1 John Chapter 3. Lesson Text: 1 John 3:1 10

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1 Lesson Text: 1 John 3:1 10 Lesson Aim: 1 John Chapter 3 To learn that the child of God strives to purify himself and make a stronger break with sin in view of the hope of being like Jesus when He returns. 1 See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2 Beloved, we are God s children now; it does not yet appear what we shall be, but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. 3And every one who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure. - Verses 1-3. The motivation for purifying ourselves. - He says.. See what love the Father has given us or as the KJV has it Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed upon us. o Behold is to see o Manner of love is descriptive of the quality of love: Rom. 5:8. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. NIV o Bestowed.. literally means gave. - Included in the manner of it. is the freeness, the greatness, the preciousness, the scope, the duration.. in a word all that is summed up in the word: o John 3:16. For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. NIV - John begins this section by demanding that his people remember their privileges. 1

2 o It is their privilege that they are called the children of God. Our spirits should just soar at the very thought of it. It is a great thing to bear the name of the family of God. - But, as John points out, we are not merely called the children of God.. we are.. the children of God. - THERE IS ANOTHER THING WE SHOULD NOTICE HERE. o It is by the gift of God that a man becomes a child of God. By nature a man is the creature of God. But it is by grace that he becomes the child of God. - There are two English words which are closely connected but whose meanings are widely different. paternity and fatherhood. o Paternity describes a relationship in which a man is responsible for the physical existence of a child. o Fatherhood describes an intimate, loving, relationship. In the sense of PATERITY all men are children of God. But in the sense of FATHERHOOD men are children of God only when he makes his gracious approach to them and they respond. - This relationship is vividly set out in the New Testament in the idea of adoption o Romans 8: For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. 15 For ye received not the spirit of bondage again unto fear; but ye received the spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. 16 The Spirit himself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are children of God: 17 and if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified with him (1901ASV) 2

3 o Ephesians 1:4 6 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 5 he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. (NIV) - Here is the idea that by a deliberate act of adoption on the part of God the Christian enters into his family. o While all men are children of God in the sense that they owe their lives to him. o They become his children in the intimate and loving sense of the term.only. by God s initiating grace and their response of obedience to his grace. o The Old Testament had little to say about adoption. - To understand the depth of meaning in these passages one must first understand Roman adoption: o In the eyes of the law he was absolutely the son of his new father. o All of the past was wiped out. o He could not be denied as an heir. o The adoption ceremony was carried out in the presence of seven witnesses. o If anything came into question the witnesses came forth to assure his sonship. - Immediately the question arises: o If men have that great honor when they become Christians, why are they so despised by the world? o The answer is. the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. (vs. 1b) - They are experiencing only what Jesus has already experienced. o John 1: He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to that 3

4 which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12 Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband s will, but born of God. (NIV) - When He came into the world He was not recognized as the Son of God.. the world preferred its own ideas and rejected His. o The same is bound to happen to any man who chooses to embark on the way of Jesus Christ. John 15:20. Remember the word that I said to you, A servant is not greater than his master. (RSV) - Why did He say the world knowth us not? o Because it knew Him not. o Since the world does not know the Father, of course it does not recognize the Fathers children! - The word know here means more than superficial knowledge. o The world knows, of course, that Christians are in it. o They are aware that Christians worship God. But they do not approve of the lives of Christians. Nor do they acknowledge the Christians God as their Sovereign and King. - Jesus put it this way: o John 15: If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. 19 If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. (NIV) - The one great point that John wants them to understand is: o That they are the children of God NOW in spite of the nonrecognition of the world. 4

5 o God knows them. and this is enough. All the blessings of sonship are theirs and ours NOW! - He goes on to say.. and it is not yet made manifest what we shall be. (vs.2) (1901ASV) o This looks beyond our present life. o It is readily admitted that there is much with reference to the future which we do not know. See 1Cor. 15: If he shall be manifested, we shall be like him; for we shall see him even as he is (vs. 2) (1901 ASV) o To be manifested is to be made to appear. To be brought to the light. To be made known. - The phrase if he shall be manifest refers to the Lord s second coming. o When this event occurs, our imperfect conceptions will vanish in the perfect knowledge of him. which will then be ours. - The meaning is: o We are children of God now, as much so as we shall be when the Lord comes.. but at the present we are waiting for an inheritance which we do not fully comprehend. o When he comes we shall be children and, in addition, in possession of that for which we now wait. o We shall then have perfect understanding of matters with reference to our future state which now we do not fully understand - The glorious anticipation of being like Him should prompt us to utilize every faculty we possess in His service. 5

