1 John 2:1-29
Jesus Came For Everyone Who Believes in Him
1 My 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.
Love and Hatred for Fellow Believers
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.
Reasons for Writing
12 I am writing to you, dear children,
because your sins have been forgiven on account of his name.
13 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.
14 I write to you, dear 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 lives in you,
and you have overcome the evil one.
On Not Loving the World
15 Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. 16 For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. 17 The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.
Warnings Against Denying the Son
18 Dear children, this is the last hour; and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come. This is how we know it is the last hour. 19 They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us.
20 But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth. 21 I do not write to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it and because no lie comes from the truth. 22 Who is the liar? It is whoever denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a person is the antichrist—denying the Father and the Son. 23 No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also.
24 As for you, see that what you have heard from the beginning remains in you. If it does, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father. 25 And this is what he promised us—eternal life.
26 I am writing these things to you about those who are trying to lead you astray. 27 As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit—just as it has taught you, remain in him.
God’s Children and Sin
28 And now, dear children, continue in him, so that when he appears we may be confident and unashamed before him at his coming.
29 If you know that he is righteous, you know that everyone who does what is right has been born of him.
Jesus, the Son of Man, did not come for just one or a group, but He came to earth to save the world...
St. John writes that Jesus came for "the whole world", as it suggests a universal scope for Jesus' sacrifice...The verses I provided indicate that Jesus came for all people, regardless of their race, color, creed, or their personal beliefs...He is the One who is Complete Righteousness...
Additionally, the emphasis on "whoever believes" in John 3:16 suggests that salvation is available to anyone who exercises faith in Jesus, regardless of their background or beliefs...For Jesus, who is the Son of Man came to save the lost...The Son of Man came to seek and to save all those who are lost...The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give his life a ransom for many...For God so LOVES the world that He gave His Only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life...
St. John tells us that if anyone obeys Jesus' Word and their love for God, He is truly made complete in them...This is how we know we are in Him: Whoever claims to live in Him must live as Jesus did...He is righteousness...John writes that we have a new command; its Truth is seen in Him and in you, because the darkness is passing and the True Light is already shining...Anyone who claims to be in the Light but hates a brother or sister is still in the darkness...Anyone who loves their brother and sister lives in the Light, and there is nothing in them to make them stumble...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...
So let us learn that we are not to judge others...Jesus said, "Judge not, that ye be not judged."...Jesus is warning against hypocritical judgment and condemning others without first examining our own faults...In other words, Jesus was emphasizing the importance of self-reflection and humility before judging others...He wants us to focus on our own shortcomings and strive to be better people before pointing fingers at others...It is written in Scripture that in the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now He commands all people everywhere to repent...For He has set a day when He will judge the world with justice by the Man He has appointed...He has given proof of this to everyone by raising Him from the dead...God and Jesus will be the judge of others and not man doing the judging...
Jesus is the Ultimate Judge for man, and He will ultimately determine our eternal destiny...We are to make good moral judgments...We are called to use our conscience and discernment to make wise choices in our lives and live like Jesus did on earth, serving and helping others...Jesus teaches us to focus on the heart and on God...Jesus often emphasized the importance of inner purity and loving God with all one's heart, soul, and mind...This suggests that He was more concerned with people's intentions and motivations than their outward actions...Jesus always taught Grace and Forgiveness: Jesus was known for His compassion and forgiveness, even towards those who had committed serious sins...This shows that He was not judgmental or condemning, but rather focused on offering redemption and restoration...
While Jesus did address certain behaviors, such as adultery, divorce, and hypocrisy, He did so within His teaching context of His larger teachings on love, forgiveness, mercy, and righteousness...
Overall, Jesus' approach to others' lifestyles was one of love, compassion, and redemption...He was more concerned with helping people develop a right relationship with God than with judging their external behaviors...