Kress Biblical Resources :: Outline

Detailed Outline of 1 John

Knowing you have fellowship with God and thus eternal life.

1. Prologue: Eternal life is a reality—The Incarnation (1Jo 1:1-4)
   1. The proclamation/message is true (1Jo 1:1)
   2. The Person is real (1Jo 1:2)
   3. The participation/fellowship is genuine (1Jo 1:3)
   4. The personal joy is unquestionable (1Jo 1:4)
2. God is Light: Possessors of eternal life have fellowship with the God Who is light (1Jo 1:5-2:28)
   1. Possessors of eternal life walk in the light (1Jo 1:5-7)
      1. The foundation of our walk (1Jo 1:5)
      2. The folly of empty talk (1Jo 1:6)
      3. The freedom of our walk (1Jo 1:7)
         1. Freedom to live out truth and holiness
         2. Freedom to enjoy fellowship
         3. Freedom to experience constant cleansing
   2. Possessors of eternal life confess sin (1Jo 1:8-10)
      1. The definition of biblical confession (Psa 51; Psa 5)
      2. The dominant reason why we confess sin (1Jo 1:5, 8b, 10b)
      3. The description of those who don’t confess sin (1Jo 1:8, 10)
         1. They deny sin
         2. They are deceived
         3. They are devoid of the truth
      4. The description of those who do confess sin (1Jo 1:9)
         1. They are forgiven
         2. They are cleansed
      5. The declaration of God’s character to those who confess sin (1Jo 1:9)
         1. He is faithful
         2. He is righteous
   3. Possessors of eternal life have the ultimate provision for sin (1Jo 2:1-2)
      1. Remember your responsibility to holiness (1Jo 2:1a)
      2. Remember your righteous Defender (1Jo 2:1b)
      3. Remember your righteous Defense (1Jo 2:2)
   4. Possessors of eternal life obey Christ’s commandments (1Jo 2:3-6)
      1. The proof of fellowship comes by obedience (1Jo 2:3)
      2. The profession that is false is exposed by a lack of obedience (1Jo 2:4)
      3. The perfection of love comes by obedience (1Jo 2:5)
      4. The picture of Christ is displayed by obedience (1Jo 2:6)
   5. Possessors of eternal life love other believers (1Jo 2:7-11)
      1. We are commanded to love (1Jo 2:7, 8)
         1. The old command
         2. The new command
         3. The biblical definition of love
      2. We are compelled to love [because of who we are] (1Jo 2:8-11)
      3. We are in contrast to those who walk in darkness (1Jo 2:9-11)
   6. Possessors of eternal life have the foundation for a victorious life (1Jo 2:12-14)
      1. The fundamental foundation (1Jo 2:12)
      2. The family framework of growth (1Jo 2:12-14)
         1. Fathers
         2. Young men
         3. Children
      3. The Founder/Architect/Builder (1Jo 2:12-14)
   7. Possessors of eternal life do not ultimately love the world (1Jo 2:15-17)
      1. Because it is commanded by God’s Word (1Jo 2:15a)
      2. Because of our love for the Father (1Jo 2:15b)
      3. Because of all that is in the world and its opposition to God (1Jo 2:16)
         1. The lust of the flesh
         2. The lust of the eyes
         3. The pride of life
      4. Because of our eternal perspective (1Jo 2:17)
   8. Possessors of eternal life believe the truth (1Jo 2:18-28)
      1. The reason: Our anointing from the Holy One (1Jo 2:20, 21, 27)
      2. The results (1Jo 2:18-28)
         1. We remain in the fellowship of believers (1Jo 2:18-19)
         2. We confess Christ (1Jo 2:22-23)
         3. We abide/remain in the true gospel (1Jo 2:24)
         4. We have the promise of eternal life (1Jo 2:25)
         5. We need not be deceived (1Jo 2:26-27)
      3. The responsibility of believing the truth (1Jo 2:28)
3. God is Righteous: Possessors of eternal life have fellowship with the God Who is righteous (1Jo 2:29-4:6)
   1. Possessors of eternal life practice righteousness (1Jo 2:29)
      1. Because of our righteous God (1Jo 2:29)
      2. Because of our new birth (1Jo 2:29)
   2. Possessors of eternal life have the promised hope of ultimate righteousness (1Jo 3:1-3)
      1. The basis of our hope: The Father’s love (1Jo 3:1)
         1. God’s love makes us children of God
         2. God’s love makes us strangers to the world
      2. The future consummation of our Hope: Christ’s coming (1Jo 3:2)
      3. The present result of our hope: Personal purification (1Jo 3:3)
   3. Possessors of eternal life do not practice sin (1Jo 3:4-10a)
      1. The reasons (1Jo 3:4-9)
         1. Because of what sin is (1Jo 3:4)
         2. Because of what Christ came to do and did (1Jo 3:5a, 8b)
         3. Because of Who Christ is (1Jo 3:5b, 7)
         4. Because of our relationship with Christ (1Jo 3:6)
         5. Because of our new birth (1Jo 3:8a, 9)
      2. The result: Our practice makes it obvious who we belong to (1Jo 3:10)
   4. Possessors of eternal life show themselves true by their love for the brethren (1Jo 3:10b-24)
