2.

Conditions and Conduct of True Fellowship

1 John 2: 1-14

  • Session: 2
  • Week: 1
  • Day: 2
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Introduction

In this session 1 John Chapter 2: 1-14, we focus on understanding the conditions of true fellowship, the indicators of right conduct and behavior in the fellowship among believers with different levels of faith, children, youth, and adults

Objectives

By the end of this session, the learner will have:

  • Understood the principles of holy communion and fellowship
    • by identifying conditions to meet,
    • by listing the right conduct and the wrong conduct/behavior to uphold and avoid, and
    • by identifying how believers of different faith levels conduct themselves.

Outline

  • Conditions for true fellowship
  • Indicators of holy communion and fellowship
  • Levels of faith in the fellowship
  • Conduct of different members of the fellowship

Group Study Time

1 John 2: 1-14

Connecting

  • Gather with two or more people for a community discovery bible study session.
  • Start with a heartfelt prayer, inviting God to guide and bless your understanding.
  • Explore the passage by reading it at least twice, using different Bible versions if available, then retell the story together as a group.
  • Reflect and share the challenges and blessings you experienced from the previous study.

Comprehending

  • Read 1 John 1: 8-10 and 1 John 2:1-2. Identify at least two conditions for true fellowship and communion with Christ and other Christians.
  • Read 1 John 2: 3-11. List three indicators of right conduct (behavior) in the fellowship with God and others.
  • Read 1 John 2: 12-14. What do you discover as the conduct (behavior) in the fellowship among believers with different levels of faith, children, youth, and adults?

Committing

  • Engage with the Bible—read, study, memorize, meditate, pray, listen, and live it out.
  • List three lessons you have learnt as an agent of change that you would like to put into practice and teach others about.
  • Take time and worship Jesus with the attributes revealed about Christ.
  • Use the SPACEPETS model, to assist you in putting God’s word into practice. Look for:
    • Sin to confess
    • Promise to claim
    • Attitude to change
    • Command to keep
    • Error to change
    • Prayer to make
    • Example to copy
    • Truth to obey and
    • Something praiseworthy

Communicating

  • Identify one person you can connect with and share the valuable insights and lessons you gained from this session.
  • Reach out to a new believer—either in person or by phone—and pray with them to support them through their challenges, including any concerns about attending church.
  • Create a new group and guide others through this study to help them grow in their understanding.

Post Lesson Teaching Summary

Great job completing the study! Take a moment to listen to this summary to reinforce your group’s understanding of the text and ensure you’re all on the same page. We’re here to support your learning journey!

Conditions and Conduct of True Fellowship

1 John 2: 1-14

1 John 2:1-14

  • Context:
    • John confronts the “cancer” of heresies (denying Jesus’ incarnation) disrupting fellowship, using Luke 15 brothers to reflect Jews/Gentiles misled by lies.
    • False teachings erode life, love, and light—John restores truth for vertical (God), horizontal (believers), and downward (world) fellowship.
  • Advocacy and Obedience (1 John 2:1-6):
    • John writes to prevent sin, but if believers sin, Jesus, the righteous advocate, atones for all (v. 1-2); knowing Him means keeping His commands—disobedience reveals a lie (v. 3-6).
    • Mercy provides forgiveness; obedience counters heresy’s lawlessness.
  • Love as Command (1 John 2:7-11):
    • The old yet new command—love one another—reflects Jesus’ light; hating a brother is darkness, blinding fellowship (v. 7-11).
    • Mercy restores love, healing heresy’s division.
  • Stages of Faith (1 John 2:12-14):
    • John addresses children (dependent, forgiven), young men (independent, strong, overcoming evil), and fathers (interdependent, knowing God)—each resists heresy at different maturity levels (v. 12-14).
    • Mercy grows believers to interdependence, refuting lies for others.
  • Application:
    • Confess sin, obey Christ, love brothers, and grow to interdependence—confront heresy’s cancer to restore fellowship with God, believers, and the world.