Focus On Abiding In Him

1 John 3: 4-10

Focus On Attitudes:

Look At Another Attitude:

Another Choice For A Person To Make:

ATTITUDE ABOUT ABIDING IN CHRIST: BE DELIVERED FROM THE PRACTICE OF SIN.

How To Define These Ancient Terms?

INIQUITY: Plot Against Others: (Greek: PONERIA)

TRANSGRESSION: Breaking Trust With Others: (Greek: PARABASIS)

SIN: Moral Failure: (Greek: HAMARTIA)

THE GREEK WORD USED MOST IN THESE SCRIPTURES WAS THE ONE FOR

MORAL FAILURE:

SO IT WILL BE OUR UNDERSTANDING FOR THIS STUDY !!

1 JOHN 3:4-10 EXPLAINED:

Everyone Who Sins Is Breaking God’s Law,

All MORAL FAILURE Is Contrary To The Law Of God,

Jesus Came To Take Away Our Sins,

There Is No Sin In Him,

Anyone Who Abides In Him Will Not Practice MORAL FAILURE,

Anyone Who Keeps On Sinning Does Not Know Him.

Anyone Who Keeps On Sinning Does Not Understand Who He Is.

Do Not Be Deceived About This,

When People Do What Is Right: Shows That They Possess His Righteousness.

But When People Keep On Failing Morally: Shows That They Belong To Satan.

NOTE: The Son Of God Came To Destroy The Works Of Satan.

Those Who Have Been Born Into God’s Family,

Do Not Make A Practice Of MORAL FAILURE,

Because God’s Life Is In Them,

So They Can not Keep On Practicing Sin,

Because They Are Children Of God.

The Command To Love:

We Can Tell Who Are Children Of God,

We Can Tell Who Are Children Of Satan,

Anyone Who Does Not Live Righteously,

Anyone Who Does Not Love Other Believers,

Anyone Who Does Not Belong To God.

1 JOHN 3: 4-10 OUTLINED:

THE BELIEVER AND MORAL FAILURE:

THEME:

Because MORAL FAILURE Is Serious,

Because Sin Is Opposed To The Reasons Why Christ Came,

Because Christians Cannot Live In MORAL FAILURE,

Because Sin Is Serious Rebellion Against God,

Because Sin Is Totally Opposed To Christ,

Because True Christians Do Not Live In MORAL FAILURE.

FOCUS:

The Conflict BetweenThe Children Of God And Children Of Satan.

1. He Came To Deliver Us From MORAL FAILURE.

2. He Came To Destroy The Works Of Satan.

3. He Came To IDENTIFY THE MARKS Of The Children Of God.

- Of Our Obligation To Purity Due To This Hope Of Heaven,

- Of Communion With Christ In Glory At The Day Of His Appearance,

- Of Resisting Sin And All Communion With The Fruit Of Darkness.

Sin Is Corruption Of Divine Law.

Divine Law Contains:

- God's Will For The Government Of The World,

- God's Will To The Rational Nature Of Mankind,

- God's Will Enacted For The Good Of The World,

- God's Will Which Shows Mankind The Way Of Joy And Peace.

Sin Is The Rejection Of The Divine Law,

Sin Is The Rejection Of The Divine Authority,

Sin Is The Rejection Of The Divine One Himself.

It Is An Opposition To The Divine Law:

Whosoever Commits Sin Transgresses The Law Because Sin Is Lawlessness.

BUT A Righteous Life Is A Distinguishing Mark One Has Been Born Of God.

1. HE CAME TO DELIVER US FROM MORAL FAILURE.

A. CHRIST APPEARED AND DEALT WITH THIS FAILURE.

B. CHRISTIANS ABIDE IN CHRIST AND DO NOT LIVE IN FAILURE.

THE OBLIGATION OF PURITY:

Anyone who rests this hope on Him purifies himself as He is pure.

Anyone who commits sin commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness.

And you know that He appeared that He might take away our sin.

Anyone who abides in Him does not sin.

Anyone who sins has not seen Him and does not know Him.

The Christian is on the way to seeing God and being like Him.

There is nothing like a great aim for helping a man to resist temptation.

Sin Is Serious Rebellion Against God:

Lawlessness:

- Not Just Breaking Of God’s Law

- One Who Practices Sin Is In Revolt Against God

- Sin Is Nothing But Rebellion Against God.

- To Practice Sin Is To Be In Open Rebellion Against God Himself.

