Friday, 16th October 2026
Rev Xi An Poon
主題經文「這世界和其上的情慾都要過去，惟獨遵行神旨意的，是永遠常存。」——約翰一書2:17，和合本
引言
昨天，我們從約翰一書第一章看見，神就是光。與祂相交的人，需要行在光明中，誠實面對自己的罪。今天，第二章進一步幫助我們思想：從神而來的生命，應當怎樣活在每天的生活裏？
當時的教會正面對分裂與錯誤教導。有人從信徒群體中出去，否認耶穌是基督，也試圖引誘其他人偏離真理。與此同時，約翰也提醒信徒，要面對不遵守主道、恨弟兄，以及愛世界的問題。
今天，這些話同樣光照我們。
我們知道神是愛，相信祂明白我們的難處，也體恤我們的軟弱。但我們會不會只願意接受安慰，卻不願意接受祂的糾正？我們會不會說自己愛主，卻總是先滿足自己的需要，等到有時間、有餘力，才考慮怎樣順服祂？
當一年逐漸走向尾聲，我們需要停下來省察：這一年，我們是否更願意遵行主的話？我們的心，是更親近天父，還是更受世界的價值影響？
所謂屬天的生命，就是從神而來、住在基督裏，並在生活中遵行父旨意的生命。這生命會在我們怎樣對待人、怎樣面對誘惑，以及怎樣持守信仰的事上顯明出來。
今天，我們一起從約翰一書第二章，思想怎樣活出真正的屬天生命。
一、遵守主道，活出弟兄之愛
經文：約翰一書2:1–11
「我們若遵守他的誡命，就曉得是認識他。」——約翰一書2:3
約翰一開始就說：「我小子們哪，我將這些話寫給你們，是要叫你們不犯罪。若有人犯罪，在父那裏我們有一位中保，就是那義者耶穌基督。」——約翰一書2:1
約翰對信徒有清楚的期望：不要犯罪。但他也知道，信徒仍會軟弱跌倒，因此提醒我們，在父那裏有耶穌基督作我們的中保。
第二節進一步說，主為我們的罪作了挽回祭，並且祂的救贖也關乎普世。耶穌親自為罪付上代價，使我們可以蒙赦免，回到父面前。
因此，當我們犯罪時，不需要躲避神，也不能輕看自己的罪。我們可以因着基督回到父面前，承認自己的過犯，接受赦免，重新走順服的路。
接着，約翰提出一個很直接的問題：我們怎樣知道自己認識主？
他說，遵守祂的誡命，就曉得是認識祂。人若聲稱認識祂，卻不遵守祂的誡命，真理就不在他心裏（2:3–4）。
這裏所說的認識，會影響我們的生活。當主的話與自己的意思不同時，我們願不願意接受祂的引導？當順服需要付上代價時，我們是否仍然相信祂的道路是好的？
第五至六節說，遵守主道的人，愛神的心在他裏面實在是完全的；人若說自己住在主裏面，就該照主所行的去行。愛主的心，需要在順服中得着實現。
而約翰接着把這個順服，帶到弟兄姊妹的關係中。
第七至八節提到，這是他們起初所聽見的命令，也是一條新命令。愛已經在基督身上真實顯明，如今也應當在屬祂的人身上活出來，因為真光已經照耀。
所以他說：「人若說自己在光明中，卻恨他的弟兄，他到如今還是在黑暗裏。愛弟兄的，就是住在光明中，在他並沒有絆跌的緣由。」——約翰一書2:9–10
遵守主的話，也包括讓主對付我們恨弟兄的心。
我們可能曾經受傷，對某些事情仍然難過，也需要時間恢復信任。這些感受本身不等於恨弟兄。但我們需要省察：有沒有容讓怨恨不斷滋長？有沒有懷着惡意，盼望對方失敗，甚至想找機會報復？
第十一節說，恨弟兄的人在黑暗裏行，不知道往哪裏去，因為黑暗叫他的眼睛瞎了。仇恨會影響我們的判斷，使我們難以看清自己，也難以按主的心意回應別人。
愛弟兄，可以包括誠實指出錯誤、設立合宜界線，以及尋求幫助處理衝突。同時，我們也要願意讓主除去惡意，學習以真理和愛對待對方。
今天，我們可以問自己：有哪一句主的話，是我已經知道，卻一直沒有去行的？有哪一段關係，是我需要求主光照，學習放下怨恨的？
我們既然因基督蒙了赦免，就讓這份恩典帶領我們順服，也學習愛人。
二、勝過誘惑，持守愛父的心
經文：約翰一書2:12–17
「不要愛世界和世界上的事。人若愛世界，愛父的心就不在他裏面了。」——約翰一書2:15
在提出這個提醒之前，約翰先向小子們、父老和少年人說話，肯定他們在主裏所領受的恩典。
他們的罪因主的名得了赦免；他們認識父，也認識那從起初原有的；少年人剛強，神的道常存在他們心裏，他們也勝了那惡者（2:12–14）。
約翰先提醒他們屬於誰，也提醒他們已經領受了甚麼，然後才勸勉他們面對世界的誘惑。
特別是第十四節，把剛強與神的道住在心裏連在一起。我們要勝過誘惑，需要讓神的話留在心裏，在作選擇的時候接受祂的引導。
