I write to you, little children, Because your sins are forgiven you for His name’s sake.
I write to you, fathers, Because you have known Him who is from the beginning.
I write to you, young men, Because you have overcome the wicked one.
I write to you, little children, Because you have known the Father.
I have written to you, fathers, Because you have known Him who is from the beginning.
I have written to you, young men, Because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, And you have overcome the wicked one. (I John 2:12-14)
A personal test we can do to see if we truly are overcoming darkness and sin, is to see how much our behavior changes, are we trying more and more every day to obey God's Word: Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked. (I John 2:3-6) No, we aren't perfect, but the love of God is being perfected, or becoming authenticated in us by changing our character: Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. (II Corinthians 5:17)
God's commandments for us to obey are very simple: Jesus answered him, “The first of all the commandments is: ‘Hear, ...the Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment. And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” (Mark 12:29-31) Brethren, I write no new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you have had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which you heard from the beginning. (I John 2:7)
John gives a clarification of the second commandment: Again, a new commandment I write to you, which thing is true in Him and in you, because the darkness is passing away, and the true light is already shining. He who says he is in the light, and hates his brother, is in darkness until now. He who loves his brother abides in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him. But he who hates his brother is in darkness and walks in darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes. (I John 2:8-11)
Love is not merely feeling, but it's action based on feeling. (I Corinthians 13) We must remember that God ... is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12) If we are truly trying to be more Christ-like, then we will not be ashamed or try to hide our faith, but will be bold witnesses for Christ, knowing that our behavior will verify our profession: “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.” (John 3:18-21)
We have to love God more than anyone and anything else, And you shall love the Lord your God with all... We have to get our priorities right: God the Father and Christ Jesus the Son come first, through the power of the Holy Spirit in us; love and treat others the way we want to be treated;Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. (Luke 9:23); 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 lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever. (I John 2:15-17)
The word "love" is so over used and misused that it would be very easy for us not to understand the importance of God warning us not to love the world or the things in the world. Most of the time what we call love is lust and desire, that's why the scripture says the world is passing away, and the lust of it. But the original Greek word translated love here means to love in a social and moral sense. In other words, we are not to agree with or put the world's socially and morally accepted beliefs and practices before what God says is socially and morally right, for all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world.
So how do we make sure that we are one of the ones who does the will of God and abides forever. If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. (Colossians 3:1-2) We have to start feeding ourselves the Word of God everyday, and a perfect start to our day should be prayer, meditation and studying the Word. I rise before the dawning of the morning, and cry for help; I hope in Your word. My eyes are awake through the night watches, that I may meditate on Your word. (Psalm 119:147-148)
Through the power of God's Holy Spirit in us and the feeding on His Word daily, we have overcome the wicked one, ...according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved) (Ephesians 2:2-5)
Jesus prayed for the apostles and for us who would follow, “I pray for them. I do not pray for the world but for those whom You have given Me, for they are Yours. And all Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine, and I am glorified in them. Now I am no longer in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep through Your name those whom You have given Me, that they may be one as We are. While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Your name. Those whom You gave Me I have kept; and none of them is lost except the son of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. (John 17:9-12)
"But now I come to You, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have My joy fulfilled in themselves. I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify [set apart] them by Your truth. Your word is truth. As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth." (John 17:9-19) AMEN!
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