1 John 2
June 21
Reading: 1 John 2
1 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 2 He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.
3 And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. 4 Whoever says "I know him" but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, 5 but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: 6 whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.
7 Beloved, I am writing you no new commandment, but an old commandment that you had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word that you have heard. 8 At the same time, it is a new commandment that I am writing to you, which is true in him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining. 9 Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness. 10 Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and in him there is no cause for stumbling. 11 But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.
12 I am writing to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven for his name's sake. 13 I am writing to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. I write to you, children, because you know the Father. 14 I write to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one.
15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world-- the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life-- is not from the Father but is from the world. 17 And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.
18 Children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. Therefore we know that it is the last hour. 19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us. 20 But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and you all have knowledge. 21 I write to you, not because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and because no lie is of the truth. 22 Who is the liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son. 23 No one who denies the Son has the Father. Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also. 24 Let what you heard from the beginning abide in you. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, then you too will abide in the Son and in the Father. 25 And this is the promise that he made to us-- eternal life.
26 I write these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you. 27 But the anointing that you received from him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about everything, and is true, and is no lie-- just as it has taught you, abide in him.
28 And now, little children, abide in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence and not shrink from him in shame at his coming. 29 If you know that he is righteous, you may be sure that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of him.
1 John was written by the apostle so that a believer can know that he or she has eternal life. It answers the question, “How can I know that I really know Jesus as Savior and Lord.”
Importantly, in 1 John 2:1-2, John calls his readers “little children.” Why? It is because all believers are the Lord’s little children. We depend upon Him like a child. In these two verses we learn that we depend upon Him as our advocate and our propitiation. This means that when we sin, and we know we sin, we can come to the father because Jesus declares us righteous in Him… If we know Him.
How do we know that we know Jesus Christ? Verses 3-6 present another test/proof. You know the Lord if you keep His commandments. His commandments are found in His Word, the Bible. To know the Bible and do what it says is what it means to live in Jesus Christ. I have been asked before by a person who said she was a Christian, “Can I be a Christian if I do not obey Jesus?” The answer is clear. You cannot be a Christian if you are not trying and growing in your obedience to Christ.
If you love me, you will keep my commandments. John 14:15
Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him. John 14:21
If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. John 15:10
Can the point be any clearer? You must obey Christ.
In 1 John 2:7-11 the apostle is reminding them that this teaching is not new. Moreover, what does it mean to obey Christ’s commandment? It means you must love your brother. John is speaking here of loving other believers. They too are God’s little children. Our call to love other believers is in stark contrast to the call to not love the world. (vss. 15-17) Your brothers and sisters in Christ will be with you forever. The world and all that is in it is passing away.
Another test/proof of real faith is presented in verses 18-25. The true believer knows the truth, that Jesus is the Messiah, and rejects all those who deny this truth. No matter how good, winning, or entertaining a person is, if they deny that Jesus is God the Messiah in the flesh, they have the spirit of the antichrist.
Finally, in verses 26-29 we learn that those who know Jesus Christ are learning from Him. They read and study the Bible. For this reason, we live in Him, bear His righteousness, and are looking forward to His glorious return.