1 John 2:27-29 - Let what you heard abide in you

The key - What you have heard from beginning,
Keep doing it - (then) You will abide with Son and Father
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Vs. 2:27 – As for you, the anointing which you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you; but as His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you abide in Him -

But as for you…remember there are those trying to trick you into moving away from Jesus – but it won’t happen. Why? You have been given the Holy Spirit that Jesus promised (see John 14:16, 26). Since you have the Holy Spirit, you don’t need to worry about being led into falsehoods, false teachings, away from Christ, because the Holy Spirit will only teach you the truth. But there is a catch: now that you have the Holy Spirit, you must ‘keep’ him.
This verse is very specific: You have the truth because you have the Holy Spirit, but to remain in the truth you need to remain in a relationship with the Holy Spirit. “Abide” is the word used – it basically means to remain in place, to sojourn, to not depart, to be held, kept, continually, to remain as one, not to become different. I heard somewhere, that the word picture is ‘making a home’, or ‘making a nest’. This not a casual relationship, but a inter-connection between you and the Holy Spirit, and God. Teaching and knowing the truth is not happenstance, peripheral, but requires time spent. Each day we learn how to live with the Holy Spirit in charge.

BUT…you have the Holy Spirit Anointing.. Anointing teaches You Abide in Him

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Have You Made the Wonderful Discovery of the Spirit-Filled Life?

Do you have a relationship with the Holy Spirit? If not, you are missing a vital, necessary part of living the Christian life. The Holy Spirit is promised to us by Jesus to be our helper, our teacher, our guide through our life on earth. Here is a good place to start learning how to have a growing, vibrant relationship with the Holy Spirit.
The following link, Have You Made the Wonderful Discovery of the Spirit-Filled Life? will lead you step-by-step to living an empowered Spirit-filled life. (Link opens in new window)
This is from CRU.org (formerly Campus Crusade for Christ), and I can say it has had a huge impact on my life. I first heard this at 'Explo 72' in Dallas, TX. There, for the first time I learned about living moment-by-moment in the power of the Holy Spirit.

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Vs. 2:28 - Now, little children, abide in Him, so that when He appears, we may have confidence and not shrink away from Him in shame at His coming –

Christ is coming again, and when He appears – are you ready? Can you face the judgement? We know the believers will not face the final ‘Great White Throne’ judgement. Our names are in the Lamb’s book of life. But we will face the judgement of Christ. (See 1 Cor 3:10-15; 2 Cor 5:10). We must lead a life that is worthy of our calling (Col 1:10-14) Offer ourselves as living sacrifices (Rom 12:1-2). The only way we can live as we ought is to have Christ living through us.(Gal. 3:20)

Abide in Him = confidence, no shame

If we remain in the living by faith mode, then there is no worry about what we face. There is no need for shame on our part. If we remain in living faithfully, we can be confident. No need to panic.

We can KNOW. But... When we sin, we are not lost!

We can know, we won’t be deceived by our own selves, or by others. This is true because we have the Holy Spirit. We have been “anointed” by the Holy Spirit. But requires effort – we must ‘abide’ – make our home with Christ. Abiding gives confidence. So that you are not afraid to answer for your life when He returns. Even believers face a judgment (See 2 Cor. 5:10, 1 Cor 3:10-15). Being saved, our names are forever written in the Lamb’s book of life (Phil 4:3; Rev. 3:5, 13, 18; 17:8; 20:12, 15; 21:27), is the first (and most important) step. Christianity does not stop there.
James puts it bluntly: ‘faith w/o works is dead’, James 4:14-26. But Paul also indicates this – Col 1:10; Tit 3:8. I especially like the way Colossians states it, “in a manner worthy…” At the end of the movie “Saving Private Ryan.” Tom Hanks' character, as he lay dying from his wounds says to Ryan, “Make your life worth this cost.” (or so). That is what has been asked of us, to be worthy of the price paid.

