Download 1 John 2:28-3:10 Bible Study

1 John 2:28-3:10 Bible Study
1. Should Christians be “confident” in their salvation? Or will
a little ‘uncertainty’ help them to be humble and not
arrogant? On a scale of 1 to 10 where 1 is total
uncertainty and 10 is certainty, how certain are you of
your salvation?
1
10
2. Read 1 John 2:28 – 3:3. How would John answer Q.1?
What are the grounds we have for being confident? Is it
‘arrogant’ to be confident?
If we “continue” – see 2:24 & 27 ie the Word and the Spirit remain in us
and we trust and obey to remain in him – we ought to be confident.
‘Doing what is right’ (see below) shows that you’ve been born of him, ie
that you are a child of God, ‘lavished’ with his love. And if we are his
children now, we will be revealed as such when Jesus returns. It is not
arrogant to be confident, it is taking God at his word.
3. If we are uncertain of our salvation, what does it imply?
That they don’t understand the gospel! Or, that God is not faithful to his
word – that though we are his children he might some day abandon us.
4. NB v.29 “does what is right” is literally “doing
righteousness”. What so you think it means to ‘do
righteousness’? Consider the first two chapters.
It can’t mean sinlessness because 1:8-2:2. But it does refer to our behaviour
– “doing righteousness”. It must be related to Jesus – whom we “know … is
righteous”, and is the sacrifice for our sins. So it will involve what has already
been discussed – that we remain in him and his word remain in us, ie we
obey it, and confess when we fail, trusting afresh Jesus’ death for our sins.
5. Why does John explain that the world “does not know
us”? Do you ever feel that?
We have the most profound relationship in existence, but you can’t see it
in someone unless you have that relationship too. So it can be a
discouragement or even a pressure to not continue in Christ when others
think nothing of us being God’s children.
6. Read 1 John 3:4-10. Spend some time discussing verse
6 & 9. How are we to take these verses? Do we too
easily ignore them?
We must feel the weight of these verses, which are in keeping with the
rest of the New Testament! Sinning is totally incompatible with being
born of God! – and yes, too often we ignore this and treat sin as though it
were nothing
... but remember 1:8-2:2, this cannot be about sinless perfection.
7. Consider these (literally translated) verses. How do they
help us understand what John means?
2:17 the one who does the will of God abides forever.
2:29 everyone who does righteousness is born of Him.
3:4 Everyone who does sin also does lawlessness
3:7 the one who does righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous;
3:8 the one who does sin is of the devil
3:9 No one who is born of God does sin
3:10 anyone who does not do righteousness is not of God
You cannot separate who you are from what you do. The one who says
“I’m an honest person” but constantly lies, is fooling themselves.
Having said this, what is important is the idea of continuing in something
– is sin habitual? Do you continue in the same sin without confessing and
repenting? Or is righteousness the habit. A school teacher who collects
stamps as a hobby is still a school teacher. Unrepentant, continual,
habitual sin, or having no desire and making no effort to obey Christ and
do what he desires is evidence that you are not a child of God. The
opposite is true also.
8. What other grounds for confidence does John give in
these verses?
v5 Jesus came to take away our sins, v8 and to destroy the devil’s work, and
righteousness is the result of God giving us new birth – not our superior
moral fibre!
9. 3:1 begins with a word that older translations include;
“Behold”, ie consider. It is actually a command. Consider
together now what it means to you that you should be
called children of God. Respond to this in prayer.
1 John 2:28-3:10 Bible Study
1. Should Christians be “confident” in their salvation? Or will
a little ‘uncertainty’ help them to be humble and not
arrogant? On a scale of 1 to 10 where 1 is total
uncertainty and 10 is certainty, how certain are you of
your salvation?
1
10
2. Read 1 John 2:28 – 3:3. How would John answer Q.1?
What are the grounds we have for being confident? Is it
‘arrogant’ to be confident?
6. Read 1 John 3:4-10. Spend some time discussing verse
6 & 9. How are we to take these verses? Do we too
easily ignore them?
7. Consider these (literally translated) verses. How do they
help us understand what John means?
2:17 the one who does the will of God abides forever.
2:29 everyone who does righteousness is born of Him.
3:4 Everyone who does sin also does lawlessness
3:7 the one who does righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous;
3:8 the one who does sin is of the devil
3:9 No one who is born of God does sin
3:10 anyone who does not do righteousness is not of God
3. If we are uncertain of our salvation, what does it imply?
4. NB v.29 “does what is right” is literally “doing
righteousness”. What so you think it means to ‘do
righteousness’? Consider the first two chapters.
5. Why does John explain that the world “does not know
us”? Do you ever feel that?
8. What other grounds for confidence does John give in
these verses?
9. 3:1 begins with a word that older translations include;
“Behold”, ie consider. It is actually a command. Consider
together now what it means to you that you should be
called children of God. Respond to this in prayer.