How precious the grace that has provided for the sins and inconsistencies of saints, in the same perfection of wisdom, and love, and righteousness, that was shown in taking up our case, when sin alone marked our former life of alienation from God! We walk in the light, as God is in the light. He has not come to us in the clouds and thick darkness, with which He surrounded Him-self in the day that man in the flesh undertook to obey His righteous requirements; but in the glorious light of that eternal Life which was with the Father. How it shone in the fullness of its own grace and truth, when it dwelt amongst us!
“If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” If our walk is not according to the light, not only is the blood of Jesus Christ of eternal efficacy (there is but the one application of it), but the Advocate with the Father is Jesus Christ the righteous. He acts for us with the Father, and in us by His Spirit: divine righteousness established in His own Person in heaven, being the groundwork of divine actings towards us, and in us now. Thus our souls are restored where the realization of fellowship had been interrupted.
“He is the propitiation for our sins, and for the whole world.” All these precious truths about Christ are communicated in connection with our new place, walking in the light as God is in the light, fellowship with the Father and the Son, and with one another, the blood of Jesus Christ being of abiding efficacy.
See in what varied ways the Spirit ministers Christ in these few verses;
1: “The Word” that “was God,” according to John 1, is here “the Word of life”; and,
2: “This Word” of life is He who was, “from the beginning, the manifestation of that eternal life which was with the Father.”
3: “He was the perfect offering, His blood cleansing us from every sin.”
4: “He is the righteous One on high” (our righteousness there).
5: “The Advocate with the Father.”
6: “The propitiation for our sins.”
7: “And for the whole world.”
Verse 3. And now we come to tests as to the possession of this life. If it be in us, it cannot be different from what it was in Him, for it is the same eternal life; He looks at it in itself, a very blessed and powerful way of learning the truth practically, omitting all consideration of the hindrances arising from the fact that sin is in us, as already stated, John 1:8; 2:1-28He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. (John 1:8)
1And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there: 2And both Jesus was called, and his disciples, to the marriage. (John 2:1‑2).
I trust there will be little difficulty in understanding the separate consideration of the real character of the eternal life. That is what is meant, when it is said, John states the truth here abstractedly. He is treating his subject, the manifestation of this life in us, separately, apart from the other truth that sin is in us; not than we must sin, but, as it is said, “if we sin.”
Now, keeping the Father’s commandments was a principle of that eternal life” — obedience in love and divine delight. “That the world may know that I love the Father; and as the Father gave me commandment, even so I do.” This is the exact opposite of what is termed legal obedience, so that you see at once that this obedience in Him is the expression of the eternal life. But this is the obedience to which we are sanctified (separated) — sanctified unto the “obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ” (1 Pet. 1), to obey in the way He obeyed.
It is evident that one who has not the principle of obedience, which loves to do His will in obedience to His commandments, has not the life — the nature — of which obedience in love is an essential characteristic. If, then, such an one says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, he is not speaking the truth. The truth, the life, is not in him.
Verse 5. “Whoso keepeth His word,” and so forth. His word is the expression of Himself “the eternal,” life as He said, “I am in principle what I say” (John 8). That is, His word is the expression of Himself, of God, who is love. If I keep His word, I possess the nature, the life in which God’s love is found. It cannot be separated from that, God’s love is realized in keeping the word of Christ. It is perfected in us, is actually in us. All this flows from the life being really in us, of which keeping His word is a proof.
Verse 6. “To walk as He walked.” It is the same life, how can it act otherwise? And he identifies the believer with this life. He does not say, “Be like what Christ was,” which is impossible, because there is sin in us, and there was none in Him. The day is coming when we shall be like Him, when we shall see Him as He is now, with the Father. He was manifested to take away our sins, made sin for us; when manifested again it will be to give us to participate in the glory the Father has given Him. What a true inward knowledge of Christ is implied in these words — knowing Him by keeping His commandments, and God’s love perfected in us by keeping His word, a deeper thing even than keeping His commandments. We see all through that profession is tested by these characteristics of the divine nature. In the first chapter the plural number is used (he had been talking of fellowship), “if we say.” Here, in chapter 2, after verse 3, it is in the singular; “He that saith, I know Him”; “He that saith he abides in Him”; “He that saith he is in the light”; “He that loveth his brother.” These were some of the expressions of the Christian profession, which were all tested by that life which had been manifested in Him, in whom is no sin (chap. 2:5.)
