Welcome to the Hope Bible School verse-by-verse Bible study of 1 John. This is Jeff M Newman. Get a new lesson every other week on Mondays at 12:00 PM Pacific.
In Lesson 46 we are going to study the last part of 1 John 2:17.
Let’s read this part of the verse.
1 John 2:17...but whoever does the will of God lives forever.
Now, let’s take a look at the definition of the words.
but (1161. de) means on the other hand or in contrast to.
whoever does (3588. ho, hé, to) (4160. poieó) means the person who makes, keeps, fulfills, or performs habitually. This is in the present tense.
the will of God (2307. theléma) means God’s wishes, desires, commands, or purposes.
lives (3306. menó) means to remain, abide, dwell, or not depart.
forever (165. aión) means for eternity, for an unbroken time, or stretching to infinity.
Right before this part of the verse, John was speaking about all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. He explained that the world and its lusts are passing away; they are temporary.
In contrast, if a person is in the habit of keeping, fulfilling, or performing God's wishes, desires, commands, or purposes, they will abide in, remain in, and not depart from a relationship with God for eternity.
It is important to understand that salvation isn’t based on works. In other words there are no amount of good deeds that you can do in order to earn a right relationship with God.
When someone first believes in Jesus and accepts Him as Lord and Savior, they will be saved from eternal death and live forever with God. (John 3:16, Ephesians 2:8-9).
Through their faith, they are born into God’s family.
Salvation is a gift from God and not earned by works (Romans 5:1-2). That means there is nothing that they need to do to earn salvation other than putting their faith in Christ. Salvation is a gift of God’s grace. (Romans 3:24)
Once a person puts their faith in Jesus, God will dwell within them (Ephesians 3:17, Galatians 2:20). God will give them the strength and enable them to obey His commands. (Romans 8:11-14, Galatians 5:16-17, Philippians 2:12-13, 2 Peter 1:3-4, Romans 8:3-4, Galatians 5:22-25, Ephesians 3:16-17)
The person who does the will of God and lives forever is the person who has put their faith in Christ, surrendered to Him, and is enabled by the Holy Spirit to obey God's commandments.
Doing the will of God is evidence of salvation.
Let's look at some verses that speak about doing the will of God.
In Psalm 143:10, we read about the Psalmist's prayer asking God how to do His will. This shows us that we need to be taught by God to do His will. Ask God right now to teach you to do His will. Seek Him for guidance.
Psalm 143:10 Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God. May Your good Spirit lead me on level ground.
In Mark 3:35, we read that those who follow God's will are a part of Jesus' spiritual family. These are people who are born again. When you are born again and live your life doing God's will as opposed to pursuing worldly lusts, you will have a deep relationship with Jesus forever.
Mark 3:35 For whoever does the will of God is My brother and sister and mother.”
In John 15:10, we read that when a person keeps the commands of Jesus, they remain in God’s love. Abiding means staying in a relationship with God, involving continuous and active participation in doing God’s will. This relationship will last for eternity because God is eternal.
John 15:10 If you keep My commandments, you will remain in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and remain in His love.
In Matthew 7:21, we read that it is not enough for a person to simply know God’s name and claim that He is the Lord. They must also do the will of God. Obedience to God’s will is essential for participation in God’s kingdom. Obedience to God’s commands is a characteristic of those who belong to God and have an eternal relationship with Him.
Matthew 7:21 Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of My Father in heaven.
In Matthew 7:24-27, Jesus tells the story of the wise man who built his house on the rock. When the storm came, the house did not fall because it was built on a solid foundation. This contrasts with the person who built his house on the sand; when the rain came, the house was destroyed. We are called not only to hear the words of God but to act on them. This will ensure us that we have a solid, enduring foundation that leads to eternal life.
Matthew 7:24-27 Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain fell, the torrents raged, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because its foundation was on the rock. 26 But everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27 The rain fell, the torrents raged, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell—and great was its collapse!”
In Colossians 4:12, we read about Epaphras, who was always praying for people to stand mature and fully assured in the will of God. If you want to mature in doing God’s will, pray that He will give you and those in your life the strength to follow His will. This will help you align with God’s eternal purposes, rather than pursuing the temporary desires of the world.
Colossians 4:12 Epaphras, who is one of you and a servant of Christ Jesus, sends you greetings. He is always wrestling in prayer for you, so that you may stand mature and fully assured in the full will of God.
In James 1:22, we read that we are called to be doers of the word. Live your life by doing what God is asking you to do, and you will receive eternal benefits.
James 1:22 Be doers of the word, and not hearers only. Otherwise, you are deceiving yourselves.
In conclusion, living for the world is temporary. However, the person who keeps or does what God desires, will abide with God forever, throughout eternity.
God wants to show you how to do His will—just ask Him. Jesus says that if you do the will of God, you are part of the family of God.
He also says that if you keep God’s commandments, you will remain in His love. Jesus is our best example of doing the will of God.
He teaches that simply calling Him Lord is not enough to enter the kingdom of heaven; only those who do the will of God will enter.
Put your faith in Christ to receive salvation and be born again. Salvation does not come through works. Then, by the power of the Holy Spirit, God will show you how to do His will and give you the strength to be obedient to it.
Let’s read the part of the verse we just studied one more time.
1 John 2:17...but whoever does the will of God lives forever.
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Thank you and God bless you.
Jeff M Newman
(Photo by Aniket Deole on Unsplash)
Lesson 46 - 1 John 2:17...but whoever does the will of God lives forever.