Marks of the Believer Part 1: 1 John 2:1-17
[Note: This is part 2 in a six-part series looking at the First Epistle of John. Some of the material is adapted from my commentary as.That You May Know: The First Letter of John During this series, we won’t necessarily touch on every single verse, but will look at the major messages that 1 John presents.]
My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.
Beloved, I am writing you no new commandment, but an old commandment that you had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word that you have heard. At the same time, it is a new commandment that I am writing to you, which is true in him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining. Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness. Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and in him there is no cause for stumbling. But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.
I am writing to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven for his name’s sake. I am writing to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. I write to you, children, because you know the Father. I write to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one.
Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever (1 John 2:1-17).
As we continue our study of 1 John, we start to look at the marks or evidences of a believer. Having set his purpose, John now begins to list these evidences. As we said last week, it’s important to remember that John’s emphasis is on consistency and growth, not a single act of obedience or disobedience.
An Encouraging Word to Start
John begins this section with another word of encouragement. He tells them why he is writing these [particular] things: “I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin” (v. 1). The attitude is almost like a teacher preparing his students for an exam. “Here is what you need to know in order to pass the test. This is what will be looked for.”
Now, lest his readers discover they have sinned (and think they have already failed the test!), John reminds them: “But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous” (v. 1b). We have One who will speak to the Examiner (the Father) on our behalf. What gives Him the right to do that? Verse 2 tells us: “He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.” The word propitiation means “an appeasing of God’s wrath.” Christ’s sacrifice on our behalf paid the penalty and satisfied God’s just demands against us. Thus, we can rest in His grace.
Evidence #1: Keeping His Commandments (vv. 1-6)
John begins with a simple statement: “And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments” (v. 3). It’s like an equation:
We have come to know him = We keep His Commandments
Now, as pointed out many times, that equation can’t be reversed. We keep His commandments because we have come to know Him. Reversing the equation becomes trying to know Him through simply keeping His commandments.
Next John gives us one of the many contrasting statements that his writings are known for. They are often written almost like a proverb:
Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments
is a liar, and the truth is not in him,
but whoever keeps his word,
in him truly the love of God is perfected (vv. 4-5).
This description contrasts strongly with 1:5-10 (which we looked at last week). Here, the idea that “the truth is not in him” suggests that such a person is not a believer. In 1:5-10, however, he uses the phrase “does not practice the truth,” in the context of a believer refusing to acknowledge he has sinned, leading to a hindrance of fellowship with Christ.
The believer who keeps Christ’s Word (lives in it, practices it), however, is one who has the love of God perfected in him (v. 5). This word “perfected” does not mean morally perfect without sin. The Greek word is teleioo, which means “to make perfect, complete; to carry through completely, to accomplish, finish, bring to an end.” The idea is one of completeness or wholeness.
As Jesus did, John also equates keeping Christ’s commandment’s to “abiding in Christ” (v. 6): “[W]hoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.” This is really a summary of this passage. He is saying, “Therefore, if we claim to be in Christ, we should walk in the same way He did, by keeping His commandments.”
Evidence #2: Loving the Brethren (vv. 7-11)
The words of verses 7-8 can be a little confusing. John first says that what he is about to tell them is not a new commandment, but the same which they have already heard. Then he says it is a new commandment. It is both old and new. The commandment to love the brethren (vv. 9-11) is taught in the Old Testament (for example, Deut. 19:18). At the same time, however, Jesus clarified what that love actually looks like. He practiced sacrificial love, ultimately giving His life for us, and in fact taught that “greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13).
John returns to a theme already introduced to explain love for the brethren, that of walking in the light. With another series of contrasting statements, John tells his readers:
Whoever says he is in the light
and hates his brother is still in darkness.
Whoever loves his brother abides in the light,
and in him there is no cause for stumbling.
But whoever hates his brother
is in the darkness and walks in the darkness,
and does not know where he is going,
because the darkness has blinded his eyes (vv. 9-11).
Why is there “no cause for stumbling” for the one loves his brother? Because as he walks in the light, he can see anything that might cause him to stumble, and love removes those things from within him that would cause him to stumble. For the one who harbors hatred in his heart, however, that is not true. He is in darkness. The hatred within him causes him to not be able to see those things which cause him to stumble. Hence, we are commanded to walk in the light.
Evidence #3: Growing in Faith (vv. 12-17)
At first, verses 12-17 might seem to be out of place in John’s writings. However, once we consider the context, they are quite natural. In these verses John is talking about the cycle of growing in Christ. We start as “little children” (the young in the faith), and progress to “young men [and women],” finally maturing into fathers [and mothers] in the faith. We start out as disciples, learning at the feet of another, and now as fathers and mothers we are able to teach and disciple others, continuing the cycle.
The point of this is that growth is natural in the life of the believer. While it does require effort on our part to be disciplined, it is not something that is forced. If one is a believer, he or she will grow. The claim of salvation by one who has had no spiritual growth may be suspect. Jesus mentioned much the same thing in the parable of the sower (Matt. 13:1-9). The one who grows in his faith in 1 John is like the good soil who produces a harvest. Note that it is not the size of the harvest that counts, because Jesus did indicate that different people bring forth different harvests. The point, however, is that all true believers grow and produce fruit.
In this context, how does one continue to grow and produce fruit? John gives this explanation: “Do not love the world or the things of the world” (v. 15). This is the same idea that Jesus taught when He cautioned against storing up earthly treasures. As the believer focuses his life on the things of God, it will be natural that he grow. Believers are not to love the world for two reasons. First, the things of the world (“lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life”) are not from God, and we should be focused on things of God. Secondly because the world “is passing away.” It is temporary. But, as John reminds us, believers will abide forever.
Takeaways from This Passage
The takeaways from this passage are the evidences we have discussed. If we claim to know and be in Christ, we should see the fruit of His transforming work in our lives. We should endeavor to keep His commandments, love the brethren, and seek to grow in the knowledge of Him, His love, and grace. He gives us these guidelines not to condemn us but to keep us from stumbling as we walk in the light with Him.
