1 João 2

Warren Wiersbe · Citado em PreceptAustin

1 João 2:1-6

Wiersbe - Obedience to God’s Word is proof of our love for Him. There are three motives for obedience. We can obey because we have to, because we need to, or because we want to. A slave obeys because he has to. If he doesn’t obey he will be punished. An employee obeys because he needs to. He may not enjoy his work, but he does enjoy getting his paycheck! He needs to obey because he has a family to feed and clothe. But a Christian is to obey his Heavenly Father because he wants to—for the relationship between him and God is one of love. “If you love Me, keep My commandments” (John 14:15). This is the way we learned obedience when we were children. First, we obeyed because we had to. If we didn’t obey, we were spanked! But as we grew up, we discovered that obedience meant enjoyment and reward; so we started obeying because it met certain needs in our lives. And it was a mark of real maturity when we started obeying because of love. “Baby Christians” must constantly be warned or rewarded. Mature Christians listen to God’s Word and obey it simply because they love Him. (See Be Real 1 John: Turning from Hypocrisy to Truth or borrow Bible exposition commentary) By this - Although it may seem simplistic, always pause to ponder, asking questions like "By what?" or "What is this?" Your Teacher the Spirit will never scoff at you for asking childlike questions and as you develop this habit in all your Scripture reading, I guarantee that you will be amazed how it changes your insights and comprehension! Hiebert - By this we know that we are in Him” (1Jn 2:5b) may be taken with what precedes or follows. Views are divided, but it seems best, with most modern versions, to take it with what follows. (1 John 1:5-2:6) A T Robertson ties by this back to "whoever keeps His Word" remarking "That is by continuous keeping of Christ’s commandments, not by loud talk and loose living." W E Vine comments that by this "may refer to “whoever keeps His word” at the beginning of the verse. More probably, however, the RV is correct in connecting it, as a fresh sentence, with 1Jn 2:6; just as the “hereby” in 1Jn 2:3 referred to what immediately followed. John Stott on by this we know - It is never easy in this letter to decide whether expressions like ‘this is how we know’ look back to what precedes or forward to what follows. Usually the look is forward; once or twice it is clearly backward; while sometimes the expression is what Alexander calls a ‘swing-door’ because it appears to move in both directions! In this case the symmetry between verses 3–4 and 5–6 suggests that the NIV punctuation is correct, making the reference a forward one, namely This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims... (Borrow The Letters of John or see The Letters of John: An Introduction and Commentary - Page 96) Colin Kruse says by this we know "could be linked with what precedes, and so form, with the opening words of 2:3 (‘by this we can be sure we know him’, kai en toutō ginōskomen …), an inclusio for 2:3–5.45 Alternatively they could be linked with what follows, and thus pave the way for what is to come in 2:6 (so NIV). In favour of the latter alternative is the fact that the words ‘this is how we know we are in him’ foreshadow the concept of remaining in him, which is developed in 2:6. Also supporting this approach is the fact that the first of the author’s statements beginning with the words ‘the one who says’/‘the man who says’ (ho legōn) (2:4) is preceded by a positive statement about assurance beginning with the words ‘by this we know …’ (kai en toutō ginōskomen …) (2:3). If we do connect 2:5b with what follows rather than with what precedes, then the second of the author’s statements beginning with the words ‘the one who says’ (ho legōn) (2:6) is likewise preceded by a positive statement about assurance beginning with the words ‘by this we know …’ (en toutō ginōskomen …) (2:5b). For these two reasons it is probably better to read 2:5b with what follows rather than with what precedes it. If this is the case, we must look for the meaning of the statement, ‘This is how we know we are in him’, by examining what follows in 2:6. (See The Letters of John) We know (ginosko - present tense) that we are in Him - We know experientially that we are in Him. Again know is in the present tense so the idea is that this "is simply a statement of a constantly enjoyed experience." (Vine) In Him - While this is ambiguous and could be the Father or the Son, I take it primarily to refer to the Son. If so to be "in Him" is synonymous with Paul's phrase "in Christ." This is "shorthand" for a follower of Christ, a regenerated individual. To be "in" Jesus speaks of the oneness and identification of covenant. John goes on in the next verse (1Jn 2:6) to amplify that "in Him" means "abiding in Him." Bob

