Confident Faith in a Confusing World
A Study Guide for Knowing You’re Truly His
1. Introduction: Who Wrote 1 John and Why?
Written by the apostle John, likely near the end of his life.
Addressed to believers facing false teachers who denied Jesus came in the flesh and distorted love and obedience.
John’s goal: assurance. He wants Christians to know they have eternal life (1 John 5:13).
Reflection: Faith isn’t meant to leave you guessing. God wants you to walk in confidence, not confusion.
2. The Test of Real Fellowship
God is light, and those who walk with Him must walk in the light (1 John 1:5–10).
We’re not called to be sinless—but honest about sin and committed to turning from it.
Confession is part of walking with God.
Takeaway: Don’t hide your sin—bring it to the light where grace can deal with it.
3. Obedience, Not Just Belief
Knowing God isn’t just about believing the right things—it’s about obeying Him (1 John 2:3–6).
Obedience is a sign that our faith is real.
Loving God means walking like Jesus walked.
Lesson: You don’t prove your faith by saying the right words—you prove it by how you live.
4. Love as the Evidence of Faith
John repeatedly ties love for others to genuine salvation (1 John 3:10–18; 4:7–21).
Love isn’t optional or emotional—it’s sacrificial and rooted in God’s love for us.
If we don’t love others, especially other believers, we don’t know God.
Encouragement: Real faith shows up in real love—and love is most visible when it costs us something.
5. Watch Out for Counterfeit Christianity
John warns about false teachers and “antichrists” who deny Jesus is the Son of God (1 John 2:18–27; 4:1–6).
True believers cling to the truth of who Jesus is and rely on the Spirit for discernment.
Doctrinal clarity and spiritual humility go hand in hand.
Truth: Not everything that sounds spiritual is from God—test it by the Word and the Spirit.
6. Born of God: What That Really Means
Those born of God do not make a practice of sinning (1 John 3:6–10).
They confess Jesus as Lord, love His children, and overcome the world by faith (1 John 5:1–5).
Eternal life is not a reward for good behavior but the fruit of real new birth.
Reminder: If you’ve truly been born again, your life will bear the evidence—not perfectly, but unmistakably.
7. Key Verses to Memorize or Meditate On
1 John 1:9 – “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us… and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
1 John 2:3 – “And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments.”
1 John 3:18 – “Let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.”
1 John 4:18 – “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear.”
1 John 5:13 – “I write these things… that you may know that you have eternal life.”
8. Questions for Discussion or Journaling
Why does John emphasize both truth and love so strongly?
How does confession and walking in the light protect your relationship with God?
What does it look like in daily life to “walk as Jesus walked”?
Are there people it’s hard for you to love? What might that reveal about your heart?
How do you recognize a false teacher or spiritual deception?
Do you feel secure in your salvation? If not, what truth from 1 John can you hold onto?