1 JOHN KNOWING A LOVING GOD Sermon 3

1 JOHN: KNOWING A LOVING GOD Sermon #3: Obedient Children September 22 nd 2019 1 John 2: 28 – 3: 10 on Page 1900.

GETTING STARTED… Last Week’s 9 + 1 Questions. Printouts are available. “Would you say that children are naturally obedient or disobedient? ” As a child, would you be characterized as a generally obedient or disobedient child?

CONTEXT OF TODAY’S TEXT… As “children of God”, they need to consider their connection to God and their connection to sin. Are they going to be obedient, or disobedient children?

POLICE OFFICER INVOLVEMENT Once from the preacher’s son… Once from my younger cousin… “They are tearing down the building so do you want to bust out all of the windows? ” Have you been nudged before?

THE FALSE TEACHERS They are teaching that all matter is evil so that they can redefine sin. Choosing to be obedient children has eternal privileges for the original audience and for us today as well.

1 JOHN 2: 28 – 3: 3 ON PAGE 1900 28 And now (because of the anointing of the Holy Spirit teaching us truth), dear children, continue in him, so that when he appears we may be confident and unashamed before him at his coming. 29 If you know that he is righteous, you know that everyone who does what is right has been born of him.

1 JOHN 3: 1 -3 1 Jn 3: 1 How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2 Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. 3 Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure.

NOTE: We need to live with an eternal perspective awaiting transformation. Note that the actions are left in the hands of the believer. This leads to “purifies himself” Present active participle - effort made to keep ceremonially clean.

1 JOHN 3: 4 -6 4 Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness. 5 But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin. 6 No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him. Note: Sin is lawlessness Keeps on sinning – “abides” or “remains” in a sinful lifestyle. “continues to sin” - This has the idea of continues IN sin

1 JOHN 3: 7 -9 7 Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. He who does what is righteous, just as he is righteous. 8 He who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work. 9 No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God.

1 JOHN 3: 7 -9 NOTES: “born of God” x 2 and in 1 John 5: 18 “continue to sin” GK “sin not practices”. Weymouth New Testament No one who is a child of God is habitually guilty of sin. A God-given germ of life remains in him, and he cannot habitually sin--because he is a child of God. The “cannot go on sinning” relies on the Holy Spirit within.

1 JOHN 3: 10 10 This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God; nor is anyone who does not love his brother. Note: “Does not do what is right” – not practicing righteousness.

A MISUNDERSTOOD SECTION? If, and when, we read these statements about not sinning, cannot sin, etc as absolutes of “one strike and you are out” we can be nudged into redefining sin or lying to ourselves. If we see these statements in a context of being obedient children who love God and therefore work at living life as he has called us instead of preferring sin, then we acknowledge our desire to sin and our times of disobedience.

APPLY IN 5 WAYS… 1) This week pay attention to the nudges in your life and how you can nudge others for good. 2) Acknowledge your sinful nature and weaknesses. 3) Reaffirm your love of God and the joy of being called his child. 4) Choose to be obedient because of the love of right not the fear of punishment. 5) Work at first time obedience and notice how it improves your week.