Vs. 2:29 – If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone also who practices righteousness is born of Him -

Since you know Christ is righteous, then you know what is right to do. And since you are God’s child, then you will know to do right. I like the way NASB* puts it, “practice righteousness”.
This seems like this verse should have been at the beginning of chapter 3.
This is an “if…then” statement: If you are from (born) of Christ, then you will be righteous. Why: because He is righteous. Born: John 3:3, 5-8; 1 Pet 1:23; 1 Cor 5:17. We need to not just know about righteous behavior, but to practice it.

Know He is righteous Practice righteousness

We are God's children - practice righteousness.
End of Chapter.
* (New American Standard Bible)

1 John 2:15-26 - In or Out of the World

Love of the world versus the love of God

Vs. 2:15 – Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

"Love the World" - This is not reverence for nature. The pattern here is that our nature (sin nature by the way) is not God’s nature. Light versus dark, sin versus righteousness. In the letter to the Colossians Paul gives a list of behaviors that we are to avoid, or that we used to practice, but now need to avoid. Col. 3:7-9 "and in them you also once walked, when you were living in them. But now you also, put them all aside: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices," If our hearts and minds are focused on the pleasures and sins of this world, it is not focused on the will of God. God’s love abiding in us, drives us to obey. Self-love (from the world) seduces us to turn away from His will. I cannot seek pornography and God’s love. I cannot seek to be angry and have God’s love. I cannot be envious and be controlled by God’s love.

Do not love the world, If love world, then no Father’s love.

Other verses that touch this topic:
   James 4:4 “Friends with world means hostility towards God”
   Deut. 10:12 –“What does God require, but to serve Him…”
   Luke. 16:13 – “…cannot serve God and mammon”.
   Col. 2:8, 3:12 – working to keep from being defiled by the world.
   Rom. 12:2 – “Do not be conformed to the pattern of this world.”
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Vs. 2:16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world.

– A simple list. It covers it all: "All that is in the world..."
Lust of the flesh = Physical pleasures (traps, actually) – sex, drugs, rock-and-roll;
Lust of the Eyes = Mental (wanting stuff); the tenth of the 10 commandments is "do not covet" - See Exo. 20:3-17.
Self-pride = elevating self above others, especially putting yourself in God's place (Satan's downfall).

World – lust of flesh, lust of eyes, pride

Vs. 2:17 "The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever."

The – world going away. We who obey abide forever. We can be strong because the love of God is in us.

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It is the last hour

Vs. 2:18 – Children, it is the last hour; and just as you heard that antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have appeared; from this we know that it is the last hour.
I always thought there was only one antichrist. (See Matt. 24:5, 24 – false Christs!) Anyone who opposes Christ is an ‘antichrist’ – opposes through non-belief, preaching disbelief, persecution, etc.
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Vs. 2:19 – "They went out from us, but they were not really of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out, so that it would be shown that they all are not of us."

This is how we know…they (the antichrists) are no longer with us. Not dead – no longer fellowshipping, worshiping, praying, or believing. We may have thought they were fellow believers. But this shows they were not. They did not know the truth, they knew the world. They (the false teachers) left our fellowship; not driven out, but of their own volition. If they were faithful to Christ, they would have remained faithful in the fellowship,of believers. (see vss. 15-18)

Antichrist – Is coming   Many have arisen   Denies Father and Son They - went out (2x in 19) They - were not of us (2x)

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Vs. 2:20 "Nevertheless you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you all know." -
But - You Know.  The reason we know is that we are not on our own. Jesus promised a Helper, someone to come along side and teach us all we needed to know. See John 14:16, 17, 22 -  I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you... 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.
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Vs. 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."

A reminder: John is writing to encourage them. Why: because they are believers. They know the truth. They know the ones who said they were fellow followers of Jesus; but then these faux believers left. This does not mean they just moved to Timbuktu. They left the faith, turned their backs, proof they were lying. The people John is writing to have the HS, they have the truth, and are not liars. And the truth does not lie. A lie cannot be the truth. This is a concept that is being lost in our culture. Some people revel in call truth a lie, and a lie the truth.
See Isa. 5:20-21 - Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness; Who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter! Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes And clever in their own sight!