接着，約翰說：「不要愛世界和世界上的事。」
這裏的「世界」，指向背離父神、受情慾和驕傲支配的生活方式。第十六節具體指出：
「肉體的情慾、眼目的情慾，並今生的驕傲。」
肉體的情慾，使人把自己的慾望放在前面，即使知道不合主的心意，也不願意受約束。
眼目的情慾，使人因所看見的而貪求，不斷比較，總覺得自己擁有的還不夠。
今生的驕傲，使人以財物、地位和成就誇口，把價值和安全感建立在這些事物上。
這些誘惑可以進入很平常的生活。
當工作上的利益與誠實衝突時，我們怎樣選擇？當承認錯誤會使自己失去面子時，我們是否仍願意認錯？當眼前的享受會傷害自己或別人時，我們願不願意停止？
工作、照顧家庭、休息和享受神所賜的供應，都是生活的一部分。但我們需要省察：這些事情是否受到父的心意引導，還是已經成為我們不願順服的理由？
我們可能很自然地先問：「這對我有甚麼好處？我喜不喜歡？別人會怎樣看我？」至於「父的心意是甚麼」，卻往往留到最後。
約翰的提醒十分嚴肅：人若愛世界，愛父的心就不在他裏面。當我們讓背離神的慾望支配自己，就不能同時聲稱自己正在愛父。
因此，第十七節把我們的眼光帶到永恆：
「這世界和其上的情慾都要過去，惟獨遵行神旨意的，是永遠常存。」
我們今天如此看重的利益、享受和人的肯定，都會過去。但因着信靠父而作出的順服，在祂面前有永恆的價值。
這幫助我們重新整理生命的先後次序。我們需要在安排工作、處理金錢、建立關係的時候，就讓父的心意引導自己。
今天，有甚麼追求正在佔據我們的心，使我們一次又一次違背已經明白的真理？有甚麼誘惑，是我們需要停止遷就，求主幫助自己拒絕的？
我們已經蒙赦免，也認識父。讓我們把神的話存在心裏，靠祂所賜的力量，持守愛父的心。
三、常住基督，預備迎見主面
經文：約翰一書2:18–29
「論到你們，務要將那從起初所聽見的，常存在心裏。若將從起初所聽見的存在心裏，你們就必住在子裏面，也必住在父裏面。」——約翰一書2:24
約翰接着談到教會面對的迷惑。
他說，如今是末時，已經有好些敵基督的出來。信徒活在等候主顯現的日子，需要警醒，分辨那些敵擋基督、使人偏離真理的教導。
第十九節提到，有些人從他們中間出去。這裏針對的是那些離開群體、否認基督，又引誘信徒的人，不能用這節經文判斷所有離開某一間教會的人。
第二十二至二十三節清楚指出，這些人的問題在於不認耶穌為基督，否認父與子。約翰說，凡不認子的，就沒有父；認子的，連父也有了。
我們與父的關係，不能離開耶穌基督。信仰若失去了真實的基督，便失去了根基。
因此，約翰勸信徒，把「從起初所聽見的」常存在心裏。這就是他們起初所領受、使徒所傳講的福音。他們需要持守這真道，繼續住在子裏面，也住在父裏面。
第二十五節提醒他們，主所應許的就是永生。信徒不需要跟隨引誘者，另外尋找一套取代基督福音的教導。
今天，我們同樣需要分辨所聽見的聲音。
有些說話讓人舒服，卻使我們不再認真面對罪；有些教導只強調神會體諒，卻迴避悔改和順服。我們需要回到聖經，查驗這些教導是否忠於耶穌基督和使徒所傳的福音。
約翰也提醒信徒，他們已經從主領受了恩膏（2:20、27）。這指向聖靈在他們裏面的工作，使他們認識真理，抵擋迷惑，常住主裏。
第二十七節說「並不用人教訓你們」，並非取消教會中的教導，因為約翰自己正在寫信教導他們。他所強調的是，信徒不需要接受那些引誘者聲稱能取代原有福音的教導。
聖靈的工作與基督的真理一致。因此，我們也需要用神的話查驗自己的感動，不能單憑「我覺得平安」或「我認為神會明白」，就認定自己的選擇合乎祂的心意。
在這段經文裏，恩膏使信徒認識並持守真理，幫助他們常住基督。我們是否接受這教導，也會顯明在自己願不願意悔改、順服和持守主道的事上。
最後，約翰把我們帶到主顯現的日子：
「小子們哪，你們要住在主裏面。這樣，他若顯現，我們就可以坦然無懼；當他來的時候，在他面前也不至於慚愧。」——約翰一書2:28
常住基督，就是持續信靠祂，持守祂的話，讓祂引導生活。當我們跌倒時，也願意回到祂面前認罪，重新跟從。
第二十九節接着指出，凡行公義之人都是祂所生的。行義是從神而生的生命所結出的果子，也把我們帶進第三章神兒女的教導。
主必再來。我們今天的選擇，都與將來迎見祂有關。這個盼望鼓勵我們，在試探和迷惑中繼續持守，在軟弱時仍然回到祂面前，直到見祂的面。
總結
約翰一書第二章讓我們看見，真正的屬天生命，會進入我們每天的生活。
