1 John 2: Living In Jesus, And Following His Ways

1 John 2 is exclusively about followers of Jesus. It gives a great description of what a follower should look like. It also explains what our actions should be.

Whenever I go through this chapter I get really convicted because I know that I can do better. I fail often but his grace is abundant and I’m glad that the Holy Spirit will convict me and bring me back to Jesus.

1 John 2 is a great blueprint for what our Christian Walk should be. And if we followed it I think blessings would pour out and we’d understand a little bit more of God’s plan for us all.

1 John 2: If Anybody Sins Confess Them To Jesus

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. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.

1 John 2: 1-2

1 John 2 If Anybody Sins Confess To Jesus For Forgiveness

1 John 2 states that if you sin you have an advocate with the father. Jesus and the Holy Spirit have different roles when it comes to our lives (in this). First, when we sin the Holy Spirit will convict us, this means he’s drawing us back to him. Many people confuse conviction with condemnation and that is so far from the truth it’s painful.

Conviction is God telling us that we’ve missed the mark, and he wants us to come back. Conviction is pushing us down and making us feel bad for messing up. It’s saying we’ll never measure up and God doesn’t want us.

Conviction is a lie.

After the Holy Spirit convicts us we have two choices, to repent or to run. If we repent Jesus goes to the father and says his death/resurrection paid for our sins and the sin is forgotten. But if we run, we don’t receive forgiveness, because we’re still holding onto our sin.

This is the beauty of Jesus’ death, he paid our way to reconnect with God. 1 John 2 is showing us how to continually reconnect when you mess up. Jesus wants nobody to perish, unfortunately, people make that decision daily.

1 John 2

1 John 2: Love and Hatred for Fellow Believers

We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands. Whoever says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person. But if anyone obeys his word, love for God is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did.

Dear friends, I am not writing you a new command but an old one, which you have had since the beginning. This old command is the message you have heard. Yet I am writing you a new command; its truth is seen in him and in you because the darkness is passing and the true light is already shining.

Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates a brother or sister is still in the darkness. 10 Anyone who loves their brother and sister lives in the light, and there is nothing in them to make them stumble. 11 But anyone who hates a brother or sister is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness. They do not know where they are going, because the darkness has blinded them.

1 John 2: 3-11

1 John 2 You Have To Remember Hatred Is NEVER From God:

As we live our lives we have choices that come up. Some are meaningless, like the type of sandwich you’ll be having for lunch. While others can transform your life almost instantly.

We have been commanded to live our lives as Jesus lived. That doesn’t mean giving up everything and traveling the country (Although for some people it might). But it does mean we are to love everyone from family, friends, and coworkers.

The love of Jesus is one of the major things that separates us from unbelievers. While they hate each other we must forgive, while they hold grudges we’ll invite people in.

This is the way of Christ, and it shines a light into the eyes of unbelievers transforming them and helping them find their way.

Have you ever seen those videos where a baby has bad eyesight and gets glasses for the first time? Or a color-blind person gets to see color for the first time? It’s the same thing for nonbelievers. Once they see the light of Christ, a transformation happens and something opens in their soul.

They still have to choose, but even if they don’t, they’ve still seen the truth. And that will follow them for the rest of their life. If they don’t then, many will later. But our job is to shine the light so all see.

Why Did Jesus Die?

The Main Message of 1 John 2

12 I am writing to you, dear children,
    because your sins have been forgiven on account of his name.
13 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.

14 I write to you, dear 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 lives in you,
    and you have overcome the evil one.

1 John 2: 12-14

1 John 2 Because Jesus Overcame the World, We Can Too.

I’m not sure about the circumstances behind this letter, however, I am sure there was a feeling of condemnation and John wanted to encourage the church.

In these verses, John is encouraging them, even when they’ve sinned Jesus will forgive them, and they are strong and know the father.

This is the heart of Jesus, make disciples, share him with the world and overcome the darkness.

These verses in 1 John 2 puzzle me a little bit, I feel like there’s a back story I don’t know about, however, it sounds like they’ve overcome a lot, and that’s amazing!!!

1 John 2: On Not Loving the World

15 Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. 16 For everything in the world-the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. 17 The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.

