Sin
The Apostle John wrote to us with inspiration by God's Holy Spirit to encourage us and help us to avoid sin. It is beautiful to see God's plans for us in proper context!
The word “sin” has virtually disappeared from modern conversation. Afraid of sounding judgmental, we call sin something else—a mistake, an addiction, a tendency, a bad decision—and ignore it as normal and natural behavior.
But John is calling the church to a radical holiness where those in the church will regularly remember their sins and seek God’s forgiveness. Each sin, small and large, injures us or someone else; it imprints on our soul, makes us imperfect, and separates us from the perfect God. If we confess our sins to God each day, then He will purify our hearts and draw us closer to Him.
[1] You are my little children, so I am writing these things to help you avoid sin. If, however, any believer does sin, we have a high-powered defense lawyer-Jesus the Anointed, the righteous-arguing on our behalf before the Father. [2] It was through His sacrificial death that our sins were atoned. But He did not stop there-He died for the sins of the whole world.—1 John 2:1-2 [Voice]
John is affectionately addressing this letter to his “little children,” and he is writing to help them avoid sin and the pain and guilt that come with it. The glamour of decadent lifestyles devoid of God is often advertised as the epitome of joy and freedom.
But what are often conveniently left out of these portrayals are the agonizing consequences of such destructive lifestyles. Meaningful pleasure comes not when we are enslaved by the empty promises of the world, but when we are living in loving obedience to God.
1 John 2:3-17 [Voice]
[3] We know we have joined Him in an intimate relationship because we live out His commands. [4] If someone claims, "I am in an intimate relationship with Him," but this big talker doesn't live out His commands, then this individual is a liar and a stranger to the truth.
[5] But if someone responds to and obeys His word, then God's love has truly taken root and filled him. This is how we know we are in an intimate relationship with Him:
[6] anyone who says, "I live in intimacy with Him," should walk the path Jesus walked.
[7] My loved ones, in one sense, I am not writing a new command for you. I am only reminding you of the old command. It's a word you already know, a word that has existed from the beginning.
[8] However, in another sense, I am writing a new command for you. The new command is the truth that He lived; and now you are living it, too, because the darkness is fading and the true light is already shining among you.
[9] Anyone who says, "I live in the light," but hates his brother or sister is still living in the shadows.
[10] Anyone who loves his brother or sister lives in the light and will not trip because his conscience is clear.
[11] But anyone who hates his brother is in the darkness, stumbling around with no idea where he is going, blinded by the darkness.
[12] I am writing to you, my children, because your sins have been forgiven by the authority of His name.
[13] I am writing to you, fathers and mothers, because you have known Him as the Creator, as the One who started everything. I am writing to you, young people, because He has given you the power to conquer the evil one.
[14] I have written to you, my children, because you have known the Father. I have written to you, fathers and mothers, because you have known Him, the Creator. I have written to you, young people, because the voice of God remains and is heard among you. Remember that you have conquered the evil one.
[15] Don't fall in love with this corrupt world or worship the things it can offer. Those who love its corrupt ways don't have the Father's love living within them.
1 John 2:16
[16] All the things the world can offer to you-the allure of pleasure, the passion to have things, and the pompous sense of superiority-do not come from the Father. These are the rotten fruits of this world.[17] This corrupt world is already wasting away, as are its selfish desires. But the person really doing God's will-that person will never cease to be.
We are deeply loved by God. When we turn and love those members of our faith family whom God loves, we are set apart and different from the world.
THE THINGS OF THIS WORLD
1 John 2:16 NASB
[16] For all that is in the world, the LUST of the flesh and the LUST of the eyes and the boastful PRIDE OF LIFE, is not from the Father, but is from the world.
2:16 all that is in the world. Cf. Jas 4:4. While the world’s philosophies and ideologies and much that it offers may appear attractive and appealing, that is deception. Its true and pervasive nature is evil, harmful, ruinous, and satanic. Its deadly theories are raised up against the knowledge of God and hold the souls of men captive (2Co 10:3–5).
lust. John uses the term negatively here for a strong desire for evil things.
flesh. The term refers to the sin nature of man; the rebellious self dominated by sin and in opposition to God (Ro 7:15–25; 8:2–8; Gal 5:19–21). Satan uses the evil world system to incite the flesh.
eyes. Satan uses the eyes as a strategic avenue to incite wrong desires (Jos 7:20, 21; 2Sa 11:2; Mt 5:27–29). Satan’s temptation of Eve involved being attracted to something beautiful in appearance, but the result was spiritual death (Ge 3:6 “a delight to the eyes”).
pride of life. The phrase has the idea of arrogance over one’s circumstances, which produced haughtiness or exaggeration, parading what one possessed to impress other people (Jas 4:16).
not from the Father. The world is the enemy of the Christian because it is in rebellion and opposition against God and controlled by Satan (5:19; Eph 2:2; 2Co 4:4; 10:3–5). The 3 openings presented, if allowing access to sin, result in tragedy. Not only must the Christian reject the world for what it is but also for what it does.