因着基督的赦免，我們可以重新起來，遵守主的話，讓祂對付心中的怨恨，活出弟兄之愛。
因着認識父，又有神的道住在心裏，我們可以靠主面對誘惑，不讓情慾和驕傲支配自己的選擇，持守愛父的心。
面對錯誤教導，我們需要持守起初所領受的福音，接受聖靈藉真理的教導，常住基督，預備迎見祂。
今天，讓我們省察：有哪一句主的話，需要開始遵行？有哪一份怨恨，需要交給主處理？有哪一種誘惑，需要停止遷就？有哪一個選擇，需要重新按照父的心意調整？
我們的主已經為罪付上代價，也賜下祂的話和聖靈幫助我們。當祂光照我們，就讓我們回應祂，踏出順服的一步。
「這世界和其上的情慾都要過去，惟獨遵行神旨意的，是永遠常存。」願我們在每天的選擇中，活出真正的屬天生命。
Key Scripture
“And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.”
—1 John 2:17, NKJV
Introduction
Yesterday, in the first chapter of 1 John, we saw that God is light. Those who have fellowship with Him must walk in the light and honestly acknowledge their sins. Today, chapter two helps us consider how the life we receive from God should shape our daily lives.
The church at that time was facing division and false teaching. Some people had left the fellowship, denied that Jesus is the Christ, and tried to lead other believers away from the truth. At the same time, John addressed disobedience, hatred towards fellow believers, and love for the world.
These words speak directly to us today.
We know that God is love. We believe that He understands our difficulties and has compassion on us in our weakness. But are we willing to receive His correction as well as His comfort? Do we say that we love the Lord while putting our own desires first, considering obedience only when we have time and energy left over?
As we move towards the end of the year, we need to pause and examine ourselves. Have we become more willing to obey the Lord? Are our hearts drawing closer to the Father, or are we becoming more influenced by the values of the world?
A truly heavenly life is a life that comes from God, abides in Christ, and does the Father’s will. It becomes visible in how we treat others, how we face temptation, and how we hold firmly to our faith.
Today, let us learn from 1 John chapter two how to live out this life.
