I John; Chapter 2:12-17 [2-27-11]

--Sermon Notes

1 JOHN

Chapter 2, Verse 12-17

[2-27-11]

 

Review:

1 John 2:6) [GNB] if we say that we remain in union with God, we should live just as Jesus Christ did.

1 John 3:16) [GNB] This is how we know what love is: Christ gave his life for us. We too, then, ought to give our lives for others!

John 15:13) [GNB] The greatest love you can have for your friends is to give your life for them.

QUESTION: Is loving the way we are loved a command, or a suggestion?

ANSWER: IT’S A COMMAND! We need to understand that walking in love is walking in the Light! Walking in hatred is walking in darkness!

1 John 2:11) [GNB] But if we hate others, we are in the darkness; we walk in it and do not know where we are going, because the darkness has made us blind.

QUESTION: Can we be obnoxious? Can we be irritating? Can we disappoint? Can we cause pain? Does God/Jesus love us when we do these things?

ANSWER: THAT’S THE LOVE WE’RE CALLED TO IMITATE! THAT’S THE LOVE THAT WILL CAUSE THE UNCHURCHED TO KNOW THAT WE’RE THE REAL DEAL; WE ARE DISCIPLES/FOLLOWERS OF CHRIST!

On To This Week’s Lesson:

1 John 2:12-14) [GNB] I write to you, my children, because your sins are forgiven for the sake of Christ.

13) [GNB] I write to you, fathers, because you know him who has existed from the beginning. I write to you, young people, because you have defeated the Evil One.

14) [GNB] I write to you, my children, because you know the Father. I write to you, fathers, because you know him who has existed from the beginning. I write to you, young people, because you are strong; the word of God lives in you, and you have defeated the Evil One.

Concerning “because,”

“Because (here and in the five next sentences). The Greek conjunction can mean either ‘because’ or ‘that’ Many versions (among them RSV, TEV) have ‘because,’ but ‘that’ seems to be more probable, since John is stressing some vital truths of Christian life” [UBS].

“AV-that 612, for 264, because 173, how that 21, how 11, misc 212; 1293”

NOTE: It could read, “that” instead of “because” throughout this passage. Translators try to decide which fits better in a passage.

3 Groups:

  • Little children – 1) your sins are forgiven; 2) you know the Father.
  • Fathers – you know Him who has existed from the beginning.
  • Young people – 1) you have defeated the evil one; 2) you are strong, the word of God lives in you, and you have defeated the evil one.

QUESTION: What’s the purpose of these 3 verses?

ANSWER: John’s reminding each group of an essential truth before he continues on.

1 John 2:15-17) [GNB] Do not love the world or anything that belongs to the world. If you love the world, you do not love the Father.

16) [GNB] Everything that belongs to the world—what the sinful self desires, what people see and want, and everything in this world that people are so proud of—none of this comes from the Father; it all comes from the world.

(CEV) Our foolish pride comes from this world, and so do our selfish desires and our desire to have everything we see. None of this comes from the Father.

(GW) Not everything that the world offers-physical gratification, greed, and extravagant lifestyles-comes from the Father. It comes from the world, and

(MSG) Practically everything that goes on in the world–wanting your own way, wanting everything for yourself, wanting to appear important–has nothing to do with the Father. It just isolates you from him.

(NIV) For everything in the world-the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does-comes not from the Father but from the world.

(NLT) For the world offers only the lust for physical pleasure, the lust for everything we see, and pride in our possessions. These are not from the Father. They are from this evil world.

17) [GNB] The world and everything in it that people desire is passing away; but those who do the will of God live forever.

QUESTION: What are these 3 verses telling us?

ANSWER: The path the Christian is on, the narrow path, is to be different that the path the unregenerate is on, the wide path. The saved see things differently that the unsaved!

QUESTION: What aren’t these verses telling us?

ANSWER: They are not telling us that if we are attracted to attractive things, that if we would prefer a more financially successful life than the one we have, or that if we want more stuff than we currently have that we are not truly Christian. Even sinful things are tempting because they are appealing. The point is that regardless of what we want we must be willing to pursue the things that God has intended for us. The issue is who do we serve? Whose lead do we follow?

Matthew 6:24) [GNB] You cannot be a slave of two masters; you will hate one and love the other; you will be loyal to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.

QUESTION: Why does God love the world [John 3:16] and tell us not to?

ANSWER: One thing is for certain, it can’t be wrong for you and I to do what God does. Therefore, the “world” that God loves and the “world” that He tells us not to love are two very different things. It is obvious that the “world” God loves is the world of people; it’s all those who inhabit the planet. WE SHOULD LOVE THAT “WORLD” ALSO! The “world” we’re not to love is the world of things that this life presents us with; AND GOD DOESN’T LOVE THAT WORLD EITHER!

NOTE: In other words, 1) we shouldn’t love to do those things that bring gratification to our flesh, yet are forbidden by Scripture; 2) we shouldn’t love everything that appeals to our sight; and 3) we shouldn’t love those things that make us feel superior to others. GOD LOVES THE WORLD OF PEOPLE; WE SHOULD NOT LOVE THE WORLD OF THINGS!

ANOTHER NOTE: When God loves the world of people He genuinely loves them. When we love the world of things it’s actually a perversion of true love; IT IS LUST!