1 João 2:1-6

Wiersbe - To abide in Christ means to depend completely on Him for all that we need in order to live for Him and serve Him. It is a living relationship. As He lives out His life through us (cp Col 3:4), we are able to follow His example and walk as He walked. Paul expresses this experience perfectly: “Christ liveth in me” (Gal. 2:20). This is a reference to the work of the Holy Spirit. Christ is our Advocate in heaven (1John 2:1), to represent us before God when we sin. The Holy Spirit is God’s Advocate for us here on earth.....Christ lives out His life through us by the power of the Spirit, who lives within our bodies. It is not by means of imitation that we abide in Christ and walk as He walked. No, it is through incarnation: through His Spirit, “Christ liveth in me.” To walk in the light is to walk in the Spirit and not fulfill the lusts of the flesh (cf. Gal. 5:16). (See Be Real 1 John: Turning from Hypocrisy to Truth or borrow Bible exposition commentary) C H Spurgeon was quite clear when he said "If any man abide in me, he shall bring forth fruit.” Fruits of righteousness are good works, and they are evidences that we abide in Christ. If I am living in sin day by day, what right have I to conclude I am a child of God?" (See sermon - Good Works - Titus 2:14) THOUGHT - Indeed, as Spurgeon wisely asks "What right?" Dear reader, do not be deceived by the false teaching that says you can believe in Jesus and thereafter behave any way you please (e.g., teachings of Zane Hodges)! Or the corollary false teaching that if you at any point in time in your life profess "belief" in Jesus Christ, then it makes no difference how you live after that because you are "saved" and you have a "fire insurance policy!" And you reason falsely that even if you spend the remainder of your days living in sin, you are still saved by your momentary "profession." (See easy believism) This is an affront to the Gospel of Jesus Christ which frees men from the shackles and domination of the old Sin nature and makes them slaves to a new Master (Ro 1:1+), energized, enabled and empowered by the Spirit of grace (Heb 10:29+), not the law (Read Ro 6:16-18+). This is utter foolishness, sheer craziness! And this genre of false teaching will take many who are duped by it straight to an eternal hell! Do not be deceived dear reader. Genuine belief in Jesus will always show itself genuine by holy fruit in one's life. Genuine belief births holy behavior! And note carefully that we are not talking about perfection of one's life, but of the general "direction" of one's life. If one says he believes and lives like the devil, well, what would be the logical conclusion of his ultimate fate? D Edmond Hiebert writes that "Abides (meno), a characteristic Johannine term, portrays habitual fellowship with Him as an active relationship that endures." (1 John 1:5-2:6) NET Bible Note on abide (meno) - "The Greek word (meno) translated resides indicates a close, intimate (and permanent) relationship between the believer and God. It is very important to note that for the author of the Gospel of John and the Johannine Epistles every genuine Christian has this type of relationship with God, and the person who does not have this type of relationship (cf. 2 John 9) is not a believer at all (in spite of what he or she may claim). W Hall Harris - Insofar as the word “abide” indicates a close, intimate (and permanent) relationship between the believer and God, it is not inaccurate; but it must be remembered that for the author of the Gospel of John and the Johannine letters every genuine Christian has this type of relationship with God, and the person who does not have this type of relationship is not a believer at all (in spite of what he or she may claim). (Ibid) Steven Cole on abide writes "Dr. James Rosscup devotes an entire book to the theme of abiding in Christ as found in John 15 (ED: BORROW Abiding in Christ: studies in John 15 - HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!). He sums up the concept of abiding in three ways (Abiding in Christ, p. 116): “Abiding involves a person’s relating himself to Christ the Vine, to His Person and His purpose; rejecting attitudes, words, actions, or interests which Christ’s Word reveals He cannot share; and receiving the quality-essence of Christ’s imparted life for authentic fulfillment.” (How to Know that You Know Him 1 John 2:3-6) "Now we abide in Christ in this sense, that we are joined to Him, as the stone is, in the wall, as the wave is in the sea, as the branch is in the vine, so are we in Christ Spurgeon on in Him - We have entered into Christ as into the shadow of a great rock in a weary land, as guest; into a banquet-hall, as returning travelers into their home. And now we abide — in Christ in this sense, that we are joined to Him : as the stone is, in the wall, as the wave is in the sea, as the branch is in the vine, so are we in Christ (Jn 15:4+). As the branch receives all its sap from the stem, so all the sap of spiritual life flows from Christ into us. If we were separated from Him, we should be as branches cut off from the vine, only fit to be gathered up for the fire, and to be burned (Jn 15:6+). So that we abide in Christ as our Shelter, our Home, and our Life. Today we remain in Christ, and hope (not "hope so" but absolute assurance of future good) for ever to remain in Him, as our Head. Ours is no transient union; while He lives as our Head we shall remain His members. We are nothing apart from Him (Jn 15:5, Col 3:4). As a finger is nothing without the head, as the whole body is nothing without the head, so should we be nothing without our Lord Jesus Christ. But we are in Him vitally, and therefore we dare ask the question, “Who shall separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord?” (In Him-Like He Is - Sermon on 1Jn 2:6) Hiebert writes that "A believer’s testimony involves moral obligation: “ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked.” “Ought” (opheileo), rather than “must” (δει), points to an abiding inner realization that “he who declares his position is morally bound to act [according] to the declaration which he has made." (1 John 1:5-2:6) LIVE LIKE CHRIST IF YOU PROFESS TO LIVE IN CHRIST! Now before you say "That sounds a little like legalism to me," remember that God never calls us to do anything for which He does not also empower us! Think with me a moment. If we are charged to live like Christ, does that not beg the question of "How did Christ live?" Or maybe a question like "He was God, so how could I possibly be expected to live like Him?" Both good questions! Yes, Christ never ceased to be God on earth, but He did relinquish His divine prerogatives (cf Php 2:6-7+) and took on flesh and blood to give us the perfect pattern of how we are to live. In short, Jesus the Man lived in the power of the Holy Spirit (cf Lk 4:1, 14+, Acts 10:38+, Eph 5:18+, Gal 5:16+, et al), the same Source which every believer has continual access! There is the answer. Yes, we are commanded to work out our salvation in fear and trembling (Php 2:12+) (OUR RESPONSIBILITY), but not in reliance on our natural power, but on His supernatural power, which continually energizes us with the desire and the power to walk in a manner pleasing to our Heavenly Father (cf Php 2:13+)(HIS PROVISION). Try it, you'll like it! Learn to daily confess sin which grieves and quenches the Spirit (and saps supernatural power - Eph 4:30+, 1 Th 5:19+), jettison your tendency toward self-reliance (cf daily death to self - Mk 8:34, Lk 9:23+), and rest your weight fully (trust) on the indwelling Spirit's ability to enable you. Notice, the Spirit does not just give you a little "help" for that implies you are doing some of the living like Christ in your own power (which you cannot accomplish!). Enable means He gives us both the desire to live like Christ and the power to live like Christ (in Christ - learning to live and "breathe" in the "atmosphere" of Christ and His Spirit. It is a learning process. Don't give up. In time this Spirit filled life will become more "natural."). Vine - The word opheilo, rendered “ought,” suggests the thought of a debt, and so of moral responsibility, a duty incumbent upon the one who makes the profession. The responsibility is to walk “even as” Christ walked, the “even as” suggesting the closest conformity to Him in character and conduct. Hiebert writes that - A believer’s testimony involves moral obligation: “ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked.” Ought (opheilo), rather than must (dei), points to an abiding inner realization that he who declares his position is morally bound to act [according] to the declaration which he has made. (1 John 1:5-2:6) If we say we must do. If we talk, we must walk, or it will, be mere talk. If we make the profession of abiding in Christ, we must prove it by our practice of walking with Christ. -- C H Spurgeon

1 João 2:1-6

Wiersbe - Be Real 1 John: Turning from Hypocrisy to Truth) You are writing a gospel, A chapter each day, By the deeds that you do, By the words that you say; Men read what you write, Whether faithless or true. Say—what is the gospel, According to you? —Paul Gilbert In the February 26, 1963, issue of Look, C. P. Snow made this trenchant comment concerning Winston Churchill: “He has not only helped to save us from dying. He has shown us a pattern of how life can be lived.” Leslie Flynn points out that the Italian word for influence is influenza. The word influenza was introduced into English in the mid-1700s, apparently coming from the Italian phrase which attributed the origin of this malady to an influenza di freddo (influence of the cold). We are, by our very natures, very contagious people—our example tends to spread to others as easily as the flu. Everyone exerts influence. The comedian Sam Levenson once recalled that his over-protective mother went with him on his very first day of school and insisted on talking to the teacher before leaving him. Levenson said that, among other things, his mother told the teacher that if he misbehaved she should punish the boy next to him. Why? “My little boy learns by example,” she said. C H

1 João 2:7-11

Wiersbe - John has been talking about “the commandments” in general, but now he narrows his focus down to one single commandment. In the OT, the command that God’s people love one another was only one of many, but now this old commandment is lifted out and given a place of preeminence. How is it possible for one commandment to stand head and shoulders above all the others? This is explained by the fact that love is the fulfillment of God’s Law (Ro 13:8–10)… This is why John says that “Love one another” is a new commandment—it is new in emphasis. It is not simply one of many commandments. No, it stands at the top of the list! (Bible Exposition Commentary) But an old (palaios) commandment (entole) which you have had from the beginning (arche); the old (palaios) commandment (entole) is the word (logos) which you have heard (akouo) - It is an old commandment in terms of its duration. The idea behind palaios is that the commandment had been in existence for a long time. In other words it is old because it is something they had previously heard. What did John mean by "from the beginning?" It does not refer to the beginning of creation or even the giving of the Law of Moses to Israel. The phrase which you have heard (akouo) identifies it as something that occurred during their lifetime because they actually heard it. So most likely the beginning refers to that time in the past when John's readers first heard the Gospel and were born again ("in the beginning"). In a sense, it was old news they had heard when they first heard and received the good news. This conclusion is substantiated by John's repeated use of the phrase from the beginning. For example John writes… As for you, 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. (1 Jn 2:24). In 1Jn 3:11 we see a similar statement "For this is the message which you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another." In 2Jn 1:5-6 we John writes "Now I ask you, lady, not as though I were writing to you a new commandment, but the one which we have had from the beginning, that we love one another. And this is love, that we walk according to His commandments. This is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning, that you should walk in it." Wiersbe - This phrase “from the beginning” is used in two different ways in John’s letter, and it is important that you distinguish them. In 1 John 1:1, describing the eternality of Christ, we read that He existed “from the beginning.” In John 1:1—a parallel verse—we read, “In the beginning was the Word.” From the outset of their Christian life, John's readers had been taught the importance of love for one another. It was not something they had never heard before. John was not telling them some new truth or something he had "invented." As John Calvin said "John reminds us that he was teaching nothing but what had been heard by the faithful concerning love from the beginning and had become old through long usage." When one is born again as the readers of this letter were, at the beginning, "the love of God" is "poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit Who (is) given to us." (Ro 5:5+) and we are supernaturally enabled to bear one of the aspects of "the fruit of the Spirit" which "is love." (Gal 5:22+). Ray Stedman rightly reminds us "That (ED: Continually energized by the Holy Spirit and bearing His fruit) is the only way anyone loves another the way God loves (ED: FALLEN FLESH CANNOT PRODUCE AGAPE LOVE!). Only God can love that way." Wiersbe adds "God does not have to give a new believer a long lecture about love! “For ye yourselves are taught of God [i.e., by the Holy Spirit within you] to love one another” (1Th. 4:9+). A new believer discovers that he now hates what he used to love, and that he loves what he used to hate!" As Steven

