Join us as we delve into 1 John Chapter 2, exploring its powerful messages about sin, forgiveness, and the love of God. Through this passage, we learn about Jesus as our advocate, the significance of keeping His commandments, and the ultimate promise of eternal life. The episode offers personal reflections and insights gained from over 35 years of Bible reading journals, encouraging us to walk as Jesus did and keep His word.
Welcome to Add Bible, an audio daily devotion from the Ezra Project. Allen J. Huth shares a Bible passage with comments from over 35 years of his personal Bible reading journals and applies the Word of God to our daily lives.
SPEAKER 03 :
Today we continue our study in 1 John by looking at chapter 2, the 29 verses. You will hear today’s passage from Faith Comes by Hearing, so let’s listen to 1 John 2.
SPEAKER 02 :
1 John 2 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 and possessions, 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.” He said, but they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us. But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and you all have knowledge. I write to you, not because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and because no lie is of the truth. Who is the liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the Antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son.” No one who denies the Son has the Father. Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also. Let what you heard from the beginning abide in you. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, then you too will abide in the Son and in the Father. And this is the promise that He made to us, eternal life. I write these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you. But the anointing that you receive from him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about everything and is true and is no lie, just as it has taught you, abide in him. And now, little children, abide in him, so that when he appears, we may have confidence and not shrink from him in shame at his coming.” If you know that he is righteous, you may be sure that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of him.
SPEAKER 03 :
In 1999, I wrote in my personal Bible reading journal concerning 1 John 2. Much like yesterday in 1 John 1, John writes so we can avoid sin, but realizes we are sinners and clearly explains this plan of forgiveness. He also encourages us to keep his commandments, keep his word, walk as he walked, and if we do these things, we will avoid sin. And the things of this world and the love of God are perfected in us. Accepting Christ may get us in heaven’s door, but obedience keeps us walking with Christ while He perfects His love in us. Those were my notes that I wrote in 1999. And in 2003, when I was 48 years old, I read this passage and I wrote, John writes these things to you so that you may not sin according to verse 1. But if we sin, Jesus is our advocate with the Father. He pleads our case, and because he paid the price of sin, our sin and death, we get eternal life. Not only me, but I quote verse 2, but also for those of the whole world. So sin is real, and so is forgiveness. There’s no other religion that offers forgiveness. No other religion can, because they do not have Jesus the advocate, the Lamb of God, the propitiation, according to verse 2, and that’s why it’s all about Jesus. I wrote those words in my journal in 2003. I wrote again in 2012 a little bit more about this Jesus is the propitiation. So I wrote, what does that mean? I wrote a sacrifice that bears God’s wrath and turns it into favor for our sins and also for the sins of the whole world. So Jesus is an advocate. He is our propitiation. Those big words that basically mean he’s the substitute for our sins so that we can gain righteousness through him. I continue to write in my journal. No one else makes such a claim. Not Muhammad, not Buddha, not any religious figures have ever, ever claimed to be able to forgive sin except Jesus Christ. I continued in my journal. How do we show we know Jesus? We do it by keeping his commandments. Keep his word. Walk in the same way he walked according to chapter 2, verses 3 through 6. And how do we overcome the evil one? We stay in the Word, according to verse 14. We are not to love the world and who it points to. And then we get into this thing about the Antichrist, the one who denies the Father and the Son, according to verse 22. So many people want to believe in God and not in Jesus. The Bible says that that’s not possible, according to verse 23. We must believe in both the Father and the Son for eternal life. And that’s described in verses 22 through 25. I’m going to read those verses. Verse 22. No one who denies the Son has the Father. Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also. Let what you heard from the beginning abide in you. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, then you too will abide in the Son and in the Father. And this is the promise that He made to us, eternal life. How do we apply this chapter to our lives today? I’d like to focus our thoughts on this chapter for a moment on verses 15 through 16, where it says, 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 and the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride and possessions is not from the Father, but it is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever. What are some of the things of this world that you might be in love with? What are you striving for? What are you trying to attain? Is your heart set on the things of the world or the things of the word? This passage reminds me of my first trip internationally to Thailand on behalf of the Gideons International. I’d never really traveled outside the United States before, and I guess I thought everyone lived like we did here in the USA. After two weeks in Thailand, I realized that that was hardly true. Thailand was a wonderful country with wonderful people, but they did not have the desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes, and the pride and possessions that we seem to have here in the United States. On my way home on the airplane, I remember thinking about this. I saw people there that were pretty happy when they had so little, but we seem to have so much, but we don’t seem to be very happy. I thought about my own life. how I strive to accumulate things, and then I have to take care of the things, and then I have to replace the things and get more things. And I thought about reshifting my focus to more of the things of the Word and less of the things of the world. Maybe you are caught up in the same trap, striving for things, striving for the desires of the flesh, striving for the desires of the things of the eyes, and your pride is in your possessions. Today’s reading might help us all focus our thoughts a little bit more on the things of God rather than the things of this world. Verse 17 says that the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God will abide forever. Where’s your heart? Where are your eyes? Where are your desires today? Are they on the things of the world, or are they on the things of God? As we ponder these things today, let’s pray. Father, we thank you that you sent Jesus as the advocate. You sent him as the propitiation for our sins. You provided a way of escape so that we may have eternal life. We pray that you will refocus our thoughts away from the things of the world and more toward the things of the word and the things that you care about. Help us focus on your will for our lives and less on our selfish ambitions. We pray these things in Jesus’ name. Amen. Thanks for listening to Add Bible today. It’s the holiday season, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s. Research tells us Bible reading usually tanks around the holidays. We get busy with the holidays and can’t find time to read our Bibles? Really? What if God got too busy at the holidays and couldn’t find time to hear your prayers or provide for your needs or send out his angels to protect you while shopping? Fortunately, he is never too busy for us. Aren’t you thankful? I encourage you this holiday season to stay the course, keep the pace, and stay spiritually disciplined. Keep listening or reading your Bible. I hope you’re never too busy to invest in your relationship with God, whom we celebrate this time of year. We count our blessings at Thanksgiving. I hope we count His blessings at Thanksgiving this year. My family has a tradition. Around the Thanksgiving table, we each share one thing we’re thankful for. Try it this Thanksgiving and see if even the Lord even shows up in what we’re thankful for. Next, we celebrate the birth of Jesus at this holiday season, at Christmas. Is it acceptable to stop reading His Word as we lead up to that celebration? John 1.14 reminds us, And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. He is the Word. Best way to honor the season of his birth is to stay close to him in your Bible. So my encouragement is for you to stay the course this holiday season. My guess is you will have a more peaceful holiday season by staying close to the one we thank and celebrate. I know you’re going to like it and want to share it with others.
