Read: I John 2:3-3:10
Extra Reading: John 15
Humanity is tribal by nature. We are divided over race, nations, politics, and countless other things. This is not a new problem. It has existed since shortly after the beginning. And, as we will see next week, the root cause of our discord is not the color of our skin, but indwelling sin. We assert with boldness that all men, and women, were created equal in the image of God. Any prejudice that would diminish this inalienable truth is a sin and should be publicly repudiated as rebellion against our Creator.
However, John is actually making a case for an undeniable line of demarcation between two opposing groups. This division is not based on nationality, skin color, or economic status. There are not three or more of these groups, only two: those who walk in darkness and those who walk in the light. There are no shades of gray as far as John is concerned. You are either a child of God, or a child of the devil.
How to Know that You Know
The point of John’s letter is to reassure us that we have fellowship with God. Chapter 1 talks about how we can have fellowship with God even though we are sinners. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. He does this by punishing His own Son in our place. Chapter 2, then, goes on to show us how the same light that reveals our need for a savior also produces new life inside of us. This distinguishes us from those who claim to be Christians, but are still walking in darkness.
This letter comes out of a major teaching of Jesus in the Gospel of John. As Jesus was gathered with the disciples in the upper room, just hours before He was betrayed to be crucified, Jesus told His disciples that He was the true vine, and whoever abides in Him, would bear much fruit. Furthermore, He explains that the brightest and most succulent of these fruits is love.
This is how we know that we abide in Him, if you keep His commandment to love one another. Jesus not only taught this, but He demonstrated it. There is no greater expression of love than what Christ did for us on the cross. We ought to love each other as He has loved us.
A New Commandment?
When John refers to this new commandment, he’s not suggesting that there is some sort of new information that we didn’t already know. This was evident and built into our conscience since the dawn of creation when we were made in God’s image. We know that we ought to love each other. It’s one of the first lessons we learn from our parents when we are fighting with our siblings over our favorite toys. But this new commandment comes with new power. The light of the gospel is doing more than just revealing our need for a savior, it is like photosynthesis that brings the fruit of love to life.
That is why it is impossible to claim to be a Christian and be filled with hate. The darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining. An inner work is taking place. If we abide in the light then we will produce the fruit of love. But, if we abide in the darkness, there will be no fruit. Without any light, we won’t even be able to see our own hands in front of our face. We will be lost and blind.
That is why I think that John transitions into a poem expressing encouragement for God’s children. John is older in years as he’s writing this letter and he wants to encourage us to grow to maturity. He writes to children, fathers, and young men. In a way, we are all of these as believers. Yes, it’s true that we are all at different stages of our spiritual development, but we also exhibit many of these traits. As Children of God we are reminded that our sins are forgiven and we can come boldly before our heavenly father. As fathers, we are reminded of the faithfulness of God in our lives. As young men, with Christ abiding is us, we are reminded that we are strong and able to overcome evil.
Of the World, but Not In the World
What is the evil that we must overcome? In a literal sense, the old cliche,”In the world, but not of the world,” makes sense. In a spiritual sense, the opposite is true. We are of this world, but we are not in it any longer. We are hidden in Christ and we abide in Him. That is why we should not love this world. It is passing away, but those who are in Christ will live forever.
It might seem counterintuitive to say that we must be like our heavenly Father and then say to not love the world. Didn’t John say that God loved the world so much that He sent His only begotten Son to die for it’s sin? Yes, and that is precisely why we should not love it. God’s love does not diminish the sins of the world, He punishes sin by pouring out His wrath on His Son. God is holy and He cannot tolerate sin. John warns us not to love the world because we are not holy and, therefore, more likely to tolerate sin to our own peril.
The world is defined by its pleasures. Not everything in this world is evil, but when those things capture our desires they are able to control us. I love how A.W. Tozer describes this in his book, The Pursuit of God, and the second chapter, The Blessedness of Possessing Nothing, “In the deep heart of the man was a shrine where none but God was worthy to come. Within him was God; without, a thousand gifts which God had showered upon him…Woes began when God was forced out of His central shrine and ‘things’ were allowed to enter…The roots of our hearts have grown down into things, and we dare not pull up one rootlet lest we die…God’s gifts now take the place of God, and the whole course of nature is upset by the monstrous substitution.”
This is a stronger warning than we are likely to admit. John is saying that we should not love this world because we cannot have this world and have Jesus any more than we can walk in darkness and the light at the same time. As evidence to this, John points out the many who have walked away from the Church because they couldn’t break free from this world.
Jesus, Himself, told us that in the last days many would say, “Didn’t we work miracles in your name?” and He will say to them, “Depart from me, I never knew you.” Here, in the last hour, many are rising up and denying that Jesus is anything more than a moral teacher. What is implied is that you can have Jesus without giving up the pleasures of this world. But Jesus does not give us that option. He tells us that we must deny ourselves, hate this world, and take up our cross daily as a living sacrifice if we are going to be His disciples.
Us in Christ and Christ in Us
Up until this point, John has only alluded to where our power comes from. Those who abide in Christ also have Christ abiding in them. Now he makes his point plain. It is more than just a light shining in us, God’s Word abiding is us, or the love of the Father inside of us, we have a special anointing. This is the Holy Spirit that Jesus promised He would send to teach us about Himself.
That is why John says that we don’t need a teacher. He doesn’t mean that we couldn’t use a teacher or that we won’t be deceived or manipulated by bad teachers. In fact, he’s trying to warn us that this is a very likely scenario. But he wants us to understand that we have an indwelling of the Spirit of God who resonates with the Word of God.
John has been building up to this point because there is a lot of confusion. How could those who were once with us, leave us? Because, John says, they were never really with us to begin with. They were never in Christ and Christ was never in them. What binds us together is not a social group, but Christ Himself.
Living with Eternity in View
These present circumstances are not ideal. The world is in chaos. This should motivate us to look to the promise of Christ that He will return and He will make all things right. We pray for His Kingdom to come on earth, even as it is in heaven. It doesn’t look like heaven on earth yet, because this world is consumed with the desires for sin. Hatred and division is everywhere. But this is the last hour and it is passing away.
So John encourages us to live with eternity in view. To keep abiding in Christ, producing fruit, and shining His light into this world. But how do we do this in the midst of so much discouragement?
First, remember the love of God. You are His children. Preach the gospel to yourself every day. Confess your sins so that you will know you are forgiven and have fellowship with your heavenly father through Christ.
Second, break the habit of breaking the law. Sin is rebellion against God. Your salvation might be secure, but your fellowship with God is dependent upon your pursuit of holiness. You cannot have peace with God while you are pursuing the pleasures of this world.
Third, do not be lead astray. Don’t focus on the evil in this world but focus on those who are doing what is right. Follow the example of those who have been faithful in their obedience toward Christ. Learn from them so that you too can overcome the devil and mature in your faith.
Adam Miller is the president and host of Songtime Radio and serves as the pastor of South Chatham Community Church. This article is a condensed version of one of his sermons.