1 John 2:27-29

Abiding In Christ

When one obeys the gospel, he is anointed and sealed with the Holy Spirit (2 Corinthians 1:15-22). John reassured his readers by telling them that sealing was something truly promised to those who obey God and does not change from day to day or time to time. As long as we seek to do the Father's will, the message of the Holy Spirit remains sure within us and helps us discern between truth and false teaching (John 7:17).

The word of God is the word of the Holy Spirit who was to guide the apostles into all truth (Ephesians 6:17; John 14:16; John 16:13). If one possesses the word of the Spirit, he possesses the truth. The ones to whom John wrote had received the gospel and did not need some man to teach them where they were in error (1 Corinthians 2:11-16). Jesus had come in the flesh, as John taught (1:1-3), and they had no need of other teaching in that regard. All the things the false teachers presented had already been answered by the things John's readers had received. The gospel is true, not a lie, and should remain in us so we can remain in Christ (1 John 2:27).

So, John pleaded with his children in the faith to remain in Christ and His fellowship so their sins could continue to be removed and they would be prepared for His coming (1:7). If Christ should appear in the season spoken of in verse 18, they could be bold because the Savior's blood was on their side (1 John 2:28; Hebrews 10:19).

When John wrote, "If you know that He is righteous," Woods says the Greek word translated "know" ( eidate) comes from a root word suggesting theoretical knowledge. In contrast, when John says, "you know that everyone who practices righteousness is born of him," the word is ginoskete, which comes from a root suggesting practical knowledge. If one recognized theoretically that God is righteous, his practical knowledge would tell him all who practice right living in accord with God's will are born of God (compare John 3:5; Titus 3:5). In other words, those who partake of God's nature are obviously his children (1 John 2:29).

1 John 3:1-3

God's Love Is Out of This World!

John wanted Christians to stop and closely look to see what type, or sort, of love God had shown them. According to Thayer, some grammarians say the meaning is "from what country, race, or tribe?". In other words, God's love is obviously not of this world. Instead, it is the love of One from a heavenly country. The Father gave us that love by the death of His Son and through the new birth made us His natural offspring. Those of the world would not acknowledge Jesus as God's Son and will not acknowledge us as God's sons (1 John 3:1; John 15:18-19; John 16:1-3).

Even though the world does not recognize it, Christians are children of God while on this earth, as God Himself will attest. While still living in the flesh, they do not know what they will look like during eternity (2 Corinthians 15:35-50). However, they can be assured when Jesus returns to this earth, they will be like Him (1 John 3:2; 1 Peter 3:20-21). The Christians' hope is of being like Christ when He appears and John assures all such will be like him. Because of this hope, Christians keep on purifying themselves to be as much like Him as they can be when He comes. This sounds very much like the parable of the ten virgins in Matthew 25:1-13. Adequate preparations must be made to be in a constant state of readiness when the Lord comes (1 John 3:2-3).