1 João 2:7-11

Wiersbe adds "The darkness is passing away little by little, and the True Light is shining brighter and brighter in our hearts." NET note on the darkness (skotia)…passing away (parago) - Because the author sees the victory of light over darkness as something already begun, he is writing Jesus’ commandment to love one another to the readers as a reminder to (1) hold fast to what they have already heard (see 1Jn 2:7) and (2) not be influenced by the teaching of the opponents.

1 João 2:7-11

1 João 2:15

Wiersbe has an interesting analysis of this "righteous man" observing that "When Lot had to choose a new area for his home, he measured it by what he had seen in Egypt (Ge 13:10, 11+ Ed: Contrast how Moses saw the world [He 11:25, 26+, He 11:27+] and how we too should "see", 2Co 4:18+!). Abraham took Lot out of Egypt, but he could not take Egypt out of Lot (Ed: Egypt = a picture of the "evil world system"). Lot “pitched his tent toward Sodom” (Ge 13:12+), and then finally moved into Sodom (Ge 14:12+). God even used a local war to try to get Lot out of Sodom (Ge 14:14, 15, 16+), but he went right back. (Ed: "Why?") That is where his heart was (cp Mt 6:21+). (Borrow Wiersbe's Expository Outlines on the New Testament) (bolding added) Lot looked, chose, and settled Lot looked, chose, and settled ("became comfortable" rather than living as an alien and stranger - see 1Pe 1:1+; 1Pe 2:11+) and missed the good hand of the LORD. In Genesis 19:16 we see that Lot was so settled in Sodom that the hand of God's angels had to yank he and his whole family out of that moral cesspool! Let us remember Lot's example, lest our looking and choosing in this fleeting life cause us to miss the good hand of the Lord on our life, our family, our ministry! Or as Jesus commanded his listeners in (Lk 17:32+) "Remember (present imperative = keep on remembering. Why? Because our tendency is to drift, to forget!) Lot's wife" because she lingered and looked back (Ge 19:26) and paid for her disobedience with her life. Believers must be separated from the world (cp Ps 1:1+); 1Cor 6:16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 2Co 7:1+). The world is anything that separates us from God or causes us to disobey Him. Separation is not isolation but contact without contamination. One's seduction by the world is usually a gradual process. Notice the gradual decline in Psalm 1:1+. First, we are walking (Mark 14:54+), then we are standing (John 18:18+) and finally we end up sitting (Lk 22:55+) with the world! Becoming worldly is progressive and happens by degrees. We make friends with the world (Jas 4:4+). We become spotted by the world (Jas 1:27+) We love the world (1Jn 2:15+). We become conformed to the world (Ro 12:2+). And if we are not careful we end up condemned with it. Lot is an example of someone who became worldly. He looked toward Sodom, pitched his tent toward Sodom, lived in Sodom and lost everything he had acquired in Sodom when God destroyed Sodom! THOUGHT (PRAYER) - May God grant each of us grace and mercy so that we as godly men and women will not forget the tragic OT example of Lot who loved this present world and missed the blessing of the good hand of the LORD (cp Ezra 7:10+, Ps 1:3+)! Only possible in Christ. Amen If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him: ean tis agapa (3SPAI) ton kosmon, ouk estin (3SPAI) e agape tou patros en auto: Matthew 6:24; Luke 16:13; James 4:4 1Jn 3:17 1 John 2 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries 1 John 2:15-17 The Love God Hates - John MacArthur 1 John 2:15-17 Why Christians Don't Love the World - John MacArthur 1 John 2:15: The Love God Hates 1 Study Guide - John MacArthur 1 John 2:15: The Love God Hates 1 - John MacArthur 1 John 2 Do Not Love the World - question/answer - John MacArthur 1 John 2:12-14: The Love God Hates 2 Study Guide - John MacArthur 1 John 2:15-17: The Love God Hates 3 Study Guide - John MacArthur THE DANGER OF HABITUALLY LOVING THE WORLD If anyone - This introduces a hypothetical case and as noted below the verb loves (agapao) is in the present tense which pictures this "anyone" as continually loving God's enemy, the world. And for "anyone" who meets this "qualification", John gives the inevitable, fateful diagnosis of his spiritual condition - the love of the Father is not in him. Loves the world… love of the Father - John is setting these two loves in direct opposition. They are like oil and water - they do not mix. Never. Ever! These two affections are by their very nature antagonistic and cannot coexist "amicably" in our heart (the "control center" of our being). This oppositional relationship is similar to the one John described in chapter 1, where he explained that spiritual light cannot coexist with spiritual darkness and vice versa (pun intended). The NLT paraphrases it this way… The light shines through the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it. (Jn 1:5NLT) Loves (verb) (25) (agapao - see related study of noun agape) can mean to to love unconditionally and sacrificially as God Himself loves sinful men (John 3:16+), the way He loves the Son (John 3:35+, Jn 15:9, 17:23, 24). In the present context the sense of agapao is that of showing a warm regard for the world, of cherishing the world, of showing affection for the world or of showing special devotion to the world. Note that the present tense speaks of continuous action. In other words, this "anyone" is any person who habitually loves God's mortal enemy, the ungodly, profane, fallen world. Such an ungodly lifestyle hardly becomes a believer and in fact if one continually manifests such a "lifestyle", they would do well be examine themselves (2Co 13:5+) and confirm that their salvation is genuine (cp 2Pe 1:10, 11+). MacArthur although describing agapao in its highest form emphasizes that this love reflects a decision of one's will writing that it "expresses the purest, noblest form of love, which is volitionally driven. (See 1 & 2 Thessalonians MacArthur New Testament Commentary)

