"See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and that is what we are.  The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know Him."

John wants us to realize how worship works.

The more we look at God; the more we begin to look like Him; the more we look our perception of God changes; the more we are changed to look like Him.

So much does our relationship change us, we would even be called children of God.  John tells us that this is exactly what we are - Children.

The Father's love gives birth to love in us.  The Father's peace gives birth to peace...

If you seek righteousness - seek the Father's heart.

        

"If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone also who practices righteousness is born of Him."

Jesus told us the same thing:  Do not say that I am good, only the Father is good...

The truth is in nature and all around us.  Good gives birth to good.  Apples give birth to apples.  Joy gives birth to joy...  Righteousness gives birth to righteousness.

This is how, according to John, you can tell that you are walking with God, walking in the light.  If you do the works of the Father.

In other words, John asks us to take a look at ourselves and discover how closely connected we are to the Savior.

If you seek righteousness - seek the source of righteousness.

        

"And now, little children, abide in Him, so that when He is revealed we may have confidence and not be put to shame before Him at His coming."

John's desire is that we have confidence and avoid shame in front of Him, Jesus, at His coming.

In John's mind, when Jesus comes to receive His bride - just as Jesus promised He would do - some will be filled with shame when they see their Lord.  Some will be embarrassed because of a lack of faith or a lack of integrity...  Something that hindered their walk here on earth causes consternation in the soul.

John tells his readers that there is a way to avoid this shame.  Abide in Him.  That is also translated 'remain' in Him.

In other words, stay close to the One who loves you while it is still hard to see Him.  Then, when He is most visible, we will be so well practiced that shame will never enter our minds.

If you seek righteousness - seek righteousness now.

        

"These things I have written to you concerning those who are trying to deceive you.  And as for you, the anointing which you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you; but as His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you abide in Him."

Let's remember what John said in verse 10 of this chapter:  The one who loves his brother abides in Him.

This is a continuation of that thought.  It looks like John is simply instructing the people of God that they no longer need a teacher.

What John is doing is letting them know that they have all of the necessary tools for abiding in Jesus.  They have all the necessary tools for fellowship.  Now it is time that they learned from that fellowship, both with God and with God's people.

It is often difficult to understand that you are ready to be with the Father. 

If you seek righteousness - be confident that He has prepared you.

        

"As for you, let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning.  If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in the Son and in the Father.  And this is the promise which He Himself made to us: eternal life."

John tells his readers about the path to righteousness... The path toward walking with God.

What does it mean to abide in what you have heard from the beginning?  John has been writing about walking in the light and following God's commandments.  This is what he means by abiding in Jesus:

Give up walking your path to success, as you see it - and begin walking the path that Jesus walked.  Live the life that Jesus lived.

Let's remember that life for a second.  Jesus life was full of purpose (God's purpose), and full of power (God's power) and full of sacrifice (sacrifice to God).  Jesus went to the furthest extreme for the sake of loving us.

If you seek righteousness - seek Jesus' lifestyle.

        

"I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it, and because no lie is of the truth.  Who is the liar but the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ?  This is the Antichrist, the one who denies the Father and the Son.  Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father; the one who confesses the Son has the Father also."

Encouragement is often a reinforcement of someone's belief.  This is what John is using his letter for.

John is not trying to convince his audience that Christ is real, or that God loves them, or that fellowship is important.  He is reinforcing that belief in the people of God.  This is how we are meant to use our testimonies as well.

I'm not writing because you need to know the truth - I am writing because you already do.

Sometimes, we need to hear that someone has our backs. 

If you seek righteousness - be reinforced by the truth.

        

"Children, it is the last hour; and just as you heard that Antichrist is coming, even now many Antichrists have arisen; from this we know that it is the last hour.  They went out from us, but they were not really of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out, in order that it might be shown that they are not of us.  But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you all know."

To further John's admonition for fellowship, he points our attention to those that have left the collection of Christ followers, to follow their own hearts.

His description of them is not kind at all.

Their are directly opposed to Christ.  How do we know, John asks.  Because if they were following the same Christ, they would have followed with Christ's people.

This is more a condemnation of lifestyle than of these specific people.  John is saying those that run from fellowship simply because of a difference in opinion are the lowest of the low.  They have no spine, no backbone.  They are without integrity.

Obviously John does not think highly of people that abandon the bride of Christ.

If you seek righteousness - hold tight to others that are seeking righteousness.

        

"Do not love the world, nor 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 lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world.  And the world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God abides forever."

John is describing the love of God for us.  He says that God's love is that which causes things to last forever.  In other words, what God loves does not fade away, because of the way God loves...

So, If I were to love a flower so much, that even after it died on earth the memory of it lasted forever - I could still smell its beauty, I could still feel its softness, always.  Then I would be loving like God loves.  God loves you so much that you will last forever.  He does not love lust that much.

So John is beseeching us to love the things God loves.  What should our attitude toward ourselves be?

If you seek righteousness - Remember what God loves.

        

"I am writing to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for His name's sake.  I am writing to you fathers, because you know Him who has been from the beginning, I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one.  I have written to you, children, because you know the Father.  I have written to you, fathers, because you know Him who has been from the beginning.  I have written to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one."

One of John's main concerns throughout the epistle is fellowship.  Here, we see him doing what he can to build fellowship in his readers.

Here is how he achieves that:

First, he points out three groups that traditionally would be separated by lifestyle.  Children, young men, fathers.
Next he provides a common point of interest in them.  They all relate to the Father, God.
Finally, he encourages each one specifically. 

Now all three groups understand that they are all fighting for the same kind of righteousness and growth.

If you seek righteousness - seek others to fight with you.

        

"The one who loves his brother abides in the light and there is no cause for stumbling in him.  But the one who hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going because the darkness has blinded his eyes."

Clear lines are drawn, in John's eyes, as to the difference between the light and the darkness; the difference between the friend of God and the enemy.

Jesus told us that people would know we belong to Him because of our love.  Here, John tells us that I can discern in myself where my heart is, and what the temperature of my spirit is simply by judging what my love covers.

Do I know how close I am to God?  Seems very hard to tell.  But John informs us that all I have to do is figure out whether or not I love the ones that surround me. 

I can tell you how much I love my neighbor.  And that tells me how much God is changing me, or whether or not I abide in the Light.

If you seek righteousness - learn to love.