1 John 3:1-10 - Not continuing to sin

3:1,2

Tactics used by false teachers fall into two broad categories. On the one hand they may try to make us feel guilty or inferior, John has been dealing with this line of attack so far. The second broad line is to claim to be offering us something better. But the Father has lavished on us great love, we are loved by the Father, and the sign of that ove is that we are now children of God, there is nothing better that anything else can give us. So if the gospel is so great, why does not everyone go for it? The reason is that the world does not know Jesus. Instead it hates Him. 

Our final destiny has not been made known to us yet, at least not in detail. But we do know that we shall be like HIm, and we shall “see Him as He is£. Indeed that is why we shall be like HIm. Because of all this, we purify ourselves. To continue to live in sin is not consistent with the gospel.

3:3-6

In Christ we are forgiven for all our sins, but sin is still lawlessness. Sin is not an acceptable part of the new life in Christ.Jesus appeared in order to take away our sins. He takes away the guilt, but also changes our nature, so if we live in Him we will not continue to sin. The notion that Jesus is all about forgiveness and acceptance, so we overlook sin and carry on is completely at odds with the gospel.

3:7-10

Those who perpetuate the myth of continuing to sin are seeking to lead us astray, we must not listen to them. We are made righteous in Christ, and this will start to affect our lives.Sin is the devil’s work, and Christ appeared to destroy the devil’s work. Note from what John said in chapter one, this is not about perfectionism, it is more about the direction we are going in. Hating sin and loving our brothers and sisters in Christ are signs of truly belonging to God.

1 John 2:26-3:2 - Christ is the best reward

2:26,27

John now makes it clear that he is writing these things about "those who are trying to lead them astray”. His readers were anointed, and this anointing was received from Jesus. It is quite possible that the false teachers claimed to have a special anointing, and were in some way belittling the people John was writing to. John assures his readers that they did not need anyone to teach them. This does not mean that we don’t need teachers, but only teachers who believe the gospel. John assures them yet again, saying that the anointing they have received was real, not counterfeit (as it was in the case of the false teachers. They must remain in Christ.

2:28,29

Turning away from Jesus may look like a tempting option, may look as if it will make life a little easier, but we need to remember that Jesus is coming back, on that day it will be a lot better for us if we “continue in Him”, if we have stuck with Christ. Then we will be confident and unashamed. Jesus is righteous, so that those have been “born of Him” will do what is right.

3:1,2

Tactics used by false teachers fall into two broad categories. On the one hand they may try to make us feel guilty or inferior, John has been dealing with this line of attack so far. The second broad line is to claim to be offering us something better. But the Father has lavished on us great love, we are loved by the Father, and the sign of that ove is that we are now children of God, there is nothing better that anything else can give us. So if the gospel is so great, why does not everyone go for it? The reason is that the world does not know Jesus. Instead it hates Him. 

Our final destiny has not been made known to us yet, at least not in detail. But we do know that we shall be like HIm, and we shall “see Him as He is£. Indeed that is why we shall be like HIm. Because of all this, we purify ourselves. To continue to live in sin is not consistent with the gospel.

John 2:24-27 Remaining in the Son

2:24,25

Again, John urges them to stick with what they first heard. The gospel needs to be presented clearly, and then expounded and explained. Only by sticking with the gospel will we remain in the Father and in the son, and Jesus had told them the importance of abiding in Him (John 15:4). Then we will receive the promised eternal life.

2:26,27

John now makes it clear that he is writing these things about "those who are trying to lead them astray”. His readers were anointed, and this anointing was received from Jesus. It is quite possible that the false teachers claimed to have a special anointing, and were in some way belittling the people John was writing to. John assures his readers that they did not need anyone to teach them. This does not mean that we don’t need teachers, but only teachers who believe the gospel. John assures them yet again, saying that the anointing they have received was real, not counterfeit (as it was in the case of the false teachers. They must remain in Christ.

1 John 2:20-23 The Father and the Son

2:20

In one sense we are just ordinary people, but in another we are special, for we have been adopted as sons of God. In some ways it is like Jesus, He was the Son of Man, fully human, but He was also the Son of God, and could do amazing things. John expresses it by saying we “have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth. This is a defence against any group that tries to make us feel inferior.

2:21

John assures them that they already know the truth. Again it is a counter against false teachings that seek to make us doubt. Remember that in Eden the serpent said “did God really say....” we should have confidence in the gospel.

2:22

We have had lifestyle tests, now we come to the key doctrinal test, and doctrine matters. Some try to tell us that to be concerned about right doctrine is a mistake, such people are the ones who are truly mistaken. The first test is denying that Jesus is the Christ. Jesus is indeed the Christ, He is the centre and the focus of everything. If we deny Jesus then we are also denying the Father, for the Fathers sent Christ in order to fulfil His plans.

2:23

The matter is very simple, we cannot have the Father without the Son. They come as a package., you cannot have one without the other.

1 John 2:15-19 - Do not love the world

2:15-17

There are many false teachers who “love the world”, this can come in the form of so-called “prosperity teaching", or those who go along with the world's crazy and corrrupted ideas on sexuality. We cannot love the world and God. The world’s ways are in rebellion to God, so if someone is motivated primarily by worldly thinking they are not of God. The world and is ways will pass away, but the one who does the will of God lives forever, we need to make the right choice and to listen to those who have made the right choice, not ones following the way of death.

2:18,19

Some may say this teaching causes division, but Jesus said He came not to bring peace, but division (Lk 12:51). Some appeals for unity are actually appeals for toleration of wrong teaching. In the letters to the seven churches in Revelation there are criticisms from Jesus of  those who tolerated wrong teaching. Those who leave because false teaching is not tolerated show that they never really belonged to God nor to us. Note the strong line that John takes against false teachers, they are even identified with the antichrist.

1 John 2:7-14 Knowing God

2:7,8

What is all this stuff about not being a new commandment, (v7) and then “I am writing a new command”(v8)? When we sinned we became slaves to sin, when we come to know Jesus we are born again, we are set free, what was once impossible is now possible. 

2:9,10

So a definite sign that we do know Jesus is that we love our brothers and sisters in Christ. If we hate our brothers then that is a pretty sure sign that we are still in the darkness, and the converse is true. Knowing Christ changes our attitude to other people.

2:11

The person who hates his brother is walking in the darkness. We should not follow such people for they have been blinded, they have no idea where they are going.

2:12-14

John is talking about sin, but we approach the subject from the position that we have been forgiven, John then mention two other groups, fathers and young men, Both are approached from a positive angle. Fathers know Him who is from the beginning, young men have overcome the evil one. The Gnostic types would claim to have special knowledge, and to be able to give the young men special power, but the way to overcome the evil one is through Christ alone. We have all the power and salvation that we need in Christ

1 John 2:3-6 - A test

2:3-6

We don’t earn salvation by what we do, but what we do shows whether or not we are saved, If Jesus comes into our lives things will start to change, we will start to change. Keeping His commands is a sign that we do actually know Him (see John 14:23). Conversely, if someone claims to know Jesus but does not obey Him, then they are a liar. We can ignore such a person. A sign that the love of God is complete in us is obedience to God. Obedience is the fruit of the gospel.Obedience to Christ is a test we should apply to all teachers.