Introduction: Dual Citizenship In The Kingdom Of God And The Kingdom Of Darkness?
Try to imagine this. It is the year 1944 and Germany is at war with England.
Now suppose you have dual citizenship in both Germany and England and you are living in Germany. How will you be treated?
Conversely, suppose you have dual citizenship in both Germany and England and you are living in England during the Blitz; how would you be treated?
In either case, you would be forced to renounce your citizenship in the opposing country and declare your loyalty to the country in which you found yourself in that dreadful time. There would be no middle ground.
They would have never allowed dual citizenship in Germany and England during WWII and we cannot have dual citizenship in this world. We cannot belong to the Kingdom of God by living in Christ AND live in the kingdom of darkness at the same time. They are diametrically and violently opposed to one another!
The spiritual war going on for the hearts of men and women in this world is no less intense than the war that took place between the Allies and the Axis in WWII!
The only difference would be the tactics.
The evil one has us by the throat because of sin. He wishes to destroy us not only in this life but in Hell forever where we will find ourselves with him and the rest of his horde.
God, on the other hand, loves us so much that He sent His one and only Son to die on the cross of Calvary to make a way for our sins to be forgiven, to adopt us into His family and to give us eternal life.
Source: Stephen Belokur
I. The Nature Of Sin 4
4 Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness.
A. The Types Of Sin Found In The Bible
1. Sin - a?µa?t?a hamartia ham-ar-tee’-ah
a. This is the word John uses here and it means
i. to miss the mark
ii. to err or be mistaken
iii. to miss or wander from the path of uprightness and honor, to do or go wrong
iv. to wander from the law of God, violate God’s law, sin
b. Noun - that which is done wrong, sin, an offense, a violation of the of the divine law in thought or in act
2. Iniquity – perversity, depravity, guilt
3. Transgression – pa??ßas?? parabasis
a. Disregarding the Mosaic law
b. The breach of a definite ratified law
4. Lawlessness – a???µ?a anomia an-om-ee’-ah
a. This is John’s word for lawlessness
b. without law
i. ignorant of it
ii. violating it
c. contempt and violation of law, iniquity, wickedness
5. There are seven more synonyms for sin in the Bible
B. Why Does John Declare Sin = Lawlessness?
1. John calls his readers children 17 times in his epistles.
2. John calls his readers children of God four times in 1John.
3. John is doing is best to point believers in the direction of the Messiah.
C. Application To The Church
Illustration
II. The Nature Of The Savior 5
5 And you know that He was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin.
A. He Was Revealed To Remove Our Sin 5a
1. He is revealed as a forever blessing
You are fairer than the sons of men; Grace is poured upon Your lips; Therefore God has blessed You forever.
—Psalms 45:2
2. He is revealed as an astonishment
Just as many were astonished at you, So His visage was marred more than any man, And His form more than the sons of men;
—Isaiah 52:14
3. He is revealed as God
and He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light.
—Matthew 17:2
4. He is revealed as the only redeemer of mankind
4 But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law,
5 to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.
—Galatians 4:4-5
B. He Is Sinless Because We Are Sinful 5b
1. Sin reigned in us – righteousness reigns in Him
so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
—Romans 5:21
2. He became sin
For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
—2Corinthians 5:21
3. He is our High Priest
For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.
—Hebrews 4:15
III. The Difference Between The Children 6-10
A. The Children Of God
1. Will not continue in sin
6a Whoever abides in Him does not sin.
2. Will not be deceived, but will practice righteousness
7 Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous.
3. Jesus defeated the works of the devil on the cross of Calvary
For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.
4. Born of God? Lose the desire to remain in sin!
9 Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God.
B. The Children Of The Devil
1. Will continue in sin
6b Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him.
2. Will be deceived and continue in sin.
3. The person who continues in sin is of the devil
8 He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning.
4. Busted!
10 In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother.
C. Application To The Church
IV. Conclusion
