Blessed Assurance

1 John 2:12-17

1 John 2:12–17 (ESV)

I am writing to you, little children,

because your sins are forgiven for his name’s sake.

I am writing to you, fathers,

because you know him who is from the beginning.

I am writing to you, young men,

because you have overcome the evil one.

I write to you, children,

because you know the Father.

I write to you, fathers,

because you know him who is from the beginning.

I write to you, young men,

because you are strong,

and the word of God abides in you,

and you have overcome the evil one.

Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.

Well this has been a fun book of the Bible to walk through as a church and I’ve appreciated the latest sermons as they’ve come.

This passage has two pretty distinct sections to it and this goes with what Dave was explaining in the introduction of this book where the apostle John moves around to different topics kind of in a circular way, circling back to different topics throughout this book.

Between the three sections including last week’s passage that Nevin preached and these two sections that I’ll be preaching on today I view it as a sandwich. I like sandwiches. Not all sandwiches but there are some really good sandwiches in this world. This has no real significance other than that I’d like you to picture these sections like a sandwich in which the first slice of bread on top (last week’s passage; verses 7-11) is about who we are to love (we love each other it’s the new commandment and the old commandment in one). Then the bottom slice of bread is verses 15-17 and this is about what not to love. We are exhorted to not love the world or the things of the world (and we’ll get to this in a little bit). But then between these two slices of bread we have this wonderful passage that is full of assurance and encouragement for God’s people from the new believer to the old. John takes a moment to encourage believers and to remind them of some incredible realities we have in Christ.

Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine! Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine! Heir of salvation, purchase of God, born of his Spirit, washed in his blood.