August 4, 2013
Morning Service

Last week we reviewed the first two chapters of the letter of I John and then discussed verse 1 of chapter 3.

 

1Jn 3:1 Behold what manner of love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God. Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.

·         We discussed how we are “adopted” into God’s family as full heirs and “joint heirs with Christ.”  (Romans 8) 

·         Our church family is growing as we dedicated Myah last week and are expecting at least three more little ones.  We as a congregation, no family, need to be each doing our part, whatever that is, with a greater fervor as we see Christ’s return coming soon.

·         In our Second Coming study we saw it stressed over and over to be about our Father’s business, putting Him first in everything.  Are you?  Are you committed to Christ and to “our” family to make Him and us a priority in your life?  It is a process of removing things that hold us back and beginning to do the things that bring Him glory.

·         Let’s continue with this chapter and see what else the Word has to tell us.

 

1Jn 3:2-3 Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be. But we know that when He shall be revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.  (3)  And everyone who has this hope on him purifies himself, even as that One is pure.

·         We, as His children, have been given a promise that we do not fully understand.  I Corinthians chapter 15, “the resurrection chapter,” gives us many more details on what we will be like in heaven, but we still do not fully grasp it.  We must be okay with that.  There are some mysteries about God and our future that we just have to say “I just don’t know.”  Our ways are not His ways and our capabilities to comprehend our Creator are limited.  We must be okay with what we are given.  We are not to add or subtract from the Scriptures but only have faith and believe.  Believing something we don’t fully understand is really faith in action.

·         John tells us we will be like Jesus and we will “see Him as He is.”  In this life it is a process that we go through as we grow a little at a time and become more and more like our Savior.  The transformation in heaven will be instant; with our first glimpse of Him we will be made complete.  “We shall be like Him.”

·         This hope and promise will drive us to strive imitate our Savior now.  (Verse 3)

 

John now applies this fact back to our everyday lives and our battle with sin.  These scriptures taken alone can be very confusing, but we are to “rightly divide” the scriptures.

 

2Ti 2:15 Study earnestly to present yourself approved to God, a workman that does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of Truth.

·         Paul charged Timothy to study the scriptures earnestly and the Spirit will help us to understand what they are truly saying.  Remember I John 2:27 tell us of the anointing we have received will teach us all things. 

 

1Jn 3:4-5 Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness, for sin is lawlessness.  (5)  And you know that He was revealed that He might take away our sins, and in Him is no sin.

·         There is no confusion here.  Sin is defined as “practicing lawlessness.”  It is an act of the will to choose to disregard what God asks us to do continually as a lifestyle.  We are in essence choosing to live a life of sin.

·         Verse 5 explains that Christ had no sin and His purpose in coming was to take away our sins.  To continue in our sinful lifestyle then would be to deny that truth.

 

1Jn 3:6 Everyone who abides in Him does not sin. Everyone who sins has not seen Him nor known Him.

·         Here is where we must “rightly divide the Word of Truth.”  If this verse is read alone, one could make the assumption that anyone who ever sins again after being saved is not really saved.

·         Is that true?  No look back at verse 8 & 9 of chapter 1.

1Jn 1:8-9  If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.  (9)  If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

·         This tells us quite clearly that we as Christians will sin and God has made a way to forgive and cleanse us from them through confession.  So what about 3:6?

·         Remember in verse 5 John defined lawlessness as practicing sin.  It is not the occasional acts of sin that we know occur daily, but it is the continued, habitual lifestyle of disregarding God’s Word and living a life that denies that we even believe.

·         We are forced to face the fact of our imperfection, but we practice sin when we accept it and allow it to lead our thoughts and minds without any remorse or repentance.  That is the life of someone who does not “know” God.  A glimpse of His perfection and holiness should humble us into a life of obedience to Him.  We yield ourselves to Him and allow Him to lead us.  We are trying our best to serve Him.

 

Rom 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

·         Who is leading our lives the Spirit or the flesh?  If it is the Spirit we will suffer no condemnation.  The proof is in our lifestyle.

 

1Jn 3:7-10  Little children, let no one deceive you. He who does righteousness is righteous, even as that One is righteous.  (8)  He who practices sin is of the Devil, for the Devil sins from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was revealed, that He might undo the works of the Devil.  (9)  Everyone who has been born of God does not commit sin, because His seed remains in him, and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God.  (10)  In this the children of God are revealed, and the children of the Devil: everyone not practicing righteousness is not of God, also he who does not love his brother.

·         John speaks very frankly here.  He who lives righteous (right living) is following the One who is righteous.  He who practices sin is following the one who rebels against God and all He stands for (the devil). 

·         When we are converted there has to be a change.  We cannot simply be baptized and continue to practice our sinful ways.  We must be continually striving to cut those sins out of our lives.

·         Our journey to God is one of many successes but also it comes with many failures.  The question is who has your heart?  Whom do you desire to please?

·         Has sin become so commonplace in your life that you don’t even notice it anymore let alone seek repentance?

·         We all seek to walk in “God’s Will” for our lives.  This sometimes becomes a very broad picture of our entire life’s journey, but I believe it is much simpler than that.  I believe being in “God’s Will” for our lives is a series of very small choices.  Every day we are faced with temptations and opportunities to sin.  As we choose to be an overcomer, I believe we are in “God’s Will.”  We “abide” in Christ, receiving our nourishment and life from Him.  He becomes, sometimes slowly, our All in All.  It is a lifetime journey, but the key is the daily walk.

 

Don’t let sin dwell in your body.  Confess it to God and He will forgive and cleanse you from it.  Examine your own life this morning.   What areas need to be addressed?  Take it to God in prayer.

 

Lord, we stand before you unperfected in all our ways, but we pray that our heart is yours and that our desire to serve you comes sincerely from there.