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.
***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.
* * *
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
***
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.
| 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.
***
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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