What’s Hot and What’s Not?
1 John 2:28-3:10
INTRODUCTION: the Apostle John continues his general theme in these verses. He is encouraging those who are listening to his words (or in our case reading them), to continue in our relationship with Christ – to maintain a high level or commitment. John develops his desire of for our continued commitment by reminding us of the high quality of God’s love for us, and the recklessness of a sinful life.
PROPOSITION: Sin is not worth the price!
I THE ENCOURAGEMENT TO ABIDE – 2:28-29
1 John 2:28-29 And now, dear children, continue in him, so that when he appears we may be confident and unashamed before him at his coming. 29If you know that he is righteous, you know that everyone who does what is right has been born of him.
A The Meaning of Abiding/Continuing
1 Meaning: to dwell, stay, or sojourn
2 Speaks of – in practical terms
a Personal confession of who Christ is
b A consistent walk with Christ
c A consistent time in the Word of God
d A consistent unity/love for other believers
e The bearing of fruit – reproduction
B The Confidence of Abiding
1 The return of Christ
a His return is a fact
b The timing is God’s
c Its affect is universal – “we”
2 The Focus of Abiding
a Based on the person of Christ
1) We Know that He is righteous
b Directed towards our confidence
1) Being able to come before Christ with assurance
2) Being able to come before Christ with a boldness
3) Being able to come before Christ with nothing to conceal
c Directed towards our shame
1) If we are not abiding in Christ at his coming it produces shame
2) A feeling of separation
3) Literally – a shrinking back
II THE MANNER OF GOD’S RELATIONSHIP WITH US – 3:1-3
1 John 3:1-3 How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. 3Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure.
A God’s Love has Been Lavished on us.
1 Literally endowed on us as a favorite
2 Seen in His care for us
3 Seen in His help for us
4 Seen in His provision for us
5 Seen in His salvation of us
B God’s Heritage has been Transferred to us
1 Called the Children of God
2 Not what we will be, but what we are
3 The product of God’s love for us is our adoption into His family
4 Only at the beginning of the process
a We do not know the end yet
1) We will become incorruptible
2) We will possess a glory
3) We will posses a power
1 Cor. 15:42-43 So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; 43it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power;
b Just do not know what it all means
c But, we can live what we are and expect what we do not know!
“Save Your Fork” – at church dinners, or when invited to another’s house, often we are encouraged to save our fork. The reason – because something good is yet to come. Dessert is on its way! This is the mentality that we need to have concerning our relationship with Christ. We have something far better yet awaiting us at His return
C Our True Nature is Hidden from the World
1 There is an ignorance of perception
2 Change is internal – and is only let out when we let it out!
3 Our world today operates on the non-recognition of God
a Easy to hide our nature
b Easy to shirk our encouragement to abide
4 Our only defense – keeping our eyes on Christ
a Verse 3 – “This hope in Him” – literally, “This hope (Christ) set on Him”
b Allows me to live a pure life
III THE CONTRAST OF SIN AND RIGHTEOUSNESS – 3:4-10
1 John 3:4-10 Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness. 5But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin. 6No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him.
7Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. He who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous. 8He who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work. 9No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God. 10This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God; nor is anyone who does not love his brother.
A The definition and character of sin
1 Sin is lawlessness
2 If we sin, we are a sinner
3 Sin is what is incompatible with the nature of God
a Sin is not an issue of degree
1) Sin is not just the headlines – the big stuff
2) Sin is the little things too
b Sin is an issue of compatibility
1) Is it compatible with the nature of God?
2) God’s standard is purity
a) There is no sin is God
b) There never was sin in God
c) There continues to be no sin in God
B Sin as an evidence of our abiding in Christ
1 The issue is our abiding – our union with Christ
a The vitality of this union
1) Do I consider it vital?
2 Renouncing Habitual sin is a GREAT evidence of our union with Christ
a Reveals our union
b Reveals the vitality of our union
C The Misunderstanding Between Sin And Righteousness
1 John encourages us to not be led astray
a We are not to be confused by the difference between sin and righteousness
1) We cannot sin and be righteous
2) We cannot abide in Christ and sin
2 Adoption And Imitation
a God has adopted us into his family
1) We maintain the vitality of this relationship by being righteous
2) We never lose the relationship, but we lose the vitality of the relationship
3) We are ADOPTED CHILDREN OF GOD!
b The devil is looking for imitators – people who are one thing, and imitate another thing
1) He who does what is sinful is of the devil – verse 8
2) Can only imitate the original
3) Devil is the ORIGINAL sinner!
a) He is the first to sin
b) He is the root of sin
c) He is still sinning
D The Releasing Power of Christ
1 Christ came to “DESTROY” the devils work
a Destroy means to break up, loosen or dissolve
2 Christ dissolved the devils ability to
a Charge men
Romans 8:33 Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies.
b Cause death
Hebrews 2:14-15 Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death--that is, the devil-- 15and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.
c Separate men from God
1 Peter 3:18 For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit,
d Enslave men
1 John 4:4 You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.
E The Middle Ground – verse 10
1 Does not exist
2 No spiritual fence sitting
3 The one who does what is right is the child of God
4 The one who does not do what is right is of the devil
Which one are you?