1 João 2:16

Wiersbe writes that "these fundamental desires of life are the steam in the boiler that makes the machinery go. Turn off the steam and you have no power. Let the steam go its own way and you have destruction. The secret is in constant control. These desires must be our servants and not our masters; and this we can do through Jesus Christ. (Bible Exposition Commentary) Love can wait and worship endlessly; lust says, "I must have it at once. -- Oswald Chambers Paul instructs the Ephesians that "in reference to (their) former manner of life (as unbelievers), (they were to) lay aside the old self, which (was) being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit. (Eph 4:22+) In other words, lusts deceive us and lead us astray, promising more than they deliver and producing (spiritual, soul) corruption when "conceived". Peter reiterates the detrimental effect of lust, writing about "the corruption (moral decay - corruption is much deeper than defilement on the outside - it is decay on the inside) that is in the world by lust." (2Pe 1:4+) Believers unfortunately are still continually assailed by lusts. Paul exhorts believers not to "Therefore do not let Sin reign (present imperative with a negative see our need to depend on the Holy Spirit to obey) in your mortal body that you should obey its lusts (Ro 6:12+) In this passage Paul is implying that Sin will try to usurp the "throne" of our heart by lobbing fiery missiles laden with lustful thoughts (not restricted to sexual lusts but are quite variegated or multi-colored!) In a similar warning, Peter urges us "as aliens and strangers to abstain from (present tense continually hold yourself away from - you can only do this as you depend on the Holy Spirit to obey) fleshly lusts, which (strateuomai - continually - present tense) wage war (describing not just a battle but a veritable military campaign) against the soul. (1Pe 2:11+) Believers are called to "flee (present imperative see our need to depend on the Holy Spirit to obey) from youthful lusts (a warning against contamination from one’s own evil propensities -- It is not sufficient to guard against evil in others, we must be watchful against evil within) and pursue (present imperative see our need to depend on the Holy Spirit to obey) righteousness, faith, love and peace, with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. (2Ti 2:22+) In this letter Paul writes the wonderful truth that the "grace of God has appeared (one important effect of this grace is that believers need not try to "fight" lusts in their own strength but in dependence of God's grace or enabling power - see Spirit of grace Heb 10:29+)" and is continually "instructing (paideuo - present tense) us to deny (arneomai - aorist tense - once and for all refuse to follow or agree with evil strong desires coming from the evil world system ruled by Satan and opposed to God) ungodliness and worldly desires (lusts) and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age. (Titus 2:12+) In Romans Paul commands believers to "Put on (aorist imperative = urgent command to do this now and first - see our need to depend on the Holy Spirit to obey) the Lord Jesus Christ and make (present imperative with a negative see our need to depend on the Holy Spirit to obey -- act of making prior preparation) for the flesh (here it means the seat of SIN in man) in regard to its lusts. (Ro 13:14+) The Jewish historian Josephus, speaking of Cleopatra, says "She was an expensive woman, enslaved to lusts." Lusts acted upon are indeed costly! David experienced lifelong agony as result of temporal indulging of his lust. (Ponder 2Sa 11:1-5+ with 2Sa 12:1-19+) Sin will take you further than you ever wanted to stray! Cost you more than you ever dreamed you would pay! Keep you longer than you ever thought you would stay! Satisfaction - Albert Lee - Pornography, once a secretive backdoor industry, is now out in the open. The easy access and anonymity of the Internet have turned it into a multibillion-dollar-a-year “business.” But it leaves a trail of broken families, ineffective Christian leaders, and men who have lost the respect of their loved ones. The apostle John was known for his great love for Christ and His church. In 1John 2:12-17, he warned fathers and young men against these three lusts: The lust of the flesh—the insatiable appetite to indulge in pleasures that inflame the flesh but never satisfy. The lust of the eyes—wandering eyes that continually want more riches and possessions but always remain covetous. The pride of life—the vain mind that thirsts for man’s applause. But the glory evaporates quickly. Pornography damages users and victims alike. It feeds lustful desires in ways that can never satisfy. True satisfaction is found only when we give our affections to eternal things—to a right relationship with our heavenly Father and with those He has created in His image. “The world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever” (1Jn 2:17). Many Christian men struggle with the temptations of pornography. Find help by reading When A Man’s Eye Wanders- Breaking The Power Of Pornography - Inner peace springs out of inner purity. Editorial Comment - I also have three other recommendations - Internet Accountability and Filtering - Covenant Eyes is a filter that allows access to everything but logs every location visited and scores for appropriateness - would also be great to monitor you computer savy kids, as it keeps a running complete log of every place visited! Ultimately your best monitor will be the one you cannot fool or turn off, the indwelling Holy Spirit. Listen to Him, if He warns you to FLEE! There is an excellent book by Steve Gallagher (albeit it does get a bit graphic at times!) Borrow At The Altar of Sexual Idolatry and At the Altar of Sexual Idolatry Workbook Vidangel.com - This service allows you to filter language and sex - not all movies are available but there is a good selection and it is getting much better (Oct, 2024). You will generally experience minimal if any loss of continuity in the movie. This service is worth the price so that you are not defiled by the increasing offensive language on just about anything you watch. And remember when you watch R and MA rated movies you are quenching/grieving the Holy Spirit (Eph 4:30, 1Th 5:19) so do not be surprised if you are not experiencing His power in your life! God is serious about sin and calls for His children to be holy in an increasingly unholy world! Subscribe to this service. My Way (The Flesh) For more than five decades, Frank Sinatra has been one of America’s most popular entertainers. Perhaps he is best known for the song “My Way.” Apparently it has struck a responsive chord among his fans. What chord is that? Self-will (Ed: Another way to describe the middle letter of "sIn" or our fallen flesh!). It’s the dominant desire of human beings to do things their own way. And that’s exactly how the song ends: “I did it my way.” In the ordinary affairs of life, the exercise of self-determination may be commendable. But in relationship to God, our way is never (the right way). Our self-will must be subordinated to His will, as our Savior submissively prayed in Gethsemane’s Garden, “Not My will, but Yours, be done” (Lk. 22:42, cp 1Jn 2:6, 1Pe 2:21, 1Cor 11:1). Regardless of how painful the surrender of our will may seem, obedience to God saves us from unhappy loss in this world and irrecoverable loss in the world to come. Proverbs 14:12 reminds us that a sinful insistence on self-will can be self-destructive: “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.” Trustful obedience to God’s way, however, brings blessing both now and forever. Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way! Thou art the Potter, I am the clay; Mold me and make me after Thy will, While I am waiting, yielded and still. —Pollard In His will is our peace. —Dante In summary, the lusts John refers to are the sensual bodily appetites that proceed from within our evil nature (fallen flesh). (cp Jas 1:14-note) THE LUST OF THE FLESH THE BEAST WITHIN! Lust of the flesh - This describes the passionate desire or the craving that comes from the evil nature, the flesh. In other words the evil craving has its origin in the fallen flesh. Various renderings of lust of the flesh: ISV = the desire for fleshly gratification. Phillips paraphrase = men's primitive desires. NCV = wanting to please our sinful selves. NIV = the cravings of sinful man. NJB = disordered bodily desires. NLT = a craving for physical pleasure. Young's Literal = the cravings of the earthly nature. Flesh (4561) (sarx) is used 147 times in the NT and a simple definition is difficult because sarx has many nuances (e.g., some Greek lexicons list up to 11 definitions for sarx!). The diligent disciple must carefully observe the context of each use of sarx in order to accurately discern which nuance is intended. The range of meaning extends from the physical flesh (both human and animal), to the human body, to the entire person, and even to all humankind! Daniel Akin on flesh - We are not sinful because we sin. We sin because we are sinful. Sin is fun, enticing, attractive. We are drawn to it like a fly to flypaper, like a fish to a baited hook. In the context of 1Jn 2:15-17, John uses flesh with it's moral/ethical sense. Flesh here refers to the totally depraved nature as governing the individual’s reason, will, and emotions. It describes that outlook which is totally orientated toward self, which is prone to commit sins, which is opposed to God and which pursues its own ends in self-sufficient, independence from God. Flesh is that ugly complex of human sinful desires that includes the ungodly motives, affections, principles, purposes, words, and actions that sin generates through our bodies. Sarx as used in this manner denotes the entire fallen human being—not just the sinful body but the entire being, including the soul and mind, as affected by sin. To live according to the flesh is to be ruled and controlled by that evil complex. Because of Christ’s saving work on the believer's behalf, the sinful flesh no longer reigns over us, to debilitate us and drag us back into the pit of depravity into which we were all born. Flesh is that urge within us toward total autonomy and rebellion, toward being our own "little gods" accountable to no one, responsible to no one, obeying no one, respecting no one, and running our own little worlds to suit ourselves. It is that continual tug of self-centeredness and selfishness within each of us that fights to keep us from being wholly devoted to God. Born again believers need to understand that there is still this remnant of the flesh within our physical bodies of flesh. In contrast to the unregenerate man, believers now have the power led by the Holy Spirit to say "yes" to God and "no" to the flesh, whereas before the co-crucifixion explained by Paul in Romans 6 (Ro 6:1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11-see notes on Ro 6:1-3; 6:4-5; 6:6-7; 6:8-10; 6:11) took place we had no choice but to obey Sin, which ruled unopposed in our bodies. The apostle Paul teaches that in believers, the flesh is opposed to Spirit (Gal 5:17-note). While the unbeliever can live only in the flesh, the believer can now live in the Spirit although he can fall back into living according to the Spirit. And so the apostle Paul repeatedly encourages believers to overcome the deeds of the flesh in the only way possible - by living in the Spirit (see Gal 5:16-note, Gal 5:18-note, Gal 5:25-note) To live according to the flesh is to be ruled and controlled by the flesh. Because of Christ’s saving work on our behalf, the sinful flesh no longer reigns over us, to debilitate us and drag us back into the pit of depravity into which we were all born. J

