JOHN'S EPISTLE
John addressed his epistle to
"little children" whose "sins were
forgiven."—1 John 2:12. They were "sons of
God."—3 :l-2. The special object of this epistle
was: "That ye also may have fellowship with us; and
truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His
Son."— 1:3. "And these things write we unto
you, that your joy may be full."—1:4. The apostle
wrote this epistle for the purpose of teaching them the
fullness of joy he enjoyed, so that they also would have
perfect fellowship with him. You see these converts were
not yet sanctified.
But what was the standard he held
up for them in their justified state ? Hear it, all ye who
plead for sin. "And now little children, abide in
him."—2 :28. "Whosoever abideth in him sinneth
not." 3:6. "He that saith he abideth in him
ought himself also so to walk, even as he
walked."—2 :6. "My little children, these
things write I unto you, that ye sin not."—2:1.
"Little children, let no man deceive you . . . He
that committeth sin is of the devil.... Whosoever is born
of God doth not commit sin . . . In this the children of
God are manifest. and the children of the devil."—3
:7-10.. "We know that whosoever is born of (Nod,
sinneth not." 5:18..
This is the Bible standard of
justification. It is the standard to which these young
converts must live in order to abide in Christ.
But now, lest they should be led to
think that in their first experience of grace, they were
freed from inbred sin, he refutes that idea by saying.
"If we say that we [namely, 'you little children'!
have no sin, we deceive ourselves." —1:8. You see
they were not purged from inbred sin, else they would
already have had the "fullness," and perfect
fellowship he wished to teach them.
He then proceeded to show them a
way of deliverance from this inbred foe. "If we walk
in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship
one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son
cleanseth us from all sin." 1 :7.
While in verse 8 the apostle guards
young converts— unsanctified
"children"—against the error that they
"have no sin," he positively teaches in verse 7
and 9 that if they confess their need, and meet the Bible
conditions, the blood of Jesus Christ will cleanse them
"from all sin" and from "all
unrighteousness." "And every man that hath this
hope in him. purifieth himself, even as he is
pure."—3 :3, and is made "righteous, even as
he is righteous."—3 :7.
But can this experience be
received! enjoyed, and lived in this world? "Herein
is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the
day of judgment because as he is, so are we in this
world."—4:17.
