PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT
Text: 1 Jn. 3:4-10
Introduction
1. Illustration: There were two doctors with the same name who lived a few doors apart. One doctor was a Christian and a lay preacher; the other doctor made no profession of faith.
One night a rather sick person, who was also a Christian,
and wanting help from a fellow believer, knocked mistakenly at the door of the non-Christian doctor.
When the door opened the patient asked, "Are you the doctor who preaches?"
"No", the medic replied, "I am the doctor who practices."
"Oh", said the sick person, "I've always understood the two things were inseparable."
Good doctrine should lead to good practice;
John wants to ask his readers; "Do your actions match your profession?"
2. There's an old saying that says, "Practice makes perfect." But the question is what are you practicing.
3. According to John you can practice righteousness, in which case God is your Father, or you can practice sin, and if you do the devil is your father.
4. So according to our text today there are three things we want to consider...
A. Practicing Sin
B. Children of the Devil
C. Children of God
5. Let's stand together our respect for the Word of God as we read 1 John 3:4-10.
Proposition: As Christians we need to practice righteousness and not sin.
Transition: First we want to talk about...
I. Practicing Sin (4-6).
A. Everyone Who Makes A Practice Of Sin
1. Now before everyone works themselves into a tissy, let's ask ourselves what John is referring to in this text.
A. If John is saying that Christians can never sin then we're all in trouble, because we all recognize the fact that we are not sin free.
B. So what is John talking about?
2. Let's look at what he says in v. 4, " Everyone who sins is breaking Gods law, for all sin is contrary to the law of God."
A. This is one of those rare occasions where I really don't care for the way the NLT phrases a verse.
B. 1 John 3:4 (ESV)
4 Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness.
C. The present active participle (poion) means the habit of doing sin (Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament, Under: "1 John 3:4").
D. If you look further in the NLT text in v. 6 it says, "keeps on sinning," and in v. 8 it says, "when people keep on sinning," and then twice in v. 9 it says, "do not make a practice of sinning," and "they can't keep on sinning."
E. There is a difference between committing a sin and continuing to sin.
F. Even the most faithful believers sometimes commit sins, but they do not cherish a particular sin and choose to commit it. A believer who commits a sin repents, confesses, and finds forgiveness.
G. Those who continue to sin, by contrast, will not repent of what they are doing.
H. Thus, they never confess and never receive forgiveness. They live in opposition to God, no matter what religious claims they make (Barton, 1159).
I. In classical Greek the word for sin (hamartia) means to "miss the mark." It was used of a warrior who missed striking his opponent or of a traveler who missed the right path.
J. In the New Testament, however, hamartia is more active in nature. In other words, sin is an intentional breaking of Gods moral standard.
K. It is a willful rebellion arising from the deliberate choice of the individual, a direct violation of Gods laws. Sin is "missing Gods mark" (Rom 3:23); it is a direct offense against the known will of God (Akin, 139).
L. So practicing sin means to know something is wrong and deliberately do it anyway.
M. Like when someone says, "Now, I don't mean to gossip, but...". They are admitting that they are about to do something that they know to be wrong, because gossip is sin, but they're going to do it anyway. That, my dear ones, is practicing sin!
3. Then in v. 5, John gives us a huge word of encouragment when he says, "And you know that Jesus came to take away our sins, and there is no sin in him."
A. Besides the fact that sin is rebellion against God, another reason that Christians should not practice sin is because Jesus came to take away their sins.
B. In other words, to know of such a sacrifice and then to keep on sinning depreciates that sacrifice.
C. The reason Jesus came to earth was to take away peoples sins. This could only happen because there is no sin in him, so he could provide a suitable sacrifice.
D. Under the Old Testament sacrifice system, Jews offered a lamb without blemish as a sacrifice for sin.
E. Jesus is "the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world" (John 1:29). Because Jesus lived a perfect life and sacrificed himself for sin, people can be completely forgiven (2:2).
F. Only he could bridge the gap between the sinless God and sinful people. Jesus died on the cross in our place, taking all our wrongdoing upon himself, saving us from the ultimate consequences of our sin eternal judgment.
