Summary:
He describes the person of Christ, in whom we have eternal life, by a communion with God;
to which we must adjoin holiness of life, to testify the truth of that our communion and profession of faith, as also to assure us of the forgiveness of our sins by Christ’s death.
He comforts them against the sins of infirmity.
Rightly to know God is to keep his commandments;
to love our brethren;
and not to love the world.
We must beware of seducers;
from whose deceits the godly are safe, preserved by perseverance in faith, and holiness of life.
1:1. That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life
1:2. the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us
1:3. that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ.
1:4. And these things we write to you that your joy may be full.
1:5. This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.
1:6. If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.
1:7. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.
1:8. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
1:9. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
1:10. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.
2:1. My little children, these things I write to you, that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.
2:2. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.
2:3. Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments.
2:4. He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
2:5. But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him.
2:6. He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.
2:7. Brethren, I write no new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you have had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which you heard from the beginning.
2:8. Again, a new commandment I write to you, which thing is true in Him and in you, because the darkness is passing away, and the true light is already shining.
2:9. He who says he is in the light, and hates his brother, is in darkness until now.
2:10. He who loves his brother abides in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him.
2:11. But he who hates his brother is in darkness and walks in darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.
2:12. I write to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for His name’s sake.
2:13. I write to you, fathers, because you have known Him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you have overcome the wicked one. I write to you, little children, because you have known the Father.
2:14. I have written to you, fathers, because you have known Him who is 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 wicked one.
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. For all that is in the world the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life is not of the Father but is of the world.
2:17. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.
2:18. Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour.
2:19. 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 they might be made manifest, that none of them were of us.
2:20. But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all things.
2:21. I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and that no lie is of the truth.
2:22. Who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist who denies the Father and the Son.
2:23. Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father either; he who acknowledges the Son has the Father also.
2:24. Therefore let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in the Son and in the Father.
2:25. And this is the promise that He has promised us eternal life.
2:26. These things I have written to you concerning those who try to deceive you.
2:27. But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him.
2:28. And now, little children, abide in Him, that when He appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming.
2:29. If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone who practices righteousness is born of Him.
Comments:
These opening words here “That which was from the beginning, …” relates to a couple key places in scripture. “In the beginning was the word…” John 1:1. “In the beginning God…” Gen 1:1. John is saying that the thing from the beginning is God. Particularly Jesus. He writes things because sometimes we humans need tangible, sensual proof. He, and the other disciples actually used all their senses and knew Jesus was for real. They saw and heard him. They touched and smelled him. They are recorded as being greeted with a kis, so if Jesus had a taste, they tasted him. The words that are shared now, are not to be mean, not to point fingers of blame, not to bring down duilt, not for any bad purposes at all. The only purposes is so we can also enjoy fellowship with them, with Jesus and with the Father. And be joyful about it.
At the risk of sounding “New Age”, God is light. Remember back in Genesis 1, the first thing God created was light. He spoke and it was. The light we experience every day is created. Not a true light. It leaves shadows, it can be bent, split, manipulated. God’s light is one that goes right through solid matter. There is no shadows as objects move about. His light pierces any darkness. He sees when we can’t.
Light and dark carry symbolic meanings. Sure, it does mean when something is bright or dim, but there are meanings of light being good, and moral. Dark means bad, and evil. So if we say that we follow God’s way, but secretly look into the evil side of life, we are lying. We might fool others who only see us in the created light and world that we live, but under God’s true light, we aren’t hiding anything. Ready for your wake up call? Just ask for forgiveness. God will do it. Now start walking right. What? Still clinging to your claims that you are living right when you aren’t? You are trying to make God out to be a liar? That is the key evidence that you are not truly of God. You can fool others. You can fool yourself, but God is real, his word can be known. When in doubt, his word is true and nothing else is.
More symbology: “…The blood of Christ… cleanses us…” I was at a meeting once where a missionary talked of their work. In the country they were in people thought Christians were barbaric and wanted nothing to do with them. Due to the hymns and other proud claims that we often make about the blood of Christ, being washed in the blood, and so on. Blood, in their culture, and even ours, is a dirty thing. It makes about the worst stain in clothes. It carries diseases, and probably much more than I have time to think about right now. Besides the dirty aspect of it, blood represents life. It is what carries in good air, and carries out bad air so the tissues of our body can live. So, if Jesus is God, then whose life can best sustain us? Only his. Even if blood is to be considered a dirty thing, the most dirtiest part of the body of Jesus, it’s still so powerful, it can make us clean. Just something to think about.
There is hope. We do sin. Jesus paid our price. He paid the price for each and every person, everywhere, and all who lived at all times. All anybody has to do is pick up their coupon voucher for one free trip to God’s kingdom. Don’t worry if you lost yours, there’s more. Here’s the proof that you are really and truly included. You will live a life that is in line with keeping his commandments. See the lesson earlier in the month on the Ten Commandments. See yesterday for spiritual living. Talk the talk, but also walk the walk.
The Old Testament is still relevant, in that it will show what bad or good behavior looks like. Spiritual living means your attitude is right. Learn to love when it is so easy to hate. This is a message for people of all ages, and of all relationships. In John’s words children, fathers, young men. We have the comfort of forgiveness, knowledge proves it, we can overcome evil. Fathers know from experience. Children know because they learned from their fathers. Young men are strong and they know because their childhood learning still remains, and will only become more ingrained as they experience life’s battles.
Direct your love away from worldly things. Away from lusts and pride. Those false satisfactions will only last as long as the world does. And it is in slow decline. Since our life spans are even more short than the planet, any satisfaction will only last until your own personal life here does. Without love for the durable things of God, once the physical life is gone and you have nothing else, all satisfaction will also be gone.
John declares that these are the end times. With the coming of Jesus, the fulfillment and completion of the things spoken of in the old estament promises, there is no further religious era to be set up here on earth. No new revelations, no new hopes. We have all we need to know God and his desires, and his plan for our future. Sure, it also means that one day the world as we know it will cease to exist. The earth goes poof and is no more. When? Nobody knows.
When the physical end of times come, a final anti christ will be in power. There are many anti christs who will reign between John’s time and the actual end time. History has demonstrated numerous rulers who practiced ways that are anti to those of Christ. More will come. They try to pass off lies as truth. There is an absolute truth and it can be known. Open the Bible, its all there. It does take faith, the kind of faith that is willing to believe that in all cases of doubt or conflict, the Bible’s words are true over world views. An antichrist is good at lying, he may sound so plausible, even claim to be a student of the scriptures. In being that way, he can distort and make the lie seem right.
Some people claim the Bible contradicts. I dare anyone to take a better look, and read things that are made to seem contradictary in the context of the passage that they are written. Rather than jumping from verse to vers, like stepping stones, through the Bible.
There should be no doubt. God intended mankind for eternal life. He promises eternal life, but it is dependant on our living the correct life. What is correct? The life of attitude , emotions, and behavior outlined in the Bibles commandments. Make the Bible your anchor, your touchstone, your calibration and measuring stick against any new, strange and counterfeit ideas. Live a life that proves God and his truth.