Part 9
My friend and brother in Christ shared with me three pivotal characteristics of a true Christian from First John, and I felt compelled to share his teaching with you because it is so good.
"I know you've been teaching lately on Marks of Christianity, and I thought I would mention to you that there are three patterns or characteristics of a born-again Christian taught by John in the letter of First John.
The first is faith in Jesus Christ as God's son who died and was raised for us. The second is that we love the father and love his children, and the third is obedience to the word of God. It is not perfect obedience, of course, but we want to obey and try our best.
John wrote the letter because there was a group of gnostics from his church who left his church and had tried to influence a lot of his believers so John wrote this letter to give them assurance of salvation through these three tests.
"But you have been anointed by the Holy One, (he's talking here about the Holy Spirit ) and you all have knowledge. I write to you, not because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and because no lie is of the truth. Who is the liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son." 1 John 2:20-22
He's talking about the person and works of Jesus Christ.
"Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love." 1 John 4:7-8.
"And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. Whoever says "I know him" but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him," 1 John 2:3-4
He sums it up in chapter 5, verse 13 "I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life." 1 John 5:13
You can also see all three tests are listed in the first three verses of chapter 5." Joe Miles
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