we feel guilty about not helping someone when we really
could not, and should not do it. Sometimes we blame ourselves when
there should be no blame placed. We cannot, and should not, help
everyone that asks. We should pray and ask God what to do. God knows
much better than we do what was right.

     I John 3:21 "Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, [then] have we
confidence toward God."

     This is just saying, we have a clear conscience. The very thing
that was never settled, when a person sacrificed for sin in the Old
Testament, was that their conscience was never clear. The sin was
covered, not done away with. Jesus abolished our sin, and gave us a
clear conscience. If we know in our heart that we have done the right
thing, then we can stand before Jesus on judgement day with a clear
conscience.

     I John 3:22 "And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we
keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his
sight."

     The Scripture above and the following Scripture, lets us know, if
we are right with God. He is listening for our prayer and will answer
it. James 5:16 "Confess [your] faults one to another, and pray one for
another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a
righteous man availeth much."  We are His children, and He will grant
us the desires of our heart. Psalms 37:4 "Delight thyself also in the
LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart."  Here is
just one more promise to those who belong to Jesus. John 15:7 "If ye
abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and
it shall be done unto you."  To be in right standing with God brings
answers to our prayers.

     I John 3:23 "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."

     Look, with me, in the following Scriptures, and see what
believing will get you. Romans 10:9 "That if thou shalt confess with
thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God
hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved."  Romans 10:10
"For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the
mouth confession is made unto salvation."  Everyone who is a believer
in the Lord Jesus Christ has been given permission to use His name to
pray to the Father. Notice this type of praying in the following
verses. John 14:12 "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth
on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater [works] than
these shall he do; because I go unto my Father."  John 14:13 "And
whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father
may be glorified in the Son." John 14:14 "If ye shall ask any thing in
my name, I will do [it]."

     I John 3:24 "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."

     Look, with me, at the grouping of Scriptures which says this so
well. John 14:23 "Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me,
he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come
unto him, and make our abode with him." John 15:7 "If ye abide in me,
and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be
done unto you." John 14:16 "And I will pray the Father, and he shall
give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;"
John 14:17 "[Even] the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive,
because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he
dwelleth with you, and shall be in you."



























                          1 John 5 Questions


1.  Marvel not, if the world ________ _____.
2.  Why do they hate us?
3.  Why do we know we have turned from death to life?
4.  He that loveth not his brother, abideth in ________.
5.  Hate and greed rule the _____________ people.
6.  Love brings _______.
7.  Whosoever hateth his brother is a ___________.
8.  What does "perceive" mean?
9.  Greater love hath no man, than that He lay down His life for
    ______ ____________.
10. ____________ love should be the character of all Christians.
11. If someone is hungry, we should _________ _______.
12. Let us not love in word, neither in tongue, but in _______ and in
    _________.
13. Quote 1 John chapter 3 verse 20.
14. What do you think it means?
15. Verse 21 is just saying, we have a clear _____________.
16. Why do we receive whatever we ask of Him?
17. Quote James chapter 5 verse 16.
18. Quote John chapter 15 verse 7.
19. What is His commandment to us?
20. Quote Romans chapter 10 verses 9 and 10.
21. What name must we use to pray and get results?
22. If ye shall ask anything in my name, I will ______ __.
23. Who is the Comforter?