G. Because Jesus still lives and still has no sin in him, it follows that he is totally opposed to sin. It also follows, then, that those who claim to be his people must be totally opposed to sin (Barton, 1159).
4. Then John clarifies his point when he says, "Anyone who continues to live in him will not sin. But anyone who keeps on sinning does not know him or understand who he is."
A. Those who continue to live in Christ wont sin. The Greek word behind "continue to live" is the same verb John used in his Gospel about the branches continuing to live in the vine (John 15:1-8).
B. As a branch lives in the vine, it draws its life from the vine. As believers live in Christ, they are free from the power of sin. Living in sin and living in God are mutually exclusive, like darkness and light.
C. John was confronting various types of false teachers. Some taught that they were sinless, actually unable to sin. They claimed superiority over everyone else. These teachings are refuted in 1:8-10.
D. To this group, John explained that while Christians should indeed be "sinless," it was not the kind of sinlessness that the false teachers claimed to have. Experience bears out the fact that sin is still very much in every believers life (see 1:7; 2:1).
E. Yet believers can stop living a life of sin through sensitivity to sin when it occurs, sincere repentance from sin, and acceptance of forgiveness from the one who already took the punishment.
F. Some claimed to have a special relationship with God despite their sinful conduct. They assumed that their behavior did not matter to God. These teachings are refuted in 1:5-7 and 2:1-6.
G. To this second group of false teachers, John explained that sin was indeed very important to God. In fact, to keep sinning proves that they did not "live in God" at all: those who keep on sinning have never known him or understood who he is.
H. Christians seek to remain "sinless" in Gods eyes by continually confessing sin to God and repenting of it.
I. But they do not keep on sinning, meaning that they do not impose upon Gods forgiveness by taking it for granted in order to keep on living as they please.
J. When they repent of sin, they truly desire to remain free of that sin (Barton, 1159).
B. How Can We Go On Sinning?
1. Illustration: Noel Coward, a well known British playwright and comedian in the 20th century, once played a prank on ten famous men in London. He sent each of these distinguished men the same note, which read: "We know what you have done. If you don’t want to be exposed, leave town." Within six months all ten men had moved out of London.
Guilt is a powerful emotion; it holds us captive and excludes us from sharing an intimate relationship with God and others. While nothing more than a cruel prank Noel Cowards note exposed the guilt each of the recipients carried. Fear of exposure caused each of them to move so they could keep their sin hidden.
What is the key to unlocking the chains of guilt that hold us captive? Guilt and shame become a self-made prison that excludes us from entering into the joy of Gods presence.
2. As Christians, we must repent of practicing sin!
A. Romans 6:1-2 (NLT2)
1 Well then, should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more of his wonderful grace?
2 Of course not! Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it?
B. If we are living in the under the forgiveness of the cross and the power of the resurrection we cannot continue to practice sin.
C. That doesn't mean that we are going to be totally sinless, however, it does mean that we are not going to continue to do the same old sins over and over without making a determined attempt to change.
D. Jesus died on the cross so that we could change, and not so that we could continue to wallow in the mire of our sin.
E. He died on the cross so that our habitual sin would die and stay dead!
F. That means that when we sin we must ask the Holy Spirit to change us.
G. That means that we must make a conscious effort to stay away from those things that lead us into sin.
H. That means we need to put it under the blood of Jesus and let it die!
Transition: If we do practice sin we are still...
II. Children Of The Devil (7-8).
A. They Belong To The Devil
1. "Someone might say that the devil is present in sinners even before they sin because they have made room for him. The answer to this is that committing sin and making room for the devil amount to one and the same thing--sin" (Chrysostom, Ancient Christian Commentary On Scripture, NT, vol. XI, 199).
2. In the next two verses John makes it clear that you are what you practice.
3. First, he says in v. 7, "Dear children, dont let anyone deceive you about this: When people do what is right, it shows that they are righteous, even as Christ is righteous."
