Greetings!

17     Better a dry crust with peace and quiet

than a house full of feasting, with strife.

That speaks volumes about how important wisdom is in decision making.  You can marry all sorts of people and be within God’s moral laws, but there are many ways to choose unwisely.  Several Proverbs point to the folly of marrying just for beauty.  If your spouse has an ugly character you will soon regret your decision. 

² A wise servant will rule over a disgraceful son,

and will share the inheritance as one of the brothers.

³ The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold,

but the Lord tests the heart.

That reminds me of Psalm 139:23-24 (Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.).  We can fake it with family, friends and the world but God knows every thought.

⁴ A wicked man listens to evil lips;

a liar pays attention to a malicious tongue.

We should be very careful with what we listen to.  It is so tempting to listen to gossip, but how many times have you found that the information was inaccurate and unnecessary?

⁵ He who mocks the poor shows contempt for their Maker;

whoever gloats over disaster will not go unpunished.

That verse convicts me when I think of people I have looked down upon.  It is so easy for me to forget who made them.

⁶ Children’s children are a crown to the aged,

and parents are the pride of their children.

Not in our culture!  We live in a culture of death, where abortion is seen as a good option for many.  Parents and grandparents pay perfect strangers to crush and dismember their unborn children and grandchildren.  Mercifully, Jesus can provide forgiveness and healing for these people, but shame on us for letting this procedure be legal.

⁷ Arrogant lips are unsuited to a fool—

how much worse lying lips to a ruler!

⁸ A bribe is a charm to the one who gives it;

wherever he turns, he succeeds.

This isn’t encouraging bribes, just noting that they can be effective.

⁹ He who covers over an offense promotes love,

but whoever repeats the matter separates close friends.

¹⁰ A rebuke impresses a man of discernment

more than a hundred lashes a fool.

A key success factor in life is being coachable.  I do better learning via reading and Podcast sermons and shows rather than via input from others, though personal advice can be invaluable.

¹¹ An evil man is bent only on rebellion;

a merciless official will be sent against him.

¹² Better to meet a bear robbed of her cubs

than a fool in his folly.

 That sounds like hyperbole, but consider that at least you know to run from the bear.  Too often we can be influenced by fools, media, entertainment, etc. because we let our guard down and think it is safe.

¹³ If a man pays back evil for good,

evil will never leave his house.

¹⁴ Starting a quarrel is like breaching a dam;

so drop the matter before a dispute breaks out.

¹⁵ Acquitting the guilty and condemning the innocent—

the Lord detests them both.

People often refer to God’s justice only in the sense of ensuring that the innocent are not punished.  This is critical, to be sure, but God doesn’t want the guilty to be acquitted.

¹⁶ Of what use is money in the hand of a fool,

since he has no desire to get wisdom?

¹⁷ A friend loves at all times,

and a brother is born for adversity.

¹⁸ A man lacking in judgment strikes hands in pledge

and puts up security for his neighbor.

 If a loan expert thinks your friend or relative can’t pay back a loan, he/she is probably right!  So why should you sign for the loan? 

¹⁹ He who loves a quarrel loves sin;

he who builds a high gate invites destruction.

²⁰ A man of perverse heart does not prosper;

he whose tongue is deceitful falls into trouble.

²¹ To have a fool for a son brings grief;

there is no joy for the father of a fool.

My daughters tend to make good and wise decisions, and I am continually grateful for that!

²² A cheerful heart is good medicine,

but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.

²³ A wicked man accepts a bribe in secret

to pervert the course of justice.

²⁴ A discerning man keeps wisdom in view,

but a fool’s eyes wander to the ends of the earth.

²⁵ A foolish son brings grief to his father

and bitterness to the one who bore him.

²⁶ It is not good to punish an innocent man,

or to flog officials for their integrity.

²⁷ A man of knowledge uses words with restraint,

and a man of understanding is even-tempered.

²⁸ Even a fool is thought wise if he keeps silent,

and discerning if he holds his tongue.

The Bible has so much to say about our words and their power for good or evil.

The Holy Bible : New International Version. 1996, c1984. Grand Rapids: Zondervan.

Greetings!  This is a Psalm for a king about to be married.  It seems to portray the ideals of a king, or to be pointing towards traits of Jesus, the King of the universe.

Psalm 45

For the director of music. To the tune of “Lilies.” Of the Sons of Korah. A maskil. A wedding song.

¹ My heart is stirred by a noble theme

as I recite my verses for the king;

my tongue is the pen of a skillful writer.

² You are the most excellent of men

and your lips have been anointed with grace,

since God has blessed you forever.

