Written by: Pastor Bob Lawrenz
Though that Pastor’s teachings were always good, he sometimes came across as doubting his audience’s commitment to the Lord, which in turn brought some hearers also to doubt their own walk with the Lord. Chapter 3 of John’s first Epistle follows the warnings against false teachers and the spirit of antichrist. John’s words move from warnings to an assurance of an individual’s salvation, based upon the indwelling (abiding) presence of the Holy Spirit in the Believer. The spirit of antichrist will always be opposed to the Holy Spirit.
Conviction is for the Holy Spirit to bring through the Word, and teachers are to supply encouragement from the scriptures. As with the Prodigal Son in the parable, he realized his greed, and his hunger eventually, and knew right away that his father would not abandon him now that he was in need. But it would take some humility to admit to his father how wrong he had been. Even so, it was love that brought them back together. Love never fails. But if you remember the parable, the father received his son with open arms and never once humiliated the young man. In fact, the father gave him a robe and shoes to wear, and a ring for his finger.
God’s program of “Doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16) never includes humiliation but is uplifting to the goal of a closer walk with Jesus. It is the spirit of antichrist that tells us we are not good enough. God’s love and acceptance of us is never in question when approach Him in humility. Humility is something that we put on ourselves. Humiliation is something the others put on us.
John repeatedly uses the phrase “my little children” in this Epistle. He takes ownership of his readers, and like the consummate father-figure-teacher, draws the reader into that close relationship with himself and with Jesus. John’s heart-warming style has been perfected in his exile.
“A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grevious words stir up anger.” - Proverbs 15:1
1 John 2:26 - 3:10 - "Trusting His Holy Spirit"
Summary/Additional Commentary and Definitions:
This week we continue in John's first epistle, from chapter 2:28 - 3:10.
Previously, we learned that Christians have two safeguards against heresy: the Holy Spirit and God's Word. The Holy Spirit is doing His part. Our part is to be obedient to Scripture.
John presented a picture of the Christian in contrast to the antichrists. Unbelievers depart from the fellowship, deny the faith and try to deceive the faithful. Christians accept the faith and remain faithful. Why? Because of the anointing of the Spirit (v. 20), and the teaching ministry of the Holy Spirit. God has so endowed the Christian with discernment that they ultimately will not be deceived by lies.
As we begin our study today, starting in 1 John 2:26, John continues to contrast the differences between false and true Christians, false and true teachers, the spirit of antichrists, and the Holy Spirit. For the young believer, some who have not yet been taught much, it is many times difficult for them to sort out the differences. John wants to make those distinctions clear, to know the truth from lies, true believers from heretics. As he has already given them several doctrinal and moral tests of a true believer. John then builds up their faith, by defining the Spirit that indwells every believer.
Now remember he is writing to them concerning those who are trying to deceive them (vs 26). They have come into the church and the deny the faith, the reality of Jesus Christ that is central to the gospel. They deny sin, the trinity, the deity of Christ, the atonement of Christ, and in doing so they are calling the Holy spirit a liar, because the Holy Spirit testifies of Christ. They introduce damnable heresies to lead people astray. So how can believers discern between what is true from all the lies? John says, "But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things." You have an unction (anointing), and you have knowledge. How? The Holy Spirit who indwells the believer. Jesus said, "But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you," Acts 1:8. And who gave us the Holy Spirit? It's Jesus Christ, the Holy One.
The Gnostics claimed to have a special anointing, a special elevation, a superior knowledge, higher than everyone else, but the Holy Spirit doesn't work that way. Anyone who claims such things does so to intimidate and deceive others.
Believers have a true knowledge, the knowledge of the true gospel, the revelation of the truth, the truth that saves. Through His presence in us, and through His inspired Word, the things of God are revealed to us. The Holy Spirit is our teacher. He is the built in lie detector. You don't need some human teacher to come in and offer to take you to the heights, the higher, deeper, truer, greater knowledge that contradicts the gospel that saved you. You have the truth already. This is the affirming and securing factor against the threat, intimidation and seduction of false teachers (antichrists).
This section also deals with the "purifying hope" of every Christian--the return of Christ. John uses this hope to elaborate on the love and obedience of the believer. The hope of Christ's return has a sanctifying effect on our behavior.God is the source of hope, and He has graciously given that hope to us and laid it out for us in Scripture. He secured that hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, then confirmed and energized in us by the Holy Spirit (Romans 15:13).
It is the Holy Spirit who stirs up that hopeful attitude in the heart in response to the promises of God revealed in Scripture. This is a marvelous hope. This engulfs all of redemptive purpose. This encompasses the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The Father gives the hope, the Son secures the hope, the Spirit confirms the hope. We are to live with hope. We are not a people who have hope only in this world; we have hope in the world to come, and it is a living hope. It is a hope for real life, guaranteed and secured for us because Jesus conquered death not only for Himself but for all who are in Him.
True believers, says John, believe the right thing about themselves and their sin, they believe the right thing about Christ and His salvation. True believers conduct themselves in obedience to the Word of God, and true believers demonstrate love for God and for others and not for the world. True believers live in hope and are motivated by that hope to purity by the Holy Spirit.
The Believer's Hope Abides in Christ (2:28), makes righteousness a habit (2:29), magnifies God's love (3:1), anticipates Christ's return (3:2) and desires to be like Him (3:3).
Sunday Morning Audio Message: 1 John 2:16-3:10
Key Words and Definitions with Reference:
Doeth Righteousness (2:29) - The believer's habitual lifestyle of righteousness stands in sharp contrast to false teachers who practiced sin. The context of this statement is purely positive: godly behavior is a sign of a close relationship with God. John is building towards a key point in 1 John 4:12–16, which is that when a person truly walks with God, God is working directly through them. Righteous living does not provide salvation; righteous living is the result of salvation. All have sinned and fall short of God's glory (Romans 3:23). Salvation is not earned by works, but is the result of grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8–9). Good works should naturally result from the person who has become a believer (Ephesians 2:10). When they do, such righteous deeds offer evidence that a person has truly come to faith in Christ.
Committeth Sin (3:4) - The verb in the Greek conveys the idea of making sin a habitual practice. In contrast with the purity described in verse 3, John labels the "practice of sinning" as "lawlessness." The term lawlessness conveys more than transgressing God's Law. It conveys the ultimate sense of rebellion: living as there is no law, or ignoring what laws exist (James 4:17). Christians cannot practice sin because it is incompatible with the Law of God which they love. (Psalm 119:34, 77, 97; Romans 7:12, 22). Christians cannot practice sin because it is incompatible with the work of Christ, who died to sanctify (make holy) the believer (2 Corinthians 5:21; Ephesians 5:25-27).
- That Jesus appeared; earlier verses in 1 John specify that this was in a real, flesh-and-blood form. While false teachers argue Jesus never came as a human, believers accept the coming of Jesus to this world, called the incarnation, as an essential part of the faith (John 1:1–14).
- Jesus had a clear purpose for coming to this world. He did not come to merely make us better. His mission was to remove the power of sin from our lives. He did so by paying the price of our evil actions on the cross. Christ's sacrifice. He is the only One sufficient to pay the price for every sin, once and for all. Why?
- Jesus was sinless. Hebrews 4:15, "For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin." See also: 2 Corinthians 5:21; Hebrews 7:26; 1 Peter 2:22.