- Obey His Word and Love Our Brothers and Sisters
Scripture: 1 John 2:1–11
John begins by explaining that he is writing so that believers will not sin. Yet he also assures them that, if they do sin, Jesus Christ the righteous is their Advocate with the Father.
John takes sin seriously, while also pointing believers to the grace God has provided.
In verse two, he explains that Jesus is the propitiation for our sins, and also for the whole world. Through His sacrifice, Christ has dealt with our sins and opened the way for us to receive forgiveness and return to the Father.
When we sin, therefore, we do not need to hide from God. Neither should we treat our sin lightly. Because of Christ, we can come before the Father, confess our wrongdoing, receive forgiveness, and return to a life of obedience.
John then raises a direct question: How do we know that we know the Lord?
In verses three and four, he explains that knowing God is demonstrated through keeping His commandments. Claiming to know Him while refusing to obey Him contradicts that claim.
Knowing the Lord affects how we live. When His Word challenges our preferences, are we willing to follow His direction? When obedience comes at a cost, do we still trust that His way is good?
Verses five and six connect obedience with love for God and abiding in Christ. If we say that we abide in Him, our conduct should follow the example of Jesus.
John then brings this obedience into our relationships with fellow believers.
In verses seven and eight, he describes the commandment as both old and new. They had heard it from the beginning, yet its reality had been revealed in Christ and was now to be expressed in His people. The darkness was passing away, and the true light was already shining.
In verses nine to eleven, John makes the application clear: claiming to be in the light while hating a fellow believer reveals that a person is still in darkness. Loving our brothers and sisters belongs to walking in the light.
Obeying the Lord’s Word therefore includes allowing Him to deal with hatred in our hearts.
We may have been deeply hurt. We may still feel sorrow, and rebuilding trust may take time. Those experiences do not automatically mean that we hate someone. But we need to examine whether we are allowing resentment to grow, wishing for another person’s downfall, or looking for an opportunity to take revenge.
John explains that hatred brings darkness and blinds a person’s eyes. It affects our judgment, making it difficult to see ourselves clearly and respond according to the Lord’s will.
Loving others may involve addressing wrongdoing honestly, establishing appropriate boundaries, and seeking help to resolve conflict. At the same time, we must allow the Lord to remove malice and teach us to respond with truth and love.
Today, we can ask ourselves: What instruction from the Lord have I understood but continued to resist? Is there a relationship in which I need His help to release resentment?
Because Christ has forgiven us, we can allow His grace to lead us into obedience and teach us to love others.
- Overcome Temptation and Keep Our Love for the Father
Scripture: 1 John 2:12–17
Before warning believers about the world, John reminds them of what they have already received in the Lord.
In verses twelve to fourteen, he addresses little children, fathers, and young men. Their sins have been forgiven through Christ’s name. They know the Father and Him who is from the beginning. They are strong, the Word of God abides in them, and they have overcome the wicked one.
John reminds them who they belong to and what God has given them before calling them to resist temptation.
Verse fourteen particularly connects spiritual strength with the Word of God abiding within them. To stand against temptation, we need His Word to remain in our hearts and guide our decisions.
John then warns them against loving the world and its possessions.
Here, the world refers to a way of life that turns away from the Father and is governed by sinful desire and pride. Verse sixteen identifies three expressions of this: the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life.
The lust of the flesh leads us to put our desires first, resisting God’s boundaries even when we know His will.
The lust of the eyes draws us into coveting what we see. We compare ourselves with others and remain dissatisfied with what we have.
The pride of life leads us to boast in possessions, status, and achievements, building our identity and security upon them.
These temptations enter ordinary daily life.
When financial advantage conflicts with honesty, what do we choose? When admitting a mistake would hurt our pride, are we willing to acknowledge it? When a pleasure harms us or someone else, are we willing to stop?
Work, family responsibilities, rest, and enjoying God’s provision all have a place in life. But we must examine whether the Father’s will governs these things, or whether they have become reasons for resisting Him.
We may instinctively ask, “What will I gain? Do I like it? What will others think of me?” The question, “What is the Father’s will?” may come much later.
John’s warning is serious. Love for the world is incompatible with love for the Father. When desires that oppose God govern us, we cannot claim that those choices express our love for Him.
Verse seventeen gives us an eternal perspective. The world and its desires are passing away, but the person who does God’s will abides forever.