      1. It is a love that obeys God (1Jo 3:10b-12)
         1. If you do not practice love, it testifies that you’re not from God (1Jo 3:10b)
         2. The command to love is inseparable from the gospel (1Jo 3:11)
         3. Cain’s murder of Abel was not from love—but an unbelieving response to God’s love (1Jo 3:12)
      2. It is a love that is foreign to this world (1Jo 3:13-15)
         1. Love will often be met by hatred from this world [much like Cain’s response to Abel] (1Jo 3:13)
         2. Love of the brethren is an evidence of eternal life (1Jo 3:14-15)
      3. It is a love that sacrifices for others (1Jo 3:16-17)
         1. The perfect example of love for us to follow (1Jo 3:16)
         2. The practice of love in everyday life (1Jo 3:17)
      4. It is a love that shows in the sincerity of our lives (1Jo 3:18)
      5. It is a love that brings assurance (1Jo 3:19-24)
         1. Assurance that we are of the truth (1Jo 3:19-20)
            1. Because we see evidences of God’s love in our lives
            2. Because even when we fail in our love, God’s love and understanding is greater than ours—which brings assurance
         2. Assurance of confident access to God (1Jo 3:21-22)
         3. Assurance of intimate union with God (1Jo 3:23-24)
   5. Possessors of eternal life can and must discern truth from error (1Jo 4:1-6)
      1. The command/warning to discern (1Jo 4:1)
      2. The first test: Christological (1Jo 4:2-3)
         1. The Spirit of God affirms the full humanity and full deity of Jesus Christ—the sufficiency of His Person and work (1Jo 4:2)
         2. The spirit of antichrist denies the absolute sufficiency of Christ’s Person and work (1Jo 4:3)
      3. The assurance of victory (1Jo 4:4)
      4. The second test: Bibliological (1Jo 4:5-6)
         1. Those who reject the Apostles’ teaching about Christ (1Jo 4:5)
         2. Those who listen to the Apostles’ teaching about Christ (1Jo 4:6)
4. God is Love: Possessors of eternal life have fellowship with the God Who is love (1Jo 4:7-5:5)
   1. Possessors of eternal life are compelled to love (1Jo 4:7-12)
      1. Because of Who God is (1Jo 4:7-8)
      2. Because of what God has done in Christ (1Jo 4:9-11)
         1. He has graciously revealed Himself (1Jo 4:9)
         2. He has mercifully atoned for sin (1Jo 4:10-11)
      3. Because of what God is doing in us (1Jo 4:12)
   2. Possessors of eternal life can have assurance of a personal relationship with the God Who is love (mutual indwelling) (1Jo 4:13-19)
      1. The basis for our assurance (1Jo 4:13-16)
         1. The Holy Spirit (1Jo 4:13)
         2. Confirmed faith in the apostolic testimony of Christ (1Jo 4:14-15)
         3. Active love, which is based on faith in God (1Jo 4:16)
      2. The benefits of our assurance (1Jo 4:17-18)
         1. Confidence in the day of judgment (1Jo 4:17)
         2. Freedom from fear (1Jo 4:18)
      3. The bottom line about love and assurance (1Jo 4:19)
   3. Possessors of eternal life cannot separate love, faith, and obedience: They overcome the world (1Jo 4:20-5:5)
      1. We cannot separate love from love (1Jo 4:20-21)
      2. We cannot separate faith and love (1Jo 5:1)
      3. We cannot separate love and obedience (1Jo 5:2-3a)
      4. We cannot separate obedience and faith (1Jo 5:3b-5)
5. God is Truth and Life: Possessors of eternal life have fellowship with the God Who is Truth and Life (1Jo 5:6-21)
   1. Possessors of eternal life believe God’s testimony concerning His Son (1Jo 5:6-12)
      1. The testimony of history and the Holy Spirit (1Jo 5:6-9)
         1. The testimony history: Water and Blood (1Jo 5:6)
         2. The testimony of the Holy Spirit (1Jo 5:5-7)
      2. The internal testimony of eternal life (1Jo 5:10)
      3. The content of God’s testimony (1Jo 5:11)
      4. The verdict (1Jo 5:12)
   2. Possessors of eternal life have the certainty of eternal life and answered prayer (1Jo 5:13-17)
      1. The certainty of eternal life (1Jo 5:13)
         1. The prerequisite
         2. The promise
      2. The certainty of answered prayer (1Jo 5:14-16)
         1. The promise (1Jo 5:14-15)
         2. The prerequisite (1Jo 5:14)
         3. The picture/illustration (1Jo 5:16a)
         4. The point of limitation (1Jo 5:16c)
      3. The certainty of the seriousness of sin (1Jo 5:17)
   3. Possessors of eternal life know the truth about their relationship to sin, the world, and God Himself (1Jo 5:18-20)
      1. We are no longer friends of sin (1Jo 5:18)
      2. We are no longer citizens of this world (1Jo 5:19)
      3. We are no longer estranged from God (1Jo 5:20)
   4. Possessors of eternal life must guard themselves from idols (1Jo 5:21)
      1. What is an idol in the context of 1 John?
      2. How can we guard ourselves from idols?