seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
1 John 2:1My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—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 Whoever says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person. 5 But if anyone obeys his word, love for God is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in him: 6 Whoever claims to live in him must live 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 in you, because the darkness is passing and the true light is already shining.
9 Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates a brother or sister is still in the darkness. 10 Anyone who loves their brother and sister lives in the light, and there is nothing in them to make them stumble. 11 But anyone who hates a brother or sister is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness. They do not know where they are going, because the darkness has blinded them.
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Here's the link to the commentary I read.That you may not sin: This is God’s desire for the believer. If sin is inevitable for us, it is not because God has decreed that we must sin. All the resources for spiritual victory are ours in Jesus Christ and that resource is never withdrawn.
We have an Advocate: God’s desire is that you may not sin. Yet if we do, there is provision made — an Advocate, a defense lawyer on our side. Our Advocate is Jesus Christ Himself.
We have an Advocate: Jesus is our defender, even when we sin now. God is not shocked by human behavior. He has seen it all in advance. He didn’t forgive us at one time to later say, “Look what they did now! If I would have known they would go and do that, I would have never forgiven them.” His forgiveness is available to us now.
Now by this we know that we know Him: The evidence of someone knowing God, and fellowship with Him is that he does keep His commandments. A simple, loving obedience is a natural result of fellowship with God.
A liar, and the truth is not in him: The truth of this is so certain that if one does not live a life marked by obedience, his claim to fellowship (the experiential knowledge) with God can be fairly challenged.
I know Him: “Do distinguish, however, between knowing about Christ and knowing Christ. We may know very much about many of our great men, though we do not know them. Now, it will never save a soul to know about Christ. The only saving knowledge is to know him, his very self, and to trust him, the living Savior, who is now at the right hand of God.” (Spurgeon)
Brethren, I write no new commandment to you… a new commandment I write to you: The commandment John wrote of was at the same time both old (in the sense that it was preached to the brethren their whole Christian lives) and new (in the sense that it was called the new commandment by Jesus in John 13:34).
The new commandment “to love” that Jesus spoke of in John 13:34 was really new for several reasons. One of the most important reasons was that Jesus displayed a kind of love never seen before, a love we were to imitate.
Does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes: Knowing the importance that Jesus placed on our love for each other, John will go so far as to say that if we hate our brother, we are walking in darkness, and are unable to see — we have been blinded.
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I see something new in this chapter of this letter, written by John, Jesus's best friend. I see the word "sister"!
Look, I can't post everything that is in the commentary. Every day I say, you should follow the link to the commentary. There is a lot of hype and hyperbole, I admit, but there is more to learn and you should really go read it so you have the whole picture the commentaries want to show you.
Now... on to Commandments and "sister". In the Old Testament, women were for child bearing. Women had no say. On top of that, if a woman was going to the "wife" of a rich man, she had to be "in waiting" for a year to make sure she wasn't carrying another man's baby. So, the men considered women to be liars and manipulators, thanks to Eve.
Now, however, John is writing to "brothers and sisters". We're not just "helpers" anymore. We are not just women. We are "Sisters"!
Jesus loved women and children. Women and children were never considered in the census until Jesus came along. Jesus made no distinction between women and men when it came to whom He would speak with or heal or feed or teach. Jesus included women in His inner circle. Most of them were named Mary, but that's because it was a familiar name at the time, like the name "Charlotte" tops the list now.
The Old Testament Commandments were male oriented. The New Testament Commandments were meant for men and women.
Matthew 22:36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
Jesus left us with just Two Commandments. Love God and Love One Another.
John seems to make it so simple. Everyone in the whole world is invited to Believe. No one is excluded, not even the women!
Jesus left us with a much clearer set of rules to run our lives on. Love God and Love One Another.
Male or female, if you're being hateful, you better get right with God! It's against the commandment.
Male or female, if you are being kind, then you are on the right track.
Brothers and Sisters, we are all responsible for keeping the Commandments.
Sisters! We are now equal!
