Children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. Therefore we know that it is the last hour. They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us. But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and you all have knowledge. I write to you, not because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and because no lie is of the truth. Who is the liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son. No one who denies the Son has the Father. Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also. Let what you heard from the beginning abide in you. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, then you too will abide in the Son and in the Father. And this is the promise that he made to us—eternal life. I write these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you. But the anointing that you received from him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about everything, and is true, and is no lie—just as it has taught you, abide in him. And now, little children, abide in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence and not shrink from him in shame at his coming. If you know that he is righteous, you may be sure that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of him.
KEY TAKEWAYS:
– Get going with growing in the Lord and serving Him. (Time is short)
– There are deceivers/false teachers (Antichrists). But fear not!
– Stay (abide) in the Lord and His Word. (What you have heard)
– His Spirit (anointing) will stay with you.
– Being born of God will produce a family resemblance in us. (Practicing righteousness = born of Him)
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Beloved, I am writing you no new commandment, but an old commandment that you had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word that you have heard. At the same time, it is a new commandment that I am writing to you, which is true in him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining. Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness. Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and in him there is no cause for stumbling. But whoever 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.
I am writing to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven for his name’s sake. I am writing to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. I write to you, children, because you know the Father. I write to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one.
Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.
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The word of God is an encouragement, today is no exception. John says things that at first glance sound bad. In fact, they might terrify you and discourage you. But all is not lost. We sin, we mess up time and time again, and there is still good news. Our hope is in something more powerful than ourselves
1 My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.
• An advocate with the father. Jesus is leaning over in to God’s ear, whispering things about you. Tipping the scale in our favor. What power Jesus has to be in such a position! • Not just anyone can do that, John tells us that Christ Jesus is the righteous one. Your bible might have this as a proper noun, as a title. This is a title unique to him, which means what church? We are certainly NOT righteous. • We are morally bankrupt; we lack goodness and justification before God. But there is more good news.
2 He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.
• Jesus IS the sacrifice for our sins. What we cannot do, Jesus did. • Our sin is gross and messy and there is nothing we can do about it. But again, there is good news here, it is all on Jesus. It is His sacrifice that atones. It is not our lives lived in a manner worthy of anything, not even worth saving. Romans 5:8 “but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us”. He atones for our sin. • Galatians 3:28 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
3 We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands. 4 Whoever says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person.
• We have all been saved by Jesus’s atonement for our sins. And the spirit gives us assurance of our faith. If we find ourselves obeying the word of God, we have come to know him. We have certainty of our knowledge of God when we follow his commands. • Our actions, the way our life is lived, is a testimony to the truth that we really do know Him! Those actions are not what saves us, let me refer you to verse 2. But the lack of obedience is incompatible with truly knowing God.
5 But if anyone obeys his word, love for God is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in him: 6 Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did.
• Likewise, when we obey God, it draws us closer to him. We experience first-hand the life he wants for all of us. Our love for him grows as we obey his words and live it out. • It’s hard to live like someone if you don’t know them. As we conclude our text today, let’s look at some examples. How did Jesus live? What characteristics come to mind when you think of the life of Jesus? • Jesus was (and still is) patient with his creation. Jesus loved others, especially the ones the religious leaders neglected. He was obedient to the father.
We have hope in Jesus • What is your hope in? Even though we cannot keep ourselves from sinning, the gospel brings the message of salvation apart from anything we have done to earn it.
Knowing God results in obedience to Him. • Is the way you are orienting your life based on your personal knowledge of who God is and the love that He has for us? • Do you know Jesus? Are you spending time learning about who he is, what he teaches and how it impacts your life today?
Through obedience our love is made complete • Does your love for God feel complete, or empty? Something missing? • When our actions don’t match our words, it betrays how we really feel. • What areas is your love of God hypocritical? Confessing and repenting is step 1 • what are growth areas for you to be more Christlike?
To live in Jesus is to live like Jesus • We have a model of what obedience to God is. • What ways does your life look like Jesus’s? • What has encouraged you in your life to see where he’s making you more like himself?
This last point to take away is an encouragement to us, not a reason for shame or guilt. We should not read this and be burdened at the prospect of being like Jesus, God gave us this as a blessing and a calling for our lives.
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This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
Takeaways/Application:
Do you affirm scripture that there is no wrong or darkness in God? Or do you believe that He can’t be all true about what He did and who He is.
What are specific things in your life you may believe God is purposely hiding or keeping from you that alter his being in your mind.
Unconfessed and unrepentant sin enslaves you to fellowship with darkness. Having heard that God is light will you truly repent and walk in the light and have fellowship with Him?
Do you confess and repent of sin daily? Monthly? Yearly? Never? Your awareness of sin may reveal how close your fellowship with God truly is.
What does your fellowship with God ultimately look like after today? Has it changed you in the past or are you still the same?
Fellowship with God should lead to repentance which should cause actual change and genuine sanctification to be seen and felt among others.
Do you believe that you are wiser than God and that he lies about your sin and need for a savior?
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