Why Pray His Way (1 John 5:13-21)

Summary

Given the task of 1 John's letter, to give guidance about genuine faith to a wavering church, we may expect that the conclusion of the letter would summarize his main points that true belief begins with the incarnate Son, or that a true believer can be recognized through obedience to Christ or love for a brother and sister.  Instead, John gives two unexpected applications: prayer and the avoidance of idols. 

Outline

  1. The Cause of the Letter
    1. False Teachers
    2. Confrontation Gone Wrong 
    3. Shaken Faith in the Church
  2. The Purpose of the Letter
    1. To Define True Faith: Jesus the Christ, Son of God, in the Flesh
    2. “So That You may Know”
  3. The Implications of the Letter
    1. Prayer
      1. Why Prayer? The Mediator
      2. What sort of Prayer? According to His Will
      3. For What?  “Sin that is not mortal” (???)
    2. Keep From Idols
Rev. Mike WrightComment