1 John Answers - Chapter 2

1 JOHN 2     What is John's desire for our lives? vs.1a I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. If we sin, who do we have for an Advocate with the Father? vs.1b If anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; What does "Advocate" mean? Look up in a dictionary and write out. ——————— ad•vo•cate \ˈad-və-kət, -ˌkāt\ : one that pleads the cause of another : one that pleads the cause of another   before a tribunal or judicial court : one that defends or maintains a cause   or proposal : one that supports or promotes   the interests of another ——————— Merriam-Webster, I. (2003). Merriam-Webster's collegiate dictionary. Includes index. (Eleventh ed.). Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, Inc. The word “advocate” used to be applied to lawyers. The word John uses is the very same word Jesus used when He was talking about the coming of the Holy Spirit (John 14:16, 26; 15:26). It means, literally, “one called alongside.” When a man was summoned to court, he took an advocate (lawyer) with him to stand at his side and plead his case. Jesus represents us before God’s throne. As our High Priest, He sympathizes with our weaknesses and temptations and gives us grace (Heb. 4:15–16; 7:23–28 ). As our Advocate, He helps us when we sin. When we confess our sins to God, because of Christ’s advocacy God forgives us. Jesus represents believers before God’s throne, and the merits of His sacrifice make possible the forgiveness of the believer’s sin. Because Christ died for His people, He satisfied the justice of God. (“The wages of sin is death.” ) Because He lives for us at God’s right hand, He can apply His sacrifice to our needs day by day. Wiersbe, W. W. (1996, c1989). The Bible exposition commentary. "An exposition of the New Testament comprising the entire 'BE' series"--Jkt. (1 Jn). Wheaton, Ill.: Victor Books. Is John saying that it is possible for us to never sin? How do you know from verses you read in the first chapter? Write them out. John tells us that Jesus is the "propitiation" for our sins and for the whole world. (vs.2) ... Look up "propitiation" in a dictionary and explain what that means. ——————— pro•pi•ti•ate \prō-ˈpi-shē-ˌāt\ : to gain or regain the favor or goodwill of : appease, conciliate  ——————— pro•pi•ti•a•tion \prō-ˌpi-shē-ˈā-shən\ : the act of propitiating : something that propitiates : an atoning sacrifice ——————— Merriam-Webster, I. (2003). Merriam-Webster's collegiate dictionary. Includes index. (Eleventh ed.). Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, Inc. The dictionary tells us that “to propitiate” means “to appease someone who is angry.” If you apply this to Christ, you get the horrible picture of an angry God, about to destroy the world, and a loving Saviour giving Himself to appease the irate God—and this is not the Bible picture of salvation! Certainly God is angry at sin; after all, He is infinitely holy. But the Bible reassures us that “God so loved [not hated] the world” (John 3:16, italics added). No, the word “propitiation” does not mean the appeasing of an angry God. Rather, it means the satisfying of God’s holy law. “God is light” (1 John 1:5) and, therefore, He cannot close His eyes to sin. But “God is love” (1 John 4:8 ) too and wants to save sinners. How, then, can a holy God uphold His own justice and still forgive sinners? The answer is in the sacrifice of Christ. At the cross, God in His holiness judged sin. God in His love offers Jesus Christ to the world as Saviour. God was just in that He punished sin, but He is also loving in that He offers free forgiveness through what Jesus did at Calvary. Wiersbe, W. W. (1996, c1989). The Bible exposition commentary. "An exposition of the New Testament comprising the entire 'BE' series"--Jkt. (1 Jn 1:7). Wheaton, Ill.: Victor Books. How can we "know" that we "know" the Lord Jesus? vs. 3 If we keep His commandments. Are we a Christian simply because we say we are a Christian? vs. 4 No.  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 someone claims, “I know him well!” but doesn’t keep his commandments, he’s obviously a liar. His life doesn’t match his words. [MSG] What characteristic marks the one who truly belongs to God? vs.5 Whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. The one who keeps God’s word is the person in whom we see God’s mature love. [MSG] How should we live if we "say" we belong to Him? vs. 6 The one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked. Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did. [TNIV] In verse 5, we saw that the love of God is perfected (or brought to maturity) in the person who is truly His. John states that this is not a new commandment, but one they have had from the beginning. However, it is also a new commandment because the true Light is already shining. (vs. 7) Who is the true Light? Look up Gospel of John 1:9 and write it out. There was the true Light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man. What was the new commandment He gave us? Look up Gospel of John 13:34 and write it out. “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. The Old commandment was to love the Lord with all our heart, soul, and might. (Deut.6:5), but the New commandment was to love one another, even as the Lord Jesus loved us (John 13:34). Because the True Light has already come into the darkness, we are able to have the Love of God perfected in us because we have the Light of Life (Jesus) abiding within us. It will help you to look up these verses and think about them and summarize them to get the picture of what John is sharing with us. Try to reword all of this in your own words here: Back to 1 John How do we know if we are in the Light or still in darkness? vs. 9 The one who says he is in the Light and yet hates his brother is in the darkness until now. What assures us that we will not stumble in our faith? vs. 10 The one who loves his brother abides in the Light and there is no cause for stumbling in him. If we hate another person, what can we know is still true about ourselves? vs.11 - Name 4 things we are in the darkness we walk in the darkness we do not know where we are going the darkness has blinded our eyes John addresses us as family members in the body of Christ. All of us are little children in that the Greek word here means "born again ones". We have been forgiven of our sins for His Name's sake. (vs.12) ... Some of us are still children in that we are still under tutoring and teaching and not yet as strong as we will be ... Some are in the "young men" stage ... and Some are in the "father stage" of maturity. What does John say to the children? vs. 13c - List 1 thing: you know the Father. What does John say to the "young men"? vs. 13b, 14b - List 3 things: you are strong, word of God abides in you, have overcome the evil one. What does John say to the "fathers"? vs.13a, 14a - List 1 thing: you know Him who has been from the beginning. Why do the young in the faith overcome the evil one and why are they strong? vs. 14 Because the word of God abides in them. How does this coincide with Revelation 12:11? (write this out) And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death. John explains that we cannot have the love of the "world" and the love of the Father in us at the same time. (vs.15) . What are the 3 things that John says are not of the Father, but of the world? vs.16 - Name 3 things the lust of the flesh the lust of the eyes the boastful pride of life Take time to think about what these things mean in your own life. What is something your eyes lust for? What is something your flesh lusts for? What do you have boastful pride of life in? If these things of the world have slipped into your life, take time to confess those to the Father, and ask Him to fill you with His Spirit and help you overcome these lustful things. The world is passing away and also its lusts. Who is the one who will abide forever? vs.17  The one who does the will of God lives forever. Whoever does the will of God abides forever. [ESV] What hour were they living in and we are still living in today? vs.18 The last hour. John says that antichrist is coming, but that many antichrists have already appeared and this is how we know the time we live in. What do you know about the antichrist who is coming? Research and give a summary if you know. How do we know if there are many with the antichrist spirit in the world today? (anti simply means "against) John said that some of these antichrists had actually been among the body of Christ, but they had gone away from them and that is how they could know they were never really part of them. When we have the true Spirit of Christ, we will not depart from the Christian family, but we will want to remain in fellowship. What does every child of God possess? vs. 20 We have an anointing from the Holy One. John is not writing this to them because they "do not know the truth", but because they "do know the truth". He states that no lie is of the truth. (vs.21) ... Who does he say the liar and the antichrist is? vs. 22 Who is the liar but the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, the one who denies the Father and the Son. Can a person believe in God without believing in Jesus and still have eternal life? Why or why not? vs. 23 No, because whoever denies the Son does not have the Father. How would they and how will we be sure that we have both the Father and the Son abiding in us? vs. 24 As for you, let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in the Son and in the Father. What have we heard from the beginning? Write out Gospel of John 1:1-4 again. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was in the beginning with God.  All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.  