[Linux4christians] 1 John 2 (Monday)

Sun Dec 20 21:28:58 EST 2009

*1 John 2 (Monday)*

*Commentary*

"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 One, 
2:2 and he himself is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, 
and not only for our sins but also for the whole world."

"2:3 Now by this we know that we have come to know God: if 
we keep his commandments.  2:4 The one who says “I have come 
to know God” and yet does not keep his commandments is a 
liar, and the truth is not in such a person.  2:5 But 
whoever obeys his word, truly in this person the love of God 
has been perfected. By this we know that we are in him. 2:6 
The one who says he resides in God ought himself to walk 
just as Jesus walked."

[Note: The expectation is not perfection, it is that we be 
intentional about our effort to keep the commandments.]

"2:7 Dear friends, 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 that you have 
already heard."

[Note: John refers to the prior Greatest Commandment” of 
Jesus that believers love one another – one value of which 
is the evangelically-attractive witness of our association 
with Jesus.]

"2:8 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. 2:9 The 
one who says he is in the light but still hates his fellow 
Christian is still in the darkness. 2:10 The one who loves 
his fellow Christian resides in the light, and there is no 
cause for stumbling in him. 2:11 But the one who hates his 
fellow Christian is in the darkness, walks in the darkness, 
and does not know where he is going, because the darkness 
has blinded his eyes."

[Note:  John's “new commandment” adds detail to the “old 
commandment”.]

"2:12 I am writing to you, little children, that your sins 
have been forgiven because of his name."

[Note:  John is reminding his readers that their salvation 
is intact because of Jesus and that any suggestion to the 
contrary is a false teaching.]

"2:13a I am writing to you, fathers, that you have known him 
who has been from the beginning."

[Note:  John is reminding his readers of the eternal 
pre-existence of Jesus; therefore they should have 
confidence in His power to save.]

"2"13b I am writing to you, young people, that you have 
conquered the evil one."

[Note:  John wants his readers to remember that their 
salvation represented an eternal victory over the evil one – 
they need not fear what he can do to them eternally – though 
he represents a source of harassment in this world.]

"2:14a I have written to you, children, that you have known 
the Father."

[Note:  John is restating his prior argument for the 
Trinity, then about Jesus, now about the Father.]

"2:14b I have written to you, fathers, that you have known 
him who has been from the beginning.  2:14c I have written 
to you, young people, that you are strong, and the word of 
God resides in you, and you have conquered the evil one."

[Note:  John repeats himself for emphasis.]

"2:15 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, 2:16 because all that is in the world (the desire of 
the flesh and the desire of the eyes and the arrogance 
produced by material possessions) is not from the Father, 
but is from the world."

"2:17 And the world is passing away with all its desires, 
but the person who does the will of God remains forever."

[Note:  John wants his readers to understand that their 
choice for or against Christ is an eternally binding one.]

"2:18 Children, it is the last hour, and just as you heard 
that the antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have 
appeared. We know from this that it is the last hour. 2:19 
They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us, 
because if they had belonged to us, they would have remained 
with us. But they went out from us to demonstrate that all 
of them do not belong to us."

[Note: The “antichrists” “came out from us” means that they 
were from the same Jewish heritage and/or the same region, 
and/or received some of the same teaching but chose to 
reject Christ and to preach and teach falsehoods.]

"2:20 Nevertheless you have an anointing from the Holy One, 
and you all know."

[Note: Those who are truly saved have the indwelling Holy 
Spirit may discern true from false teaching.]

"2:21 I have not written to you that you do not know the 
truth, but that you do know it, and that no lie is of the 
truth. 2:22 Who is the liar but the person who denies that 
Jesus is the Christ? This one is the antichrist: the person 
who denies the Father and the Son. 2:23 Everyone who denies 
the Son does not have the Father either. The person who 
confesses the Son has the Father also."

[Note: Some of the deceivers attempted to claim that they 
were saved via some direct relationship with the Father, 
bypassing Jesus; John assures his readers that this was not 
true.]

"2:24 As for you, what you have heard from the beginning 
must remain in you. If what you heard from the beginning 
remains in you, you also will remain in the Son and in the 
Father. 2:25 Now this is the promise that he himself made to 
us: eternal life. 2:26 These things I have written to you 
about those who are trying to deceive you."

[Note:  The conditional is “If” - “If what you heard from 
the beginning remains in you” refers to the one who has been 
saved, one who has not been saved would not retain the 
teaching as it would not have been kept for them by the 
indwelling Holy Spirit.]

"2:27 Now as for you, the anointing that you received from 
him resides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach 
you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things, it 
is true and is not a lie. Just as it has taught you, you 
reside in him."

[Note:  John rephrases and clarifies 2:24-26]

"2:28 And now, little children, remain in him, so that when 
he appears we may have confidence and not shrink away from 
him in shame when he comes back."

[Note:  John is not placing their salvation in question, 
merely their sense of dishonor before Christ – if they had 
failed to live righteously prior to His return.]

"2:29 If you know that he is righteous, you also know that 
everyone who practices righteousness has been fathered by him."

[Note:  John is exhorting them that righteous living is the 
expectation of all believers and that any teaching to the 
contrary is false.]

*Interaction*

*Consider* the repeated emphasis upon righteous living.

*Discuss* some practical ways that we might live more 
righteous lives.

*Reflect* upon the problem then, and now, with false 
teachers who promote(d) the notion that grace allows 
unrighteous living.

*Share* an example from your experience where your knowledge 
of the Greatest Commandment “... love one another” helped 
you to resist the temptation of the enemy to act in unloving 
ways toward a fellow believer.

*Truth in Action*

Today I will ask the Holy Spirit to show me an area in my 
life where I have made excuses for unrighteous behavior. 
Agree to partner with the Holy Spirit, with accountability 
with a prayer partner, to repent of that sin, to reconcile 
my behavior with the Word of God, and to be restored to a 
closer daily walk with God.

*Be Specific*  _________________________________________

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Tuesday's text will be: 1 John 3
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Have an http://Ultrafidian.com Day!  Pastor David
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Senior Pastor (Interim) Bethel Missionary Baptist
http://bethelstatesboro.org (new site pending)
Bible Commentary & Daily Reflection-Action-Devotional
http://bibleseven.com/b7/b7studies.html
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