A Right Knowledge Of Sin Lies At The Root Of Biblical Christianity.

Satan's Strategy:

Satan Tells A Rebellious Person To Think More Highly Of Self Than They Ought:

- I May Not Be Perfect, But I’m Not A Wretched Sinner! 

Satan Pulls God Down From His Absolute Holiness:

- Surely, A Loving God Understands That I’m Only Human.

- He Wouldn’t Send Someone As Good As Me To Hell!

- He Wouldn’t Demand Perfect Righteousness, Would He?

Gnostic false teaching:

Teaches that moral failure doesn't matter.

Teaches that the body is evil,

Teaches that no harm in satisfying its lusts because what happens to it was of no importance.

They said that the truly spiritual man was so armored with the Spirit that he could sin to his heart's content.

Teaches that they Have Special Revelation Or Knowledge Of Christ.

The Apostle teaching:

A Sinful Live Betrays Oneself To Continue Living In Sin.

Anyone That Knows Jesus Christ As The Holy, Sinless Savior, Does Not Live In Sin.

Do Not Be Deceived: True Christians Practice Righteousness As Jesus Is Righteous.

MORAL FAILURE Is Totally Opposed To Jesus Christ (3:5).

Jesus Christ Did Not Come To This Earth Primarily To Give Us Moral Teaching

His Main Reason For Coming Was To Take Away Our Failures 

His Main Reason Was To Bear The Penalty In His Own Body On The Cross.

The Only Way That He Could Do This Was To Be Completely Sinless Himself.

Thus John Adds, “and In Him There Is No Sin.”

- Jesus Virgin Birth Through The Holy Spirit Preserved Him From Original Sin.

- Jesus Lived In Complete Obedience To God, So That Even His Enemies Could Not Convict Him Of Sin.

- Jesus Offered Himself As A Lamb Unblemished And Spotless. The Final And Complete Sacrifice For Our Sins.

If You Know These Truths, Then John’s Conclusion Is Inescapable:

2. HE CAME TO DESTROY THE WORKS OF THE DEVIL.

A. THE DEVIL IS A DECEIVER, SO PURSUE RIGHTEOUSNESS.

B. THE DEVIL IS A TOTAL FAILURE WHO HAS BEEN DEFEATED.

Abides: Every Christian Abides In Christ.

The Word Abides In 3:6 Is Parallel To Is Born Of God In 3:9.

John Adds (3:6), “No One Who Sins Has Seen Him Or Knows Him.”

Because Of The Devilish Origin Of Sin And The Purpose Of Christ’s Appearing, True Christians Cannot Live In Moral Failure.

Sin Is Serious Because It Originates With The Devil

The One Who Practices A Lifestyle Of MORAL FAILURE Is Of Satan.

All People Into Two Camps: Those Who Practice Righteousness (3:7) And Those Who Practice Sin (3:8).

There Is No Third Camp For Those Who DO NOT Believe In Jesus, But Are Decent, Good People Who Never Hurt Anyone.

God Created Lucifer And All The Angels As Good,

Lucifer (Satan) Sinned Against God And Led A Rebellion.

Satan Says: I WILL,

Sin Says: I WILL,

God Says: MY WILL.

Sin Is Totally Opposed To The Purpose Of Christ’s Coming To Destroy The Works Of The Devil.

Christ Appeared To Take Away Our Failures.

Christ Came To Destroy Satan’s Works.

He Came To Pay The Penalty For Our Failures.

He Came To Break The Power Of Our Failures.

3. HE CAME TO MARK OUT THE CHILDREN OF GOD.

A. GOD'S CHILDREN HAVE EXPERIENCED A NEW BIRTH.

B. GOD'S CHILDREN DO NOT PRACTICE SIN.

C. GOD'S CHILDREN LOVE ONE ANOTHER.

A True Christian Does Not And Cannot Live In Sin (3:9-10).

Committing Individual Acts Of Sin OR As A Way Of Life?

It Is Impossible For A Child Of God To Persist In A Lifestyle Marked By Sin.

Not Talking About Sinless Perfection, But Rather About The Direction Of The Life Of A Believer.

If God Has Imparted New Life To You, So That You Have Become His Child, You Cannot Go On Living In Sin.

HE CHILDREN OF GOD AND THE CHILDREN OF THE DEVIL ARE DISTINGUISHED BY THE PRACTICE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS AND LOVE: