1 John 2:12–27
Stay close to Jesus
Pippa and I were very young when we got married. We had no money to pay for our honeymoon. A friend kindly lent us a cottage in Scotland and another friend, called Micky, lent us his car.
On the way home, we crashed the car right outside Micky’s house. We rang his doorbell. Micky could see that we were both very upset. Immediately he said, ‘Oh, don’t worry about my car, it’s only a piece of metal!’ Micky loved God and he loved people. He did not love things; he held them lightly.
Do not love the things of the world (v.15). Don’t use people and love things. Love people and use things.
Your struggle is against the enemy within – sin (v.12), the enemy around – the world (vv.16–17), and the enemy above – the devil (v.14). You have already been rescued from these enemies.
The enemy within (sin)
Jesus has rescued you from your sins: ‘I write to you, dear children, because your sins have been forgiven on account of his name’ (v.12).
The enemy around (the world)
Jesus has rescued you from needing to be intimately attached to the world. John writes, ‘Practically everything that goes on in the world – wanting your own way, wanting everything for yourself, wanting to appear important – has nothing to do with the Father. It just isolates you from him. The world and all its wanting, wanting, wanting is on the way out – but whoever does what God wants is set for eternity’ (vv.16–17, MSG).
The enemy above (the devil)
Jesus has given you the power to be free from the devil – the evil one: ‘I write to you, young people, because… the word of God lives in you, and you have overcome the evil one’ (v.14b). The victory comes from staying close to God: ‘Your fellowship with God enables you to gain a victory over the evil one’ (v.14, MSG).
John then goes on to warn his readers against false teachers who would seek to shake them from this firm foundation (vv.18–23). He encourages them to steer well clear of such false teaching. He highlights some of the marks of the false teachers, which you can use to identify them:
‘Lies’ about Jesus
Lies and deceit are the mark of false teachers, ‘no lie comes from the truth’ (v.21). John explains that ‘whoever denies that Jesus is the Christ’ (v.22) is a ‘liar’ and an ‘antichrist’, opposed to both the Father and the Son (v.23).
Leaving the fellowship
These false teachers were individuals who ‘went out from us’, which was an indication that ‘they did not really belong to us’ (v.19). They often leave the fellowship because they leave the apostolic teaching.
Leading people astray
‘I am writing these things to you about those who are trying to lead you astray’ (v.26).
Have nothing to do with such false teachers, but instead root yourself in the truth of the gospel. ‘Stay with what you heard from the beginning, the original message. Let it sink into your life’ (v.25, MSG). If you do this, then you have nothing to fear.
You have the Holy Spirit living within you to lead and guide you; ‘the anointing you received from him remains in you’ (v.27).
Immerse yourself in Scripture (v.14), and in the fellowship of the church (v.19). This will protect and strengthen you. The key is to stay close to Jesus: ‘If what you heard from the beginning lives deeply in you, you will live deeply in both Son and Father. This is exactly what Christ promised: eternal life, real life!’ (vv.24–25, MSG).
Lord, thank you that you have rescued me from sin, the world and the devil; and anointed me with the Holy Spirit to lead and guide me.