“We know that we know him,” know that we are in Him, in the realization of those things which are simply expressions of the life as we saw it in Jesus. Similarly in 2 Peter 2, “if these things be in you and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
The old commandment, which they had from the beginning, differed in nothing from the new commandment which he now wrote unto them, save in this, that the eternal life in which it was fulfilled was now in them also. It was old, because it was in Him, but new, because it was now in them, the same life producing the same kind of fruit; for he looks at the life in itself here.
“He that saith he is in the light and hates his brother” contradicts himself, darkness and light do not go together. The darkness, he says, is passing; the true light already shines. God was revealed in the Word; the Father, in the only begotten Son — the eternal Life. The Life, too, was the light of men; hatred of the brethren formed no part of that life which was now in them.
Darkness passing away reminds us of Revelation 21:1-41And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. 2And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. 4And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. (Revelation 21:1‑4). There was a new creation, new heaven and new earth, the first had passed away with the old creation. All that was connected with the darkness — death, sorrow, crying, tears (the former things) had passed away. When the holy city began to descend, at the beginning of the thousand years, to take up its millennial position in relation to the earth (not on it), the passing away of former things began. See what is said of the beginning of the millennium in Isaiah 45 — the former troubles forgotten: “I create new heavens and a new earth” (not said with regard to the physical change, but to the moral order then introduced), and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind. “There shall be no more thence an infant of days . . . for the child shall die an hundred years old,” and so forth. (Compare Rev. 7:15-1715Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them. 16They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. 17For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes. (Revelation 7:15‑17)). “He will tabernacle over them, they shall hunger no more . . . The Lamb shall lead them unto living fountains of water, and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.” Much of the blessing of the everlasting state will, I think, be realized in the glorious kingdom; as we now anticipate the joy that awaits us (when walking in the Spirit). Righteousness will reign then (as grace does now), afterwards it will dwell with them. God is spoken of as tabernacling over them (Gentiles, in the beginning of the millennium), in Revelation 7; afterwards, His tabernacle will be with men. “The Lord shall be unto thee an everlasting light, and thy God thy glory,” is said of the reign. The nations will walk by that light of which the Lamb is the true source, the lamp of God’s glory, but afterwards God is all in all, the Son Himself subject that it may be so.
Now, what gives character to our present position is, not the passing away of former troubles — the cessation of death, or God wiping away every tear from the eyes of His people, but the passing away of the old things, in which the first man developed. This of course for faith, while, in its purely spiritual aspect, new creation is already set up in its firstfruits, and, in connection with this new creation, old things are passed away, all things are become new. But the great characteristic blessing is, that the darkness is passing, the true light now shineth, and we are in it.
But by-and-by it will shine, not as dispelling darkness, but revealing glory in our own heavenly sphere; our position and state will be marked by “no darkness at all” — no night there, there will be no need of the sun; the glory of God will lighten it. We shall be the city of light then, as now we are children of light; the glory of God its luminous atmosphere — the Lamb the light of it, its central flame.
It is a blessed, wonderful thing, that our walk, even now, should be in the light. What will it be, where the light and glory actually characterize the scene! Even here, we may know much of its power, in a spiritual way, strengthened with all might, according to the power of his glory.
Verse 12. All the saints are addressed as children (compare vs. 28), not “little children,” on the common ground that their sins were forgiven them for His name’s sake.
