I John 3:8-9 (Part 1)

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8 Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. 9 No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him, and he cannot keep on sinning because he has been born of God.^[1]

THE STUDY:

John uses the same phrase “makes a practice” found in verse 7 here in verse 8. Whoever “PRODUCES” sin is of the devil. John is referring to the fact that one’s life demonstrates who they are in allegiance with, sin (the devil) or righteousness (Jesus Christ). Just as a Christian lives under the influence of God living in him, so do sinners live under the influence of the devil and allow themselves to be seduced by him. Consequently, just as he who is born of God and in whom God dwells does what God does, or concretely, ‘lives the same kind of life as Christ lived’ (1 Jn 2:6), that of a son of God, so the ‘children of the devil’ can only do what their ‘father wants’ (Jn 8:44), those very deeds which the Son of God came to undo (1 Jn 3:8).^[2]

We discussed, yesterday, how the very nature that dwells inside of us is “produced” from us. If we are producing righteousness then our nature is that of Christ, but if we are producing sin then our nature is that of the devil. This is the devil's normal life and those who imitate him become his spiritual children.

WHAT WE CAN WALK AWAY WITH ….

• We walk away with the understanding that the very nature that dwells inside us is what will be produced. When we accept Christ as our personal savior we receive the fullness of the Holy Spirit to dwell inside us. WE GET IT ALL! That spirit starts to become the very nature that pours from our being. Christ said to His disciples, “Whoever has seen me has seen the Father (John 14:9). As the Holy Spirit dwells inside us, that’s what others will see.

CONCLUSION:

          In the movie, Sixth Sense, Bruce Willis played a psychologist who was treating a young boy. This young boy had a line in the movie that has become a catch phrase in our culture today, “I see dead people.”

The very nature that dwells inside of a believer is one of Christ and not of self. Paul states that we are “to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, 23 and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, 24 and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.^[3] When the world looks at us (believers of the faith) they should see “dead people”: A person who has died to self and alive in Christ.

Blessings my friends

Pastor Rod

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^[1] The Holy Bible: English standard version. 2001 (1 Jn 3:8–9). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

^[2] Kruse, C. G. (2000). The letters of John. The Pillar New Testament commentary (122–123). Grand Rapids, Mich.; Leicester, England: W.B. Eerdmans Pub.; Apollos.

^[3] The Holy Bible: English standard version. 2001 (Eph 4:22–24). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.