“This Is How We Know”

1 John 3:4-10

July 15, 2007

Carl Palmer

Pastor-Teacher

 

 

John’s two-part explanation of the relationship

of “the children of God” to “sins”:

 

 


                                                Verses 4-7                                 Verses 8-10

 

The introductory       Everyone who sins  (4)        He who does what

phrase:                                                              is sinful  (8)

 


The theme:              The nature of sin is               The origin of sin is

                              lawlessness  (4)                        the devil  (8)

 


The purpose             He appeared so that           The reason the Son

of Christ’s                He might take away            of God appeared was

appearing:               our sins  (5)                         to destroy the devil’s

                                                                         work  (8)

 


The logical               No one who lives in             No one who is born

conclusion:              Him keeps on sinning             of God will continue

                              (6)                                       to sin  (9)

 


Behavior                  He who does what                   Anyone who does

that confirms            is right is righteous,            not do what is right

identity:                   just as he is righteous              is not a child of God

                              (7)                                                          (10)

 

 

 

 

Sin is lawlessness that originated in the devil.  (4,8)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Christ came to “take away our sins” and to “destroy the devil’s work.”  (5, 8)

 

 

 

 

Continuing in sin completely contradicts the whole purpose of Christ’s first coming.  (5-6, 8)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Continuing in sin indicates a person is not “born of God.”

 

 

 

Everyone sins, (1 John 1:8-2:2) but there is a difference between occasional sin and continual practice of sin.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Those truly “born of God” are known by rejection of sin and truly righteous behavior.  (7, 9-10)

 

 

 

These verses:

 

·         help us see the seriousness of sin.

 

·         persuade us – that continual domination by sin

is completely contrary to the work of Christ

and the true nature of the child of God.

 

·         persuade us – that continual pursuit of what is right

is the purpose of the work of Christ

and our true nature as a child of God.

 

·         warn us and encourage us

to reject sin and to practice the kind of behavior

that demonstrates we are “born of God.”

 

 

Going deeper with the Word…

 

1.  How is our sin actually “lawlessness”?

 

2.  How must we see our own sins in view of verse 6 and 10?

 

3.  Do you recognize within yourself a life principle of rejecting sin and desire to do what is right?

 

4.  (Looking ahead…) What do the next verses (3:11-18) teach us is a primary evidence that we truly belong to God?