1 John Chapter 2

If only we could get people to pray and study the word, there would be more love and less deception. Unfortunately some sects and churches have discouraged them from reading the bible on their own and as a result people depend solely on their priests or pastors to interpret the word. That would not be so bad if all preachers and pastors were faithful but power, money and politics tend to defile us if we don't pray and stay full of the Holy Spirit allowing His love to be shed abroad in our hearts continually. 

• 1John 2:1 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: 

Isn't God great to provide for us a way out of sin. Sin doesn't have to defeat us. We do not have to live in sin and get into error. God made a provision. All we have to do is allow Him to cleanse us from sin and fill us with His Holy Spirit. It is a great way. God's way is joy, love and peace. Man's way is misery. 

• 1John 2:2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. 

Jesus is the answer for the sin, not only in the lives of those that already believe but it is available to the whole world if they would receive it. The blood of Jesus is enough to cleanse the sin of every one in the world. It's not the Father's will that any should perish. We are not predestined to go to hell. We are predestined to go to heaven but only those that repent and believe the gospel will be able to enter in. The provision has been provided.

We have the freewill to choose. God does not want puppets. He wants us to freely choose His way over our own ways and receive His gift of eternal life. How much greater it is to arrive at the place where we serve God because we love Him and not because of fear? Fear may be the means to bring us to the place of repentance but after we get to know God and receive His spirit, we can learn to serve Him in love. We can be partakers of His holiness by being willing and obedient, not just from fear of hell. God left no one out of His provision. This good way is available to all who would believe. 

• 1John 2:3 And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. 

One sign of whether or not one is saved from sin and "born again" by God's spirit is that he or she will keep His commandments. If we do not desire to keep His word, then the truth is not in us. Naturally some come to Christ not knowing all His word and we can't expect them to become perfect all at once until they are taught in the word and are sound in faith, but after a while a true believer should be producing the fruit of the spirit, one of which is love. 

• 1John 2:4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
• 5 But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. 

Those that claim the Christian religion and ignore completely the word of God, cannot be saved. Religion does not save, only Jesus Christ can save anyone from sin. Jesus saves when we believe in Him. Jesus then gives the Holy Spirit to those that believe in Him when they have repented or turned from sin and turned to Him. 

• 1John 2:6 He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked. 

Christ is our example, we are to walk as He did. If we are walking in sin, we are not abiding in Christ. 

• 1John 2:7 Brethren, I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment which ye had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which ye have heard from the beginning. 
• 8 Again, a new commandment I write unto you, which thing is true in him and in you: because the darkness is past, and the true light now shineth. 
• 9 He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now. 
• 10 He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him. 
• 11 But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes. 

We must overcome the temptation to despise others who may see things differently than we see it. The church in the Middle Ages absolutely had no authority to persecute heretics so-called. The ones that do the persecuting are usually the ones in the wrong. 

Think about it. Preachers of the gospel spend their lives trying to get people saved and on their way to heaven and the rest of us, spend time casting them out and accuse them of not being of God because they do not join our particular so-called elect group. I'm advocating love and compassion here, not ecumenical movements. We do not have to join into one big mega organization or political power. In fact that is what we should always avoid. The middle age church has tried that and look what a mess that made of things. We do not have to rejoin any  headquarters of any denomination or organized church. Not all are bad but its not essential to anyone's salvation. Read the book of Acts and the believers there are very different than what we call church. There was never a pope until years later. Peter was never any pope or exalted figure above the other apostles. Joining something is not the answer. Getting people saved and filled with the Holy Spirit is the answer. 

We speak the word, God does the saving. We preach the word, God makes one a child of God. We speak the word, God fills with the spirit. Our part is to teach, God's part is to change the person who is listening. We can't make that happen by intimidation and telling someone they have to join our group or be baptized in our church to be saved. Salvation is an inner change in a believer that only can be done by the spirit of God entering into that person when they believe in Jesus. We can't make it happen by force. We are the messengers, we are vessels of the Holy Spirit and that is all. We have to depend on God for the results. 

