First John 2:15-17

Regardless of what the world would have us believe, there are no gray areas when it comes to committing oneself to God. John reinforces this time after time. You are either with God or the devil. You are either walking in the light or your not. You either have life or you don't. Verse 15 of this chapter is another instance of John stating this idea very plainly.

The world in this verse means man and man's world. Just as God, "so loved the world" we as Christians should feel love and compassion for the fallen world. However, we are not to sympathize with its alienation from God. We cannot agree with the ways of the world and still have, "the love of the Father" in us. It's a classic either/or situation.

The reason we're not to love the world and be a part of the sinful world is given to us in verse 16. It's no accident that all three examples of sin given in this verse are the same ways in which Satan tried to tempt Jesus in the wilderness. (See Matthew 4:1-11 and Luke 4:1-12) All sin can be categorized into one of the three categories listed in this verse.

King David (2 Samuel 11:2) and Achan (Joshua 7:21) fell due to the lust of the eyes. Pride was Satan's sin. Eve (Genesis 3:6) allowed all three of these categories get the best of her. Of course there are countless other examples given in Scripture.

We are reminded at the end of this verse that these things don't come from the Father. Remember John just a few verses previously called the readers of this letter, "little children". If we're born of God we turn to God. Those born of the world and of their, "father the devil" turn to the world.

The final verse of this passage reminds us that the world even now is passing away. Those that are doing the will of God are obviously loving; loving God and loving each other. Remember those that do God's will has, "riches, honor and life". (Proverbs 22:4)

Happy Birthday...to Me!

Today is my birthday. I didn't really think a lot about it until last night. Someone mentioned how old I become today as if it were a bad thing. I'm 39 so next year I'll hit 40. Maybe my thoughts will change in a year but I don't think that's a big deal even though a lot is said about people turning 40.

So I'm 39. What's that mean? I realized it meant I'm now the same age as Chopin, Jim Reeves and Dennis Wilson were when they died. Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson was my age when he died as were Amelia Earhart and Martin Luther King, Jr. Looking at it like that it makes one realize how much they accomplished and leaves you wondering about what you've accomplished. I think about my own dad when he was my age. In my mind he seemed like such a mature and responsible man. I can't help but think I'm still a kid acting stupid a lot of the time.

Obviously when you're a kid birthdays are a big deal; one of those days to really look forward to. I think the last birthday most people look forward to is when they turn 21. Naturally that's important because you're then an adult. Then at least for me, you go through a phase where it's not a big deal. Maybe it's different for different people. Maybe everyone looks forward to their birthday every year regardless of their age. I hadn't really thought about it until last night.

I thought about past birthdays; some of the days themselves but I thought more about the phases and stages of life. I remember moving to a different state on my 5th birthday. I had a birthday party when I turned 8. It seems like a big party in my mind. I received the complete set of "Little House on the Prairie" books that year from my parents. My oldest daughter has them now. I thought about the surprise parties my parents held for me when I turned 13 and 16. The last party held on a birthday for me was when I turned 21, also given to me by my parents.

My wife does a great job of making everyone in the family feel important on their birthdays. Today was no exception. I realized today that as kids we look forward to these days more for the presents than anything. 39 isn't a magical number but for some reason, for a lot of reasons this was a special day. This was a day I appreciate and will remember.

My oldest daughter is 11 now. She gave me a funny card. It seems made for me but it also shows her sharp humor at that age. I think (maybe hope) she got that humor from me. My youngest who is 3 thinks singing "Happy Birthday" is the coolest thing one can do on a person's birthday. She's serenaded me several times today. Someday, some year soon she won't think that's cool and she won't sing it to me; at least not with the same gusto and excitement as today. I'll remember this day.

My wife gave me a card that almost brought me to tears. What it said was almost as special as she is. I don't believe I deserve the sentiments it included but I know she meant it and it once again made me thankful to have her in my life. We went to lunch together. She took time away from her work to do that. She could have kept working so she'd get back home to our daughters sooner but she wanted to make the day special for me. Then we went shopping for pants for me and ended up buying a shirt and tie! I picked the shirt and she picked the tie and somehow I find that special that we both had a part to play in that combination. I'm sure I'll think of that when I wear them together.

My parents, two brothers and sister have called me today. They all call every year on this day as I call them and we all call each other on our birthdays. We may be separated by several states and spread out in different time zones but we always talk to each other frequently by phone. That's important I think, not just using email all the time but talking to each other.

What's the point to this? Maybe, just maybe this birthday means something to me because I'm getting to a point in life where I truly appreciate what I have. Maybe I cherish memories of the past more without worrying about the things that didn't work out as planned. I'm pretty sure I cherish the "now" more than ever. I realized something else today too. There's still a lot to look forward to.

There's something else I thought about too. I'll never compose music like Chopin or cut legendary records like Jim Reeves. I'll never be the legendary leader of men that Stonewall Jackson was. Who cares? The other side of the coin is what matters to me. They never were the oldest son of my parents or the older brother to my siblings. They weren't married to my wife and never had daughters as special as mine. I like where I'm sitting in life. Happy birthday to me.

Little Children, Fathers and Young Men (First John 2:12-14)

These three verses are written a little differently than the rest of John's letters. He addresses three specific audience groups. These verses can be broken down into six clauses divided into two sets of three. John uses two verb tenses of grapho (I write).

1. I am writing to you (grapho)
a. children (teknia) because You are forgiven
b. fathers because You know the Lord
c. young men because You have overcome

2. I have written to you (egrapsa)
a. children (paidia) because You know the Father
b. fathers because You know the Lord
c. young men because You are strong, and have overcome

Why did John use "I write" (grapho) in the first 3 and "I have written" (egrapsa) an aorist verb in the last 3? I have written is from John's point of view. I wrote or "I have written" is from the readers' view point. "I write" these matters to you. When you read them your position will be what was written.

