One of the things that strikes me as I read this book is all the contrasts; love and hate, truth and lies, abiding in Christ and not abiding in Christ, children of God and children of the devil. The list goes on and on. This should not be surprising because John himself was a man of contrasts. He had a passion against evil ("Lord, should we call down fire from heaven and destroy them?"), and deeply loved Christ, the embodiment of good. John was the one who leaned on Jesus' breast.Right now I am making a list of all the contrasts. It is taking me quite a while, but I think it will be worth it. I think John is drawing two circles for us- those who are in Christ and those who are not.
The over-arching questions of the book are "How can I know who is in Christ and who is not?" and "How can I know if I'm one of those in Christ?" These questions are vital to all of us, including children. The need to satisfactorily answer them grows more intense as they become teens and enter adult hood. The questions could be rephrased as "How can I know I'm saved?" and "How do I know who's telling me the truth?".
After I finish my list of contrasts, I want to make a list of all the occurrences of the word "know". Then I hope to tie it all together in an outline.
The over-arching questions of the book are "How can I know who is in Christ and who is not?" and "How can I know if I'm one of those in Christ?" These questions are vital to all of us, including children. The need to satisfactorily answer them grows more intense as they become teens and enter adult hood. The questions could be rephrased as "How can I know I'm saved?" and "How do I know who's telling me the truth?".
After I finish my list of contrasts, I want to make a list of all the occurrences of the word "know". Then I hope to tie it all together in an outline.
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