³ Gird your sword upon your side, O mighty one;

clothe yourself with splendor and majesty.

⁴ In your majesty ride forth victoriously

in behalf of truth, humility and righteousness;

let your right hand display awesome deeds.

⁵ Let your sharp arrows pierce the hearts of the king’s enemies;

let the nations fall beneath your feet.

⁶ Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever;

a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom.

⁷ You love righteousness and hate wickedness;

therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions

by anointing you with the oil of joy.

⁸ All your robes are fragrant with myrrh and aloes and cassia;

from palaces adorned with ivory

the music of the strings makes you glad.

⁹ Daughters of kings are among your honored women;

at your right hand is the royal bride in gold of Ophir.

¹⁰ Listen, O daughter, consider and give ear:

Forget your people and your father’s house.

¹¹ The king is enthralled by your beauty;

honor him, for he is your lord.

¹² The Daughter of Tyre will come with a gift,

men of wealth will seek your favor.

¹³ All glorious is the princess within her chamber;

her gown is interwoven with gold.

¹⁴ In embroidered garments she is led to the king;

her virgin companions follow her

and are brought to you.

¹⁵ They are led in with joy and gladness;

they enter the palace of the king.

¹⁶ Your sons will take the place of your fathers;

you will make them princes throughout the land.

¹⁷ I will perpetuate your memory through all generations;

therefore the nations will praise you for ever and ever.

The Holy Bible : New International Version. 1996, c1984. Grand Rapids: Zondervan.

Greetings!  This is a unique Psalm in that the people are crying out under oppression but don’t know why.  Often they would face the consequences of breaking their covenant with God.

They remind themselves of past victories where God led them.  They declare their faith even though they don’t understand the situation, as Job did (Job 13:15 Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him; I will surely defend my ways to his face.).

Sometimes we suffer as logical consequences for things we have done (e.g., smoking causes health problems), or in receiving a due punishment.  Sometimes it is the results of a fallen world (weather related problems).  And other times it is due to the sin of others.  Do you turn to God in all of these situations and remember what He has done for us in the past?

Psalm 44

For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. A maskil.

¹ We have heard with our ears, O God;

our fathers have told us

what you did in their days,

in days long ago.

² With your hand you drove out the nations

and planted our fathers;

you crushed the peoples

and made our fathers flourish.

³ It was not by their sword that they won the land,

nor did their arm bring them victory;

it was your right hand, your arm,

and the light of your face, for you loved them.

⁴ You are my King and my God,

who decrees victories for Jacob.

⁵ Through you we push back our enemies;

through your name we trample our foes.

⁶ I do not trust in my bow,

my sword does not bring me victory;

⁷ but you give us victory over our enemies,

you put our adversaries to shame.

⁸ In God we make our boast all day long,

and we will praise your name forever. Selah

⁹ But now you have rejected and humbled us;

you no longer go out with our armies.

¹⁰ You made us retreat before the enemy,

and our adversaries have plundered us.

¹¹ You gave us up to be devoured like sheep

and have scattered us among the nations.

¹² You sold your people for a pittance,

gaining nothing from their sale.

¹³ You have made us a reproach to our neighbors,

the scorn and derision of those around us.

¹⁴ You have made us a byword among the nations;

the peoples shake their heads at us.

¹⁵ My disgrace is before me all day long,

and my face is covered with shame

¹⁶ at the taunts of those who reproach and revile me,

because of the enemy, who is bent on revenge.

¹⁷ All this happened to us,

though we had not forgotten you

or been false to your covenant.

¹⁸ Our hearts had not turned back;

our feet had not strayed from your path.

¹⁹ But you crushed us and made us a haunt for jackals

and covered us over with deep darkness.

²⁰ If we had forgotten the name of our God

or spread out our hands to a foreign god,

²¹ would not God have discovered it,

since he knows the secrets of the heart?

²² Yet for your sake we face death all day long;

we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.

²³ Awake, O Lord! Why do you sleep?

Rouse yourself! Do not reject us forever.

²⁴ Why do you hide your face

and forget our misery and oppression?

²⁵ We are brought down to the dust;

our bodies cling to the ground.

²⁶ Rise up and help us;

redeem us because of your unfailing love.

The Holy Bible : New International Version. 1996, c1984. Grand Rapids: Zondervan.

Greetings!  The author thought he was being unfairly treated and asked God to intervene - yet he feels rejected by God. 

How often do you think of God as a joy and a delight (v. 4)?  He praises God despite his troubles and tells himself not to be downcast.  Sometimes just reminding ourselves of who God is and what He has done puts things back in perspective. 