A. Johns tender affection for his readers (teknia) causes him to remind them of the peril of their situation.
B. As Gods children they are to be on guard against those who want to lead them astray.
C. The present imperative (planato) carries the idea of "Let no one engage in deceiving you, i.e., even try it!"[ (Akin, 143).
D. Apparently, the false teachers who were denying the doctrine of Christ (2:22) were also claiming that they knew God, yet they were living unrighteous lives (see 1:6).
E. John warned his dear children not to let anyone deceive them about this: When people do what is right, it is because they are righteous, even as Christ is righteous.
F. Believers righteousness is given to them by Christ and naturally leads to doing righteous acts.
G. In the same way, a tree that bears good fruit is a good tree. The fruit doesnt make the tree good; it shows that it is good (Barton, 1160).
H. John 15:4-5 (NLT2)
4 Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me.
5 Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.
I. If we remain in Jesus we will produce good fruit, not rotten fruit!
4. That leads us to what John says in v. 8, "But when people keep on sinning, it shows that they belong to the devil, who has been sinning since the beginning. But the Son of God came to destroy the works of the devil."
A. Satan is the founder of lawless rebellion against God. Therefore, when people keep on sinning, it shows they belong to the Devil.
B. The Devil has been sinning since the beginning even before the creation of the world. Since then, as the prince of this world, he has been both sinning and causing people to sin.
C. The false teachers who spoke lies and sinned without remorse showed that they belonged to the Devil himself (see 2:22).
D. Those who followed these teachers were aligning themselves with the Devil and thus fighting against Christ.
E. There is a cure for sin, however, because the Son of God came to destroy these works of the Devil.
F. The Greek word behind "destroy" does not mean to annihilate; rather, it means "to break down" (see Ephesians 2:14), "to undo," "to render ineffective."
G. Though it would have made more sense, humanly speaking, for Christ to have obliterated Satan, he didn’t.
H. Instead, Christ came to undo Satan’s work and thereby free people from sin and all its awful consequences.
I. John was therefore arguing that Christians cannot be involved in what Christ came to destroy (Barton, 1160).
B. Love To Do The Evil Things He Does
1. Illustration: A little girl in London held up her broken wrist and said, "Look, Mommy, my hand is bent the wrong way!" There were no tears in her eyes. She felt no pain whatever. That was when she was four years old.
When she was six, her parents noticed that she was walking with a limp. A doctor discovered that the girl had a fractured thigh. Still she felt no pain.
The girl is now 14 years old. She is careful now, but occasionally looks at blisters and burns on her hands and wonders, "How did this happen?" She is insensitive to pain! Medical specialists are baffled by the case. It is called ganglineuropathy.
There is another insensitiveness which is deadlier and more dangerous-insensitiveness to sin! Paul said of people with this malady: they had "their consciences seared as with a hot iron" (1Ti_4:2).(eSWORD)
2. When we practice sin we are living for the devil and not for God.
A. John 8:44 (NLT2)
44 For you are the children of your father the devil, and you love to do the evil things he does. He was a murderer from the beginning. He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies.
B. Children do what their parents do.
C. Satan is the author of sin, lawless and rebellion against God.
D. Therefore, if we are practicing sin we are practicing the evil acts of your father the devil.
E. You cannot walk in two worlds; you cannot say you walk in Christ when you are walking with the devil.
F. You cannot have your cake and eat it too!
G. If you want to walk with God you cannot hold his hand with one hand and the devils hand with the other!
H. You have to make a choice! What will it be?
Transition: If you choose to walk in righteousness with Jesus then you are...
III. Children of God (9-10).
A. Born Into God's Family
1. We are "born into God's family" when the Holy Spirit lives in us and gives us Jesus' new life. Being born again is more than a fresh start; it is a rebirth, receiving a new family name based on Christ's death for us.
A. When this happens, God forgives us and totally accepts us; the Holy Spirit gives us a new mind and heart, lives in us, and begins helping us to become like Christ.