6 o To be like Him is to be as he is, in both spirit and body. o It is to be like Him in purity, in holiness, in kindness and in love.. it is to share with Him the complete approval of our Father and God. o It is, further, to be like Him in body.. to possess the immortal nature which he possesses, and to be no longer, as he is no longer, subject of death. - Paul put it this way in Philippians 3: But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body. (NIV) - John now goes on to encourage these Christians to purify themselves. o Verse 3.. And every one who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure. o This is presented in very much the same way as if we walk in the light as he is in the light we have fellowship one with the other and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanseth us from all sin. o The Greek word for purifieth is present active indicative. It is a continuous act. It keeps on purifying. o Taught here, in the most emphatic fashion is: 1. The conditionality of our salvation. 2. The necessity of abstaining from every form of impurity. 3. The example of purity which Christ himself supplies. - John has just said that the Christian is on the way to seeing God and being like him. o There is nothing like a great aim for helping man to resist temptation. 6

7 o The man who knows that God is at the end of the road will try his very best to make all life preparation to meet him. - Our responsibility as God s children is to live life free from sin to the best of our ability. o Always progressing in the faith. o Always realizing that we have an advocate with the Father when we occasionally do fail and sin. - We very much need to remember our relationship to God and to the world: o Colossians 3:1 4.. If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. 3 For you have died, and your life is hid with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. (RSV) 4 Every one who commits sin is guilty of lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. 5 You know that he appeared to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. 6 No one who abides in him sins; no one who sins has either seen him or known him. 7 Little children, let no one deceive you. He who does right is righteous, as he is righteous. 8 He who commits sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. 9 No one born of God commits sin; for God s nature abides in him, and he cannot sin because he is born of God. 10 By this it may be seen who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not do right is not of God, nor he who does not love his brother. - This passage here in 1 John is directed against the Gnostic false teachers. o They tried to justify sin. o They said the body was evil and consequently there was no harm in satisfying its lusts, because what happened to it was of no importance. 7

8 o They said that the truly spiritual man was so armored with the Spirit that he could sin to his heart s content and take no harm from it. o They even said that the true Gnostic was under obligation both to scale the heights and to plumb the depths so that he might be truly said to know all things. - Behind John s answer there is a kind of analysis of sin. o He tells us what sin is. It is deliberate breaking of a law which a man well knows. Sin is to obey oneself rather than to obey God. o He tells us what sin does. It undoes the work of Christ. Christ is the lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world (John 1:29). To sin is to bring back what he came into the world to abolish. - He tells us why sin is. It comes from the failure to abide in Christ. So long as we remember the continual presence of Jesus, we will not sin; it is when we forget that presence that we sin. o He tells us whence sin comes. It comes from the devil. He who lives a life of habitual sin is of the devil; he demonstrates his relation to Satan by his conformity to the character which the devil possesses. o He tells us how sin is conquered. It is conquered because Jesus Christ destroyed the works of the devil. He has broken the power of evil, and by his help that same victory can be ours. - It is summed up this way in the letter to the Ephesians: o Ephesians 2: But God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead through our 8

9 trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up with him, and made us sit with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God 9 not because of works, lest any man should boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. (RSV) - John gives four reasons why the child of God cannot sin: 1. He is born of God (v. 9) 2. God s seed abides in him (v. 9) 3. He abides in God (v. 6) 4. He knows God s nature (v. 7) - John is not talking about the impossibility of apostasy in this section.. he is simply saying that if an individual has not made a break with sin, his conversion is not genuine. o The child of God practices righteousness (v. 7) o The children of God and the children of the devil can be recognized (v. 10) Question: In verse 9 it is said that whosoever is begotten of God doth not commit sin because his seed remainth in him and he cannot sin because he is begotten of God. Can you explain to me what the seed is he s talking about and how that keeps one from sinning? Luke 8:11.. Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. (1901 ASV) 1 Peter 1:23. having been begotten again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, through the word of God, which liveth and abideth. (1901 ASV) Colossians 3:16. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts unto God. (1901 ASV) 9

10 Psalm 119:11. Thy word have I laid up in my heart, That I might not sin against thee. (1901 ASV) When Jesus was tempted It is written. Question: When does one give up sonship with God and become a child of the devil? Summary of lesson: 1 Peter 2: These are springs without water, and mists driven by a storm; for whom the blackness of darkness hath been reserved. 18 For, uttering great swelling words of vanity, they entice in the lusts of the flesh, by lasciviousness, those who are just escaping from them that live in error; 19 promising them liberty, while they themselves are bondservants of corruption; for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he also brought into bondage. 20 For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein and overcome, the last state is become worse with them than the first. 21 For it were better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after knowing it, to turn back from the holy commandment delivered unto them. 22 It has happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog turning to his own vomit again, and the sow that had washed to wallowing in the mire. (1901 ASV) Hebrews 10: If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, 27 but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God. 28 Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. 29 How much more severely do you think a man deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God under foot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified him, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace? 30 For we know him who said, It is mine to avenge; I will repay, and again, The Lord will judge his people. 31 It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. (1901 ASV) - John wants to remind us of our privileged position as God s children. - That as God s children we should expect some of the same rejection God receives from the world. 10

