Bethel Baptist Church has been studying the sacrificial system as part of the Art of Wor(ship) series. We have looked at who, what, where, when, why, and how God had set up this system to prepare His people for the coming of Jesus in Leviticus and Deuteronomy.

Today's sermon was found in 1 John 2:1-6 and 4:9-17 after Jesus died to fulfill the sacrificial law on the cross by dying once, for all.

Reverend Steve set the stage by providing this bit of context for the sermon. John is addressing Christians that he appears to have known well that were facing a threat from false teaching which was serious and probably arose from within their Christian community. John addresses gnosticism as a heretical was a religious movement that snuck its way into the church in the second century that emphasized personal spiritual knowledge above the orthodox teachings, claiming salvation could be gained through a special form of secret knowledge. Central to this thought was the idea that the true "spark" lived within individual humans and could be set free through spiritual enlightenment. We know today that all knowledge about salvation through Christ has been given to us in His Holy Word.

This led to two false ideas – one called Docetism, regarding the human Jesus as a ghost, and Cerinthianism, making Jesus a dual personality, at times human and at times divine. The purpose of this letter was for John to set boundaries on the content of faith and to give believers assurance of their salvation.

1 John 2:1-2 says, "My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father - Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world. "

In John's book, he begins by addressing the readers as 'my dear children' to show his pastoral love and care for them so they would understand and heed his warning. John also knew we would all probably sin again at least once before we died, so he reminds them that Jesus Christ is our Advocate and atoning sacrifice, once for all.

1 John 2:3-6 goes on to say, "We know that we have come to know Him if we keep His commands. Whoever says, "I know Him," but does not do what He commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person. But if anyone obeys His word, love for God is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in Him must live as Jesus did."

 He emphasizes the importance of obeying God's commands as a true sign of knowing and loving Him. He says those who claim to know and love Him, but do not keep His commandments, are liars. He also says those who love God and keep His commandments, in them God's love will be perfected.

In 1 John 4:9-17, John jumps from talking about how His children show love for God by obedience, to how God shows His love to us by His sacrifice.

9-12 "This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us." 

We love others because God first loved us. God personified His love in the God-man Jesus Christ as our atoning sacrifice. Since God has shown His great love to we who do not deserve it, we also ought to love one another, whether or not they deserve it. The eternal God of the universe resides inside every saved person and His love is made complete in us.

13-17 "This is how we know that we live in him and he is in us: He has given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God. And so we know and rely on the love God has for us."

John reassures the believers that God lives in us and we in Him because we share the Holy Spirit He has given us and how we can be assured we have the Holy Spirit - by acknowledging that Jesus is the Son of God, and to obey Him (circling back to verse 1 John 2:3.)