This is a series studying 1 John, 2 John and 3 John. The big idea, especially in 1 John, is that Christianity is like something you have purchased on the Internet. You would like to know that your purchase went through and has been received and accepted. You would also like to know the features and benefits of the thing that you have purchased and how to use it in such a way that you get the most out of it. In the case of 1 John, we’re looking especially at eternal life – what is eternal life like? How do we know that we have it? What are blessings and benefits that come with eternal life? How do we use eternal life in such a way that we are getting the most out of what we have purchased? These are the questions we’ll be examining as we explore the abundant life we have in Jesus and see how we can experience our future eternal goodness today.
This series follows Ecclesiastes wherein Solomon says that the key to life is to fear God. This is true, but for someone who truly knows God, fearing God is part of the actual key to life which is to love God. The Epistles of John are about this love. Someone greater than Solomon is here and rather than simply receive human wisdom from Solomon we are receiving Jesus. That is what the epistles of John are about.