1 John: Chapter Two
2:1 Warning - Do Not Sin
John starts a new section, 2:1-17, with a term of endearment, ‘my little children.’ His next purpose in writing is that they ‘not sin.’ 'These things' he writes refers back to vs. 8-10. Sin is defined by John as lawlessness (3:4), a refusal to submit to God’s law. These are serious statements; sin insults the cross and points to their source, the devil (3:8). Nature produces after its own kind; fruit flows from source of tree (3:5-10; i.e. my Characteristics in Daniel). Sin is a serious threat to the Christian, it must be hated, assaulted, conquered. It is not our friend, it is our enemy. If you love sin, you must look to your hearts. Word breaks power of sin, he writes that they may not sin (2:14b).
Consolation – Don’t Despair when you do sin
John is realistic about the reality of the depth and power of sin. But when we do sin, we have an advocate. He is not giving a license for sin but says there is grace when we fail. Grace is not an excuse; it is God’s empowering presence (1 Cor 15:10, 2 Cor 12:9, 1 Tim 1:14).
Here we have the past and present work of Christ. Presently Christ is our advocate. An advocate is one who goes before us to represent us or intercedes on our behalf. This is the same word used in John 14:16. Jesus says he will send another on like him, a paraclete. Jesus was a paraclete to the apostles during his earthly ministry; now the Spirit is that advocate. But Jesus is still an advocate when one sins. His prior work is on the cross when he was a propitiation for our sin. Propitiation is a turning away of Gods wrath away from us for our sin but now he is one who goes before the Father on our behalf to intercede for us.
Necessary connection between knowing and obeying Christ (3-6)
He tells us that we gain assurance from obedience to God. Keeping his commandments is a way of life (verb is present active). What are the commandments (3:23)? In this section there are another series of claims by the false teachers found in v. 4, 6, 9, and 11. In contrast if we claim to know Christ but do not live a life of obedience, then we lie and the truth is not in us. It is in obedience that the love of God is perfected. This can mean God’s love for us or our love for God. Probably our love for God is perfected as it flows from us towards others in love. Then another note of assurance is that we know him if we model him: walk as he walked. How did Jesus walk?
Another common word is abide or remain (24 times in John). It means a position in Christ, or to persevere in Christ. It is not relational as much as it is positional, ontological. It is the nature of reality.
Command of God (7-11)
The command he is writing is not a new command (John 13:44-45; 2Jn 5). It is old in the sense that they have known it from beginning of Christian life (2:24). But it is also new but in what sense (v. 8)? It is new in the sense that in the coming of Jesus, light was coming into the world, there is the passing of the old age taken up in the new (already; not yet).
So whoever says he is in the light yet does not fulfill the love command, hates his brother, is still in the darkness. Hate from the context does not mean an emotional attitude toward others but a disregard for them (3:15-18, 4:20; John 12:25; Mat 6:24).
The one who loves others is the one who abides in the light and as a result there is no cause for stumbling with others. Assurance in the Christian life is not in what people say but how they live. In contrast the one in darkness is blinded (John 9:39-41). The whole of the Christian life, saving faith can be summed up as loving God and loving others (5:3-4).
Assurance (12-14)
He moves to consoling those who are questioning themselves because of the false teaching and maybe even his hard teaching as litmus tests for genuine believers. He uses polemical language and as such his draws strong and hard contrasts. He uses term of endearment and affirms that their sins are forgiven. Notice the ground or basis of forgiveness is not them but God’s name. God is radically committed to his own name above all else. His name reflects his character. Remember that basis for forgiveness was God’s justice and faithfulness (1:9). He assures older believers that they do indeed know him. Then encourages the young men because they have overcome the evil one (3:8). Understanding of our forgiveness and freedom from guilt leads to vigilance and power over sin and temptation. Satan’s greatest target in the life of genuine followers of Christ is to attack our faith so that we do not trust him, unbelief. They are strong (emphatic) because the word abides in them and they have overcome Satan (14c). He repeats himself to reinforce what he is saying.