11 - That our conduct is one of the tests of our sonship: We should purify ourselves as God is pure. We should realize sin is lawlessness. We should make righteousness, not sin, the habitual practice of our lives. Lesson Text: 1 John 3:11 24 Introduction: In previous lessons, John has shown how the life we lead is one of the real tests of our Christianity. John also made it clear that one begotten of God does not make sinning the habitual practice of his life. In this lesson, John adds the test of loving our brother. He wants us to understand the kind of love we are to have for each other and to know the great blessings, which the practicing of that love brings. 11 For this is the message which you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another, - For here refers back to what had just been written (v10) o Whosoever doeth not (or does not practice) righteousness is not of God. (v 10) In other words Walking in the light is a necessity. o Neither he that loveth not his brother. (v 10) John 13:34 35 A new command I give. Love to a new extent. Love by a new example (Christ) 11

12 o Once again, John says this is the message which you have heard from the beginning. Since their acquaintance with Christianity. A foundation or cardinal principle of the faith. - In essence John is saying, Life reveals the children of God. o We know a tree by its fruit. o We know a man by his conduct. We must practice righteousness. We must love our brother - In these two things we find the test or final proof that we have passed from death to life. o To love is to be in the light. o To hate is to remain in darkness. Cain is offered as an example of what children of God are not to do: 12 and not be like Cain who was of the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own deeds were evil and his brother s righteous. - We should love one another, and not be as Cain was, who was of the evil one, and slew his brother. o He demonstrated the fact that he was of the devil by killing his brother. - The word translated slew here literally means: 4969 sphazo { sfad -zo} a primary verb; TDNT - 7:925,1125; v AV - slay 8, kill 1, wound 1; 10 GK { sfavzw } 12

13 1) to slay, slaughter, butcher 2) to put to death by violence 3) mortally wounded - The use of this word might well indicate the brutality of the murder. o Consequently.. the amount of hate generated toward his brother Abel. - The question is ask: o Wherefore slew he him. or as in other versions. And why did he murder him? - It is immediately answered: o Because his works were evil and his brother s righteous. - We need to recall several things about the situation that led up to this event: (Gen. 4: 3 5) 1. Cain s offering was of the fruit of the ground and Abel s was of the firstlings of the flock. Gen. 4:2b. Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil. (NIV) 2. God has respect unto Abel s offering. But unto Cain s and his offering he had not respect. - NIV.. The LORD looked with favor on Abel and his offering, 5 but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. 3. The reason for God s acceptance and rejection here is not detailed in the Genesis record. 4. In Hebrew s 11:4 we are told that by faith Able offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he had witness borne to him that he was righteous, God bearing witness in respect of his gifts: and though it he being dead yet speaketh. 13

14 By faith Able offered tells us that God told them what he wanted, because faith comes by hearing the word of God (Rom 14

15 Talent, abiltities. Money. Work done by others, etc. o The body works together! - In verse 13 John tells his readers: o Marvel not, brethren, if the world hateth you. The hatred of the good by the bad is nearly as old as the race. Cain was the first to exhibit this disposition. It is not a thing to be surprised at.. however much it may be regretted. John leaves behind his familiar expression little children.. preferring here brethren, which seems especially appropriate in view of the discussion of brotherly love. - Verse 14 says: o We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brethren (RSV) This verse is often misinterpreted. It does not say that love of the brethren is the condition of salvation from past, or alien, sins. - Brotherly love is here declared to be the condition, not of our salvation, but of the certainty of our knowledge of it. o It affords the evidence.. by which we may know that we have passed out of death into life. o The test is human.. not Devine. o It is in this way that the individual as well as the world around him.. determines the reality of his profession. 15

16 - It should also be noted: o He did not say.. we passed out of death into life because: We have been baptized. Because we meet on the first day of the week. Or. because we give of our means. o As important as these things are in their respective spheres these are not the tests the Lord ordained. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples.. IF YE HAVE LOVE ONE FOR ANOTHER. Love is not the only basis of acceptance before God. But it is the base - on which all other virtues rest. - He goes on to say at the end of verse 14 He that loveth not abideth in death. o As the presence of love signifies life.. so its opposite, hate, indicates death. o The reference is not to future death it already exists and will reach its consummation in the next life. o Abidth here suggests a state into which one has settled down permanently. o The death is spiritual separation from God and all that is good. - Verse 15 says Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer, and ye know that no murderer hath eternal live abiding in him. o Obviously.. spiritual life and spiritual death cannot abide in the same soul. - The Lord gave love a new dimension as he told his disciples to love one another as I have loved you. 16

