May 25, 2025

“WALKING IN THE LIGHT”

“BACK TO THE BASICS”

1 JOHN 2:1-11

Let me present what I see from John’s family meeting in the form of “Family Rules for Children.” I see at least seven straightforward basic principles in these eleven verses.

John addresses believers for the first time as “my little children in vs.1.

1 John 2:1 “My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.”

The Greek term for “children” is teknion, a diminutive form of the word for child. Clearly John wants to communicate close, loving affection, like a grandfather addressing small children.

1.  Don’t Ever Mess With Stuff That Gets You Into Trouble.

That is the gist of John’s opening words. “… these things I write to you, so that you may not sin…” vs.1

John’s not giving us an excuse to sin, but urging us to avoid it. Why? Because it is dangerous.

2.   When You Foul Things Up, Remember You Have Someone Who’s Always In Your Corner.

“…we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” vs.1

The word “Advocate” is parakletos, the same Greek word used of the Holy Spirit:

John 14:16 “And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever.”

Warren Wiersbe puts it well, “Christ is our Representative. He defends us at the Fathers throne. Satan may stand there as the accuser of the brethren:”

Revelation 12:10 “And I heard a loud voice in heaven saying “Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of His Christ. For the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down he who accuses them day and night before our God.”

But Christ stands there as our Advocate, He pleads on our behalf!

1 John 2:2 “He Himself is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.”

“Atoning sacrifice” vs.2- can be defined as an offering that turns away or satisfies divine wrath against us.

3.   Behave Like A Member Of The Family.

The best proof that “we have come to know Him” and therefore are members of God’s family is a life of obedience to Him.

1 John 2:3 “By this we can be sure that we have come to know Him: if we keep His commandments.”

I wonder if John was reaching back in his memory to the Last Supper, where Jesus drove home this point:

John 14:15-17, 21-23 “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments. 16And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Advocate to be with you forever— 17the Spirit of truth. The world cannot receive Him, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. But you do know Him, for He abides with you and will be in you. 21Whoever has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me. The one who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and reveal Myself to him.” 22Judas (not Iscariot) asked Him, “Lord, why are You going to reveal Yourself to us and not to the world?” 23Jesus replied, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word. My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.”

4.   No Matter What You Say, Your Actions Tell The Real Truth.

1 John 2:4 “If anyone says, “I know Him,” but does not keep His commandments, he is a liar, and the truth is not in him.”

John’s language gets even stronger, that person is “a liar, and the truth is not in him.” vs.4.

5.   Always Remember That Your Obedience Reveals How Much You Respect Your Father.

1 John 2:5 “But if anyone keeps His word, the love of God has been truly perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him:”

6.   When You’re Looking For An Example To Follow, Choose Jesus.

Another sure sign of a person who has spiritual family ties with the Lord is his or her walks, “in the manner as He walked.”

1 John 2:5-6 “But if anyone keeps His word, the love of God has been truly perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him: 6Whoever claims to abide in Him must walk as Jesus walked.”

7.   Love Your Brothers And Sisters.

Expressions of love are the lifeblood of relationships. Without love, a marriage or a family will shrivel and die.

John 13:1 “It was now just before the Passover Feast, and Jesus knew that His hour had come to leave this world and return to the Father. Having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the very end.”

Jesus demonstrated this love: John 13:1-17

John 13:14-15 “So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. 15I have set you an example so that you should do as I have done for you.”

John 13:34-35 “A new commandment I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you also must love one another. 35By this everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another.”

Now I am sure at least some of the disciples, steeped in the teaching of the Old Testament, would have known that the command to love one another wasn’t really new. It went back to the Law of Moses:

Leviticus 19:18 “Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against any of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself.c I am the LORD.”

All of this is no doubt in John’s mind when he describes the final family rule:

1 John 2:7 “Beloved, I am not writing to you a new commandment, but an old one, which you have had from the beginning. This commandment is the message you have heard.”

1 John 2:8 “Then again, I am also writing to you a new commandment, which is true in Him and also in you. For the darkness is fading and the true light is already shining.”

This new command is modeled on selflessness and sacrifice, unconditional love expressed by followers of Christ regardless of the response of the other person. Christ models this kind of love:

1 John 3:16 “By this we know what love is: Jesus laid down His life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.”

The Holy Spirit enables this kind of love:

Galatians 5:22-23 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”

1 John 2:8 “Then again, I am also writing to you a new commandment, which is true in Him and also in you. For the darkness is fading and the true light is already shining.”

1 John 2:9 “If anyone claims to be in the light but hates his brother, he is still in the darkness.”

1 John 2:10 “Whoever loves his brother remains in the light, and there is no cause of stumbling in him.”

1 John 2:11 “But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness. He does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.”

The distinguishing mark of a Christian his that he or she has Christlike love for others.