Then they are looked at in classes, their moral state taken up. The fathers knew Him that is from the beginning (His manifestation down here). There was nothing higher or better; all that is glorious and eternal, the Father Himself, are only known through and in Him. The young men had overcome the wicked one, they had been in conflict, and had not succumbed to the lords of this darkness. (Eph. 6, New Trans.) The fathers had got into the deep and quiet waters, preoccupation with Himself, losing themselves in Him. The little children had the spirit of sonship; all the children, as such, knew that their sins were forgiven for His name’s sake; the youngest of the family cried, “Abba, Father.” Such is the divinely given statement of the condition of the little flock. He can only repeat the same thing as to the fathers, but to the young men he adds, “You are strong, and the word of God abides in you.” That was their strength, the ground was good and deep, and the enemy, instead of catching away what was sown there, was himself overcome. What an encouragement to them. to continue in the refusal of the world’s attractions, itself as a system, and the things that are in it; they only minister to the lusts of the flesh and pride of life. That all that is in it, is not of the Father, but of the world, is a solemn truth; he does not say, not of God, but not of the Father. Could even a little child, crying, “Abba, Father,” love the things that were not of the Father? Moreover, the great deceitful world is itself passing away with its lusts, but he that does God’s will, that was what Christ did, remains for eternity.
Verse 18. The babes specially needed to be warned about Antichrist, not so much the young men, who, sustained in conflict, were overcoming the wicked one himself; nor the fathers, who, through deep knowledge of the Christ, would instinctively perceive and reject the spirit of Antichrist wherever it showed itself. That the ways of these antichrists were the opposite of Christ’s, were not His, sufficed for the fathers to determine their true character as walking in darkness proved that the life, that is the light of men, was not, in them.
The, appearance of these antichrists, even thus early, was a sign of the last time, the power that would have kept them out was ebbing away. In the beginning, when it was said, of the rest “durst {dared} no man join them,” they would have found no place amongst the saints. That time was now past, the first love and the first works were no more (I do not speak of individual recovery). It was already the last time, but he is not addressing the church, as such, but the saints individually, encouraging and strengthening them in view of the power of the enemy, already coming in. This is most blessed.
And mark, what is said of the babes, how they are characterized.
1: They had the spirit of adoption, and knew the Father.
2: They had the unction from the Holy One, by which they understood all things.
3: They knew the truth in Christ, possessed it, (did not profess their readiness to receive it, if any one could show it to them), and therefore knew that what was contrary to that which they possessed was a lie.
They did not need to say, “Who shall go up for us to heaven, to bring it unto us,” nor “Who shall go over the sea for us, and bring it unto us”; they knew the truth, these babes, and had found it in Christ, divinely instructed by the Holy One. Thus, in John 10, the sheep knew the Shepherd’s voice, it was enough — every voice henceforth was tested by that. Sin was known and felt to be sinful now, because “in Him there is no sin,” darkness in the same way, because in God is no darkness at all.
The liar denied that Jesus was the Messiah, the Antichrist denied the Father and the Son. This was the voice of the old serpent, the liar and adversary. They who departed went out, “that they might be made manifest that none are of us.” (See New Trans.) They went out, deceived by the lie. Those who remained possessed the truth, subjectively and objectively.
Now they had only to let that which was from the beginning, which they from the beginning had heard, abide in them, and they would abide in the Son and in the Father. “Whosoever denies the Son, has not the Father”; this is as absolute as the kindred truth, that whoever refused to bend the knee at the name of Jesus, God’s holy Servant, whom He had anointed, had not salvation; all is exclusive here. “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” So of the name of Mediator, “For there is . . . one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” Again, God has “given Him a name above every name, that at the name of Jesus,” and so forth. The gospel is spoken of in the same way, “If any man preach another gospel, . . . let him be accursed.” It was not according to man, though sent to man, and even in the way in which the apostle received it, men were excluded. He did not receive it of man, but was taught it by revelation of Jesus Christ. His apostleship was received, in like manner, apart wholly from human intervention, not of man, nor by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father.
