Transcript

Podcast Introduction

Today is Epistles Sunday. Our reading will be 1 John 1-3.. Before I begin the chapters, I’ll have an introduction to John’s Epistles for you. Tomorrow is August 1st, and I will have an announcement to share with you on the show, so don’t miss it. I’m calling today’s episode “They’re Talking About You.” 

Comments on 1 John 1-3

Chapter 1

John begins chapter one much like he did his Gospel. He refers to Jesus as the Word, and he affirms that the Word has existed from the beginning. And he says that he, John, personally saw and heard Him.

He says that it is through Jesus that we can have a relationship with God, and that when we have that, we have a relationship with other believers…we truly are brothers and sisters.

This is important because if we say we believe, and yet don’t love each other, we are fooling ourselves. 

And then at the end of chapter one we read one of the foundational truths of the Gospel. John writes in verse nine, “God is faithful and reliable. If we confess our sins, he forgives them and cleanses us from everything we’ve done wrong.” Of course, God sets a high standard for us, but He knows how weak and fallible we are. But because of what Jesus did on the cross, this forgiveness is available to all who believe.

Chapter 2

And in the opening verses of chapter two, John continues this thought. And this one just blows me away. Did you know that you are a topic of conversation between Jesus and the Father? You are. And I am. Listen to this. John writes: I’m writing this to you so that you will not sin. Yet, if anyone does sin, we have Jesus Christ, who has God’s full approval. He speaks on our behalf when we come into the presence of the Father.” 

When you and I sin, Jesus looks at the Father and says, “Forgive him, Father. I already paid for that sin with my blood.” What better advocate could there possibly be? Such Good News!

Of course, there are a lot of golden nuggets of truth in these first three chapters, but I’m going to leave you with that last one.

Today’s Bible Translation

Bible translation used in today’s episode: Ch. 1-3 GWT

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Transcript

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STEVE WEBB – 0:00
This one just blows me away.

INTRO S12E333 – 0:09
Coming to you from Riverside, California, this is the Lifespring Family Audio Bible. And podcasting since 2004, I’m your OG Godcaster, Steve Webb. This is the daily show where we’re reading through the entire Bible in a year and the year is almost over. Today’s Epistle Sunday and our reading will be 1 John chapters 1 through 3. Before I begin the chapters, I’ll have an introduction to John’s epistles for you. And tomorrow is August 1. I’ll have an announcement to share with you on that show. So you might not want to miss it. I’m calling today’s episode, “They are Talking About You”. The show notes page for today’s episode is at lifespringmedia.com/s12e333. If you’d like to send me an email, I’d sure love to read it. Send it to st***@*************ia.com. And by the way, as you just heard, this is episode 333 of season 12. And I’ll have a little bit more to say about 333 a little bit later in the show. Let’s get started.

INTRO TO EPISTLES OF JOHN – 1:05
1 John is one of three epistles or letters that are attributed to John the Apostle who also wrote the Gospel of John and the book of Revelation. He’s the disciple that is often called John the Beloved, because it’s thought that he’s the one referred to six different times in the Gospel of John as the disciple whom Jesus loved. He’s also the disciple who was with Mary at the foot of the cross and into whose care Jesus gave Mary. The letters were not written to a specific church, but were intended to be circulated around to all the churches, the epistle was written to help them and encourage them in their devotion to Jesus, and to remind them that false teachers would be around and to emphasize that their love of God and people, especially other believers, was of the utmost importance.

1 JOHN 1 (GWT) – 1:53
1 John, chapter 1. (1) The Word of life existed from the beginning. We have heard it. We have seen it. We observed it and touched it. (2) This life was revealed to us. We have seen it, and we testify about it. We are reporting to you about this eternal life that was in the presence of the Father and was revealed to us. (3) This is the life we have seen and heard. We are reporting about it to you also so that you, too, can have a relationship with us. Our relationship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. (4) We are writing this so that we can be completely filled with joy.

(5) This is the message we heard from Christ and are reporting to you: God is light, and there isn’t any darkness in him. (6) If we say, “We have a relationship with God” and yet live in the dark, we’re lying. We aren’t being truthful.

(7) But if we live in the light in the same way that God is in the light, we have a relationship with each other. And the blood of his Son Jesus cleanses us from every sin. (8) If we say, “We aren’t sinful” we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us. (9) God is faithful and reliable. If we confess our sins, he forgives them and cleanses us from everything we’ve done wrong. (10) If we say, “We have never sinned,” we turn God into a liar and his Word is not in us.

1 JOHN 2 (GWT) – 3:13
1 John, chapter 2. (1) My dear children, I’m writing this to you so that you will not sin. Yet, if anyone does sin, we have Jesus Christ, who has God’s full approval. He speaks on our behalf when we come into the presence of the Father. (2) He is the payment for our sins, and not only for our sins, but also for the sins of the whole world.

