1 John 2:12-17

1 John 2:12-17

In this poetic passage one question about which we can't be certain is “Is John's reference to groups of people here literal or figurative?” Very bright and godly Biblical scholars are on both sides of the question, and in the final analysis it is not critically important. 

John first refers to all believers in verse 12, that is, as infants or “little children,” saying, “Your sins are forgiven.” The first point of the Gospel is the forgiveness of sin. All the other benefits are secondary. The reference to little children reflects the tenderness of the Father for us as well as our total dependence on Him. John next refers to three groups. He refers to children in verse 13, “new believers” who have won by grace the victory over the evil one, but it is only a beginning. 

In two places John refers to “young men.” They have, first, that they have overcome the evil one just like the children, but also they have in some way been born through the struggle, the hardship, or perhaps some persecution. They made it because of their strength and God's word. John refers to the fathers repeating twice the same phrase, only changing the tense of the verb "write”. The point being that even these mature Saints have heard, and continue to need to hear, the good news of the Gospel, and to hear the ongoing warnings or the call for personal holiness.

Since love and sin are mutually exclusive, John talks about the life and maturity of the believer in this passage. The word love (agape in verb) is a multifaceted word with many applications. It ultimately means to realign our heart in accordance with the objective of our love. 

John moves on to warn us about three primary avenues by which we are faced with temptation. ‘The world’ is the system that is organized in rebellion against God. We cannot love our father and that which is in rebellion toward Him. In verse 16, John lists three ways in which we face temptation. The lust of the flesh is seeking satisfaction and fulfillment of our appetites. The lust of the eye is the desire to have and possess things and to make that our purpose in life. The boastful pride of life, in short, is attempting to reorder the universe with ourselves on the throne. These are the temptations Eve and Adam faced in the fall and Christ overcame in the wilderness trials. John concludes these verses with the reminder that the world's system is already in collapse. It is falling apart; it is headed toward, or rather directing itself toward, ruin.

“Lord, keep me from the world, the flesh and the destruction of pride. AMEN”