Text:            1 John 2:1-13

By:               Ezekiel, Oghenekaro

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This lesson is a continuation on our series on the book of 1 John. Last week one of our ministers took us through 1 John 1:8-10. Today our focus will be on 1 John 2:1-13.

All kinds of sins, temptations, and allurements face us. How does the Christian live the Christian life in this kind of world? With all the doubt and uncertainty, the agnosticism and atheism, how can we know for sure God exists? If we know God exists, how can we be sure we are serving Him? How can we be assured we are accepted by Him? In this epistle John answers some of these questions for us. Today, let us especially look at the question, how can we be confident that we are walking with Christ? First John decided to complete the thought he started in chapter 1.

“My little children, I am writing these things to you that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the world” (1 John 2:1, 2). 

Even Christians suffer the frustration of failure. We do not sin on purpose. Sin is not the habitual pattern of our lives. But we do sin. As we learn in the classroom of experience, failure is usually followed by disappointment, a loss of self-esteem, fear, and guilt. If failure is not handled properly, it can debilitate us. In fact, it can even prove fatal to us. A necessary part of the Christian life, therefore, is learning to deal with failure God’s way. God’s wonderful plan for our lives equips the Christian to bounce back from the brokenness of sin.

First John 2:1, 2 urges Christians to face failure with faith. John has already said, “If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us” (1 John 1:8). After conversion, sin is not just possible, it is probable! But what should a Christian do when he sins? When you fail, what should you remember?

REMEMBER WHAT HE DID AT CALVARY (1 JOHN 2:2)

First, remember that Jesus died on the cross so that our sins could be forgiven. John writes, “And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world” (1 John 2:2). John uses a difficult Greek word which is translated “propitiation” by the NASV and “expiation” in the RSV. This word declares that Jesus took our place by bearing the penalty of our sins at Calvary. His death is both permanent and universal in purpose. His death was “once for all time” and for all who would live in this world. It is comprehensive and complete in its efficacy, personal in impact, and universal in potential and scope.

Jesus died between two thieves at Calvary. He was at the centre for you and me. I can boldly say that the centre cross at Calvary was, in fact, our cross. On it, Jesus paid the price for our sins. On it, He became “the propitiation” for our sins. Without His cross—hope was absent, and sinners were doomed. With it—everlasting hope is present for everyone who turns by obedient faith to Christ. The cross does not give us a license to sin; it does guarantee forgiveness for the one who trusts Jesus for salvation and honestly obeys Him.

REMEMBER WHAT HE DOES IN THE COURT OF HEAVEN (1 JOHN 2:1)

Second, when you fail, remember Jesus will plead your case in heaven. John says, “And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; . . .” (1 John 2:1). John pictures Jesus as our Advocate. Toward the end of His earthly ministry, Jesus referred to the Holy Spirit as our Other Comforter (John 14:16, 26). He used the same word John used in this verse for Jesus. The word means “one called alongside to help.” When you fail, Jesus comes alongside to help. He speaks to the Father in our behalf.

As we pray, the Holy Spirit assists on the earthly side (Romans 8:27) while Jesus assists us on the heavenly side (Romans 8:34). When you sin, turn to your Father in penitent prayer. If others have been sinned against, apologize to them, and try to undo the damage that has been done. If it is a personal, private sin, resolve anew to do better as you pray. You have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.

REMEMBER WHO HE IS IN CHARACTER (1 JOHN 2:2)

Third, when you fail, remember the character of the One who intercedes for you. John says, “We have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous” (1 John 2:2). His name, Jesus, suggests His identification with humanity. He was “just as much human as if He were not divine at all and just as much divine as if He were not human at all.” He was tempted but did not sin; He was fully human but completely righteous.

BY KEEPING HIS COMMANDS – Vs. 3-5

How do we know that we know God? John says in 2:3,4: “And by this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments. The one who says, I have come to know Him, and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.” John is not referring to our being assured that God exists. He is speaking of the way we can have assurance in our hearts that we have fellowship with God. He is showing us how we know that we know God. He is discussing the means of knowing God. We do not know God is in our lives by a great emotional feeling or an overwhelming religious experience.

It is wonderful to have an emotional feeling of being close to God. All of us enjoy being in a worship service when the song service is great, the preaching is meaningful, and the prayers are inspiring. But that feeling within itself is not the demonstration that you know God. The demonstration to yourself, to others, and to God is the way you behave. You know that God is in your life when you are tempted to sin and you say, ‘No, I am not going to do it. I have a desire to do it, but I am not going to do it because I know it is wrong’. You know He is in your life when an opportunity to do good comes and you say, ‘That will be a big sacrifice and take much work. You say, if that is what God wants, I am going to do it’. The way you act shows you know God.

The way you know your children respect you is by the way they behave. The way young people show they love their mom and dad is by the way they treat them. Our children do not become our children by obeying us, but they demonstrate their love, consideration, and adoration for us by the way they behave.

Here John used a form of parallelism as he stated the positive in one line and the negative in the next line. On the positive side he says, “The way you know God is by keeping His commandments”. As he puts it negatively John says, ‘The one who says, ‘I have come to know Him,’ and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.” If a man says, “I am a member of the body of Christ. I was baptized into Jesus”, but commits sin knowingly and openly, is dishonest in his business, mistreats his wife and family, cheats on his income tax, or uses profanity, is just lying!