But – you (20)   Have H.S.   All know   Know the truth No lie is of the truth (21) Liar denies Jesus (22)

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Vs. 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.The Holy Spirit has given you the ability to know the truth."  So where do the lies come from? What is the source? OBVIOUSLY – Satan. But what about the body of believers John is writing to? The lie is “I am a believer.” These are being led to lie by the Anti-Christ
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Vs. 2:23 – Everyone who denies the Son does not have the Father either. The person who confesses the Son has the Father also.

Denies Father and Son. Do one, get both. You cannot separate them. Accept the Son, accept the Father. You cannot have one without the other. Deny one, means denying both. The world changed, the relationship of mankind and God changed with the Advent of the Christ. Jesus Christ was always with the Father and the Holy Spirit – but the world was ignorant of His being.
When He came to earth, lived and ministered, was crucified and resurrected, the whole dynamic shifted. Previously, it was God, basically the Father, that the world, including the Jews, had a relationship with, if any. Now, we know that Christ is sent by God, represents God, is God incarnate. Jesus did the will of God. He did not take off on His own to come to earth.
His sacrifice paid the price, and was approved – how else could the resurrection take place? If you despise Christ, you despise the one who sent Him. Jesus acted for the triune God to bring us back into the loving relationship. Reject Christ, reject the Holy Spirit, reject God the Father. On the other hand, accepting Christ means you get the Father also. You can not say, “I’ll take the Son without needing the Father.” Or, “I’ll follow God, but I reject Christ.” Not possible.

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Denies Son = does not have Father Confess Son = have Father

Vs. 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.

“As for you…” You are different. You are one of us – you haven’t abandoned the gospel; you haven’t pretended to believe; you are not liars; you know the truth; you know Him; you have been anointed by the Holy Spirit.
“What you have heard from the beginning” – the gospel is what they heard from beginning, the world has heard.

The message, in brief:

“I have come to seek and save the lost.” (Lk 19:14).
“I am the way the truth and the life.No one comes to the Father but through me.” (Jn14:6)
“…I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” (Matt. 9:13)
“…I will him before my Father”, (Matt. 10:32)
“For God so loved the world…” (Jn 3:16); See Jn 5:19-45.
“If any man is willing to do His will, he shall know the teaching…” Jn 7:17;
“… and the truth will make you free.” Jn 8:31-32,
“He who obeys my teachings…will be loved by me.” (Jn14:21,23);
“No other name under heaven..” (Acts 4:12); see Acts 5:29-32;
“God demonstrates His own love for us…” (Rm 5:12);
“…the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Rm 6:23).

The message they have heard from the beginning – believe in Christ and you will be saved, to eternal life. If that abides in you, then Christ and the Father will be with you, and in you.
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Vs. 2:25 – "Now this is the promise that he himself made to us: eternal life."

The conclusion to be drawn from this is that if you abide in Christ and the Father, and they also abide in you, the result is eternal life. This is the message: you know Christ, you are faithful, therefore – you have eternal life. You can KNOW this. No confusion, no doubt, but certainty. What a blessed relief.

Promise: eternal life

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Vs. 2:26 "These things I have written to you about those who are trying to deceive you." -

The whole of the previous part of the letter is to encourage and build up the faith of the believers. Look at the statements encouraging them: “by this we know”, “because you know”, “because you are strong”, “abide”, “anointing”.
Look at the phrases warning them: “If we say…we deceive ourselves”, “Do not love the world”, “they are not of us”, “no lie is of the truth”, and the biggie – “anti-christ”.
There are people trying to deceive the believers.

 
Observation (not sure this is entirely accurate): 

In chapter 1:8 we are warned that we deceive ourselves. 

In 2:22 there are those who may be lying to us. 

In 2:26 we are warned they really are deceiving us. The antichrists are doing everything possible to draw us away from Christ. Their goal is to feed that self-deception, to sow confusion, the result is ineffectual followers. That is the crime: we are the messagers for the Kingdom of Christ. If we are wimpy, confused - the world around us will not know! 

