1 John
John is a wise man. He has important things to tell these new believers in Jesus. He repeats everything a few times. That is so his readers will remember what he says. This is what he tells them.
- God is love. He sent his Son, Jesus Christ, to show us how much he loves us.
- His Son shows us how to live. We must become like him.
- Those who belong to the Son have life.
1:9
Arty has a looking hunt for you. Write this verse in your own words. Decorate it by drawing a bar of soap and soap bubbles. Or you could show how something that is dirty can be cleaned.
Think of something you have done that you feel very sorry about. Tell God how you feel. Ask him to forgive you. Use the verse you wrote in your own words in your prayer.
God promises to forgive you when you ask. And he will take away your sin just like soap cleans away dirt.
2:18–27
John writes about Christ’s enemies. They left the community of believers. They are liars. These people say that Jesus Christ isn’t the Son of God and isn’t the Saviour. They say no to the Father and to the Son.
Everyone is either a friend of Christ or an enemy of Christ. Each person has to decide, and that includes you. Do you want to be a friend or an enemy of Jesus?
2:24–27
John tells his readers that they heard the truth about Jesus from the beginning. They must never forget what they heard.
Inny wants to find out what they heard about Jesus. You will find two important things that they heard in verses 12 and 13. Underline these truths in your Bible. Remember them!
There is another important truth about Jesus in verse 25. Also underline that truth!
3:1, 4:9
How can we be sure that God really loves us? These verses give us the answer.
- God made us a part of his family. We are called his children.
- God sent his only Son, Jesus, to die for us so that we could have life. Because of what Jesus did, we will live with God in heaven.
4:1–10
The people in Ephesus had been told lies about Jesus. They had been told that Jesus wasn’t the Christ and wasn’t God’s Son. So John tells them how they can know if someone is telling the truth.
- They will believe that Jesus is the Son of God. Read verse 2.
- They will teach people to love one another. Read verse 7.
- They will say God showed his love for us by sending his Son to die for us. Read verse 10.
- They will reach out to people who are in need. Read 1 John 3:17.
4:7–8
What do your family and friends do to show you that they love you? How do you feel when they do this?
What color on Hearty’s color chart on page 19 matches your feelings?
John tells us that God is love. God loves us so much that he sent his only Son, Jesus Christ. God gave us his Son so he could give his life to pay for our sins.
Everyone who believes in the Son has eternal life. How does that make you feel? What color on Hearty’s color chart matches how you feel?
5:11–12
At the end of his letter, John tells us a very important truth. He says this:
Whoever belongs to the Son has eternal life. That is the truth. Always believe it!