Gary Gleans

Children,   it is the last hour, and as you have heard that   antichrist is coming, so now   many antichrists have come.   Therefore we know that it is the last hour.    They went out from us, but they were not of us; for   if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out,   that it might become plain that they all are not of us.    But you have been   anointed by   the Holy One, and   you all have knowledge.  I write to you, not because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and because no lie is of the truth.    Who is the liar but   he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is   the antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son.    No one who denies the Son has the Father. Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also.    Let   what you heard from the beginning abide in you. If what you heard from the beginning abides i...

Do not love the world or the things in the world.   If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.    For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and   the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world.    And   the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever. The world and the Father are at opposition with one another and are competing for the loyalty of our hearts. Both are very influential and have life-altering impacts.  However, they have exact opposite effects on those they influence.  It is impossible to please both and is equally impossible to escape from either.  We are called to make continuous and conscientious choices between the world and the Father, because we can’t please both. OUR LOVES REVEAL OUR ALEGIANCES: The commandment to not love the world or the things in the world could not be cle...

I am writing to you, little children,   because   your sins are forgiven for his name's sake. I am writing to you, fathers,   because you know   him who is from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men,   because   you have overcome the evil one. I write to you, children,   because   you know the Father. I write to you, fathers,   because you know   him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men,   because   you are strong,   and the word of God abides in you,   and you have overcome the evil one. John seems to give us an interlude where he takes a break from his teachings about the two tests of genuine faith: obedience and love and addresses the church about stages of Christian maturity.  Just as in physical growth, there are stages of spiritual growth.  Unfortunately, there are believers who seem to be stuck in spiritual infancy.  By God’s grace there are believers who ma...

Beloved, I am writing you   no new commandment, but   an old commandment   that you had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word that you have heard.    At the same time, it is   a new commandment that I am writing to you, which is true in him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and   the true light is already shining.    Whoever says he is in the light and   hates his brother is still in darkness.    Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and in him there is no   cause for stumbling.    But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and   walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes. John is giving us a commandment that is old but with a new twist.  The command to love is certainly an old command as it had already been made very clear throughout the Old Testament.  However, the revelation of Jesus ...

My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin,   we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.    He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but   also for the sins of the whole world.    And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we   keep his commandments.    Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments   is a liar, and   the truth is not in him,   but whoever   keeps his word, in him truly   the love of God is perfected.   By this we may know that we are in him:   whoever says he   abides in him   ought to walk in the same way in which he walked. We have a problem.  Our biggest, most difficult problem to deal with is sin.  Jesus has come to give us victory over sin.  There is no way that any of us were capable of gaining this victory apart from Christ...

This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that   God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.    If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and   do not practice the truth.    But   if we walk in the light,   as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and   the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.    If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and   the truth is not in us.    If we confess our sins, he is   faithful and just to forgive us our sins and   to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.    If we say we have not sinned,   we make him a liar, and   his word is not in us.     The Gospel offers us the most precious gifts imaginable.  The revelation of this amazing Gospel is the greatest privilege we have experienced.  Jesus came to reveal God and the Gospel and then invit...

That which was   from the beginning,   which we have heard,   which we have seen with our eyes,   which we looked upon and   have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life— the life   was made manifest, and we have seen it, and   testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life,   which was with the Father and   was made manifest to us— that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed   our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.    And we are writing these things so   that our joy may be complete. The purpose for the coming of Christ was to save us from sin so that we might be reconciled to God and rejoice in our communion with Him and one another for eternity.  God created us to live in community.  This community was designed to experience the joy of bearing the image of God and worshiping Him together....