1 João 2:17

Wiersbe adds this good advice - Spiritual Christians keep themselves “loosely attached” to this world because they live for something far better. They are “strangers and pilgrims on the earth” (Heb. 11:13). “For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come” (Heb. 13:14). In Bible times, many believers lived in tents because God did not want them to settle down and feel at home in this world. John is contrasting two ways of life: a life lived for eternity and a life lived for time. A worldly person lives for the pleasures of the flesh, but a dedicated Christian lives for the joys of the Spirit. A worldly believer lives for what he can see, the lust of the eyes; but a spiritual believer lives for the unseen realities of God (2 Cor. 4:8–18). A worldly minded person lives for the pride of life, the vainglory that appeals to men; but a Christian who does the will of God lives for God’s approval. And he “abideth forever.” (Bible Exposition Commentary) Jesus presented the proper perspective for the love for this present passing away world over the love for the future world without end asking… For what will a man be profited, if he gains the whole world, and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? (Matthew 16:26) (Talk about the ultimate "Profit and Loss" Statement!) Adam

1 João 2:17

Wiersbe - What are we that God should pay any attention to us? Are we smart? I don't think so. Are we strong? Some animals are much stronger than we are. Are we righteous? No, we have sinned against God. Are we faithful? Too often we disobey Him. From the human point of view, there is no reason why God should pay any attention to us. "Man is like a breath; his days are like a passing shadow" (Psalm 144:4). Compared to eternity, our lives are just a puff of smoke. They appear, and then they are gone. David’s position and reputation did not go to his head, for he asked, “Who am I that God should do this for me?” The statements in Ps 144:3,4 remind us of Ps 8:4, and this is a reminder that we need, especially when we think we can handle life without trusting God. The Hebrew word translated “breath” is habel, the name of one of Adam’s sons (Abel), and the word translated “vanity” thirty-eight times in Ecclesiastes. (See also Ps 39:4, 5, 6, 13; Ps 62:9; Ps 78:33; Ps 94:11.) The “shadow” image is found in Ps 102:11, 109:23, Job 8:9 and Job 14:2, and Ecclesiastes 6:12 and Eccl 8:13. How helpless we are without the Lord! (Bible Exposition Commentary ) (Bolding and color added) The brevity of our earthly life… A profitable subject for meditation. A rebuke to those who provide for this life alone. A trumpet call to prepare for eternity. An incentive to the Christian to make the best of this life for the glory of God. --J.F. Spurgeon on Passing away - It is only a puff, a phantom, a bubble, a mirage which will melt away as you try to approach it; there is nothing substantial in it. Does the will of God abides for ever. Not, “he that doeth some great thing to be seen of men, “ not, “ he that builds a row of almshouses, or leaves a great mass of money to charity when he dies, because he could not possibly carry it away with him, “not, “he that sounds a trumpet before him to let everybody know what a good man he is;” not, “he that must needs outdistance everybody else;” but, “he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.” Obedience to the will of God is the pathway to perpetual honour and everlasting joy. (Spurgeon on 1 John-Pt2) A T Robertson = There is consolation in this view of the transitoriness of the conflict with the world. Even the lust which belongs to the world passes also. The one who keeps on doing ([poiōn] present active participle of [poieō]) the will of God “abides for ever” ([menei eis ton aiōna]) “amid the flux of transitory things” (D. Smith). (Word Pictures in the New Testament) Kenneth

1 João 2:17

Wiersbe - Long after this world system, with its vaunted culture, its proud philosophies, its egocentric intellectualism, and its godless materialism, has been forgotten, and long after this planet has been replaced by the new heavens and the new earth, God’s faithful servants will remain—sharing the glory of God for all eternity. And this prospect is not limited to Moody, Spurgeon, Luther, or Wesley and their likes—it is open to each and every humble believer. If you are trusting Christ, it is for you. (Bible Exposition Commentary) Lives (abides) (3306) (meno) means remains, stays or abides and in this context refers to one who continually remains in a certain realm, specifically the realm of "life" (as contrasted with eternal death, also known as the second death - see Rev 20:11-15+; see also Tony Garland's discussion of Births, Deaths, and Resurrections) Note that the verb meno is in the present tense which speaks of the doers of the will of God continually remaining in the realm of life, a point emphasized by the following word, forever (eis ton aiona)! The NET Bible translates meno as "remain" that…because the context contrasts the transience of the world and its desires with the permanence of the person who does God's will. Colin Kruse on lives (remains) forever - Probably the best explanation of what it means to ‘remain forever’ is to be found in the teaching of Jesus in the Fourth Gospel. Again and again Jesus stresses that those who believe in him (sometimes expressed in terms of eating the bread he gives, or keeping his word, or hearing his voice) shall never perish but shall live and remain forever (John 6:51, 58; 8:51; 10:28; 11:26). (See The Letters of John - Page 97) Forever is the Greek phrase "eis ton aiona" which literally reads "unto the age." Aion usually refers to some aspect of time past, present or future. This same Greek phrase, eis ton aiona, occurs 27 times in the NT and is usually translated forever -Mt. 21:19; Mk. 3:29; 11:14; Lk 1:55; Jn. 4:14; 6:51, 58; 8:35, 51, 52; 10:28; 11:26; 12:34; 13:8; Jn 14:16; 1Co. 8:13; 2Co 9:9; Heb 1:8; 5:6; 6:20; Heb 7:17, 21, 24, 28; 1Pe 1:25; 1Jn 2:17; 2Jn 1:2. Adam

