1 John 2:15-29

God is love.  We are born of God.  When we see God for Who He is, that He is love, we will love others.  He who does not love does not know God, or does not understand the nature of God, even though he is born again.  1 John 4:7-8

1 John 2:15-17  "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 lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life--is not of the Father, but is of the world.  And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever."  Notice that John does not say that this person is not born again.  He does say that the love of the Father is not in him or flowing through him.  If we are focused on the lusts of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, we are not focused on the love of God.  This is very similar to Galatians 5:19-22  "....envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I told you in time past, that those who practice such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God."  The kingdom of God is within us when we are born again.  Paul is not saying that you will not go to heaven if you commit works of the flesh.  He is saying that we will not inherit or walk in the kingdom of God already within us when we are born again.  We will not walk in the fruits of the Spirit if we spend our time practicing the works of the flesh.  We must make a choice to walk in love.

Vs. 18-19  "Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know we are in 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 they might be made manifest, that none of them were of us."  These verses are similar to 1 John 4:1-3.  The Gnostics taught that physical matter is evil; therefore Jesus would not have come in the flesh, but appeared only in spirit form.  If He only appeared in spirit form, He could not bear our punishment in His body.

Vs. 20  "But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all things."  The anointing is the Holy Spirit which we received when we believed on Jesus.

Vs. 21-23  "I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and that no lie is of the truth.  Who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ?  He is anti-Christ who denies the Father and the Son.  Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father either; he who acknowledges the Son has the Father also."   In summary, he who denies that Jesus is the Christ is not born of God.  He who acknowledges the Son has the Father also, or is born of God.

Vs. 24  "Therefore 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."  He is referring to 1 John 3:11, "This is the message that you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another."

Vs. 25 "And this is the promise that He has promised us--eternal life."  In verse 23, John tells us to be born of God.  In verse 24, he tells us to walk in love toward others.  If we do these two things, we are promised that eternal life will be manifested through us.  This is the same eternal life referred to in 1 John 1:1-2 which was manifested in the life of Jesus.

Vs. 26  "These things I have written to you concerning those who try to deceive you."  The Gnostics were trying to deceive believers.  They denied that Jesus is the Son of God or that He came in the flesh.  They also said that sin does not matter.  John said that we should walk in love and not hurt others.  Sin does matter because it hurts us and those around us.  How can eternal life (the love of God) be manifested through us when we spend our time hurting ourselves or others?

Vs. 27  "But the anointing (Holy Spirit) which you have received from Him abides in you (when we are born again), and you do not need that anyone teach you (to walk in love); but as the same anointing (Holy Spirit) teaches you concerning all things (love), and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you (to walk in love), you will abide in Him."  Abiding in Him is walking in love according to verse 24.  The Holy Spirit teaches us to love.  Look at Romans 5:5.

Vs. 28 "And now, little children, abide in Him (walk in love), that when He appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming."  This is saying the same thing as 1 John 4:17, "Love has been perfected (brought to completion) among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgement (we won't be afraid of God or punishment); because as He is (He is love), so are we in this world (we walk in love)."  We have come to understand the love of God for us, and we can show that love to others.

Vs. 29  "If you know that He is righteousness, you know that everyone who practices righteousness is born of Him."  Practicing righteousness is trusting Jesus for our righteousness, not trusting in our own works.  1 John 5:1 says "Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God...."  We see the word "practice" and we misinterpret this verse because of our works oriented mindset.  Believing that Jesus is the Christ is practicing righteousness.  We are then born of God.

Keith Oliver