Psalm 43

¹ Vindicate me, O God,

and plead my cause against an ungodly nation;

rescue me from deceitful and wicked men.

² You are God my stronghold.

Why have you rejected me?

Why must I go about mourning,

oppressed by the enemy?

³ Send forth your light and your truth,

let them guide me;

let them bring me to your holy mountain,

to the place where you dwell.

⁴ Then will I go to the altar of God,

to God, my joy and my delight.

I will praise you with the harp,

O God, my God.

⁵ Why are you downcast, O my soul?

Why so disturbed within me?

Put your hope in God,

for I will yet praise him,

my Savior and my God.

The Holy Bible : New International Version. 1996, c1984. Grand Rapids: Zondervan.

Greetings!  This is one of only 2-3 personal letters included in the Bible. 

The elder,

To my dear friend Gaius, whom I love in the truth.

² Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well. ³ It gave me great joy to have some brothers come and tell about your faithfulness to the truth and how you continue to walk in the truth. ⁴ I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.

Verse 4 is one of my favorites.  I know he meant metaphorical children - i.e., those he had discipled in the faith.  But I like to think of it in terms of my own children as well.  See friends and loved ones walking in the truth of God brings me great joy.

⁵ Dear friend, you are faithful in what you are doing for the brothers, even though they are strangers to you. ⁶ They have told the church about your love. You will do well to send them on their way in a manner worthy of God. ⁷ It was for the sake of the Name that they went out, receiving no help from the pagans. ⁸ We ought therefore to show hospitality to such men so that we may work together for the truth.

⁹ I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to be first, will have nothing to do with us. ¹⁰ So if I come, I will call attention to what he is doing, gossiping maliciously about us. Not satisfied with that, he refuses to welcome the brothers. He also stops those who want to do so and puts them out of the church.

As noted in many places in the New Testament, the early church had its problems just like our churches do.  Gossiping and in-hospitality are poisonous.  Diotrephes appears to be a church leader gone wrong, and John is trying to correct the situation and encourage those who are doing right.  There are so many false teachers in churches today.  It is hard to know who is just a little off track (we all have our blind spots) and who is truly an enemy of the Gospel.

¹¹ Dear friend, do not imitate what is evil but what is good. Anyone who does what is good is from God. Anyone who does what is evil has not seen God. ¹² Demetrius is well spoken of by everyone—and even by the truth itself. We also speak well of him, and you know that our testimony is true.

¹³ I have much to write you, but I do not want to do so with pen and ink. ¹⁴ I hope to see you soon, and we will talk face to face.

Peace to you. The friends here send their greetings. Greet the friends there by name.

One of the great things about the body of Christ is that we instantly have the most important thing in common with all sorts of people in every culture in the world: Faith in Jesus.  I especially notice this on mission trips, where despite all of our differences we can worship freely and joyfully with people around the world.

The Holy Bible : New International Version. 1996, c1984. Grand Rapids: Zondervan.

Greetings!  This is one of the shortest books of the Bible - only one chapter.  Study it then congratulate yourself on reading a whole book of the Bible today!  He mainly reiterates themes he expressed in the Gospel of John and in 1 John.

2 John

The elder,

To the chosen lady and her children, whom I love in the truth—and not I only, but also all who know the truth— ² because of the truth, which lives in us and will be with us forever:

³ Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Father’s Son, will be with us in truth and love.

The “chosen lady and her children” probably means the church and its members, or perhaps an individual church. 

⁴ It has given me great joy to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as the Father commanded us. ⁵ And now, dear lady, I am not writing you a new command but one we have had from the beginning. I ask that we love one another. ⁶ And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love.

He ties love to obedience to God, just as he did in 1 John and the Gospel of John (John 14:21 Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him.”)  Doing what God commands is the right way to show love for others.

⁷ Many deceivers, who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh, have gone out into the world. Any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist. ⁸ Watch out that you do not lose what you have worked for, but that you may be rewarded fully. ⁹ Anyone who runs ahead and does not continue in the teaching of Christ does not have God; whoever continues in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. ¹⁰ If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not take him into your house or welcome him. ¹¹ Anyone who welcomes him shares in his wicked work.

Also, he reiterates that Jesus is the only way (”Anyone who runs ahead and does not continue in the teaching of Christ does not have God; whoever continues in the teaching has both the Father and the Son.”).  He also teaches not to associate with false teachers.

¹² I have much to write to you, but I do not want to use paper and ink. Instead, I hope to visit you and talk with you face to face, so that our joy may be complete.

¹³ The children of your chosen sister send their greetings.

