THE LETTERS OF JOHN: MAKE A CHANGE!

Pastor Jonathan Falwell 

1 John 3:1-10 (CSB) See what great love the Father has given us that we should be called God’s children—and we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it didn’t know him. 2 Dear friends, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet been revealed. We know that when he appears, we will be like him because we will see him as he is. 3 And everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself just as he is pure. 4 Everyone who commits sin practices lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness. 5 You know that he was revealed so that he might take away sins, and there is no sin in him. 6 Everyone who remains in him does not sin; everyone who sins has not seen him or known him. 7 Little children, let no one deceive you. The one who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous. 8 The one who commits sin is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God was revealed for this purpose: to destroy the devil’s works. 9 Everyone who has been born of God does not sin, because his seed remains in him; he is not able to sin, because he has been born of God. 10 This is how God’s children and the devil’s children become obvious. Whoever does not do what is right is not of God, especially the one who does not love his brother or sister. 

1. Don’t be surprised by the lack of love 

Vs 1 See what great love the Father has given us that we should be called God’s children—and we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it didn’t know him.

• The world doesn’t love what we believe because the world doesn’t love Him
• No recognition of the reality of Christ – (John 1:10-11)
• Don’t be shocked the world is not “for us”

2. The best is yet to come 

Vs 2 Dear friends, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet been revealed. We know that when he appears, we will be like him because we will see him as he is.

• The reality of Heaven is a new body and a new mind in the likeness of Christ
• We will know what we cannot know
• This is the power and promise to overcome

3. So prepare for the best 

Vss 3-6 And everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself just as he is pure. 4 Everyone who commits sin practices lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness. 5 You know that he was revealed so that he might take away sins,, and there is no sin in him. Everyone who remains in him does not sin;, everyone who sins has not seen him or known him. 

Vs 6 (NLT) 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.

• Verse 3 begins a difficult passage for many to understand and is often misinterpreted
• Our status as a “saint” is not negated by the presence of sin, but our efforts should be to live without sin

• David Walls says, “Until then, we battle—the regenerate inner self with the flesh. The “flesh” does not refer to the physical body. The body is neutral. Rather, the flesh is a spiritual gravitational pull to sin that we cannot escape until we receive a new body.”[1] 

4. Even though Satan wants the worst 

Vss 7-10 Little children, let no one deceive you. The one who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous. 8 The one who commits sin is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God was revealed for this purpose: to destroy the devil’s works. 9 Everyone who has been born of God does not sin, because his seed remains in him; he is not able to sin, because he has been born of God. 10 This is how God’s children and the devil’s children become obvious. Whoever does not do what is right is not of God, especially the one who does not love his brother or sister. 

Vs 9 (NLT) Those who have been born into God’s family do not make a practice of sinning, because God’s life is in them. So they can’t keep on sinning, because they are children of God. 

• This is the idea of habitual, unrepentant sin; living as if it doesn’t matter
• Many Christians argue we have freedom/liberty to live how we want because we live under grace and mercy. This is a false idea borne out of the tradition of the Gnostics John writes to refute.
• John MacArthur states, “The Christian is a single new person, a totally new creation, not a spiritual schizophrenic. It is the filthy coat of remaining humanness in which the new creation dwells that continues to hinder and contaminate his living. He is no longer the old man corrupted but is now the new man created in righteousness and holiness, awaiting full salvation (Rom. 13:11) when he dies and is given a new body.”[1] 

[1] David Walls and Max Anders, I & II Peter, I, II & III John, Jude, vol. 11, Holman New Testament Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1999), 193.

[1] David Walls and Max Anders, I & II Peter, I, II & III John, Jude, vol. 11, Holman New Testament Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1999), 193.