These people … Trying to deceive

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1 John 2:9-14 - Loving God

OLD = Love God
NEW = Love one another as Christ did

Vs. 2:9 – "The one who says he is in the Light and yet hates his brother is in the darkness until now." - This is a similar formula to the “If we say..” focusing on the hypocrisy. These verses are addressing not living as professed. I cannot hate and be filled with love. To hate is to to detest, to pursue with hatred. Is 'brother' talking about an actual brother, or any fellow man, or only a fellow believer. I do not think this means to hate a fellow believer. I think this means that we are not to hate anyone – believer, non-believer, no other fellow human being. God loves the human race, even though we have shunned Him. God expects us to love them, too.

“until now.” – STILL in darkness. But the light has come when Jesus came. We can no longer act as if He did not. See John 3:19-21 This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God. Note that James says “even if you do not commit adultery, you are a lawbreaker if you commit murder. If you break one law, you are guilty of breaking them all.” So what if I do not commit adultery, if I hate I am still ensconced in sin. I have not broken free. Jesus came to set us free from the clutches, the guilt, the shame of sin.

SAYS in light, BUT in darkness - Due to hate.

Blinded by Darkness

Vs. 2:10 – "The one who loves his brother abides in the Light and there is no cause for stumbling in him." - The antidote to hate. Love them. Let God love them through you. Not an emotional appeal here. This is not romance, but agape love – love that will bring the good news to them. Love means abiding in light, abiding in Christ. 

Light vs. Dark love means light, abiding in light, not blinded by darkness; No stumbling Love = light; hate = darkness.

“There is no cause for stumbling…” - Nothing to trip them up. The word means to trip up as in a part of a trap, a stick, an impediment. The Jews stumbled over Jesus, but the Gentiles thought Him to be foolish – they just didn’t understand. In us, sin causes us to be blind, even during midday.

see Isa. 59:9,10 – We stumble, because we are in darkness. ***

Vs. 2:11 – "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." - ”But” – in contrast to the one walking in the light.
Darkness used three times in this verse. Hating places me in darkness, when I try to navigate, I am in trouble, since I am in darkness, and am blinded by darkness. We tend to think we are blinded by light. And indeed, moving from a dark area to a lighter one, there is a momentary overexposure. We need to squint to give our eyes a chance to adjust. Or we can be blinded by glare, or a reflection. But in fact, darkness is a bigger hindrance. It takes longer for our eyes to adjust when moving from a bright room to a dark one. Also, as the light levels get lower, our eyes lose the ability to discern. Colors are lost first (more rods than cones in our retina). We lose depth perception, and finally, the ability to pick out any objects. Without actually damaging our eyes, we are blind. (It is amazing how little light we need to be able to function).

Refer back to verse 9 – “the one who says…yet” and verse 10.
Verses 9, 10, and 11 are a verbal sandwich
       Darkness
          Light
       Darkness
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Hate brother = darkness   But… Does not know Blinded by darkness

Be encouraged because you are His

Vs. 2:12: - I am writing to you, little children, because your sins have been forgiven you for His name's sake. …

'Writing' is the theme for verses 12 through 14. These three verses are like a “bridge” in a song. It doesn’t seem to tie into the verses before or after.
However, “writing" is a running theme for this letter. These verses are a mini-pep-talk. previous the “if-then” type statement. Here John is encouraging them by saying he ‘knows’ they are in light. The proof: their living.
Be encouraged because your sins are forgiven. You don’t need to be blind. You don’t need to stumble about in the dark. See John 3:19-21 (see above). Also, Paul writes that we were slaves to sin, but are now slaves of righteousness. The shackles of righteousness are not odious. Indeed. We are free from sin, and do not need to stumble.

Know Him
Vs. 2:13 –  I am writing to you, fathers, that you have known him who has been from the beginning. I am writing to you, young people, that you have conquered the evil one. I have written to you, children, because you know the Father.

 See John16:33 "I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. In the world you have trouble and suffering, but take courage - I have conquered the world.", (Rom. 3:4 ?), Rom. 12:21 "Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.", See also Gen. 3:15 – Jesus to overcome Satan, as foretold by God to Eve.

Overcome the evil one.

Vs. 2:14 – 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.

See Col. 1:9-13 – we are strengthened with “all power”, because of the power He possesses.
Jude 24,25. “Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy, to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.”

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