By Jordan M. Tew, Executive Director of Baptist Publishing House
A friend once told me she believed she would lose her salvation if she sinned. I was very surprised to hear these words. I was also greatly troubled. My friend loved Jesus and trusted Him to save her, yet she had no hope that she truly was saved or would go to Heaven one day. As a result, she constantly doubted her salvation and carried the burden of trying to live a perfect life. Christians are not intended to live with such doubt. Rather, the book of I John builds a clear case that believers can have security in their salvation. This case is most clearly stated in I John 5:13, where John wrote, “These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe…”
Some may view the book of I John as a sort of “checklist” to determine whether one is truly saved or not. However, the book of I John is not a series of tests to distinguish between true believers and struggling believers. Rather, this book is written to distinguish between believers and unbelievers. Therefore, John’s intent is not to cast doubt on a believer’s salvation or cause God’s people to be needlessly burdened with guilt, but to encourage believers by reminding them of the joy and confidence available to them through a relationship with Jesus Christ.
II John continues much of what John discussed in his first letter, as he reemphasized walking in the truth, loving others and avoiding false teachers. III John was primarily written to encourage a minister named Gaius. In this very brief letter, John admonished believers to walk in the truth, practice hospitality and avoid evil.
This verse-by-verse study will teach the truth that believers can experience true joy and be confident in the salvation provided by Jesus, which will result in a loving and godly lifestyle.
I hope that you will be encouraged by this study of God’s Word. I believe this study will result, Lord willing, in some people being saved and many Christians becoming more confident than ever in their salvation. Those have been our goals throughout the writing of this study.
Here are the lessons in this quarter:
• Lesson 1: A Trustworthy Witness
• Lesson 2: The Message from Jesus
• Lesson 3: Sin and Christians
• Lesson 4: Differences Between Believers and Unbelievers
• Lesson 5: The Christian’s Victories
• Lesson 6: Antichrists and Believers
• Lesson 7: Children of God and Children of the Devil
• Lesson 8: Things Believers Know
• Lesson 9: The Spirit of Truth and Error
• Lesson 10: A Biblical Understanding of Love
• Lesson 11: The Greater Witness of God
• Lesson 12: We Know These Things
• Lesson 13: Truth and Love
• Lesson 14: For Sake of the Name
The summer quarter runs from June to August. You may order today at baptistpublishinghouse.com or (888) 727-8715.
We will send a complimentary copy to any church that is not currently using the BMA curriculum. Please contact us to request your free copy.