17 - He also gave hate new meaning.. as he records the following in Matthew 5: You have heard that it was said to the men of old, You shall not kill; and whoever kills shall be liable to judgment. 22 But I say to you that every one who is angry with his brother shall be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother shall be liable to the council, and whoever says, You fool! shall be liable to the hell of fire. (RSV) o It might be well to remind ourselves of what Jesus then goes on to talk about immediately following this passage in Matthew. If you have aught against your brother. Leave your gift at the altar. First be reconciled to thy brother. - Jesus said that the old law forbade murder.. but the new law declared that anger and bitterness and contempt were just as serious sins. o Whenever there is hatred in the heart a man becomes a potential murderer. To allow hatred to settle in the heart is to break a definite commandment of Jesus. (For hatred to abide in the heart) QUESTION: What are some ways that one might be put in a position of possibly hating a brother? And how do you deal with it? Some injustice done. Business. Family. Reconcile if possible. Forgive. Bear it and go on. - At this point it might be good to look at a definition of love. 17

18 o 1Cor. 13:4-7 4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. (NIV) - We should be grateful that we have fallen under the influence of the glorious gospel of Christ Which enables us to subdue the feelings of hate and bitterness and envy. - Verse 16 begins the contrast between Cain and Christ. o Loving one another was not demonstrated by Cain. he hated his brother and murdered him. o Loving one another was clearly demonstrated by Jesus. He laid down his life for us. - Verse 16.. By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. (RSV) - This verse points out how much love Christ had for each of us. o It also points out that we should have this same type of AGAPE love for our brothers and sisters in Christ. To the point of death. - Verses 17 & 18 hits us where we live: o 17 But if any one has the world s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God s love abide in him? 18 Little children, let us not love in word or speech but in deed and in truth. (RSV) - C.H. Dodd writes this concerning this passage: - There were occasions in the life of the early church, as there are certainly tragic occasions at the present day, for a quite 18

19 literal obedience to the precept (that is to lay down our life for the brothers). But not all life is tragic; and yet the same principle of conduct must apply all through. Thus it may call for the simple expenditure of money we might have spent upon ourselves, to relieve the need of someone poorer. It is, after all, the same principle of action, through at a lower intensity; it is the willingness to surrender that which has value for our own life, to enrich the life of another. If such a minimum response to the law of charity, called for by such an everyday situation, is absent, then it is idle to pretend we are within the family of God, the realm in which love is operative as the principle and the token of eternal life. Fine words will never take the place of fine deeds; and no amount of talk of Christian love will take the place of a kindly action to a man in need, involving some self-sacrifice, for in that action the principle of the cross is operative again. The grand sacrifice is not often required. The everyday sacrifice is always needed. - Verse 19 tells us that, what has just been said. enables us to know that we are of the truth. o 19 By this we shall know that we are of the truth, and reassure our hearts before him (RSV) - Verse 20 says: o 20 whenever our hearts condemn us; for God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. (RSV) If we are deficient in love to our needy brethren, we know it. Our conscience so informs us. We thus condemn ourselves. (Feel guilty?) God is greater than our conscience or heart for He knows all things. 19

20 His condemnation is therefore certain. - Verse 21 reads as follows: - 1 John 3:21 Beloved, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God; (RSV) o If our conscience does not accuse us of being deficient in love to our needy brethren.. we have a conscience void of offence toward God.. and we are assured that he will hear us. - With this assurance before us he goes on to talk about His attentiveness to our prayers: - 1 John 3:22 goes on to say: o Verse 3: and we receive from him whatever we ask, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him (RSV) The halfway point in his argument had now been reached. As a result of active participation in the truth by real deeds of love, Christians can calm their disapproving hearts and achieve boldness in prayer. Their prayers will be answered because they, as believers, are consciously subject to God s will (they obey His commands [cf. 2:3] and do what pleases Him). This presumes, of course, that the requests themselves are made in subjection to God s will (5:14-15). 1 John 5: And this is the confidence which we have in him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. 15 And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have obtained the requests made of him. (RSV) - The summation of our duties of faith and practice is brought out in verse 23: 20

21 o 1 John 3: And this is his commandment, that we should believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. (RSV) - And he goes on to say in verse 24: o 1 John 3:24.. All who keep his commandments abide in him, and he in them. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit which he has given us. (RSV The spirit of the master in us manifests itself in our daily walk. If we are led by his spirit we show its fruit in our lives, and by this spirit we know that we are the sons of God. 21