The benefits, pleasures, and approval that seem so important today will pass away. Obedience that flows from trusting the Father has lasting value before Him.
This helps us reconsider our priorities. As we arrange our work, handle money, and build relationships, we need the Father’s will to guide us.
What pursuit is occupying our hearts and repeatedly drawing us away from the truth we already know? What temptation have we continued to accommodate when we need to ask the Lord for strength to refuse it?
We have received forgiveness, and we know the Father. Let us keep His Word in our hearts and depend on His strength to remain faithful in our love for Him.
- Abide in Christ and Prepare to Meet Him
Scripture: 1 John 2:18–29
John now addresses the deception threatening the church.
He describes the time as the last hour and warns that many antichrists have appeared. As believers await the Lord’s appearing, they must remain alert to teachings that oppose Christ and lead people away from the truth.
Verse nineteen describes people who had gone out from among them. In this passage, John is addressing those who denied Christ and sought to deceive believers. His words should not be used to judge everyone who leaves a particular local church.
Verses twenty-two and twenty-three identify the central issue: these teachers denied that Jesus is the Christ. In denying the Son, they also denied the Father. Whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also.
Our relationship with the Father cannot be separated from Jesus Christ. Faith loses its foundation when it abandons the true Christ.
John therefore urges believers to let what they heard from the beginning remain in them. They must hold firmly to the gospel proclaimed by the apostles, continuing to abide in the Son and in the Father.
Verse twenty-five reminds them of the Lord’s promise of eternal life. They do not need another message that claims to replace the gospel they have received.
We also need discernment today.
Some messages make us comfortable while weakening our seriousness about sin. Some emphasise God’s understanding while avoiding His call to repentance and obedience. We must return to Scripture and examine whether these teachings are faithful to Jesus Christ and the apostolic gospel.
In verses twenty and twenty-seven, John reminds believers of the anointing they have received from the Lord. This points to the Holy Spirit’s work within them, enabling them to recognise truth, resist deception, and abide in Christ.
When verse twenty-seven says that they do not need anyone to teach them, John is not removing the need for teaching in the church. He himself is teaching them through this letter. His point is that they do not need the deceivers’ supposed new teaching to replace the gospel they already know.
The Holy Spirit’s work agrees with the truth of Christ. We must therefore examine our impressions through God’s Word. Feeling peaceful about a decision, or believing that God understands us, does not by itself establish that our decision pleases Him.
In this passage, the anointing helps believers recognise and hold firmly to the truth so that they remain in Christ. Our response becomes visible in our willingness to repent, obey, and continue in His Word.
John then directs our attention to the Lord’s appearing:
“And now, little children, abide in Him, that when He appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming.”
—1 John 2:28, NKJV
Abiding in Christ means continuing to trust Him, holding firmly to His Word, and allowing Him to guide our lives. When we fall, we return to Him in confession and resume following Him.
Verse twenty-nine adds that practising righteousness reveals that a person has been born of God. Righteous living is the fruit of the life we receive from Him. This also prepares us for chapter three and its teaching about God’s children.
The Lord will return. Our decisions today matter as we look towards meeting Him. This hope encourages us to remain faithful through temptation and deception, and to keep returning to Him in our weakness until we see Him face to face.
Conclusion
First John chapter two shows us that a truly heavenly life becomes visible in everyday living.
Because Christ has forgiven us, we can rise again, obey His Word, allow Him to deal with resentment, and learn to love our brothers and sisters.
Because we know the Father and His Word abides in us, we can depend on Him to resist temptation, refusing to let sinful desire and pride govern our choices.
When we encounter false teaching, we must hold firmly to the gospel we received from the beginning, receive the Holy Spirit’s instruction through the truth, and abide in Christ as we prepare to meet Him.
Today, let us examine ourselves.
What word from the Lord do we need to begin obeying? What resentment needs to be brought before Him? What temptation must we stop accommodating? What decision needs to be brought into line with the Father’s will?
Our Lord has already paid the price for our sins. He has also given us His Word and His Spirit to help us. As He brings these things to light, let us respond by taking a practical step of obedience.
The world and its desires are passing away, but whoever does God’s will abides forever. May our daily choices reflect the life we have received from Him, as we live out a truly heavenly life.
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