John’s address to 3-categories: (2:12-14)
John addresses his letter to 3-categories of people: It is not physical ages but spiritual.
- Little Children : (2:12, 14a): Little children have experience in 2-things: they know forgiveness and they know God is the Father.
- Fathers: (2:13a,14b): John calls the older people ‘fathers’ because they have experience both length and depth. Their experience with God is very rich.
- Young men: (13b, 14c): Young men are those who have grown up and matured. John says 3-things about them: they have grown a bit stronger than weak babies, they have digested Scripture and they have known victory in battles with Satan.
Warning about the Sinful society: (2:15-17)
- Warning against the worldly systems: (2:15): The world is the organized system which acts as a rival to God. Though God loves the world of men (Jn. 3:16), we must not love that which organizes them against God. A truly believer keeps himself from the world (Jas. 1:27), since friendship with it is enmity with God (Jas. 4:4). We must use the things in the world, but when we love them in place of God, we abuse their use (1 Cor. 7:31).
- Wickedness of the worldly system: (2:16): Worldliness is also internal because it begins in the heart and is characterized by 3-attitudes. The lust of flesh is gratifying physical desires, the lust of eyes is craving and accumulating things, bowing to the god of materialism and the boasting of life is nothing but obsession with ones status or importance. When the serpent tempted Eve (Gen.3:6), he tempted her in these areas. Also when the devil tempted Jesus in the desert, these were his three areas of attack (Matt.4:1-11)
- Worthlessness of the worldly system: (2:17): When our attachment to possessions is strong, it would be very difficult to believe that one day all these possessions will pass away or destroyed. It is good to remember always that one day the world and all its possessions will pass away and what is done for Christ only will last. This would give us encouragement to control our greedy, self indulgent and continue doing God’s will.
About Satan and its forces: (2:18-19, 22-23), 26)
- The coming of Antichrist and its apostles (2:18,19): John speaks that between the first coming and Second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, Antichrist and his apostles continue to deny the reality of the incarnation of Christ and His relationship to the father. Even the first century Christians also faced the false prophets who are the demonic forces. Just before the world ends, there would be one Antichrist would arise (Rev.13:19-20; 20:10). We do not need to fear these evil people. But we must teach God’s ways correctly to the weak and all the Church members so that they would not be deceived by the enemy and fall to the prey of the false teachers who are the apostles of antichrist.
- The destructive work of Antichrist: (2:22-23, 26): John says who is a liar? The person who denies that the Son has the Father. To deny the Son makes it impossible to become part of God’s family and have God as Father. A person who accepts Christ as God’s Son, would accept God the Father at the same time. The Two are One and cannot be separated. They are many cults today call themselves as Christians but deny that Jesus is divine. We must expose these heresies and oppose such teachings so that weak believers would not fall prey to them.
The Work of the Holy Spirit: (2:20-21, 27)
- He anoints the believers: (2:27): The Lord has sent the Holy Spirit after His departure from the world. The Holy Spirit lives in us as we live in Christ. When we place our total trust in Jesus, the Holy Spirit would lead us and guide us. We can continue to have our personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ when we are filled with the Holy Spirit. We can continue to be rooted in Christ. The wonderful example of the Lord Jesus Christ “I am the true vine and you are the branches”(Jn.15:1-17).
- He indwells in believers: (2:20-21): When we accept Jesus Christ as our personal Saviour, the Holy Spirit comes and dwells in us. The Holy Spirit will and guide and lead the believers. They can discern the truth from false teaching. If a person cannot discern the false teaching, he is devoid of the Holy Spirit and his conversion is doubtful. Every believer has to continue to be filled by the Holy Spirit through his or her obedience to the Lord. The more we obey the more the filling of the Spirit. We can develop the gifts and fruit of the Holy Spirit.
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