BY FOLLOWING HIS EXAMPLES – Vs. 6

John says, “The one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked”. You may say, “Now that I have been converted, I am walking with Jesus, I am living with Jesus”. If that is what you claim, then live your claim. If you are abiding in Jesus, behave as one who lives in Jesus. I do know of this admonition from our parents, “Do not do anything that would disgrace this family. Remember whose son you are. Remember where you came from”.

BY LOVING HIS PEOPLE – vs 7 – 13 

Next, He says, “Beloved, I am not writing a new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you have had from the beginning; the old commandment is the word which you have heard”. John is not telling them anything new. They have heard it before. He says, “On the other hand, I am writing a new commandment to you, which is true in Him and in you, because the darkness is passing away, and the true light is already shining” (2:8).

John in this epistle often contrasts darkness and light. He says, “From one perspective I am writing to you that which you have always heard, that which you have heard from the very beginning”.  I think, like Robert R Woodward, the beginning refers to the time when they began their Christian conception. He continues by saying, “On the other hand, I want to tell you something that is new”. Something can be new in two senses. It can be new in the sense that it is the first time it has happened; or it can be new in quality or kind, different from anything that has gone before it (like an update or improved version). It is in this second sense that John uses the word ‘new’ – John 13:34-35.

The term darkness used here refers to ignorance, superstition, bitterness, hate and it is passing away. Notice John did not say “passed away”, for there will forevermore be sin the world, but with the teachings of the Saviour, it was experiencing reduction. The darkness passes due to the true light (Robert R. Woodward).

He further says in verse 9: “The one who says he is in the light and yet hates his brother is in the darkness until now”. It is difficult to know exactly what the people to whom John wrote believed and practiced, but we do know something about how this heresy developed in the second century into what we call the “Gnostic Heresy”.

The Gnostics had the ideas that they were super-righteous people. They looked down on others even Christians. They developed a spiritual superiority and began to look on other brethren as second rate. John says, “If you say you are in the light but hate your brother, you are in darkness”.  John says, “The one who loves his brother abides in the light and there is no cause for stumbling in him” (2:10). In some ways you may be spiritually superior to your brother. He may be a brother who grew up in a different background than you. Or perhaps he is a new convert. He does not have all the understanding of the gospel you have, but you love him.

Sometimes brothers and sisters in Christ behave in such a way that they are not very lovable. Perhaps their conduct is offensive to us. Perhaps we do not like their personalities. But John says, ‘Love them’. If you love a brother, you cannot cause him to stumble. You will not cause him to commit any sins. You will not scandalize him.

But John says, ‘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. (2:11). There is none so blind as the man who thinks he sees. Sometimes there is no one as spiritually dried up and dwarfed as the man who thinks he is strong or has some knowledge or ability that other people do not have. John says, “In reality, one of the key tests of knowing God, of keeping God’s commandments, of knowing that you know God and Christ, of walking in the light, is the way you treat your brother”. The way you treat your brother is at the very heart of whether you are walking in the light or walking in the darkness.

John gives an extended discussion about knowing your sins are forgiven. He says, “I am writing to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for His name’s sake” (2:12). He is saying, “I am not writing to heathens. I am not writing to people who do not know what Christianity all is about. I am writing to Christians, people who have been forgiven of their sins”. Because you have been richly blessed by the forgiveness of your sins, your behaviour should show it. He says, “I am writing to you, fathers, because you know Him who has been from the beginning…” (2:12). John has already mentioned this truth. He said, “We saw Him. We heard Him. He is the Word of life. You have known Him. You may not have been present with us when we saw Him and listened to Him deliver the Sermon on the Mount and His wonderful parables by the Sea of Galilee. You may not have been physically with us on that occasion, but you have known Him. You have known the One who was from the beginning”.

He says, “…I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. I have written to you, children, because you know the Father” (2:13). He says, “I am writing to people who have faced sin. You have faced the devil and overcome him”. He is not writing to heathens; he is writing to Christians. John says, I have written to you, fathers, because you know Him who has been from the beginning.

One of the marvellous beauties of Christianity is that the stronger you become, the more you overcome. It is tragic to see people who at one time were strong and faithful Christians, who were active in teaching Bible classes and doing personal work, and who were encouraging others in the work of Jesus Christ, but who have now retired. They have not ‘quit Jesus’. They have not ‘denied the faith’. They still attend the services of the church, but they have retired. They are no longer active in winning souls for Christ. We even see people, as they grow older in the faith, become bitter. Suspicious of the younger generation, they believe the church is going into apostasy. They sit and talk about how it used to be. Those are the kind of people to whom John writes. He says, I am writing to you in order that you may know that if you are going to keep knowing God, if you are going to keep abiding in Christ, you have to keep on walking. There is no place to stop. 

CONCLUSION

Do you know God? If I were to ask for a show of hands in response to the question. How many of you believe in God?. I suspect every person would raise his hand. Some might have doubts at times. Some might have struggles, but, basically, we are people who believe. John is not saying, “Do you know about God? Do you believe there is a God? He is saying, “This is the way you know that you know God”.

Do you have doubts about your salvation? All the counselling, prayer, and Bible study in the world will not assure you that you know God if you are unwilling to obey the truths you already know. Are you doing what God wants you to do?

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