1 João 2:17

Wiersbe - 1 John 2:17 AVOIDING OBLIVION Every great nation in history has become decadent and has finally been conquered by another nation. There is no reason why we should suppose that our nation will be an exception. Some nineteen world civilizations, in the past, have slipped into oblivion. There is no reason why we should think that our present civilization will endure forever. "Change and decay in all around I see," wrote Henry F. Lyte (1793-1847), and if our civilization is not eroded by change and decay it will certainly be swept away and replaced by a new order of things at the coming of Christ, which could happen at any time. Slowly but inevitably, and perhaps sooner than even Christians think, the world is passing away; but the man who does God's will abides forever. Long after this world system, with its vaunted culture, its proud philosophies, its egocentric intellectualism, and its godless materialism, has been forgotten, and long after this planet has been replaced by the new heavens and the new earth, God's faithful servants will remain—sharing the glory of God for all eternity. And this prospect is not limited to Moody, Spurgeon, Luther, or Wesley and their likes—it is open to each and every humble believer. If you are trusting Christ, it is for you. Applying God's Truth: 1. How do you think your nation will be different fifty years from now? (Consider potential geographic changes, economic considerations, spiritual condition, and so forth.) 2. Considering that the world system is eventually going to slip into oblivion, what things are you regularly involved in that may prove to be counterproductive or a waste of time? 3. If you're expecting to "share the glory of God for all eternity," what things are you doing now to prepare for such an encounter? (Be Real (1 John): Turning from Hypocrisy to Truth - Page 79) John Bennett - 1 John 2:17 THE LIFE THAT LASTS In 1Jn 2:16-18 of this chapter, the apostle John explains three convincing reasons for not loving the world. He means by the word ‘world’ all that humanity has arranged, cosmos, in seeking satisfaction apart from the Lord. It is a religious, political, cultural and economic system that seeks to fill the vacuum in the human heart that only God can fill. First, we should reject the world’s embrace because it is a desperately poor alternative to the love of the Father. And, says John, you cannot have both: ‘If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him’, v. 15. You cannot have the Father who loves His Son and the world that has never repented of murdering Him! Second, loving the world is a rejection of the Father’s provision. Everything the world seductively uses to capture its prey—‘the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life,’—is not ‘of the Father’, v. 16. A hunger for the world’s thrills, trinkets and applause betrays dissatisfaction with the One that God believes should satisfy us. After all, Christ is enough to satisfy God’s infinite heart! Third, loving the world is a tacit rejection of the Father’s will. The course of this present age is downward and away from God and His purposes for us. Its fads and fashions are designed to keep people dissatisfied, constantly coming back for the latest model. Not so the will of God. His desires for humanity have not changed. Holy living, intimate fellowship, heartfelt worship, happy service, and shared glory never go out of style as far as He is concerned. And when all that man has built and boasted in is vapourized into nothing, when every earthly dream and desire leaves the heart as empty as it ever was, when every sinful passion and lust has dragged the unrepentant soul into the blackness of darkness, where will the people of God be? Mary of Bethany turned from the world to find her satisfaction in Christ. He promised that the good part she had chosen would never be taken from her. She is still there, at His feet, because the one who does the will of God ‘abideth for ever’, v. 17. (Day By Day) Bill Bright - Do the Will of God “And this world is fading away, and these evil, forbidden things will go with it, but whoever keeps doing the will of God will live forever.” 1 JOHN 2:17 There are few questions more frequently asked of me than this, “How can I know God’s will for my life?” or “How can I know what God wants me to do in this particular situations?” “When I was crossing the Irish Channel one starless night,” said F. B. Meyer, a saint of yesteryear, “I stood on the deck by the captain and asked him, ‘How do you know Holyhead Harbor on so dark a night as this?’ “‘You see those three lights?’ he asked. ‘All of them must line up together as one, and when we see them so united, we know the exact position of the harbor’s mouth.’ “When we want to know God’s will, there are three things which always concur: the inward impulse, the Word of God and the trend of circumstances—God in the heart and God in circumstances, indicating His will. Never start until these three things agree.” If we are to keep doing the will of God, as this verse in 1 John suggests, it is of course imperative that we know how to determine the will of God. F. B. Meyer’s words of wisdom, based on years of experience, are a good starting point. The average person lives his life, dies and vanishes from the world scene, soon to be forgotten. But the influence of all who do God’s will lives on forever. Therefore, every individual should frequently and carefully evaluate how he invests his time, talents and treasure to be sure he truly is living not for worldly values but for the cause of Jesus Christ. “Only one life, ‘twill soon be past; only what’s done for Christ will last.” A LIFE BRIEF AND FOCUSED Robert Murray M’Cheyne The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever. 1 JOHN 2:17 1843: “Live near to God and all things will appear little to you in comparison with eternal realities.” So said Robert Murray M’Cheyne, who did live near to God, although only for thirty years in this world. For one who lived such a short time, he made an indelible impression. Born in Scotland in 1813, M’Cheyne (whose name is pronounced like McCheyne, and sometimes is spelled that way) was a highly intelligent child who taught himself the Greek alphabet when he was only four. He had a phenomenal memory and could quote long passages from Scripture. After graduating from the University of Edinburgh at age twenty-two, he was ordained in the Church of Scotland, the state church, which had far too many spiritually indifferent pastors. M’Cheyne was not that kind of pastor. He visited his parishioners, prepared his sermons faithfully, prayed, meditated, and studied the Bible. His sermons blended intellectual solidness with an emotional appeal to turn to God. A contemporary said that M’Cheyne preached “with eternity stamped on his brow.” In his six years as a pastor, his church in Dundee, Scotland, grew to over a thousand members, which for the time was enormous. Today he is probably best remembered for his plan for reading through the entire Bible in a year. In 1839, M’Cheyne took a sabbatical from his church and traveled to the Holy Land, hoping in the future to be active in missions to the Jews. He prayed for his church while away, and when he returned found his prayers answered with the church even more lively than before. Like many pastors of his day, M’Cheyne wrote hymns, and appropriately one of them is “When This Passing World Is Done.” He was a vigorous force for good during his brief life, and he never forgot that this world was a preparation for the next. Prayer: Father, put us to work for you, use us up in your service, and never let us forget our destination. Amen. (Christian History Devotional) F B

