READ: 1 John 3:1-3

The Love of God the Father is demonstrated in His Manner, Means, Matter, and Method through His Son. Because of His work of salvation, those who believe are given the right to be called children of God.- John 1:12-13 - 1 John 3:1 - “See what kind of love (means) the Father has given (manner) to us, that we should be called children of God; (matter) and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him.

“What kind of love” is not meant to make us think about what God’s love is like, but to tell us what the quality of God’s love is. The manner, means, matter, and method of His Love is Christ, the complete and perfect expression of the Father’s Love. Hebrews 1:3 “He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power…”

The Manner of God’s Love: Manner: the way, style, or method in which something is done or happens. - Romans 5:8

The Means of God’s Love: Means: a method, instrument, or process used to achieve a goal,

- John 3:16

The Matter of God’s Love: Matter: a situation, subject, or level of importance. - Romans 5:19

Situation: A subject, problem, or event of concern; one man’s disobedience

Subject: Trouble (Idiom): Used in questions like "What's the matter? All made sinners

Importance: To be of significance or value - one man's obedience, the many will be made righteous.” (salvation for many)

The Method of God’s Love: Method - a planned, logical, and systematic way of doing something

- 1 Corinthians 15:3-4

- Ephesians 1

The Father Set the plan - Ephesians 1:11

The Son Fulfilled the plan - Ephesians 1:7-10 & 13a

The Spirit Seals the plan - Ephesians 13b-14

- Leviticus 20:26 ; 1 Thessalonians 4:7

- 1 John 3:2-3 - “Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when He appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. 3 And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.

READ: 1 John 2:15-29

What is Christian Deconstructionism? Christian deconstructionism is the process of critically examining, questioning, and dismantling a person's previously held religious beliefs, church culture, and foundational doctrines. Often starting within evangelicalism, it involves taking apart a lifelong belief system to see what is true, harmful, or shaped purely by politics and tradition.

John 6:59-71: The deconstructors or defectors of Jesus’ day

“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.” Matthew 6:24 - James 4:4 - 1 John 2:15-17 - “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. 16 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. 17 And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.

Those who Deconstruct never knew Christ nor left the world. - Hebrews 6:4-6 - 1 John 2:18-20 - “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. 19 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. 20 But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and you all have knowledge.”

• 2 Thessalonians 2:3 - “Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction,”

You can not deconstruct from something you never had, Jesus said, “And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day.” - John 17:39 - John 17:3 - 1 John 2:21-25 - “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. 22 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. 23 No one who denies the Son has the Father. Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also. 24 Let what you heard from the beginning abide in you. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, then you too will abide in the Son and in the Father. 25 And this is the promise that he made to us—eternal life.”

To abide in Christ and He in you is to know Him. - John 14:17 - 1 John 2:26-29 - “I write these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you. 27 But the anointing that you received from him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about everything, and is true, and is no lie—just as it has taught you, abide in him. 28 And now, little children, abide in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence and not shrink from him in shame at his coming. 29 If you know that he is righteous, you may be sure that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of him.”

The Beginning of Knowledge

1 The proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel:

2 To know wisdom and instruction, to understand words of insight,

3 to receive instruction in wise dealing, in righteousness, justice, and equity;

4 to give prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the youth—

5 Let the wise hear and increase in learning, and the one who understands obtain guidance,

6 to understand a proverb and a saying, the words of the wise and their riddles.

7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.

. To walk as Christ walked is to love you brother as He has loved us. You are your brother’s keeper as Christ is to His brothers and sisters. - John 13:34-35

- 1 John 2:7-11 - “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. 8 At the same time, it is a new commandment (John 13:34) that I am writing to you, which is true in Him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true (real, genuine) light (light of Christ) is already shining. (continues to give light) 9 Whoever says he is (exist) in the light (light of Christ) and hates (regard as ill-will, abhor) his brother (fellow-believer) is still in darkness. (remains in wickedness and misery) 10 Whoever loves his brother abides (to be held or kept continually) in the light, and in him there is no cause for stumbling. (stumbling block, obstacle) 11 But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, (live in wickedness and misery) and does not know where he is going, (be led away in life) because the darkness has blinded his eyes.” (John 11:10)