False doctrine contrary to the correct understanding of the word is an entirely different matter especially if it puts someone's salvation in jeopardy, hides the true gospel or allows people to be deceived into thinking they can be saved and still sin without suffering the consequences of sin or allows people to think they can be baptized into a church or join a church and expect to be saved. Jesus alone is the way of salvation. Faith in Jesus is the only way to be saved. I repeat over and over again. Being born again by the spirit of God entering in a believer in Jesus is the only way of salvation. God does it. God saves. We can't make someone "born again." 

In all these things John entreats us to walk in love. If we don't love and show kindness, why would anyone listen to our message? 

• 1John 2:12 I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name's sake. 
• 13 I write unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I write unto you, young men, because ye have overcome the wicked one. I write unto you, little children, because ye have known the Father. 
• 14 I have written unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one. 
• 15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 

Here is a warning many of us tend to forget. His kingdom is not of this world. We are not to be overly concerned with the things in this life which are temporary. The more of God's spirit we have the less we will love this present world. Sin will have no place in a true born again spirit filled child of God. If we live in continual sin and still claim to be spirit filled, something is wrong. If our mind is continually on material things and we neglect the spiritual things, we will starve spiritually. To be carnal minded is death. To be filled with the spirit is life. We need the teaching of the word and we need the infilling of God's spirit. 

You can go to any church in the world and find someone who sins and still claims to be saved and filled with the spirit. Where there is a real, there is a counterfeit. Judge all things by the word of God and by love. If it's not in the word, reject it, if it's there be careful of speaking against it. I cringe when people speak evil against being "born again" or "speaking with tongues". They don't know what they are doing. These things are in God's word and are gifts of God.

• 1John 2:16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. 

As individual Christians though, we must study the word and seek to obey God taking heed to the word. To be wrapped up in the world is the very opposite to God. Lust of the flesh, pride of life, desires of the flesh is of the world. God has something much better that the world can't even compare to. Why settle for these things that pass away quickly. God has things that are eternal. I'm talking of things of the spirit here, and not material things that pass away. 

• 1John 2:17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever. 
• 18 Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time. 

Doctrine that we know is contrary to the written word is caused by the spirit of anti-Christ. This could mean someone who is against Christ but we who believe would not be deceived by someone preaching against Christ. Anti-Christ could also mean, in place of Christ or representative of Christ but preaching the wrong things. No one is to stand between us and Jesus Christ. We follow Jesus and only follow men as far as they follow Jesus. If they stop following the truth we must stop following them and follow Jesus only. 

We must warn against such things as the prosperity doctrine, image worship, worshipping the saints, Mary worship, and many other things not found in the bible. Yet we must do so in love and faith in God to change what is wrong. If one reads church history they can see that many things were added 100s of years later than when the apostles walked among the living. They picked up doctrines of men and not of the written word originally given to the apostles of Jesus. 

This doesn't mean that if we make one mistake, all is hopeless. John is teaching the very opposite. If we sin, confess it and renew ourselves to the Lord right away. Loving the world is continuing in the things of the world totally disregarding what God's word says. It is not making a one time mistake which we repent of. 

While we warn against loving the world and sin which robs us of our walk with God in the spirit, let us also be careful to avoid false accusations and speaking evil of things we know nothing about. We must warn against false doctrines but we must be careful that the doctrines are false and not just something we do not understand or agree with. 

Speaking in tongues as the Holy Spirit gives utterance is in the word of God. I am amazed at the ones I read on the Internet that speak evil of those who speak in tongues or in other languages when they pray. God gave some this gift when they were baptized with the Holy Spirit and we have no right to accuse them falsely and say that it was only for the apostles. Peter said it was to all that are afar off. So to warn against false teaching that clearly is not taught in the word of God is good but make sure it's false and not just ones opinion.

So as we receive more and more understanding, we must guard against false teaching and returning to the love of the world, the pride of life and the lust of the flesh but at the same time, we must never false accuse and become harsh and judgmental but be gentle and walk in perfect love toward the brethren.

We are not to exalt ourselves but seek to exalt the Lord and tell of His salvation given freely to all who receive Him. God's gifts are freely given to anyone who seeks Him. We have nothing that we have not received so why boast and think we are higher than anyone else that may not have what we have? Neither should we be envious of those that do have what we have not yet received. 