In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. What did Jesus say should abide in us? Gospel of John 15:7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. Back to 1 John What is the promise that Jesus Himself made to us? vs. 25 Eternal Life. Why has John felt a need to write these things to these believers? vs.26 These things I have written to you concerning those who are trying to deceive you. What does John remind them that they have from Him who "abides" in them? vs. 27 As for you, the anointing which you received from Him abides in you. Who is our resident teacher? vs. 27 His anointing teaches you about all things. How does this coincide with what Jesus taught in Gospel of John 14:16,17 and Gospel of John 14:26? I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you.  But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.  Back to 1 John How can we have confidence and not be ashamed when our Lord comes again? vs.28,29 - Name 2 things Now, little children, abide in Him, so that when He appears, we may have confidence and not shrink away from Him in shame at His coming.  If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone also who practices righteousness is born of Him. This has been a long lesson with alot to say about knowing the mark of a true Christian to be "love"; not love as the world knows love, but love for the Father that transfers to the people He created. I pray that each one of us continue to grow in love for the Lord and for one another. What things have spoken to you today? Write a summary and a prayer if you would like. 1 JOHN 2 - NOTES To walk in the light means to be open and honest, to be sincere. Paul prayed that his friends might “be sincere and without offense” (Phil. 1:10). The word sincere comes from two Latin words, sine and cera, which mean “without wax.” It seems that in Roman days, some sculptors covered up their mistakes by filling the defects in their marble statues with wax, which was not readily visible—until the statue had been exposed to the hot sun awhile. But more dependable sculptors made certain that their customers knew that the statues they sold were sine cera—without wax. To walk in the light means to be honest with God, with ourselves, and with others. It means that when the light reveals our sin to us, we immediately confess it to God and claim His forgiveness. And if our sin injures another person, we ask his forgiveness too. But walking in the light means something else: it means obeying God’s Word (1 John 2:3–4). “Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path” (Ps. 119:105). To walk in the light means to spend time daily in God’s Word, discovering His will; and then obeying what He has told us. Walking in the light involves honesty, obedience, and love; it also involves following the example of Christ and walking as He walked (1 John 2:6).  We are to walk in the light “as He is in the light” (1 John 1:7). We are to purify ourselves “even as He is pure” (1 John 3:3). “He that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as He is righteous” (1 John 3:7). If a Christian walks in the light and is in fellowship with God, he will also be in fellowship with others in God’s family. Love and light go together, much as hatred and darkness go together.  It is easy to talk about Christian love, but much more difficult to practice it. For one thing, such love is not mere talk (1 John 2:9). For a Christian to say (or sing!) that he loves the brethren, while he actually hates another believer, is for him to lie. In other words (and this is a sobering truth), it is impossible to be in fellowship with the Father and out of fellowship with another Christian at the same time. This is one reason why God established the local church, the fellowship of believers. “You can’t be a Christian alone”—a person cannot live a complete and developing Christian life unless he is in fellowship with God’s people. One of the evidences of true Christian life is a desire to be with the people of God. “We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren” (1 John 3:14). When people share the same divine nature (2 Peter 1:4) and are indwelt by the same Holy Spirit (Rom. 8:14–16), they want to enjoy fellowship and to share with one another. As we have seen, fellowship means “to have in common.” When people have spiritual realities in common, they want to be together. No matter in which direction a Christian looks, he finds reason to obey God. If he looks back, he sees Calvary, where Christ died for him. If he looks within, he sees the Holy Spirit who lives within and teaches him the truth. If he looks around, he sees his Christian brethren whom he loves; he also sees a world lost in sin, desperately needing his godly witness. And if he looks ahead, he sees the return of Christ! “And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as He is pure” (1 John 3:3). The return of Christ is a great inspiration for godly living. John has written about light and darkness, love and hatred, and truth and error; and in 1 John 2:29 he sums up the whole matter of Christian living in one phrase—“doing righteousness.” The life that is real is a life of doing, not simply talking. Wiersbe, W. W. (1996, c1989). The Bible exposition commentary. "An exposition of the New Testament comprising the entire 'BE' series"--Jkt. (1 Jn 2). Wheaton, Ill.: Victor Books. Prayer Father God, I pray ...