1 John 2: 15-17

1 John 2 We Must Stop Loving Things Of The World:

1 John 2:15-17 are extremely important, and yet they are so difficult. There are a lot of things in the world that we like clinging to. And that’s dangerous for us.

I clung to a feeling of self-importance and self-reliance for years. At one time I honestly felt that I could make anything happen if I tried hard enough.

I’m human, that just ain’t true, and it turned out really badly for me.

Lust of the Flesh, Lust of the Eyes, And Pride of Life. These all come from the world and are the things we cling to. Our lives are not supposed to be focused on what we could have, who we can be with, and how epic/awesome we think we are.

Instead, we need to devote our lives to the service of Jesus, and in that way, we can fulfill who we were created to be. One way glorifies ourselves, and the other God. One fulfills who we are, and who we’ve been created to be giving ourselves for it.

The other way just takes. When we focus on Jesus we give, and in turn, he fills us up.

1 John 2: Warnings Against Denying the Son of God

18 Dear children, this is the last hour; and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come. This is how we know it is the last hour. 19 They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us.

20 But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth. 21 I do not write to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it and because no lie comes from the truth. 22 Who is the liar? It is whoever denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a person is the antichrist—denying the Father and the Son. 23 No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also.

24 As for you, see that what you have heard from the beginning remains in you. If it does, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father. 25 And this is what he promised us—eternal life.

26 I am writing these things to you about those who are trying to lead you astray. 27 As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit—just as it has taught you, remain in him.

1 John 2: 18-27
1 John 2

1 John 2 A Strong Warning In These Last Hours

In the last 20 years, I’ve ministered with thousands of people, and something that brings me pain is knowing that some of them aren’t serving Jesus anymore. These people used to be part of the body, and now they’ve walked away. It grieves me because they know the truth, and yet they don’t live it.

In Matthew 13 Jesus addresses this issue with the parable of the sower. I think a lot of people come to Jesus and love the highs. Things like.

  • Doing Ministry in front of people
  • Getting Praise for healing the sick
  • Working with Homeless people
  • Feeding orphans
  • Every other thing Christians do.

The issue isn’t in that, the issue is how close to God they are. Our lives with Jesus are like the root system of a plant. We can do everything in that list above, but if that root isn’t deep eventually the bad things in life will come and kill us.

Jesus is the reason, he’s our everything, and one of my frustrations is that I still hear people say following God will make your life better.

I understand what they mean, but people take it the wrong way.

1 John 2 Following Jesus Has Brought Trials And Tribulations

When I gave my life to Jesus I honestly thought everything would get better. Instead, the bottom of my life fell out and I collapsed into the pit.

All hell has broken out against me, and there’s been no letup in my life. Following Jesus is not a cakewalk, but it’s the only way.

Here’s why I still follow Jesus. Your life is gonna fall apart anyway from time to time, and your gonna hit the ground hard. However, when I’m following Jesus, he’s there to help pick me back up and gives me strength on the bad days.

I don’t have to be alone anymore because he walks with me through the entire day.

Yes, with him it’s harder, but with him, I’m never facing life alone. That’s where the difference comes in. I fight harder with him at my side than I would if I was alone.

1 John 2: God’s Children and Sin

28 And now, dear children, continue in him, so that when he appears we may be confident and unashamed before him at his coming.

29 If you know that he is righteous, you know that everyone who does what is right has been born of him.

1 John 2: 28-19

1 John 2: God’s Children and Sin:

Basically, John is stating that we need to be righteous. Because that is the easiest way to decipher who is following him and who’s not.

It’s similar to the bible verses that state, “You shall know them by their fruit.”

When you’re with people you’ll get a vibe (even without God telling you), however, if you listen the Holy Spirit will talk as well. As a follower of Jesus, the spirit will tell you what type of person you’re dealing with. And you’ll have to make a decision if you want to spend more time with them or not.

We need to be in the world and not of it. This means we are influencing the world and that world isn’t influencing us. Be friends with unbelievers, tell them about Jesus, and show them the way.

However, if they’re influencing you there has to be a pullback, at least until you make some changes. What good is he who gains the entire world, yet loses their own soul?

Follow Jesus, make the choice, and let everything else go. It’s worth it.

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