I'm saying all this to emphasize love, not using the scriptures to attack someone who loves God and is worshipping God in freedom. 

Let us take the whole bible in correct understanding and not use a few verses taken out of context to accuse each other falsely. Have compassion. Let us walk in love and not false accusations because we may not understand some things.

• 1John 2:19 They went out from us, but they were not of us: for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us. 

Some left to draw followers after themselves. This we need to be careful of. We must be careful not to follow vain persons whose main interest is to fleece the flock of God and do not really care for our eternal souls. We must not follow man. We must follow the Lord. Sooner or later their ways will manifest itself. This does not mean all who leave a church is in the wrong. How can we spread the gospel if we all stay in one congregation and not leave? 

Many followed Jim Jones to their death. There was hints earlier on. He led the people to be dependent upon him alone for their faith and not faith in Jesus although the name of Jesus was used in the beginning. Joseph Smith deceived his followers also. They began to believe that there was no salvation outside of the prophet, Joseph Smith. Yet we see that there were hints at the beginning to show that Joseph was false. He stated that all the other churches was an abomination. He was the only one who supposedly had the truth. He was becoming exclusive. This is dangerous because Jesus is the only way of salvation whether or not one joins a church.

We can be saved in a group or when we are all alone. While we should never forsake assembling ourselves with other believers to worship God but that is not the way of salvation. Jesus is the way. A shut in that has to stay at home is just as saved if they trust in Christ as the one who attends a believer's meeting every time the doors are open. Watch out for anyone who says that we need them and their successors in order to be saved. Jesus is the key to salvation and the only way to be saved. 

• 1John 2:20 But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things. 

Those that are baptized in the Holy Ghost have God's spirit to teach them all things. We do not rely on His spirit nearly enough. How do we think the early church learned things before they had the written word? Now that we do have the written word, we can compare what someone says with the word to see if it is true or not. 

• 1John 2:21 I have not written unto you because ye know not the truth, but because ye know it, and that no lie is of the truth. 
• 22 Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son. 

If we deny that Jesus is the one God sent in the flesh to save us from sin, then we are anti-Christ. To deny the Son is to deny the Father. There is no access to the Father without first going through the Son. 

• 1John 2:23 Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: but he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also. 
• 24 Let that therefore abide in you, which ye have heard from the beginning. If that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, ye also shall continue in the Son, and in the Father. 
• 25 And this is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life, 
• 26 These things have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you. 
• 27 But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him. 

If we learn to listen to the Holy Spirit that has been given to all who obey the Lord, we can know who is true and who is not. Jesus said that His sheep will know His voice. 

• 1John 2:28 And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming. 
• 29 If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him. 

We have the Holy Spirit, and the written word. We do not have to be deceived. Beware of anyone who tells us that we can't understand the bible without the church leaders to interpret it. We can be filled with the Holy Spirit who is the real teacher, and begin to learn and understand it ourselves. 

Teachers and preachers are to bring us to Christ and tell us the good news of the gospel. They can teach us the word as God gives them understanding but we must come to the place where we can read and understand it for ourselves. A good pastor will desire for anyone in his ministry to learn of God and seek God for themselves. They will not desire people to be dependent upon them continually. They are bring people to Christ, disciple them and then encourage them to be filled with the spirit and walk in the spirit so that they can go out and disciple others. We don't want to gather followers after ourselves depending on us or our organization. We want to win people to Christ and encourage them to become dependent upon Christ. 

Persecution scattered the believers in Jerusalem and then the gospel spread further. If we build one big mega church and stay in one place, the gospel will not spread. It would be better to start thousands of small congregations all over the world than to have one mega church in one place. We must not despise small groups of believers because they are not a large congregation. I know this is a day of mega churches and it is exciting to see so many worship together in one place but that would soon get old if they do not continually bring more people to Jesus and send those people out to make even more disciples. 

In all this though, we must walk in love. We can't emphasize this enough. Biting and devouring one another is not the way to spread the gospel. DC


1 John 3