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Overall of 1 John

Triumphs in 1 John

I. Triumph of Light over Darkness (1.1~2,11)

II. Triumph of Life over Death (2.12~29)

III. Triumph of Love over Hatred (3.1~24;4.7~21)

IV. Triumph of Truth over Error (4.1~7)

V. Triumph of Faith over the World (5.1~21)

── Archibald Naismith《Outlines for Sermons》

The Word of Life (1.1)

This title seems to bring before us Christ as the Eternal One, manifested to us on the ground of His death and resurrection by the Word and Spirit of God, and to whom we are united by the power of the Holy Spirit. The first Epistle of John speaks of—

I. The manifestation of His life to us when we were born again (1.2)

II. Who is our Life? ‘The Son of God’ (5.20)

III. The character of our life—‘eternal’ (1.2)

IV. The gift of the life by the Father (5.11)

V. The position He has brought us into—‘out of death into life’ (3.14, R.V.)

VI. The knowledge of it through the Word of God (5.13)

VII. Where the life is—in Christ (5.11); in us (v.12)

VIII. Who have the life—believers (5.12)

IX. Who have not life—unblievers (5.12)

X. Future manifestation of it (2.25; Col.3.4)

── F.E. Marsh 《Light from the Lamp of Truth》

Born of God

What is the evidence that we are born of God? We have the question answered in John’s first Epistle. Seven times we find the words ‘Born of God’ occurring.

I. Righteousness of life. ‘Every one that doeth righteousness is born of Him’ (2.29)

II. Not practicing sin. ‘Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin’ (3.9)

III. New nature implanted. ‘He cannot sin, because he is born of God’ (3.9)

IV. Loving one another. ‘Every one that loveth is born of God’ (4.7)

V. Faith in Christ. ‘Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ, is born of God’ (5.1)

VI. Victory over the world. ‘Whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world (5.4)

VII. Kept by Christ. ‘Whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but He that was begotten of God keepeth him’ (5.18, R.V.)

── F.E. Marsh 《Light from the Lamp of Truth》

The Son of God

The Son of God, in the First Epistle of John. Twenty-four times in this Epistle is He said to be the Son of God.

I. What did God send His Son to be and do?

1. That we might live (4.9)

2. To be a Saviour (4.14)

3. To be a Propitiation (4.10)

4. To destroy the works of the devil (3.8)

II. The result of believing in Him as the Son of God:

1. We have eternal life (5.12)

2. We know it (5.13)

3. We have the witness (5.10)

4. We are in Him (5.20)

5. We know He has come (5.20)

6. God dwelleth in us (4.15)

7. We have the Father and Son (2 John 9)

III. The proof that we believe in Him as the Son of God

1. Believe on His Name (2.23; 5.13)

2. Acknowledge Him as the Son (2.23)

3. Confess Him as the Son of God (4.15)

4. Have fellowship with Him (1.3)

5. Continue in Him (2.24)

6. That we know His blood cleanseth us from all sin (1.7)

7. Overcome the world (5.5)

IV. Those who disbelieve that He is the Son of God

1. Make God a liar (5.10)

2. Have not eternal life (5.12)

── F.E. Marsh 《Light from the Lamp of Truth》

The Family of God

Chapter 1 The Family Relationships—Father, Son, and little children

Chapter 2 The Family Representatives—fathers, young men and babes

Chapter 3 The Family Responsibilities—Purity before God, righteousness before men and love to all believers

Chapter 4 The Family Resistance—to the spirit of Antichrist, to false teachers and to every form of error

Chapter 5 The Family Resources—by faith

── Archibald Naismith《Outlines for Sermons》

Great Manifestations

That which was from—

I. the beginning was manifested (1.1)

II. the Love was manifested (4.9)

III. the Light was manifested (1.9)

IV. the Life was manifested (1.2)

V. the Father was manifested John 14.9)

VI. the Son of God was manifested (3.8)

VII. His glory was manifested (John 1.14)

── E.A.H.

Names of Our Lord in 1 John

I. The Word of Life (1.1)

II. The Eternal Life (1.2)

III. The Advocate (2.1)

IV. the Righteous One (2.1)

V. The Propitiation (2.2)

VI. The Saviour of the World (4.14)

VII. The Son of God (5.5)

── H.K.D.

Our Fellowship

I. The Meaning of Fellowship—partnership, sharing (1.3)

II. The Medium of Fellowship—light (1.5~7)

III. The Maintenance of Fellowship—

1. by walking in the light (1.7)

2. by confessing our sins (1.9)

3. by cleansing from all unrighteousness (1.9)

IV. The Manifestation of Fellowship—

1. in relation to God (2.3~4)

2. in relation to ourselves (2.6~7)

3. in relation to others (2.9~10)

── Archibald Naismith《Outlines for Sermons》

As He Is

I. ‘We walk in the light as He is in the light’ (1.7) His communion with the Father is ours as sharing eternal life

II. ‘As He is so are we in the world’ (4.17) We are in a world under sentence, but His relationship to judgment is ours; as associated with Him, we have boldness in the day of judgment

III. ‘We shall be life Him for we shall see Him as He is’ (3.2) The world will never see Him thus: they will see Him in a judicial character and as the King, but we know Him as the second Man in glory, the firstfruits in resurrection, and the firstborn from the dead, the pattern of the kind of people God will have in the glory by and by

IV. ‘He that hath this hope in Him purifieth himself even as He is pure’ (3.3) The practical effect on our ways now of all these glorious expectations to be realized at His second Coming for all His saints

── M.I.R.

The Sin Question in 1 John

I. A bold profession—No sin (1.8)

II. A self-deceiver—Deceive ourselves (1.8)

III. A false position—truth is not in us (1.8)

IV. A necessary confession—confess our sins (1.9)

V. A complete absolution—forgiven and cleansed (1.9)

VI. An important admonition—sin not (2.1)

VII. A gracious provision—if we sin, we have (2.1)

── H.K.D.

Marks of a True Child of God

I. Believes that Jesus is the Christ (5.1)

II. Does righteousness (2.29)

III. Keeps His commandments (2.3)

IV. Does not practice sin (3.9)

V. Is hated by the world (3.13)

VI. Loves the brethren (3.14)

VII. Overcomes the world (5.4)

── W.T.M.

The Love of God

I. The Father’s Love—that we should be called the children of God (3.1)

II. The Son’s Love—because He laid down His life for us (3.16)

III. The children’s Love—Let us love one another (4.7)

── Archibald Naismith《Outlines for Sermons》

Truth and Error

I. Characteristics of Teachers of Error—

1. Alien in origin (2.19)

2. Separatist in attitude (2.19)

3. Erroneous in doctrine (2.22)

4. Infernal in objective (2.26)

5. Doomed to defeat (4.4)

II. Anointing of the Spirit of Truth—

1. as a permanent Gift (John 16.13)

2. as an Indwelling Person (2.27)

3. as a Perfect Teacher (2.27)

4. as a Present Benefactor (4.4)

── Archibald Naismith《Outlines for Sermons》

Antichrist in John’s Epistles

I. He is called (2 John 7)—

1. ‘Antichrist’ as opposed to God and His Christ

2. ‘Deceiver’ in relation to men

3. ‘Not in the doctrine of Christ’ as opposed to God’s Word (2 John 9)

II. John writes of—

1. A Personal Antichrist to come—‘the man of sin’ (1 John 2.18; 2 Thess. 2.~10)

2. The Forerunners of Antichrist—all who oppose Christ now (1 John 2.22)

3. The spirit of Antichrist—opposed to the Spirit of God (1 John 4.3)

── Archibald Naismith《Outlines for Sermons》