1 John 2:12 Commentary and Bible Study

John interrupts himself at this point to pour blessings of assurance into the hearts of his readers. For three verses he sets aside his polemic style before returning to it in verse 15. Although he is compelled to write a letter of warning against error, his great joy is to remind God’s people of how much they have been given. The term ‘little children’ addresses all believers, as it does in chapter 2:1 and throughout the letter. The forgiveness of sins is an immeasurably great blessing because there is nothing we could do to obtain it for ourselves, and it is the result of pure grace which we have no reason to expect from God – without it we face only an eternity in hell. We have received forgiveness for the sake of the Lord Jesus Christ and because of his death on the cross, which is the foundation of all God’s other blessings to us; we are forgiven all sins, past, present and future.