1 John Chapter 2 Pt. 3 Ancient Truth For Modern Times!

The eternality of the inspired scriptures. 

1 John 2:7  Brethren, I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment which ye had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which ye have heard from the beginning. 

As the Spirit of God guided John, the aged apostle reminds us that the truth he is urging us to live out, is the same truth God gave us from the beginning. 

Twice, John used the phrase "old commandment" and he emphasized that the old commandment is the Word, the holy scriptures.

It was ever the command of God that men should receive His light, walk by that light, in order to love Him and one another.

Loving one another leads to serving one another and meeting needs in other people's lives, as we are able. 

Each generation of believers living out God's love afresh. 

1 John 2:8  Again, a new commandment I write unto you, which thing is true in him and in you: because the darkness is past, and the true light now shineth.

This commandment was renewed by Christ with depth and spirituality of meaning. Jesus lived it out as the Light of the world, to illuminate its practical uses, and grace He supplies for us to observe it. 

It may therefore be called the "old commandment" which was from the beginning, and also a "new commandment" revealed afresh and illustrated by Christ.

Jesus said "Love thy neighbor as thyself" as a fresh and full illustration of loving God and others (Matthew 19:19).

The word "new" means made afresh or recently made. The old commandment is lived out anew, in the lives of each successive generation of Christians. 

This connects to Paul urging Christians to walk in newness of life, rather than oldness of letter (See Romans 6:4; 7:6). 

It is true that Christ loved the world so well that He laid down His life for it. 

It was true of the early church and all his faithful followers, who were ready to lay down their lives for the testimony of Jesus (See John 15:13).

The glorious light of the gospel of Christ calls sinners out of depravities darkness, into the Light of Christ. 

The more that pure light from the gospel shines into the world, the more the darkness of ignorance is dispelled. 

This is why you and I must share the gospel of Christ with other people. 

This is why Pastors, Teachers and Evangelists must faithfully proclaim the gospel.

Christian litmus test: Walk in light and love my brother.

1 John 2:9-11  He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now. 10)  He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him. 11)  But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes. 

Now, the Spirit of God guided John to drill down into the practical application of this truth. 

He brings out the need for us to take the old commandment and to live it out afresh each, day. Then, John gives a another very practical litmus test.

He says those claim to be a Christian walking in the light of the gospel, but who hate their brother, are walking in darkness.

He that loves his brother abides or remains in the light of God's truth. Such a Christian will not stumble because the lamp of God's Word has shown him the way to walk.

Those who profess to know Christ, but who hate their brothers, are walking in darkness and their eyes are blinded by the darkness. This connects back to 1 John 1:5-7. 

God is light and there is no darkness in Him at all. A true believer in Jesus Christ will walk in the light of God's eternal truth, and avoid the darkness in all its forms. 

The beautiful salvation through faith in Christ. 

1 John 2:12  I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name's sake. 

John writes to little or beloved children, those who were converted by John's preaching, and members of the Church over which he presided. 

This may be applied to new converts to Christ in general, those who can call God Abba, Father, by the Holy Spirit (See Romans 8:15; Galatians 4:6). 

He want us to remember that our sins were forgiven them because of repentant faith in Christ. 

We are forgiven on the basis of Jesus, the Savior, who has died for us, and  is now our Mediator at the right hand of God.

Fully forgiven, sins fully covered, fully reconciled. 

Psalm 32:1-2   Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. 2)  Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile. 

The truth John communicates about the mediatorial work of Jesus Christ, connects with the beautiful words we read in Psalm 32. 

We are richly blessed when our sins are forgiven. 

We are richly blessed when our sin is covered by the blood of Jesus. 

We are richly blessed when God imputes the righteousness of Jesus Christ to our account, and blots out our sins forever.

We are accepted by the Father when we are "in Christ" (See Ephesians 1:6).

Jesus is our mediator (See 1 Timothy 2:5).

Jesus blotted out our sins by nailing them  to His cross (See Colossians 2:14).

Jesus Christ is the propitiation for our sins (See Romans 3:25). 

Thayer's Greek Lexicon defines this word as "used of the cover of the ark of the covenant in the Holy of Holies, which was sprinkled with the blood of the expiatory victim on the annual day of atonement. This act signifying that the life of the people, the loss of which they had merited by their sins, was offered to God in the blood as the life of the victim, and that God by this ceremony was appeased and their sins expiated); hence the lid of expiation, the propitiatory."

Why did the Spirit of God lead John to write this truth? So that we always remember what Jesus did for us on the cross. 

We must never lose sight of what it cost our Father in heaven, to bring salvation from sin to each one of us who profess faith in Christ.

Thoughts to Ponder...

This is why God cares how we live as Christians. This is why how we live and the choices we make, matter to our Father. 

How we live should reflect Jesus Christ in us, the hope of glory (See Colossians 1:27). 

The world needs to see all Christians living as the salt of the earth, that slows down the moral decay.

The world needs to see the light of the gospel shining through our lives.

The world needs to see that there is a Savior, there is hope, there is a salvation from God that brings peace with Him. 

I leave you with the words of the priestly benediction pronounced by Aaron, from Jehovah to His redeemed people. 

Numbers 6:24-26 The LORD bless thee, and keep thee: 25)  The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: 26 ) The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace. 

Bob