Daily Scripture Reading 1John 2:12-29
Many Christians order their lives around sports, entertainment, money, possessions, pleasure, and politics. Or, their minds and thoughts are dominated by secular trends and philosophies. Many Christians spend hours per day or week watching television, playing video games, or indulging in sports, while barely finding 5 minutes per day to read the Bible and pray.
Today’s passage contains a clear command that prohibits us from loving the world, meaning the things of the world should not dominate our time and attention.
1John 2:12 ¶ I am writing to you, little children, because your sins have been forgiven you for His name’s sake.
1John 2:13 I am writing to you, fathers, because you have known Him who has been from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. I have written to you, children, because you have known the Father.
1John 2:14 I have written to you, fathers, because you have known Him who has been 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 evil one.
1John 2:15 ¶ Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
First, notice we are prohibited from loving the world and the things in the world. Things in the world include sports, TV shows, movies, electronic games, houses, buildings, home decorations, possessions, cars, boats, airplanes, status, fame, secular philosophies, clubs, associations, animals, countries, societies, and political parties. This verse does not prohibit us from possessing these things or enjoying them on occasion, but we should not love them. They should not dominate our time, thoughts, or energy.
Second, notice why we should not love them. It is because we can’t love both God and the things in the world. If we love the world, then we don’t love God. This is similar to Jesus saying you can’t serve both God and money.
This is a command that modern Christianity is woefully disobeying. Too many Christians order their lives around sports, entertainment, money, possessions, pleasure, and politics. Or, their minds and thoughts are dominated by secular trends and philosophies. Many Christians spend hours per day or week watching television, playing video games, or indulging in sports, while barely finding 5 minutes per day to read the Bible and pray.
This needs to change. If Christians truly want to have a positive impact on the world, we need to love God, the Bible, and truth more than we love the world and the things in the world.
1John 2:16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world.
1John 2:17 And the world is passing away, and also its lusts, but the one who does the will of God abides forever.
The things of the world that many Christians invest thousands of hours pursuing will pass away.
1John 2:18 ¶ Children, it is the last hour; and just as you heard that antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have appeared. From this we know that it is the last hour.
1John 2:19 They went out from us, but they were not really of us; for if they were of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out, so that it would be manifested that they all are not of us.
1John 2:20 But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you all know.
1John 2:21 I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it, and because no lie is of the truth.
1John 2:22 Who is the liar but the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, the one who denies the Father and the Son.
The verse defines antichrist. An antichrist is one who denies the Father and the Son.
1John 2:23 Everyone who denies the Son does not have the Father; the one who confesses the Son has the Father also.
1John 2:24 As for you, let that which you heard from the beginning abide in you. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in the Son and in the Father.
1John 2:25 And this is the promise which He Himself made to us: eternal life.
1John 2:26 ¶ These things I have written to you about those who are trying to deceive you.
The term “these things” refers to the things written in this letter. This letter was written to warn Christians about people who would try to deceive them by denying Jesus or the Father.
Today, Christians need to be on the lookout for people in the church who deny the Father or the Son. They are deceivers.
1John 2:27 And as for you, the anointing whom you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you. But as His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as He has taught you, abide in Him.
1John 2:28 ¶ And now, little children, abide in Him, so that when He is manifested, we may have confidence and not shrink away from Him in shame at His coming.
Think about the command to “abide in Him”. If we spend our time abiding in Jesus, then we will not have time to indulge the world and the things in the world, which means we will not love the world or the things in the world. The key to avoiding loving the world is not so much to stop loving the world as it is to proactively pursue and love God.
1John 2:29 If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone also who does righteousness has been born of Him.
Many Christians spend hours per day or week watching television, playing video games, or indulging in sports, while barely finding 5 minutes per day to read the Bible and pray. This reflects bad priorities. It also reveals that many Christians love the world and the things in the world more than they love God. 1John 2:15 specifically prohibits us from loving the world or the things in the world.
How much time do you spend reading the Bible and praying compared to the amount of time you spend indulging in sports, entertainment, or other things of the world?
Do you know Biblical facts and truths better than you know movies, sports, or politics?
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“Scripture quotations taken from the (LSB®) Legacy Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2021 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Managed in partnership with Three Sixteen Publishing Inc. LSBible.org and 316publishing.com.”