Relationship to World (15-17)
Main point of the next three verses is 'do not love the world or the things in the world.' He gives three arguments to support his command. The first reason is given in verse 16, ‘for (explanatory) all that is in the world is not from the Father but from the world.’ The love of the world pushes the love of the Father out of us or the love of the Father pushes the love of the world out of us (Mat 6:24). They are opposed to each other. Second is that the world is passing away (17). It is transient so do not invest in it. It is like investing in penny stocks, house built on sand, sinking ship. Obedience is evidence or sign or proof that we love God (5:3). To love God is to love and desire what God loves. The world – all that is impacted by sin - is not neutral. It is described as the desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes, and the pride in possessions (giving you a sense of security). Third if you do the will of God you will live forever. The opposite of loving the world is not only loving the Father (15) but also doing the will of the Father. This connection is the same in John 14:15, if you love me you will keep my commands (5:3).
What is the world? It is everything that makes living possible (3:17, Mat 6; 12:44). It is trusting in them, placing confidence in them, valuing them more than God (i.e. Mat 13:44-45). Pride of life is what we possess or have. Lust of the flesh and eye is what we don’t have. These are what drive the world; a passion for pleasure and pride of possessions. They make us stingy (3:17), selfish, and self centered. It is what hinders us from being radical in our faith because we are afraid of what we will loose. I.e. Charles Barclay gambling habit.
Last Days (18-27)
Apostasy (18-19)
He moves to the theme of the last days. Biblically speaking the last days are from the Christ, pouring out of the Spirit at Pentecost until Christ returns in glory to judge the living and the dead. He tells us ‘Antichrist (no definite article; word is only in 1 John) is coming so now many have come.’ The false teachers are evidence that we are in the last hour. The false teachers were not genuine Christians as we see that the reason given that they went out from us is because they were not of us. It is interesting that this same verb is used of Judas (John 13:30), the ultimate apostate. His whole argument is that the reason they went out is they were not one of us. This proves they were not of us (purpose clause 19c).
Anointing (20-23)
In contrast to 'they,' 'you' have an anointing by the Holy One, Jesus Christ. The anointing can refer to the word or the Spirit. In favor of the word is the context of truth, knowledge and what they have heard from the beginning, a reference to the apostolic witness (24). In favor of the Spirit is a close parallel between 2:27 with John 14:17, ‘even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you. And John 14:26, ‘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 have said to you.’ Both are necessary for discerning error. The word and the Spirit always work in conjunction with each other.
Day of the Lord produces Holiness (26-28 – 3:3) – Question?
A new section delineated by little children, abide or persevere for the purpose of confidence when he returns. There will be people who will shrink back when Christ returns, Mat 7:21ff. The context of Matthew is the necessity of obedience. To abide is to persevere, walk in obedience, in Christ likeness (4:17). When we see him we will become like him (1 John 3:2).
Obedience is not the ultimate ground but it is a signal or sign. Nature produces after its own kind. The ultimate ground is what God has done for us (2:29). Obedience arises because we have been born of God. It is the prior work of God that gives us our confidence (5:1; John 1:13). New birth is a transformation of our desires, appetites, etc (3:9). This will be completed on the day of Christ (3:2). Listen and let this soak in. It is Seeing Jesus for all who he is and savoring him for all that he is makes us Christ like. The goal of our salvation, outside of glorifying God, is Christ likeness. And he uses everything in our lives, including all that happens to us good or bad (Rom 8:28-32), to do it. Jesus learned obedience through suffering. What brings this about is the sight of Jesus unaffected by sin. The fog of sin will be removed and the experience of him will be so intense that we will become like him (1 Cor 3:18). The principle for today is that we become what we admire most. So this future hope (faith looks forward to the promise) is a motivator and agent for pursuing holiness today.
