Three-in-One: The Relational GodNäide

God's Fellowship (11)

Live in Light

1 John has two main sections. Each starts with, “This is the message.” (1:5 and 3:11)

The first section (1John 1:5-3:10) declares that God is light and there is no darkness in him at all. The contrast of light and dark then grows into more contrasts:

• truth and lies
• obedience and sin
• eternal life and finite earthly life

The book of 1 John was originally written for "God's dear children," meaning people who believed Jesus was the Messiah and followed him faithfully.

Today, 2,000 years later, anyone who believes Jesus is the Messiah and follows him faithfully can confidently say, “I am God's child, and this book was written for me.”

One thing about 1 John: it returns to the same ideas over and over again, kind of like a spiral staircase. It's moving forward even when it feels like you're reading something you already read. Don't get confused or tangled up. Instead pay special attention to those repetitions and spirals. They contain important truths for all of us.

Reflect

• Talk about the contrast between light and dark, truth and lies, love and hate. What do you think John is trying to say and show?
• What do you learn about God in these verses? (When Paul writes "God" he almost always means the Father.)
• What do you learn about Jesus in these verses? (When Paul writes "Lord" he almost always means Jesus).
• What do you learn about the Holy Spirit in these verses?
• What do you learn about humanity and yourself in these verses?