“How exclusive!” say many in our day, when the truth is pressed. They are right, it is so, but it is equally true of all that we have in or from Him, as may be clearly seen in respect of truth, light, life, and glory, and so forth. “No lie is of the truth.” “In him was life, and the life was the light of men” — nothing else was that. “God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all.” According to 1 Timothy 1 the law has its application to wicked persons, “and if there be any other thing contrary to sound doctrine, according to the glad tidings of the glory of the blessed God.” Divine glory is necessarily intolerant of all that is contrary to it. In the heavenly city, light and glory are not distinguishable. The nations shall walk by the light of it, the kings of the earth bring their glory to it; there shall in no wise enter into it anything that defileth.
But we were speaking of the antichrists. They went out, I believe, anticipating the discipline of the assembly, for, as yet, what defiled and worked abomination and made a lie, found no abiding place in the assembly of God. The saints had the unction of the Holy One, the truth and power of God were realized in the presence of the Holy Ghost; they overcame them because of His greatness. The faithful tried those who called themselves apostles, and found them to be only liars, because He was amongst them, the Spirit of truth (1 John 4:44Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. (1 John 4:4)). In the beginning, we read, “of the rest durst {dared} no man join them”; here, those who got in, go out of themselves. God was in the midst of her. His presence was to these children of darkness insupportable. The power of His presence was a reality to all; as the sense of it waned, the need of discipline increased; but discipline, where there is no recovery of power, finally disappears with the power itself. This state is characteristic of the “last time.” How precious His counsel when this is felt; gold purified by fire may be bought of Him, and if He chastens, it is only those whom He loves. “Be zealous and repent,” are the words for this, as “Watch and pray,” are for every hour.
The apostle continues, verse 24, “As for you, . . . if what ye heard from the beginning abides in you, ye shall abide . . . And this is the promise which He hath promised us, even life eternal.” Here he brings in the principle of Christian responsibility, viewing them as walking on earth, as Paul, when addressing the Colossians, says, “If ye continue”; but along with it, the two great blessings which could not be forfeited, the promise and the gift. Eternal life, as promise, from a “God that cannot lie,” and the Holy Ghost present as gift.
It is as important as it is interesting to observe, that all our blessings are presented in a conditional form, when the saints are addressed on the ground of their own profession, or viewed as in the wilderness, and not in their position as members of Christ. Salvation, eternal life, and righteousness, are, then, connected with responsibility. “If that which ye have heard,” and so forth. “If ye continue in the faith.” “Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.” “Kept . . . unto salvation, ready to be revealed in the last time.” In the same way the Apostle Paul speaks of gaining Christ, and having the righteousness of God. Had he not already found Christ for his gain, and was he not consciously standing in the righteousness of God?
In all these cases the blessings spoken of are possessed now, it is true in spirit, but the day is coming, when, in all their fullness, they are to be for ever realized, without let or hindrance, in their own proper sphere. We read in 1 Peter 1: “hope with perfect steadfastness in the grace which will be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” We wait for that day to enjoy in all their fullness the everlasting blessedness of having Christ for our gain, God’s righteousness for His presence, and the life eternal in which they are for ever enjoyed. We have them now in spirit and by faith; but then in unhindered power, and according to His mind in whom they are possessed.
Verse 28. The apostle now gives special reasons for his desire that they should abide in Christ, that he might not be ashamed before Him at His coming. How present to his soul was the coming of that great day! “Holding forth the word of life, that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain,” gives us Paul’s sense of responsibility in view of the coming of Christ. That day, and not the rapture (1 Thess. 4), would bring to light the character of the workman and his work. The whole family are addressed here.
The chapter ends with the test of righteousness. We have seen the tests of obedience and love applied in the beginning. Obedience, love, and righteousness, were the characteristics of that eternal life which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us. “He that doeth righteousness is born of Him.” “He that loveth his brother abideth in the light.” “Whoso keepeth his word, in him the love of God is perfected.”