• In Pilgrim’s Progress - Christian states concerning Talkative: "For my part, I am of opinion that he (Talkative) has, by his wicked life, caused many to stumble and fall; and will be, if God prevents not, the ruin of many more" - John Bunyan

Have you ever asked why God gave us His word and why Jesus is the Logos? - 2 Peter 1:3-4

- 1 John 2:12-14 - “I am writing to you, little children, because your sins (harmatia) are forgiven (to send away) for His name's sake. (on account of His name we have obtained something - John 1:12 ; Acts 10:43 ) 13 I am writing to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. (1 John 1:1) I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. (Ephesians 6:10) I write to you, children, because you know the Father. (John 14:7) 14 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.”

Christ is our Advocate and Propitiation for our sin. The Advocate is the one who speaks on your behalf that you are not guilty; the Propitiation is the one who has paid the cost of your guilt.

- Hebrews 7:25 - “Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.”

- 1 John 2:1-2 - “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 (parakletos: one who pleads another’s cause, intercessor) with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 2 He is the propitiation (the means of appeasing) for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.”

• Moses as Advocate and to make Propitiation: Exodus 32:30-33
• Jesus the Advocate: Luke 23:34
• Jesus the Propitiation: Romans 3:21-26

You know that you know Christ not by a prayer spoken but by your life being changed. To know Him is to Love His word, to Love His word is to do His word.

- John 14:15-17 - “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, 17 even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.”

- 1 John 2:3-4 - “And by this we know (ginosko: to know God expressed in action) that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. 4 Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him,”

You know that you are eternal HIs because He lives in you and you in Him. If you abide in Him you will and must live as He lived.

- John 14:23-24 - “Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. 24 Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father's who sent me.”

- 1 John 2:5-6 - “...but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know * that we are in him: 6 whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.”

1 John 1:1-10

Receive the Light - 1 John 1:1-4 "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[a] of life— 2 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—"

Proclaim the Light - 1 John 1:3-6 " 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. 4 And we are writing these things so that our[b] joy may be complete. 5 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. 6 If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.

Walk in the Light - 1 John 1:7-10 "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. 8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us."

READ: 2 Peter 3:1-10

Let us stir up one another until His return - Luke 12:35

- 2 Peter 3:1-3 - “This is now the second letter that I am writing to you, beloved. In both of them I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder, (1 Peter 4:7) 2 that you should remember the predictions of the holy prophets and the commandment (Matthew 24:44, 1 Thess. 5:6, Luke 12:35-48) of the Lord and Savior through your apostles, 3 knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires.” (epithymia: epi-thoo-mia = desire what is forbidden, lust)

The fool says in his heart there is no God; he also says He’s not coming, but history reminds us that there was a flood. Noah had flood insurance; do you have fire insurance? - Matthew 24:37-39

- 2 Peter 3:4-7 - “They will say, “Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation.”(atheistic view, “immutable uniformitariansism- unchanging uniformity” - John MacArthur) 5 For they deliberately overlook (thelo lanthano: willfully keep hidden, out of sight out of mind - Romans 1:19-21) this fact, that the heavens existed long ago, and the earth was formed out of water and through water by the word of God, 6 and that by means of these the world that then existed was deluged with water and perished. (Genesis 6:13; 7:23-24) 7 But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly.” (Revelation 20:11-15)

Christ will keep His promise to deliver His people from His wrath and to bring to nothing all that is wicked and corrupt. - 1 Thessalonians 5:9-11

- 2 Peter 3:8-10 - “But do (sy: you) not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 9 The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward YOU, not wishing (willing, pleased) that any (tis: certain one, some) should perish, (destroyed) but that all (pas: the whole) should reach (proceed, turn) repentance. (change any and all elements of life) 10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, (1 Thessalonians 5:4) and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, (crash, loud noise) and the heavenly bodies (natural universe, elements of all things) will be burned up and dissolved, (burn up & demolish) and the earth (land, world) and the works (all things accomplished by man) that are done on it will be exposed.” (unhidden, found out)