1 John 2:18-27 (NRSV)
18 Children, it is the last
hour! As you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have
come. From this we know that it is the last hour. 19 They went
out from us, but they did not belong to us; for if they had belonged to us,
they would have remained with us. But by going out they made it plain that none
of them belongs to us. 20 But you have been anointed by the
Holy One, and all of you have knowledge.[a] 21 I
write to you, not because you do not know the truth, but because you know it,
and you know that no lie comes from the truth. 22 Who is the
liar but the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ?[b] This is the
antichrist, the one who denies the Father and the Son. 23 No
one who denies the Son has the Father; everyone who confesses the Son has the
Father also. 24 Let what you heard from the beginning abide in
you. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, then you will abide in
the Son and in the Father. 25 And this is what he has promised
us,[c] eternal
life.
26 I write these things to
you concerning those who would deceive you. 27 As for you, the
anointing that you received from him abides in you, and so you do not need
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, abide in him.[d]
Footnotes:
- 1 John 2:20 Other ancient authorities read you know all things
- 1 John 2:22 Or the Messiah
- 1 John 2:25 Other ancient authorities read you
- 1 John 2:27 Or it
It is essential to understand the Truth in the life of
recovery as it is revealed in the bible through the life and teachings of Jesus
of the Nazareth sermon (Luke 4: 16-30). There are many recovery programmes
available for people. Each attempts the recovery of some specific aspect of
human life by addressing human needs from a specific view of the world. Some
are political and seek to use power flows within society to change human life
experience; other approaches maybe economic, sociological, psychological, and
environmental. Some try and use them all at once! Recovery is in these
approaches presented as a recovery of power, wealth, relationships, mental
health and environmental protection and restoration. Each reduces the person to
a singularity or combination these to form recoveries from undesirable life
experiences: we become defined and redefined as our nationality, minds,
relationships or the depth of our pockets and sadly our addictions. We are
presented as free and independent and in a position to choose what is true about
ourselves.
The bible presents a very different story of recovery. The
recovery is not of national, political, economic, psychological or relational
independence; it presents a story of the recovery of our identity as God always
had intended our interdependence on each other and dependence on God. We are
not ‘radically free to choose’. We may be situationally free but even then our
freedom is defined and activated under the invisible forces at work in our
society and relationships. It’s therefore
possible to be wealthy, healthy and all the rest but be addicted to a cycle of
life controlling issues that results in the lived experience of alienation.
Social scientists call it Hegemony. We
appear free on the surface but we are really acting out our part in a
predetermined story. How many times do
we hear of so called successful people, greedily grasping for more or ending
their wealthy lives prematurely because in the end analysis they found meaninglessness
in the midst of plenty?
Disciples of Jesus at risk of substituting a ‘cultural form’
of recovery for a Christ centred biblical one. Often a change of government,
job or life partner is presented as the ‘recovery’ we need. The ‘if only’ choices are substituted for
explaining our deep rooted dilemmas. If only I had a new job, more money, a
change in political party; if only I hadn’t got that loan, or husband, things
would be different. If only I hadn’t taken that first drink?
Sadly, some people even hear and experience the bible based,
Jesus centred Truth of recovery but get overwhelmed with other views of the
world and of their lives. They substitute a view of addiction and life
controlling issues that continues to meet their needs their own way. These
cultural substitutes seem progressive and desirable but they displace the
Christ centred view of life controlling issues. This was John’s experience in the passage we
are reflecting on. Recovery is ‘True’ when we recover the identity that God
created us for. We don’t recover from alcohol addiction as if it’s a bad head
cold; we struggle with addiction. Addiction is a dangerous living enemy that
seeks to destroy us. However, the biblical story reveals that this enemy is
defeated already. To access my part in the story of ‘overcoming life controlling issues’ I have to accept the
story of explanation revealed by Jesus of the Nazareth sermon. He deals with the power, relationships, mental
states, economics and environment through His life, substitutionary death and
His resurrection. These are the acts of
reconciliation and recovery of who God created us to be. We are identified by
our relationship with God as revealed in Jesus of the Nazareth Sermon. God
chooses us in His Son Jesus. God in Christ creates the ‘Radical Freedom’ where
we situationally appear to choose Him but the story is clear in the bible; God
has chosen us in His Son Jesus.
The question is this, will we exercise the ‘situational choice’
made possible by the radical action of God in the life, death and resurrection
of Jesus, in order to meet our needs and those of our neighbours God’s
way? The alternative is to substitute
the biblical story of promise, hope and recovery for that which will lead us
into an ever deepening cycle of addiction and hopelessness. John has some
challenging words for us…
‘No one who denies the
Son has the Father; everyone who confesses the Son has the Father also. Let
what you heard from the beginning abide in you.’ … ‘I write these things to you concerning those who would deceive you. As
for you, the anointing that you received from him abides in you, and so you do
not need 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, abide in
him.’
On what and who do I rely for my recovery?
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