1 João 2:18-23

Wiersbe - False Christians in John's day used two special words to describe their experience: "knowledge" and "unction." They claimed to have a special unction (anointing) from God which gave them a unique knowledge. They were "illuminated" and therefore living on a much higher level than anybody else. But John points out that all true Christians know God and have received the Spirit of God! And because they have believed the truth, they recognize a lie when they meet it. (Bible Exposition Commentary) From the Holy One (hagios) - It is a divine anointing from God the Son. Vine adds that "While Christ Himself was anointed by the Holy Spirit in the days of His flesh (Acts 10:38+), here He, as the Holy One, is the Anointer." D Edmond Hiebert - The anointing was received “from the Holy (hagios) One”, stressing the sanctity (ED: HOLY = SANCTIFIED OR SET APART NATURE) of the Giver. The reference may be to God the Father, “the Holy One of Israel” (Isa 1:4; etc.) or to the incarnate Son, “the Holy One of God” (Mark 1:24; John 6:69; Acts 2:27). Views differ as to the intended identity. Biblical references associate both the Father and Jesus Christ with the coming of the Holy Spirit (John 14:26; 15:26; Acts 2:33). The Spirit is indeed “the Spirit of God” (Rom 8:9) as well as “the Spirit of Jesus” (Acts 16:7). While a study of the pronouns in 1 John 2:27-28 strongly suggests that the reference is to Christ Himself here, Smalley suggests that “John is possibly being deliberately ambivalent at this point.” Elsewhere John’s pronouns often do not draw a sharp distinction between the Father and the Son, implying John’s unquestioned acceptance of the full deity of the incarnate Son. (1 John 2:18-28 Exposition - Part 4/10) Marvin Vincent's comment is pithy explaining that "The anointing is from the Anointed." I would add the "chrisma from the Christos." But Who is the Holy One? Recall that one of the best commentaries on Scripture is Scripture (See Compare Scripture with Scripture). The following NT descriptions support the identification of the Holy One as Jesus the Christ. (Mark 1:24) (The demons were) saying, "What business do we have with each other, Jesus of Nazareth? Have You come to destroy us? I know who You are-- the Holy One of God!" (JESUS CHRIST) (Luke 4:34) (The demons cried out to Jesus) "Let us alone! What business do we have with each other, Jesus of Nazareth? Have You come to destroy us? I know who You are-- the Holy One of God!" (JESUS CHRIST) John 6:69) “We have believed and have come to know that You (Jesus) are the Holy One of God.” (JESUS CHRIST) (Context Jn 6:68, 70). Comment: This reference is especially helpful as it is the same term (Holy One) used by the same writer (John) and clearly refers to Jesus in the Gospel. See John's reference in Rev 3:7). (Acts 2:27) BECAUSE YOU WILL NOT ABANDON MY SOUL TO HADES, NOR ALLOW YOUR HOLY ONE (JESUS CHRIST) TO UNDERGO DECAY. (Acts 3:14) “But you disowned the Holy and Righteous One (JESUS CHRIST) and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, (Acts 4:27) “For truly in this city there were gathered together against Your holy servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, (Acts 4:30) while You extend Your hand to heal, and signs and wonders take place through the name of Your holy servant Jesus.” (Acts 13:35) "Therefore He also says in another Psalm, 'YOU WILL NOT ALLOW YOUR HOLY ONE (JESUS CHRIST) TO UNDERGO DECAY.' (Rev 3:7+) “And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: He (Jesus) Who is holy, Who is true, Who has the key of David, Who opens and no one will shut, and Who shuts and no one opens, says this… (Context = Rev 3:8-12). The identity of the Holy One is seen even in an Old Testament prophecy of the Messiah (quoted in Acts 13:35 by Paul, cp Acts 13:16)… (Ps 16:10+) For You (God the Father) will not abandon my soul (refers prophetically to Jesus) to Sheol; Nor will You allow Your Holy One to undergo decay (prophecy of Jesus' resurrection from the dead). (Hab 3:3+) God comes from Teman, and the Holy One from Mount Paran. Selah. His splendor covers the heavens, And the earth is full of His praise. Comment: Habakkuk is almost certainly giving a description of the Messiah at His triumphant Second Coming. See Habakkuk 3 Commentary. (See also Proposed Sequence of events at Messiah's Second Coming) (See video I did on "The Second Coming and the War of the Great Day of God") Later John explains that "By this (By what? see 1Jn 4:12) we know that we abide (live, dwell, are at home) in Him (Christ) and He (Christ) in us (cp Col 1:27+), because (How do we know? = term of explanation) He has given us of His Spirit." (1John 4:13+) Assuming the anointing (in 1Jn 2:20) is the Holy Spirit, John is explaining that the Spirit is from Him ( from Jesus = "He has given us of His Spirit"). John also reminds his readers of "the Spirit Whom He has given us" in 1Jn 3:24. In His Upper Room Discourse, Jesus gives His worried disciples a prophecy concerning the Holy Spirit, promising "if I go, I will send Him (the Spirit) to you." (Jn 16:7-11+) In Luke 24:49+ Jesus said "I am sending forth the promise (referring to the Holy Spirit) of My Father upon you, but you are to stay in the city (Jerusalem) until (expression of time) you are clothed (enduo = figuratively ) with power (dunamis) from on high," which begs the question "What is the Source of this power?" In Acts Jesus explains that His disciples would "receive power (dunamis) when the Holy Spirit" had come upon them (Acts 1:8+) In summary, the anointing from the Holy One is His gift of the Holy Spirit from Jesus to His disciples (believers). Indeed, the Holy Spirit is to be our supernatural Source of power for supernatural ministry, including the discerning of good from evil as well as true from false, as in the present context of false teaching about the Christ. As an aside, it is interesting that some sources (e.g., Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary) don't even mention the possibility of the Holy Spirit as being related to the anointing. Instead, they mention things such as baptism or the carrying out of "an initiatory anointing with oil" (which itself sounds almost "cultic!"). How could either of those "humanistic" maneuvers produce spiritual illumination? I think this would be highly unlikely. Remember that context must be kept king in order to assure an accurate interpretation, and the context states these believers have a "beyond a shadow of a doubt" knowledge (an "eido-type knowledge") in the very next phrase (and you all know - see discussion below). Not to mention that 1Jn 2:27 gives us a description of the anointing which certainly sounds like it is supernatural and not natural! Andreas Köstenberger - One (christos) was “anointed” by the Spirit at the beginning of His Messianic mission (Luke 4:18; see Isa 61:1), so Christ’s followers are to be “little anointed ones.” (Ed: Albeit NOT "little christs") (A Theology of John's Gospel and Letters). John Stott - As Tyndale put it, ‘Ye are not anointed with oil in your bodies, but with the Spirit of Christ in your souls: which Spirit teacheth you all truth in Christ, and maketh you to judge what is a lie, and what truth, and to know Christ from antichrist.’ Nor are we an esoteric, enlightened minority, such as the heretics claimed to be. It is probable that they used the word chrisma as a technical term for initiation into a special gnosis. If so, it is in direct contradiction to their exclusive claim that John says all his readers have the same gnosis because they have all received the same chrisma, the Spirit of truth (cf. Col. 1:28). ‘You, no less than they, are among the initiated’ (NEB). (BORROW The Letters of John) Colin Kruse - The cognate verb 'to anoint' (chrio) is found in several other places, where it refers mostly to Jesus being anointed by God with the Holy Spirit (Luke 4:18; Acts 4:27; 10:38), once to Jesus being anointed by God with 'the oil of gladness' (Heb 1:9), and once to Paul being anointed by God, who put his Spirit upon him (2Cor 1:21-22). Apart from the one metaphorical use of the verb 'to anoint' in Heb 1:9, its consistent use in the NT is in relation to an anointing whose agent is God and whose medium is the Holy Spirit. In the light of this, the cognate noun 'anointing' (chrisma) used in this verse to describe the anointing that the readers have from the Holy One is best interpreted as a reference to the Holy Spirit with whom they had been endowed by God (when they first believed), and who confirms to them the truth of the message that they heard at that time (see 'A Note on Chrisma, Spirit or Word?' pp. 109-10). (See The Letters of John - Page 103) Anointing has the idea of being filled with, and blessed by, the Holy Spirit. David

1 João 2:18-23

Wiersbe illustrates the importance of believing in the real Jesus - It makes no difference what you believe, just as long as you are sincere!" That statement expresses the personal philosophy of many people today, but it is doubtful whether most of those who make it have really thought it through. Is "sincerity" the magic ingredient that makes something true? If so, then you ought to be able to apply it to any area of life, and not only to religion. A nurse in a city hospital gives some medicine to a patient, and the patient becomes violently ill. The nurse is sincere but the medicine is wrong, and the patient almost dies. A man hears noises in the house one night and decides a burglar is at work. He gets his gun and shoots the "burglar," who turns out to be his daughter! Unable to sleep, she has gotten up for a bite to eat. She ends up the victim of her father's "sincerity." It takes more than "sincerity" to make something true. Faith in a lie will always cause serious consequences; faith in the truth is never misplaced. It does make a difference what a man believes! If a man wants to drive from Chicago to New York, no amount of sincerity will get him there if the highway is taking him to Los Angeles. A person who is real builds his life on truth, not superstition or lies. It is impossible to live a real life by believing lies. (Bible Exposition Commentary) Steven