The Holy Bible : New International Version. 1996, c1984. Grand Rapids: Zondervan.

Greetings!

When teaching some Bible study tips to an adult Sunday School class I had them pick a chapter at random.  Then we performed the following exercise I had picked up from a sermon by James MacDonald on Walk in the Word.  The chapter was 1 John 5, and it was a perfect example.

• Read 1-3 chapters at a time (less for doctrinal passages, more for history)
• Question it 
  • What portion stands out to me? Why?
  • Is there an example for me to follow?
  • Is there an error for me to avoid?
  • Is there a duty for me to perform?
  • Is there a promise for me to claim?
  • Is there a sin for me to confess?
• Plan it - make a plan for how you will use it
• Pray it - pray scripture back to God
• Share it - helps others, and helps us to remember it

There are lots of ways to study the Bible, but when in doubt try the plan above.  No matter how well you know the Bible you can get a lot out of this exercise.  Sometimes we focus too much on the things we don’t understand and not enough on the things we do understand and can work on today.

Whenever I addressed one of the items above I noted it in bold.

Faith in the Son of God

5     Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well.

This is just one of the many passages noting that Jesus is the only way.  Those who truly love God will love Jesus.  If you believe Jesus is the Messiah then you are born of God.  Otherwise, you are not.  That stood out to me, and it highlights an error to avoid: the type of religious pluralism that says all paths to God are equally valid.

 ² This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. ³ This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, ⁴ for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. ⁵ Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.

This was another passage that stood out to me showing the exclusivity of Jesus.  And note how we show love for God: By obeying his commands.  This is our duty.  Do we do it perfectly?  No.  But it is much easier when we don’t quench or grieve the Holy Spirit.  We aren’t saved because of our obedience, but we aim for obedience because we are saved.

⁶ This is the one who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ. He did not come by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. ⁷ For there are three that testify: ⁸ the Spirit, the water and the blood; and the three are in agreement. ⁹ We accept man’s testimony, but God’s testimony is greater because it is the testimony of God, which he has given about his Son. ¹⁰ Anyone who believes in the Son of God has this testimony in his heart. Anyone who does not believe God has made him out to be a liar, because he has not believed the testimony God has given about his Son. ¹¹ And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. ¹² He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.

Again, notice how direct the teaching is: If you have the Son you have life.  if you do not have the Son you do not have life.  It is carefully written to note both possibilities, so we can’t read it as, “Well, if you have the Son you have life but you can get that life other ways as well . . .”  And if we don’t believe God we make him out to be a liar!  That is certainly an error to avoid.

Concluding Remarks

¹³ I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. ¹⁴ This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. ¹⁵ And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.

Consider the wonderful promises of assurance and access noted in verses 13-15.  How much better does it get than that?  We have assurance of eternal life and that God hears us.  We can hear from him whenever we open his word.

¹⁶ If anyone sees his brother commit a sin that does not lead to death, he should pray and God will give him life. I refer to those whose sin does not lead to death. There is a sin that leads to death. I am not saying that he should pray about that. ¹⁷ All wrongdoing is sin, and there is sin that does not lead to death.

¹⁸ We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin; the one who was born of God keeps him safe, and the evil one cannot harm him. ¹⁹ We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one. ²⁰ We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true. And we are in him who is true—even in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.

²¹ Dear children, keep yourselves from idols.

The Holy Bible : New International Version. 1996, c1984. Grand Rapids: Zondervan.

This book seems to end abruptly.  It might have had more literal meaning to the original readers who lived in cultures where literal idols were worshiped - or those who live in cultures like that today - whereas our idols are more figurative but no less destructive (money, fame, etc.).  Putting anything before God is an error to avoid and we should confess our sins of doing that daily.

John is often considered the “love” Apostle but he certainly isn’t soft on sin.  He is a great example to follow, because he risked everything for his faith and lived it out authentically.  In fact, in reading 1 John he comes across much more strongly on sin than even Paul seems to.  It is useful to read the whole book so you get the proper context.  John seems to make some broad and strong statements that must be considered together to get the full meaning. 

So how do I plan to use this?  To remind myself of the importance of obeying God’s commands to love him and my neighbors.

I prayed it back to God, thanking him for his salvation, promises and access. 

And I shared it with you!

Blessings to you on your study and enjoyment of God’s word.

Greetings!

Test the Spirits

4     Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. ² This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, ³ but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.

John gives a simple way to determine false religions.  Those that deny Jesus are false.

⁴ You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. ⁵ They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them. ⁶ We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood.

That is important to remember.  Sometimes I get frustrated with atheists who are so determined to ignore the most basic logic and truth.  Yet I must remember that I was like them until God opened my eyes to the truth of his word.

