1 John 2:1-14
Notes
Transcript
Background
Last week we read 1 John 1, where we learned that God is Light and sin is darkness, in a simplified sort of way. The overall theme of the book is knowing who God is, believing in His Son Jesus Christ, and having assurance of eternal life.
1 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous;
2 and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world.
The Apostle John uses the verb grapho 13 times in 1 John, with 11 of those occurrences are in chapter 2. The others are at the very beginning and the very end of the book.
The emphasis of his usage shows us he purpose in writing.
We see here first that he writes so that we might not sin.
Recall what we read earlier in chapter 1: God is Light, and if we walk in darkness, we don’t practice the truth. But if we walk in the Light, we have fellowship with Him.
Also, if we deny that we have sinned, we call God a liar. But if we acknowledge our sin, He forgives us.
With that said, we see here that if someone sins, Jesus Christ is our Advocate (paracletos, intercessor).
24 but Jesus, on the other hand, because He continues forever, holds His priesthood permanently.
25 Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.
This word is only (by John) used again to describe the Holy Spirit, who also intercedes for us.
7 “But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you.
26 “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.
Not only is Jesus our Advocate, He is also the propitiation (“atonement”) for the sins of mankind.
We saw last week that we are cleansed by the blood of Jesus.
24 and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.
29 The next day he saw Jesus coming to him and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!
34 who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us.
3 By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments.
4 The one who says, “I have come to know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him;
5 but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him:
6 the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked.
We saw this concept last week as well, that if we walk in the Light, we have fellowship with God and each other. If we don’t, the truth is not in us.
We know we are right with God if we keep His commandments.
We know we are right with God if we keep His commandments.
Keeping His commandments is the evidence of our relationship with God.
15 “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.
21 “He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him.”
If someone says that they know Him, but walk in darkness, they are lying.
16 They profess to know God, but by their deeds they deny Him, being detestable and disobedient and worthless for any good deed.
14 What use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but he has no works? Can that faith save him?
15 If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food,
16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,” and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that?
We are to abide in Him and walk in the Light of Christ.
4 “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me.
5 “I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.
6 “If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned.
1 Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called,
2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love,
3 being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
7 Beloved, I am not writing a new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you have had from the beginning; the old commandment is the word which you have heard.
8 On the other hand, I am writing a new commandment to you, which is true in Him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true Light is already shining.
9 The one who says he is in the Light and yet hates his brother is in the darkness until now.
10 The one who loves his brother abides in the Light and there is no cause for stumbling in him.
11 But the one who 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.
What John is teaching is not new, in the sense that it’s been taught before. But it is new in comparison to the Law, the Old Testament.
34 ‘The stranger who resides with you shall be to you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt; I am the Lord your God.
43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’
44 “But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.
34 “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.
35 “By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”
14 For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
Loving one another is the evidence we are believers, but hating one another is the evidence that we walk in darkness.
19 The way of the wicked is like darkness; They do not know over what they stumble.
We were formerly of the darkness.
7 Therefore do not be partakers with them;
8 for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light
9 (for the fruit of the Light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth),
46 “I have come as Light into the world, so that everyone who believes in Me will not remain in darkness.
18 to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me.’
John then details why he’s writing to his audience:
12 I am writing to you, little children, because your sins have been forgiven you for His name’s sake.
13 I am writing to you, fathers, because you know Him who has been from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. I have written to you, children, because you know the Father.
14 I have written to you, fathers, because you know Him who has been from the beginning. I have written to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one.
He addresses 3 separate groups twice each:
First he is writing, and then he has written.
Little children - sins are forgiven; know the Father.
Fathers - know Him who has been from the beginning.
Young men - overcome the evil one; strong, the Word abides in them, overcome the evil one.
Why does he repeat himself? Because in the first, he is instructing. In the second, he is reiterating something they already know.
Our sins are forgiven and we have overcome the evil one because we know God.
Our sins are forgiven and we have overcome the evil one because we know God.
Knowing God is what enables us to have forgiveness of sin, and to overcome the evil one.
There are those who are in darkness, but there is also an enemy.
8 Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
3 But the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen and protect you from the evil one.
These 3 groups are not just ages, they encompass the 3 levels of spiritual maturity.
APPLICATION
APPLICATION
We know we are right with God if we keep His commandments.
Our sins are forgiven and we have overcome the evil one because we know God.
Next week, we will continue through 1 John.