1 John 2:12-17 | Because You Know Him
Blair Robinson | November 16, 2025
Scripture: 1 John 2:12-17
Main Idea. Because we truly belong to God, we must not love this passing world. Question. Why must God’s children not love the world? 1. Because we already belong to God (12–14) John anchors with 4 gospel truths: 1. You Are Forgiven for His Name’s Sake (v. 12) 2. You Know Him Who Is from the Beginning (vv. 13a, 14a) 3. You Have Overcome the Evil One (vv. 13b, 14b) 4. You Know the Father (v. 13c) Applications. 1. Rest in Him. [reference with application] 1 John 3:20 If your heart condemns you, God is greater than your heart 2. Because the world is opposed to God and is passing away (15–17) The command: “Do not love the world.” (v. 15) 1 John 5:19 We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one. James 4:4 You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Colossians 1:13 He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son TWO REASONS TO NOT LOVE THE WORLD: 1. The world’s desires do not come from the Father. (v. 16) 2. The world is passing away. (v. 17) 2 Tim 4:10 For Demas, in love with this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica. How do we overcome the world? 1 John 5:4, 5 For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world… our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? Responses. 1. Look to see what you love 2. Live to love God 3. Lean toward your neighbor with love 4. Labor to love the world by sharing Christ