We Are Children of God & Should not Love This World or Anything in It. Bible Study. 1 John Ch 2

Here is a teaching on chapter 2 of the book of 1 John. If you want to check out previous Bible studies and chapters going forward, join our group here. Once you get added to that Facebook group, you can go to the "units" tab and you'll see all of the chapters and their study guides as they are being taught.

I did want to say a quick prayer... Lord, I pray that you lift up every person reading this right now. Please give us knowledge and understanding to know exactly what it is that we are reading and the wisdom to implement it in our daily lives. Holy Spirit please guide us and help us to see the truth, know the truth, discern the truth, and live by the truth. I pray that whatever it is that each person is supposed to receive from this Bible study, they receive it and implement it in their daily lives. I love you with every ounce of my being. In Jesus' name, Amen.

1 John Chapter 2:

1 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 keep 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 them. This is how we know we are in him: 6 Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.

Alright, so I am going to stop right there and discuss these verses with you guys here. So in verse 1, we are all sinners and we all make mistakes. If we have a relationship with Christ and we follow him then that helps us to stand up under temptation and it makes us less likely to sin, but that doesn't mean that we are exempt from sin. We must acknowledge our guilt and ask for forgiveness whenever we sin, and Jesus will always forgive us. In verse 2, Jesus Christ died on the cross to forgive us of our sins so that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life in heaven with Him and God the Father.

In verses 3-6, when someone truly knows God they obey His commands and are fully submitted to His will. When someone doesn't obey God then they don't truly know Him. It's different to know about God and to truly know God and stay in a constant relationship with Him. Having love for God will show in our obedience to Him. When we are obeying God and love Him then we will seek to live and have a heart like Jesus, follow Jesus, and 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.

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.

14 I write to you, dear children,

because you have known the Father.

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.

Alright, so I'm going to stop right there and discuss these verses with you guys here. In verses 7-11, the command that John was writing of here is both old and new. It was taught to the people their whole Christian lives but it was called a new command by Jesus in John 13:34 and it says: “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another." Jesus Christ showed a love that had never been seen before. He humbled himself, loved, and served others, and we as believers of Jesus Christ have to do the same.

In verse 8, the true light is Jesus Christ and we see that in John chapter 1:9. That verse says: "The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world." Darkness is sin, evil. and corruption, but Jesus Christ is the true light. He is perfect, sinless, pure, and full of mercy, grace, and compassion. In verses 9-11, when we are in Jesus Christ then we are full of love and have the fruit of the Spirit. If we hate someone then we are still living in the sinful nature and not by the fruit of the Spirit. In verse 10, when we live in Jesus and let the Holy Spirit guide us, then we will portray the fruit of the Spirit to others, love and serve others, and we will be able to stand firm in our faith. In verse 11, those who hate other people and walk around in darkness are deceived by sinful nature and are consumed by hatred, evil, and corruption.

In verse 12, his name is Jesus Christ. In verse 13 where he says "you have known him who is from the beginning," the one he is talking about here is Jesus Christ. We see this in John 1:2 which says: "He was with God in the beginning." Jesus Christ is God the Son and the evil one is satan. When we are saved we have eternal life in heaven with Jesus and God the Father and can not be controlled by satan. In verse 14 when he says "because you know the Father," the Father that he is talking about here is God the Father. They also know His son Jesus Christ because you can't truly know God the Father if you don't know and believe in Jesus Christ.

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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.

So in verses 15-17, we have to stand firm in our faith and not give in to the temptation of this world. Loving this world and giving in to our worldly desires will only lead to destruction. As believers of Jesus Christ, this world is our temporary home. Our true home is in heaven with Jesus and God the Father. We have to keep our hearts set on God and not on worldly things. This world is full of sin and corruption and we have to keep our eyes on Jesus and be fully submitted to the will of God the Father.

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 whoever 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.

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.

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.

Alright, so those are all of the verses of chapter 2 of the book of 1 John, but I'm going to discuss these verses with you guys here. In verses 18-19 whenever John says "the last hour," the Lord's return can come at any time so we have to stay prepared and look toward Jesus. The word "anti" means "opposite or instead of," so someone that is opposite or instead of Jesus is the antichrist. In verse 19, the people that John is talking about here are those who leave the fellowship of believers. Those people were never truly saved because if you are truly saved by Jesus Christ you are not going to leave and live a sinful life, be full of evil and corruption, and deny Jesus Christ.

In verses 20-23, these people that John is writing to are saved by Jesus. They have the Holy Spirit and they know Jesus Christ, which Jesus Christ is the way, the truth, and the life. In verse 22, if someone denies that Jesus Christ is the Messiah, our Savior, then the truth is not in them and they deny God the Father also. What John says in verse 23 goes hand in hand with John 14:6-7. Those verses say, 6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.” So in these verses here we see that Jesus is the only way to God the Father, and you can't truly know God if you don't know Jesus Christ and you don't acknowledge him and believe in him. In verses 24-25, we have to stand firm in our faith, discern the truth, and not be deceived by worldly things and worldly people. When we are saved we have eternal life in heaven.

In verses 26-27, this anointing that John is speaking of here is the anointing of the Holy Spirit. We have to let the Holy Spirit guide us and not be taught by worldly people. We have to let the Holy Spirit guide us into truth and guide us closer to Christ. In verses 28-29, we have to stand firm, follow Jesus, stay in constant relationship with him, and be prepared and ready for his return when he comes back for his people.

Here are 3 takeaways to write down:

1. We have to seek to live and have a heart like Jesus

2. We have to stand firm in our faith and not be deceived by this world

3. We have to let the Holy Spirit guide us and show us truth

1 John Ch 2 Study Guide

Who is the atoning sacrifice for our sins? How?
How can we know God the Father?
What is the new command that Jesus gives us?
Who is the true light? Why?
Why should we not love this world or anything in it?
Who is an antichrist?
Why is it so important to let the Holy Spirit guide us?
What is your biggest takeaway from this Bible study?

So that concludes this Bible study on chapter 2 of the Book of 1 John. Next time we're going to go into chapter 3 so make sure that you stay tuned for that.

I love you guys so much.

Never forget to choose faith over fear.

-Lorena Camille (Faith Fuels My Fire)

p.s. If you'd rather listen to Faith-based, spiritual growth, mindset, and mental health tips, then check out my podcast. There I will share my personal experiences, stories I've never told before, and bring you along with this hot mess life of mine. New episodes daily.

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