1 John 1 – 3
The gospel can be reduced to a knowledge of the character of God and our relationship to Him combined with a knowledge of the mission of His Son.
Knowing His character and our relationship with Him tells us how were should act. Knowing of the mission of His Son gives us hope for the times when we inevitably fail in our actions.
The way to tell if a person is righteous is by whether they act out of love or out of malice. Some know true doctrine and act out of malice and spite. Others have little knowledge of the truth but act out of love for others and of course there are those who act hatefully and without doctrinal knowledge and those who act in love and concern guided by a knowledge of true doctrine. (We should obviously strive to be among this last group.)
John acknowledges that even in their day they have already begun to see antichrists.
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