Read: 1 John 2 (again)
Background: According to vv1-3, genuine Christian holiness begins with the humility of admitting our need for a savior and with faith in God that our sanctification all depends on Jesus who died and rose to become our advocate who intercedes for us. The following verses define Christian holiness as an obligation to live like Jesus and keep his commands, since our love of God is tested by our love for his people.
1) vv4-6 contrast two categories of people: Who are these, and why did John distinguish them from each other?
- Did John teach that Christians must obey the OT or NT commandments in order to become saved? Why not?
- Instead, John believed that a knowing God saves Christians by changing how they live: Why?
- Accordingly, what is a true conversion? Is it possible to be converted into a ‘half Christian’? Or to be ‘born again’ as a true believer (‘100%’), but then lose 50% (or more)? Can Christians know God and yet cling to the old life when they were ignorant of him? Why or why not? cf 1Jn 3:5,9
- According to v6, what does it mean to be a ‘disciple’ of Jesus?
- Can one become a disciple in an instant by faith, or does this require a process of trying to become more Christ-like?
- Why is it impossible to become Christ-like without first becoming one of his disciples?
2) vv7-8: Which commandment(s) did John have in mind?
- What ‘old’ commandment exists that is also a ‘new’ commandment, v8? cf Lk 10:25-28 [Calvin: “…this only ought to be deemed antiquity, and deserves faith and reverence, which has its origin from God….]
- In what sense is the old commandment to ‘love God with all our heart and strength and our neighbors as ourselves’ also new?
- How does John’s metaphor of a ‘shining light’ explain this? [Calvin: …God, as it were, renews it by daily suggesting it, so that the faithful may practice it through their whole life…”]
- What is new in the New Testament about how this light shines? v8 [It is true/real ‘in Him’, the body of Christ, i.e. within and among believers, who have the Holy Spirit and are led by him]
3) vv9-11: Why did God ordain that our love for Him must be tested and ‘measured’ by our love for other men, and for fellow Christians (brothers) in particular?
4) Personal & application:
- In your own experience, what does it take for leaders to enable those who follow them to grow in Christ-likeness?
- When reading this chapter, have you ever been tempted to despair and give up Christianity altogether, and if so, why?
- Why would that be contrary to John’s aim here?
- What else did he want Christians to understand when he wrote this? cf 1Jn 2:26-27 [To not be fooled by anyone who teaches that the gospel is a license to sin]
- How can you help each other to never lose sight of the fact that the goal of all Christian doctrine is to make us walk (live) how Christ walked (lived)?
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