Seven times in John’s first epistle, he referred to his audience as “little children.” He was not writing to actual “little children.” He was writing to Christians. But Christians are to be like “little children” – innocent and in need of guidance and protection. We are also “children of God” (1 John 3:1). In this article, I want us to consider the seven instructions that John gave to the “little children” and see what we should also do today.
Do Not Sin
“My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous” (1 John 2:1).
John said that one of the reasons why he wrote this letter was so that the Christians reading it would not sin. This does not mean that God demands sinless perfection – this is not possible (1 John 1:8). God knew that man was fallible and, therefore, gave us Jesus as our “Advocate” and to be “the propitiation for our sins” (1 John 2:1-2). But this is the goal – that we not sin. This is the same goal for which Jesus said we must strive: “Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Matthew 5:48).
John’s admonition for these “little children” to “not sin” immediately followed a discussion about fellowship with God. He wrote, “God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:5-7). To have fellowship with God, we must “walk in the Light.” We are “children of God” (1 John 3:1); therefore, we must “keep His commandments” and “walk in the same manner as He walked” (1 John 2:3, 6).
Your Sins Have Been Forgiven
“I am writing to you, little children, because your sins have been forgiven you for His name’s sake” (1 John 2:12).
As Christians, it is important that we not forget that we have been forgiven of sins. Sin separates us from God (Isaiah 59:2). When we were separated from God, we had no hope (Ephesians 2:12).
What happens if we fail to appreciate (or remember) the fact that our sins were forgiven? Peter spoke of one who had “forgotten his purification from his former sins” (2 Peter 1:9). If we likewise forget that we have been forgiven, the apostle indicated two consequences for this. First, we will not grow as we should (2 Peter 1:5-8). Second, we will be more prone to stumble back into sin (2 Peter 1:10). Paul said, “Do not be conceited, but fear… Behold then the kindness and severity of God; to those who fell, severity, but to you, God’s kindness, if you continue in His kindness; otherwise you also will be cut off” (Romans 11:20-22). We should not be overconfident, thinking we can never fall (cf. 1 Corinthians 10:12). Instead, we should remember that we have been forgiven so that we might “continue in His kindness” (Romans 11:22).
Abide in Christ
“Now, little children, abide in Him, so that when He appears, we may have confidence and not shrink away from Him in shame at His coming” (1 John 2:28).
This phrase gives us a picture of a close relationship with Christ. Some people will talk about a “personal relationship with Jesus” – yet it is not always clear what exactly they mean by this. How do we abide in Christ? John explained: “As for you, let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in the Son and in the Father” (1 John 2:24). We abide in Christ as the word (that which was “heard from the beginning” – the gospel) abides in us (cf. John 15:7). As we abide in Christ, He abides in us (John 15:4).
The result of Christ, through His word, abiding in us is our obedience to the Lord’s commandments. John wrote, “But whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him” (1 John 2:5). Later in the same letter, he wrote, “The one who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him” (1 John 3:24). To abide in Christ, His word must abide in us and we must obey it.
Let No One Deceive You
“Little children, make sure no one deceives you; the one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous” (1 John 3:7).
The specific deception that John warned about came from those who were minimizing the problem of sin. Yet the apostle made it clear that God expects His people to keep from sin and be obedient to Him (1 John 2:1, 3-6, 29).
But there is a broader application we can make from John’s warning: Do not be deceived by false teachers. He said, “These things I have written to you concerning those who are trying to deceive you” (1 John 2:26). In his second letter, he warned, “For many deceivers have gone out into the world” (2 John 7). False teachers continue to be a problem today (2 Peter 2:1). How can we keep from being deceived? First, we must be alert to the threat. John said, “Watch yourselves, that you do not lose what we have accomplished” (2 John 8). Paul warned that those who would be deceived by false teachers would be the “unsuspecting” (Romans 16:18). Second, we must know what the Bible teaches. After warning the Ephesian elders about the need for them to be watchful against the threat of false teachers, he said, “I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up” (Acts 20:32). We need to focus on the Scriptures as a way to help protect ourselves from error.
Love in Deed and Truth
“Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth” (1 John 3:18).
It is essential that Christians love others – just as much as obeying the Lord’s commands. John tied these two responsibilities together: “By this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious: anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor the one who does not love his brother” (1 John 3:10). In the next chapter, he reminded Christians that loving God and loving their brethren cannot be separated. “If someone says, ‘I love God,’ and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from Him, that the one who loves God should love his brother also” (1 John 4:20-21).
John said we are to love “in deed and truth.” We must love “in deed” because it is not enough to just talk about how much we love God and love others. Walking in love requires action – keeping God’s commandments (1 John 5:3) and helping those in need (1 John 3:17). But we must also love “in…truth.” While love must be active, we cannot do just any deed in the name of love. We must do those things which are authorized by the Lord in His word (Colossians 3:17).
You Are From God
“You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world” (1 John 4:4).
The context in which this reminder is found is talking about conflict – Jesus against the antichrist (1 John 4:3), God against the ruler of this world (1 John 4:4-5), and truth against error (1 John 4:6).
We are living in the midst of a spiritual war (2 Corinthians 10:3-5; 1 Timothy 6:12). Yet we must not fear. While this great spiritual conflict rages around us, we must remember this fact: “Greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world” (1 John 4:4). Remember this victorious image of Christ over His enemies: “These will wage war against the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, because He is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those who are with Him are the called and chosen and faithful” (Revelation 17:14). No matter how difficult the fight may appear to be, Christ will be victorious. If we remain faithful to Him, we will share in His victory. Paul said, “But in all things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us” (Romans 8:37). This is why the Christians in Smyrna were told, “Do not fear what you are about to suffer. […] Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life” (Revelation 2:10).
Guard Yourselves from Idols
“Little children, guard yourselves from idols” (1 John 5:21).
The children of Israel were warned against serving idols. “You shall have no other gods before Me. You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth” (Exodus 20:3-4). Often we think of idols as graven images (KJV), but idols are not limited to that. Paul told the Colossians that “greed…amounts to idolatry” (Colossians 3:5).
Even today, we must guard ourselves from idols. So what is an idol? It is any object of devotion that rivals God in our hearts. This could even include things that are harmless or even good in themselves. We might make idols out of money/possessions, family, friends, careers, entertainment, and so on. Jesus explicitly warned us that we cannot serve such idols and be faithful to God: “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth” (Matthew 6:24). While He specifically referred to wealth, the principle applies to anything. Anything to which we are devoted more than we are devoted to God is an idol. Jesus said we “cannot serve” both.
Conclusion
As “children of God” (1 John 3:1), we need to listen to what John wrote to the “little children” in this letter so that we might be faithful to God in all that we do.