(3) We are sure that we know Christ if we obey his commandments. (4) The person who says, “I know him,” but doesn’t obey his commandments is a liar. The truth isn’t in that person. (5) But whoever obeys what Christ says is the kind of person in whom God’s love is perfected. That’s how we know we are in Christ. (6) Those who say that they live in him must live the same way he lived.

(7) Dear friends, it’s not as though I’m writing to give you a new commandment. Rather, I’m giving you an old commandment that you’ve had from the beginning. It’s the old commandment you’ve already heard. (8) On the other hand, I’m writing to give you a new commandment. It’s a truth that exists in Christ and in you: The darkness is fading, and the true light is already shining.

(9) Those who say that they are in the light but hate other believers are still in the dark. (10) Those who love other believers live in the light. Nothing will destroy the faith of those who live in the light. (11) Those who hate other believers are in the dark and live in the dark. They don’t know where they’re going, because they can’t see in the dark.

(12) I’m writing to you, dear children, because your sins are forgiven through Christ.
(13) I’m writing to you, fathers, because you know Christ who has existed from the beginning.
I’m writing to you, young people, because you have won the victory over the evil one.
(14) I’ve written to you, children, because you know the Father.
I’ve written to you, fathers, because you know Christ, who has existed from the beginning.
I’ve written to you, young people, because you are strong and God’s word lives in you. You have won the victory over the evil one.

(15) Don’t love the world and what it offers. Those who love the world don’t have the Father’s love in them. (16) Not everything that the world offers—physical gratification, greed, and extravagant lifestyles—comes from the Father. It comes from the world, and (17) the world and its evil desires are passing away. But the person who does what God wants lives forever.

(18) Children, it’s the end of time. You’ve heard that an antichrist is coming. Certainly, many antichrists are already here. That’s how we know it’s the end of time. (19) They left us. However, they were never really part of us. If they had been, they would have stayed with us. But by leaving they made it clear that none of them were part of us.

(20) The Holy One has anointed you, so all of you have knowledge. (21) I’m writing to you because you know the truth, not because you don’t know the truth. You know that no lie ever comes from the truth.

(22) Who is a liar? Who else but the person who rejects Jesus as the Messiah? The person who rejects the Father and the Son is an antichrist. (23) Everyone who rejects the Son doesn’t have the Father either. The person who acknowledges the Son also has the Father. (24) Make sure that the message you heard from the beginning lives in you. If that message lives in you, you will also live in the Son and in the Father. (25) Christ has given us the promise of eternal life.

(26) I’m writing to you about those who are trying to deceive you. (27) The anointing you received from Christ lives in you. You don’t need anyone to teach you something else. Instead, Christ’s anointing teaches you about everything. His anointing is true and contains no lie. So live in Christ as he taught you to do.

(28) Now, dear children, live in Christ. Then, when he appears we will have confidence, and when he comes we won’t turn from him in shame. (29) If you know that Christ has God’s approval, you also know that everyone who does what God approves of has been born from God.

1 JOHN 3 (GWT) – 7:12
1 John, chapter 3. (1) Consider this: The Father has given us his love. He loves us so much that we are actually called God’s dear children. And that’s what we are. For this reason the world doesn’t recognize us, and it didn’t recognize him either. (2) Dear friends, now we are God’s children. What we will be isn’t completely clear yet. We do know that when Christ appears we will be like him because we will see him as he is. (3) So all people who have this confidence in Christ keep themselves pure, as Christ is pure.

(4) Those who live sinful lives are disobeying God. Sin is disobedience. (5) You know that Christ appeared in order to take away our sins. He isn’t sinful. (6) Those who live in Christ don’t go on sinning. Those who go on sinning haven’t seen or known Christ.

(7) Dear children, don’t let anyone deceive you. Whoever does what God approves of has God’s approval as Christ has God’s approval. (8) The person who lives a sinful life belongs to the devil, because the devil has been committing sin since the beginning. The reason that the Son of God appeared was to destroy what the devil does. (9) Those who have been born from God don’t live sinful lives. What God has said lives in them, and they can’t live sinful lives. They have been born from God. (10) This is the way God’s children are distinguished from the devil’s children. Everyone who doesn’t do what is right or love other believers isn’t God’s child.

(11) The message that you have heard from the beginning is to love each other. (12) Don’t be like Cain. He was a child of the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did Cain murder his brother? Because the things Cain did were evil and the things his brother did had God’s approval. (13) Brothers and sisters, don’t be surprised if the world hates you.

(14) We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love other believers. The person who doesn’t grow in love remains in death. (15) Everyone who hates another believer is a murderer, and you know that a murderer doesn’t have eternal life.