1 João 2:24

1 João 2:25-27

Wiersbe - Jesus in the Present Tense J C Philpot - The anointing "But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you." 1 John 2:27 All the powers of earth and hell are combined against this holy anointing, with which the children of God are so highly favored. But if God has locked up in the bosom of a saint one drop of this divine unction, that one drop is armor against . . . all the assaults of sin, all the attacks of Satan, all the enmity of self, and all the charms, pleasures, and amusements of the world. Waves and billows of affliction may roll over the soul—but they cannot wash away this holy drop of anointing oil. Satan may shoot a thousand fiery darts to inflame all the combustible material of our carnal mind—but all his fiery darts cannot burn up that one drop of oil which God has laid up in the depths of a broken spirit. The world, with all its charms and pleasures, and its deadly opposition to the truth of God, may stir up waves of ungodliness against this holy anointing—but all the powers of earth combined can never extinguish that one drop which God has Himself lodged in the depths of a believer's heart. And so it has been with all the dear saints of God. Not all their . . . sorrows, backslidings, slips, falls, miseries, and wretchedness, have ever—all combined, drunk up the anointing that God has bestowed upon them. If sin could have done it—we would have sinned ourselves into hell long ago; and if the world or Satan could have destroyed it or us—they would long ago have destroyed both. If our carnal mind could have done it—it would have swept us away into floods of destruction. But the anointing abides sure, and cannot be destroyed; and where once lodged in the soul, it is secure against all the assaults of earth, sin, and hell. The birthmarks of a true child of God (Al Martin) "How may I be certain that I am saved?" To live and to die believing a wrong answer has horrific and irreversible consequences! The Spirit of God guided John to write his first epistle in order to help professing Christians give the right answer to this all-important question (1 John 5:13). John describes the convictions and patterns of life that are true of every one who has been born of the Holy Spirit and united to Jesus Christ. I have designated these as "the birthmarks of a true child of God." John identifies at least five such birthmarks. It is important to note that John uses present-tense verbs, indicating a pattern of ongoing action and conviction. (1) Faith in the Christ of Scripture. We read in 5:1 that "everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God." This birthmark is also emphasized in 1 John 5:6; 1 John 2:18-19; 1 John 2:23-25; 1 John 4:2-3; and 1 John 5:10. (2) Pursuit of a life of Christlike holiness and personal righteousness. In 1 John 2:29, John writes, "If you know that he is righteous, you may be sure that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of him." This birthmark is further insisted upon in 1 John 1:5-7; 1 John 2:6; 1 John 3:2-3; 3:4-10; and 1 John 5:18-19. (3) Pursuit of a life of obedience to God's commandments. John's words in 2:3-5 affirm this birthmark with unmistakable clarity: "By this we know that we have come to know him if we keep his commandments. Whoever says 'I know him' but does not keep his commandments is a liar and the truth is not in him." See also 1 John 2:17; 1 John 3:24; and 1 John 5:3. (4) A life of brotherly love. John writes in 1 John 3:14: "We know we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death. Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and . . . no murderer has eternal life abiding in him." This statement is buttressed by similar assertions in 1 John 2:8-10; 1 John 3:11; 1 John 4:7-8; 1 John 4:12; 1 John 4:20-21; and 1 John 5:1. (5) An experience of the manifold ministries of the Holy Spirit. In 1 John 2:20, John asserts that true children of God will remain in fellowship with the church and the Apostolic truth present in the church because they have been anointed by the Holy One. Other aspects of the Spirit's ministry to everyone who has been born again are found in 1 John 2:27; 1 John 3:24; 1 John 4:8; and 1 John 4:13. The things John has written in order that we may "know that we have eternal life" must never be looked upon as the basis upon which we possess eternal life (1 John 5:13). John has clearly asserted that "whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life" (1 John 5:12). These various "birthmarks" are the inevitable and necessary evidences that we "have the Son," but they are not the Son who is our righteousness Himself. Nevertheless, without these birthmarks, our claim to know that we are saved is utterly without a biblical foundation. J C Philpot - A solitary drop of this holy anointing oil "The anointing which you received from Him remains in you, and you don't need for anyone to teach you. But as His anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is no lie, and even as it taught you, you will remain in Him." 1 John 2:27 Have you ever had a solitary drop of this holy anointing oil fall upon your heart? One drop, if it be but a drop, will sanctify you forever to the service of God. There was not much of the holy anointing oil used for the service of the tabernacle, when we consider the size and quantity of what had to be consecrated. When he went through the sacred work, he touched one vessel after another with a drop of oil—for one drop sanctified the vessel to the service of the tabernacle. There was no repetition of the consecration needed—it abode. So if you ever had a drop of God's love shed abroad in your heart—a drop of the anointing to teach you the truth as it is in Jesus—a drop to penetrate, to soften, to heal, to feed, and give light, life, and power to your soul—you have the unction from the Holy One—you know all things which are for your salvation, and by that same holy oil you have been sanctified and made fit for an eternal inheritance. John

1 João 2:28-29

Wiersbe - Not all Bible students are agreed as to the details of future events, but evangelical Christians agree that Christ is returning for His church (1Th. 4:13–18). Though Christians will not then be judged for their sins, they will be judged on the basis of their faithfulness in serving Christ (1 Cor. 3:10–15). Those who have been faithful will receive rewards (1 Cor. 4:5); and those who have not been faithful will lose rewards. This event is called “the Judgment Seat of Christ” (Ro 14:10; 2Cor. 5:10); do not confuse it with the “Great White Throne Judgment” of unsaved people at the end of time (Rev 20:11–15). The fact that Jesus Christ may return at any moment ought to be an incentive for us to live in fellowship with Him and be obedient to His Word. (Bible Exposition Commentary) THE POSITIVE REACTION AT HIS APPEARING We may have confidence (parrhesia) - May God grant each of us to be ready for the last moment by being ready at every moment. Notice John humbly includes himself. John's thought is that we (himself included) might have the same confidence on that great day, that a man might have today as he enters into the presence of a the king and speaks to him without fear of condemnation or reprisals! It is that attitude of openness that stems from freedom and lack of fear ("shaking" fear - godly, reverential fear is always appropriate) means in essence the freedom to say all. The dominant idea is boldness, confidence, as opposed to fear, ambiguity, or reserve. Ultimately this quality of confidence is that which is energized by the indwelling Spirit, emboldening (Spirit filled) believers to openly declare (with great conviction) all that He births within (cp Acts 4:31+). (Confidence) speaks of the attitude of a child coming to his father in contrast to a slave going to his master. -- Danny Akin As

1 João 2:28-29

Wiersbe - "The difference is that a true Christian knows God. A counterfeit Christian may talk about God and get involved in “religious activities,” but he does not really know God. The person who has been “born of God” through faith in Christ knows God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. And because he knows them, he lives a life of obedience: he does not practice sin." (Bible Exposition Commentary) Dear reader, John could not have been more clear! The Disciple's Study Bible says "God is righteous, meaning that He not only opposes what is evil but is the source of what is right. He actively seeks to make His people righteous. Righteous lives show God at work. Compare 1Jn 3:10. God is the standard of righteousness. Disciples are His born-again children who imitate His actions by doing right. (Borrow Disciple's Study Bible) Faithlife Study Bible - Obedience reveals commitment to Christ; this serves as a valid test for determining someone’s relationship with Him. See John 15:10. Merrill Unger - The fruit of abiding is the practice of righteousness, which gives evidence of one’s relationship to and fellowship with the Righteous One, Christ, 29. (The New Unger’s Bible handbook) Andrews Study Bible - Doing right is evidence that one has been born of God through faith in Jesus (5:1; John 1:12). Henry Alford - God is righteous, and therefore the source of righteousness; when then a man doeth righteousness, we know that the source of his righteousness is God, that consequently he has acquired by new birth from God that righteousness which he had not by nature. We argue from his doing righteousness, to his being born of God. The error of Pelagians is to conclude that doing righteousness is a condition of becoming a child of God. (Alford) H A