Blessing:

Lord, I commit this day to You. Protect me from the evil one’s schemes that he has designed to cause me to bring You shame this very day. May everything I think, do, and say be to Your honor and glory today. And as always, I ask this in Your name and in Your power. Amen.

Scripture Reference:

1 John 2

Today’s Message:

That which was true in the days of Judges is true in our days also. Multitudes are doing what is right in their own eyes (see Judges 21:25). This type of behavior always occurs when there is no “King”, when there is no Lord, and when there are no absolutes.

Without a King and without absolutes, everything becomes relative. Because ours is a society without absolutes, sin has spread like leaven. Immorality has even crept into the lives of many who profess to know Jesus Christ as their Lord, and, for the most part, churches have failed to discipline their members.

Where does immorality begin?

See what Jesus had to say in Matthew 15:19.

Read Matthew 15:19

You will see that according to Jesus it begins in the heart (the mind) of man. “For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, slanders.” We are told too many times in Scripture to guard our heart against all thoughts of evil.

Remember that yesterday we talked about the definition of righteousness and that God alone is the one who determines what is righteous. And evil is ANYTHING that isn’t initiated by God.

Read Mark 12:29-30

God tells you that you are to love Him:

• with ALL of your heart (affections, emotions),
• with ALL of your soul (hopes, ambitions, desires),
• with ALL of your mind (intellect, thoughts),
• and with ALL of your strength (physical ability).

This is the number one commandment of God (Mark 12:29-30).

So many Christians live over-committed lives. They are over-committed to jobs, clubs or organizations, hobbies or sports, to furthering their education or intellectual pursuits, and sometimes even over-committed to ministry.

Do you find yourself so busy that you don’t have adequate time to meet with God daily for worship, prayer, and Bible study?

Without fellowship with God in His Word and in prayer, how do you think you can know what God wants from you out of your life?

What has so entangled you that you have no time for God?

That’s the main thrust of chapter 2 of I John…..Abiding!

You looked at the word abide yesterday. These are the thoughts you should have added to your list. …..

1. The one who says he abides in Him should walk in the same manner as Jesus. (2:6)
2. The one who abides in the light will love his brother. (2:10)
3. The Word of God abides in you. (2:14)
4. The one who does the will of God abides forever. (2:17)
5. If the truth of God, which you heard at the beginning of your walk in the light, abides in you, you will abide in the Son and in the Father. (2:24)
6. Your anointing from the Holy One is the Truth that abides in you. (2:20-27)
7. The only way to have confidence when the Lord returns is to abide in Him now. (2:28)

You also looked at the word know yesterday. Hopefully you added these thoughts to your list.

1. The way you can tell if you know Jesus is that you keep His commandments. (2:3)
2. The Truth is not in someone who does not keep His commandments. (2:4)
3. By keeping His Word, the love of God is perfected in you. (2:5)
4. If you walk in darkness by hating your brother, you are blinded by the darkness. (2:11)
5. Believers know the Father. (2:13)
6. You know that God has been from the beginning. (2:14)
7. The many antichrists in the world tell us that we are in the last hour. (2:18)
8. Our anointing from the Holy One gives us discernment of false “children”. (2:18-20)
9. Believers know the truth. (2:21)
10. God is righteous and His children practice righteousness. (2:29)

The final word you looked at, to see more truth, was the word sin.

1. The word of God is written so we may not sin… so we can know the truth. (2:1)
2. But if you do sin, we have Jesus as our advocate with the Father. (2:1) (advocate=one who pleads another’s cause; an intercessor)
3. Jesus is the propitiation for our sins. (2:2) (propitiation=satisfaction; debt is satisfied)
4. Our sins are forgiven for His name’s sake. (2:12) (for the glory of God; because He is holy)

Again you see that John includes himself as a sinner. You also see the phrase “I am writing to you” several times in this chapter, showing you that John has a heartbeat for getting the Word out to all the “children of God”. He does not want them to be deceived by the gnostic thinking that had become prevalent.

That should be the desire of every child of God….to be sure to always remind one another of the truth.

Do you shrink back from declaring the truth of God’s Word?

Your Turn:

1. Six times in chapters 1 and 2 you see the phrase “If we say” or “the one who says”. List each one and what is said, noting both the statement and its conclusion. (1:6, 8, 10; 2:4, 6, 9)
2. Look up the definitions for: 

• abide (#3306 in Strong’s numbering system)
• know (#1097 and #3609a in Strong’s numbering system)
• love (#26 in v. 2:5 and the second” love” in 2:15)
• love (#25 in v. 2:15, the first time” love” is used in that verse)

Closing Prayer:

Please help me to walk” the walk” that is pleasing to You, Lord. Thank you that Your Word tells me how I can KNOW that I have eternal life and am walking in a manner that is pleasing to You. Amen.