B. Our perspective changes, too, because we have a mind that is renewed day by day by the Holy Spirit.
2. That's why John says in v. 9, "Those who have been born into Gods family do not make a practice of sinning, because Gods life is in them. So they cant keep on sinning, because they are children of God."
A. At first glance, these words appear to completely contradict what John said earlier: "If we say we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves" (1:8).
B. This passage states that those who have been born into Gods family do not sin . . . they cant keep on sinning, because they have been born of God. So, do Christians sin or don’t they?
C. Experience tells every Christian that sin still has its hold. For true believers, however, deep inside their spirits, they aspire not to sin.
D. This aspiration comes from the life of God within them. When they were "born again," a new life was born inside (2 Corinthians 5:17).
E. Christians have this new life Gods life is in them. They desire not to sin, and they fully renounce sin because sin is entirely incompatible with their new life.
F. Although, at times, they may give in to sin, they are continually fighting against it. Sin is still active, but it no longer has complete control over them.
G. The Holy Spirit works, through the Word of God, to set his people apart from sin to make them holy and pure, as Christ is (Barton, 1160).
3. Judging by this fact, John concludes in v. 10, "So now we can tell who are children of God and who are children of the devil. Anyone who does not live righteously and does not love other believers does not belong to God."
A. John spoke in absolutes; he offered no middle ground: a person belongs either to God or to the Devil.
B. The conclusion of the matter is that believers can tell who are children of God and who are children of the Devil.
C. The way to tell the "pretenders" is to see whether they obey Gods commands (see also 2:3-5) and whether they love other Christians (Barton, 1160).
D. This requirement of love helps explain the absolute requirement that those who are born of God "cannot go on sinning" (vv. 6, 9).
E. For if God is love, and if God lives in us and we in him, then love for the brethren will occur as an expression of righteousness without exception.
F. Bruce (p. 93) comments on this connecting of love with righteousness: "For him, righteousness and love are inseparable; since they are inseparable in the character of God and in His revelation in Christ, so they must be inseparable in the lives of His people" (The Expositor's Bible Commentary Volume 12: Hebrews through Revelation, 333).
B. Children Of God
1. Illustration: A group of Christian laymen involved in missionary work approached a small village near an Amish settlement. Seeking a possible convert, they confronted an Amish farmer and asked him, "Brother, are you a Christian?" The farmer thought for a moment and then said, "Wait just a few minutes." He wrote down a list of names on a tablet and handed it to the lay evangelist. "Here is a list of people who know me best. Please ask them if I am a Christian." The evidence of faith is spiritual fruit.
2. People can tell whether you are a child of God just by watching you and observing how you act.
A. Ephesians 4:21-24 (NLT2)
21 Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him,
22 throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception.
23 Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes.
24 Put on your new nature, created to be like God truly righteous and holy.
B. Everyone in here today needs to answer this question today; do people know beyond a shadow of a doubt that you are a Christian based on how you treat others?
C. Do they see you treating others with kindness?
D. Do they hear you say uplifting things about your fellow Christians, or do they hear you bad mouthing them behind their backs?
E. Do they see you helping those in need?
F. Do they see you devoting your life to things like prayer, study of Scripture and serving in the church?
G. These are the kinds of questions we need to anwer about our lives. Not whether we smoke, drink or chew, but do we love others the way Jesus loves us?
H. John 13:34-35 (NLT2)
34 So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other.
35 Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.
I. Not what clothes you wear, or whether you wear a big gold cross around your neck, or what translation of the Bible you read. But do you love one another!
Conclusion
1. So according to our text today there are three things we want to consider...
2.
A. Practicing Sin
B. Children of the Devil
C. Children of God
3. THREE THINGS TO REMEMBER...
A. ASK YOURSELF, "AM I PRACTICING RIGHTEOUSNESS OR SIN?"
B. WHEN PEOPLE OBSERVE YOUR LIFE DO THEY CONSIDER YOU A CHILD OF GOD OR A CHILD OF THE DEVIL?
C. WHEN PEOPLE HEAR YOU TALK ABOUT THE PEOPLE IN THIS CHURCH WHAT DO THEY HEAR?
