Taking Advice from the Beloved Disciple – 1John 3

• Verses 1 -3: It is truly a holy and supernatural love that grants family adoption to fallen human beings who naturally rebel against God. The Sovereign of the universe is certainly not required to extend pardons. Yet, because of His:
  1. transcendent and perfect goodness in love, God has extended grace so that we can approach Him in faith and repentance as children; and
  2. righteousness, He ensures the penalty of sin is paid. Jesus paid the penalty on our behalf so that justice is served.
• It is written:
  • This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. (1 John 4:9-10 NIV)
  • But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8 NIV)
  • But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions, it is by grace you have been saved. (Ephesians 2:4-5 NIV)
• Because of God’s love, grace, and righteousness, despite our failures, anyone who fully relies on Jesus’ (the Son of God), finished work of redemption (as Scripture foretold) is indeed “NOW” a child of God from the moment their heart believed (was regenerated). It is this saving faith by God’s illumination in a human’s heart that causes God’s children to continue to confess our sins to Him and turn from evil ways to walk holy lives through His empowering Spirit. As it is written:
  • Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God; children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. (John 1:12-13 NIV)
  • But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship. Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” (Galatians 4:4-6 NIV)
• Jesus forewarned that those who would not believe would hate the distinction His indwelling Spirit makes because the world rejected Him and thereby His Father. Children of God do not practice sin, nor do we share the world’s appetites. This non-conformity coupled with evangelism causes resentment toward God’s children in many. Jesus said to His believers:
  • “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before, it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. .. He who hates Me hates My Father also.” (John 15:18-19, 23)
• Jesus said to the unbelieving who claimed to follow God but did not accept Christ:
  • … “Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. “And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. “Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed. … “I speak what I have seen with My Father, and you do what you have seen with your father.” … “If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and came from God; nor have I come of Myself, but He sent Me. … “He who is of God hears God’s words; therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God.” (portions of John 8:34-47)

The children born of God do not continue to practice sin because they understand who Christ is and what He did for them. They will not continue to wander off the narrow way; there must be a return because they are sons and have God’s seed within.

Chapters 1 and 2 of 1 John provide 7 evidence of knowing Christ and having eternal life.

Chapter 3 provides the children of God with self-examination questions/tests to help determine whether a course correction is needed in the walk of faith on the path to the Father’s house that He has laid before His children.

Questions: Are you a child of God? Do you love other believers despite differing opinions, mistakes, personalities, hurt feelings, gifts and blessings, or ignorance? How do your attitude and actions demonstrate that you revere the Lord and abide by His teachings?

Instruction: John wrote that we would not sin and he reminded us that if or when we do, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ who intercedes on our behalf. He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness when we confess it to Him. ( Refer to 1 John 1:9 to2:1 and Hebrews 7:25-27)

Holy and righteous Father loves His children and wants all to (1) abide with Him and Christ in fellowship now and (2) forever more so we need to avoid the deception that gives permission to sin. Sin may be natural to fallen humanity, but it is not part of God, nor is it a part of His overcoming children.

There is no sin in the Godhead but there is Help for our holiness in the time of need. Jesus said:

• “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. “In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. … “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. “And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. “If you ask anything in My name, I will do it. “If you love Me, keep My commandments. “And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever; “the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. (John 14:1-3, 12-17)