What writing is John talking about? This letter, not his gospel account.

What is the meaning of the word "children" in the first clause of each division? Many say it's to all the readers. If that's the case though, why use fathers and young men? This wording by John shows a detailed analysis of his audience. The "children" would be those who recently obeyed the gospel. This is supported by the fact that the reason John addressed them this way is, "because your sins are forgiven you for His name's sake."

Why were teknia used the first time and paidia used the second time? Teknia is the plural of teknion which denotes childhood. Paidia is infancy; literally babies. Used figuratively here it means babes in Christ. The first word reveals they were children. The second that they were infants. (John 3:3-5 and I Peter 2:1-2)

The words fathers and young men...is John talking literally or figuratively? If it's literal then no elderly, non-fathers or women were addressed here. Obviously then all three designations were to three different classes of readers. Children: recent converts, Young men: reached maturity and had strength in the Lord, Fathers: those in Christ the longest and had greater spiritual growth under their belts.

First John 2:7-11

In verses 7 through 14 John talks about brotherly love and the role it plays in the life of the Christian. We'll cover the first 5 verses of this section here. Verses 12 through 14 will be covered separately.

John has just commanded his readers to walk as Christ walked (verse 6). Here he begins to tell them that walk is grounded in love. The commandment to love God was not a new one. The word which they heard was that command; the message they had received. He says they had heard it; how they go the word/commandment. Obviously it came to them through preaching.

John reiterates that point in verse 8. The command to love is as old as the world (I John 3:11-12). What is new at this time is the aspect of the love. Now it's from Jesus (John 13:34). The measure or extent of the love is what's new (John 13:35). This was written by John in a time of superstition. Like today, the darkness had not totally passed. There's a lesson here that when truth is preached, light is extended and the darkness retreats (John 3:19-21 and John 8:12).

Jesus commands us to love each other (John 15:17). He made love the mark of discipleship as we've seen in John 13:35. Without it, we remain in darkness. That is the element which characterizes all not having to do with God. John leaves no middle ground here. Here is God, there is the world. Here is life, there is death. Here is love, there is hate. This follows the words of Jesus in Luke 9:50 and 11:23. There is no middle ground.

The word hate in this verse comes from miseo. It does not indicate a degree. It is shown as a fact. When it exists to any degree, he who has it in in darkness. Period.

I talked in an earlier post about the word abide. It comes from the Greek word menei. The verb tense used in verse 10 is present active. This means when John talks about he who, "abides in the light" it's a continuous action and not a temporary state. Abide of course means to make your home, to settle into a permanent position. With the force of that verb tense added to the definition of abide, this means we have made love and living in the light our home. It's comprehensive (I John 3:18 and I John 5:2-3). This does NOT show that love for God or man is accepted in place of obedience. There is no love apart from obedience (Math. 22:24-40)

Verse 11 gives us the conditions of one who hates his brother: 1. They're "in darkness", 2. "walks in darkness", 3. "does not know where he is going" because "darkness has blinded his eyes". Remember the one who wrote these words heard Jesus say the words of John 12:35-36!

Blinded in this verse is the same verb and tense Paul used in II Corinthians 4:4. The point is that the grace of love is so basic that whoever lacks it is deficient in all aspects of Christianity. Where love doesn't exist, no other virtue can. Do we get that? It doesn't matter if we read our Bibles daily, show up for worship each time the doors open, sing, pray or take communion. If we don't have love, the rest doesn't matter! It's the foundation for everything else we do as Christians, "walking in the light".

First John 2:3-6

This part of chapter two deals with our obedience to God's commands. The first two verses of this chapter remind us of what He as the Judge and Christ as our Advocate do for us. Now it's time to find out what he wants from us.

Verse 3: starts with "Now by this" in the New King James version. Others use "Hereby". This is a phrase John often uses. It refers here to the last part of the verse, "if we keep his commandments." To know Christ means more than just having knowledge. It's to enter into a relationship with Him. Paul in Titus 1:6 writes of those who, "profess to know God but by their works deny him."

This would certainly apply to the Gnostics who thought that with their supposed knowledge and spiritual insight, they could maintain a relationship with God without keeping His commandments. This applies to us today when we encounter the "once saved always saved" crowd.

Verse 4: The word liar here is more emphatic than "we lie" of Titus 1:6. The person referred to in this verse is the same person Jesus speaks of in John 8:44.

Verse 5: John in this verse begins to develop his theme of love. Later verses will talk about our love for one another. Here he tells us about the importance of our love for God. Imagine a triangle. The first side, God's love for us was covered in verses 1-2. This verse makes up side two. The following verses relating to our love for each other make up the final side. Each is important. It is not possible to have just one or two of these portions in our lives. We must have all three.

Keep in mind the writer of these words is the same man who heard Jesus speak the words found in the gospel of John, chapter 14, verses 21 and 23. The idea of one who, "keeps His word" also is a lesson against the Gnostics of the first century. It's also a lesson against those who today teach the idea of "once saved always saved."

Verse 6: There are a couple of key words in this short verse. The first regards living or abiding in Him. We'll continue to see the word abide. It comes from the Greek word menei. It means you've made a place your home. You've established permanency. The verb tense used is a present active verb. That means it's a continuous, ongoing action just as in chapter 1, verse 9. We're committing ourselves to a permanent relationship with God.

The other key thought is that we "ought" to walk as Jesus did. That word is derived from the Greek oheilo meaning to be debt. It's the moral obligation one has to show the basis for one's profession. This is also another theme John will continue to use. He's saying it doesn't matter what we say. It only matters what we do. The Gnostics loved to say they were true believers. John is saying we have a responsibility to show it in our daily lives.