(16) We understand what love is when we realize that Christ gave his life for us. That means we must give our lives for other believers. (17) Now, suppose a person has enough to live on and notices another believer in need. How can God’s love be in that person if he doesn’t bother to help the other believer? (18) Dear children, we must show love through actions that are sincere, not through empty words.

(19) This is how we will know that we belong to the truth and how we will be reassured in his presence. (20) Whenever our conscience condemns us, we will be reassured that God is greater than our conscience and knows everything. (21) Dear friends, if our conscience doesn’t condemn us, we can boldly look to God (22) and receive from him anything we ask. We receive it because we obey his commandments and do what pleases him. (23) This is his commandment: to believe in his Son, the one named Jesus Christ, and to love each other as he commanded us. (24) Those who obey Christ’s commandments live in God, and God lives in them. We know that he lives in us because he has given us the Spirit.

COMMENTS – 10:30
John begins chapter 1, much like he did his Gospel. He refers to Jesus as the word and that the word existed from the beginning. And he says that he, John, personally saw and heard him.

He says that it’s through Jesus, that we can have a relationship with God. And that when we have that we have a relationship with other believers. We truly are brothers and sisters.

And this is important because if we say we believe and yet don’t love each other, we’re fooling ourselves.

And then at the end of the chapter, we read one of the foundational truths of the Gospel. John writes in verse 9, “God is faithful and reliable. If we confess our sins, he forgives them and cleanses us from everything we’ve done wrong.” If you’ve been listening to the show for very long, you’ve heard me quote that verse many times.

And then in the opening verses of chapter 2, John continues this thought, and this one just blows me away. Did you know that you’re a topic of conversation between Jesus and the Father? You are! And so am I! Listen to this. John wrote, “I’m writing this to you so that you will not sin. Yet, if anyone does sin, we have Jesus Christ, who has God’s full approval. He speaks on our behalf when we come into the presence of the Father.”

So when you and I sin, Jesus looks at the father and says, “Forgive him, Father. Forgive her, Father. I already paid for that sin with my blood.” Isn’t that a marvelous thing to hear? What better advocate could there possibly be than Jesus himself? That is such good news. Of course, there are a lot of golden nuggets of truth in these first three chapters, but, today, I’m just going to leave you with that last one. You can’t improve on that.

You have any comments? Let me know. Go to lifespringmedia.com/s12e333. Our reading tomorrow will be Deuteronomy 20 through 22.

Boost.

EPISODE 333 PROMOTION – 12:34
So this is episode 333 of season 12. And what with Kathi’s health problems this week, I didn’t even think to create a special deal to mark the 333. It wasn’t until I saw the really cool newsletter that Kirsty sent out this week that I realized that I missed out. So by all means, donations of $3.33 or $33.33 or $333.33 or $3333.33 are all welcome. And I’ll announce them on the show. I can’t believe I missed it. But you know, there are priorities. Kirsty thank you for bringing it to my attention.

ON THIS DATE IN CHURCH HISTORY – 13:23
On this date in church history, July 31, 1970, the complete New American Standard Version of the Bible was published on this date. The New American Standard New Testament first appeared in 1963.

PRAISE REPORT – 13:44
I have a praise report about Kathi. Got some great news from Del this morning. Kathi is being released from the hospital today and I’m recording this on Saturday afternoon. Now, because of the stairs at Del and Kathi’s house, which she’s too weak to tackle right now, she’ll be going to stay with one of their daughters. And they hope to get an appointment set tomorrow, Monday, with City of Hope to start the new cancer treatments. And by the way, she started back on solid foods today, too. So good news all around. Praise the Lord and thank you for your prayers.

CLOSING PRAYER –
Let’s pray. Our heavenly Father, what a joy it is to know that Jesus intercedes for us with you father. Knowing that he is our intercessor brings a great deal of security and peace, and we thank you for that, Lord. And I thank you for your hand on Kathi. In Jesus’ name, I just ask that you would continue the healing.

And I pray, Lord, that You would bless the Lifespring family today. Where there are needs. I pray that you work your perfect will in each life. I pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen.

And if you have a prayer request or to praise just go to prayer.lifespringmedia.com.

OUTRO S12E333 – 14:57
Comment on the show at lifespringmedia.com/s12e333. Send an email to me at st***@*************ia.com. Thanks to the team. Kirsty, again, thanks for that great newsletter you just sent out. Thanks to Sean of San Pedro for being so quick and having those chapters done even before the show was published many times. And Denise, thank you for all the work you do on correcting the transcripts.

Thank you for making me a part of your podcast-listening day. I am honored and I don’t take it for granted. So thank you very much. And please do support the show at lifespringmedia.com/support. Please and thank you.

Until tomorrow, may God bless you richly. My name is Steve Webb. Remember I have an announcement tomorrow. See you then.

Bye.

Transcribed by https://otter.ai
Corrected by Denise