The Epistle of 1 John

Written by the disciple whom Jesus loved, John, in his letter to the Christians in Asia Minor, talked about the tests of fellowship with God.  Our fellowship with God can be seen in our life of faith and honesty (1:8-10) which is expressed by obedience to God's commands and love of the brethren (4:21).


Outline of 1 John
Ch 1: Requirements for fellowship with God who is Light
The first premise for fellowship with God is to acknowledge that He is light (pure/holy) and to confess our sins to Him.  When we do so, the precious blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin (v 7,9).


Ch 2: Requirements for fellowship with God who is Righteous
Because God is righteous (v 1), we should shun sin and not get ourselves entangled with the system of the world (v 15-17).  The way to defeat the tempter is to read and hide God's Word in our hearts (v 14).  "Young men" refers to those who are growing in their faith.  "Fathers" refers to those who are mature in their faith.  John is not talking about chronological age here, but spiritual.
 
Ch 3 & 4: Requirements for fellowship with God who is Love
God's love enables us to be born into His family as His children (3:1).  The wonderful promise is that we shall be like Him, pure and holy (3:2).  The hallmark of being a true disciple of God is our love for God and the brethren (4:7,20).




Ch 5: Requirements for fellowship with God is to know Christ
Our faith in Jesus Christ overcomes the world (v 4) and He imparts to us eternal life (v 13).  The wonderful promise is that we can come confidently into God's presence to ask and receive from Him (v 14-15).


Let us truly have fellowship with God and His children.  This we do so by displaying unconditional love to one another.