God’s Love and Ours

⁷ Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. ⁸ Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. ⁹ This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. ¹⁰ This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. ¹¹ Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. ¹² No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.

This is an important “first things first” passage.  Yes, Jesus calls us to do good things.  But first and foremost we can love because He loved us first and atoned for our sins. 

¹³ We know that we live in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. ¹⁴ And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. ¹⁵ If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God. ¹⁶ And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.

Again, this shows that Jesus is the only way to salvation.

God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. ¹⁷ In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him. ¹⁸ There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.

We may start by rightly fearing God, but as we come to know him more his love can drive out that fear.  It is a lot like parenting.  Of course you love your children, but at some point they need to have a proper fear of the consequences of misbehavior.

¹⁹ We love because he first loved us. ²⁰ If anyone says, “I love God,” yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. ²¹ And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother.

These commands to love are very convicting.  Love isn’t just a feeling, it is a commitment of the will to the other person’s true long-term good. 

^[1]

^[1] The Holy Bible : New International Version. 1996, c1984. Grand Rapids: Zondervan.

Greetings!

3     How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. ² Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. ³ Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure.

God has adopted us as children.  Some people say that everyone is a “child of God,” but as I explored here that is not the case.  We should live in joy that God has adopted us and share that with others.

⁴ Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness. ⁵ But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin. ⁶ No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him.

⁷ Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. He who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous. ⁸ He who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work. ⁹ No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God. ¹⁰ This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God; nor is anyone who does not love his brother.

That is a challenging passage at first glance, because it makes it appear that if we sin we aren’t Christians.  But that can’t be reconciled with many other passages.  There is a deeper meaning that appears to distinguish between our sinful nature and our new nature in Christ, such as in Romans 7:20 - Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.

Love One Another

¹¹ This is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another. ¹² Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother’s were righteous. ¹³ Do not be surprised, my brothers, if the world hates you.

We are often desperate to be liked, but the message of the Gospel will offend people.  We don’t want to add to the offense with ill manners and the like, but it is more important to make the truth about God known than to try to win the world’s approval.  In the end they won’t approve of you anyway.

¹⁴ We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. Anyone who does not love remains in death. ¹⁵ Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life in him.

¹⁶ This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. ¹⁷ If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? ¹⁸ Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. ¹⁹ This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence ²⁰ whenever our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.

²¹ Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God ²² and receive from him anything we ask, because we obey his commands and do what pleases him. ²³ And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us. ²⁴ Those who obey his commands live in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us.

We are commanded to believe in Jesus and to love one another. 

The Holy Bible : New International Version. 1996, c1984. Grand Rapids: Zondervan.

Greetings!

As always, it is important to read the context of Bible passages.  If you just take the first part of verse 1 you would have a false teaching that we might never sin again.  But reading on you see that sin is still going to be in our lives and we have Jesus in our defense when Satan accuses us. 

Also, while Jesus died for the sins of the “whole world,” one shouldn’t conclude that all are saved.  Countless other passages show that without faith in Christ we will still be accountable for our sins ourselves. 

2     My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. ² He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.

³ We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands. ⁴ The man who says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. ⁵ But if anyone obeys his word, God’s love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him: ⁶ Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.

⁷ 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. ⁸ Yet I am writing you a new command; its truth is seen in him and you, because the darkness is passing and the true light is already shining.

⁹ Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the darkness. ¹⁰ Whoever loves his brother lives in the light, and there is nothing in him to make him stumble. ¹¹ But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness; he does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded him.

We can claim to love Jesus and be in the light, but it is so easy to hate others. 

¹² I write to you, dear children,

because your sins have been forgiven on account of his name.

¹³ I write to you, fathers,

because you have known him who is from the beginning.

I write to you, young men,

because you have overcome the evil one.

I write to you, dear children,

because you have known the Father.

¹⁴ I write to you, fathers,

because you have known 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.

Do Not Love the World

¹⁵ Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. ¹⁶ For everything in the world—the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does—comes not from the Father but from the world. ¹⁷ The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.

V. 15-16 are great to memorize.  It is a constant challenge not to get pulled into the world’s perverted system of right and wrong. 

Warning Against Antichrists

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 the man who denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a man is the antichrist—he denies the Father and the Son. ²³ No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also.

People who deny Jesus are also denying God the Father.  This is one of the many passages (roughly 100) in the New Testament that demonstrate that Jesus is the only way to Salvation.

²⁴ 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—even 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.

Children of God

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.

The Holy Bible : New International Version. 1996, c1984. Grand Rapids: Zondervan.