John has shown us a triple pattern for the Christian life: believing (or knowing), doing (or walking), and loving (or abiding)
While the whole book circles around these themes, you can also see patterns within these circles.
1 John 2:18-3:24 focuses on the theme of “abiding” in him. But within this theme, John moves from believing/knowing (the truth vs. the lie) in 2:18-27, to doing (righteousness and sin) in 2:28-3:8 to loving (love and hate) in 3:9-18.
I like how Robert Yarbrough summarizes this: “The previous section ended on the strong note of Christ's victory over the devil's works. This was coupled with the dark reminder that the person who ‘commits sin' (3:8) is of the devil. In the larger context of that section, these remarks served as incentive for John's readers to avoid the ruinous course of those who might otherwise deceive them. They are to reaffirm the anointing they received and stand firm (‘abide') in the Son and in the Father. In quite literal terms, they are to abide in the sense of not walking out as those had who did not remain with the community.” (191)
For John, a saving response to the “message you have heard” consists in the “triad of faith, obedience and love.” (191)
John warns in verse 7: Little children, let no one deceive you.
And as we saw last time, John contrasts the righteousness of God with the sinfulness of the devil...
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