I John 3:5

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You know that he appeared in order to take away sins, and in him there is no sin.

THE STUDY:

The verb “away” (airō) is used in the Fourth Gospel with the sense of a change of location (John 2:16; 11:39, 41; 19:31, 38; 20:1, 13). Sins are taken away by the atoning work of “the Lamb of God” (John 1:29) whose death was a representative bearing away of sin. But the term may imply more than simply to “take away”. It can also suggest removal in the sense of destruction. The Jews in John 19:15 call for the death, by execution, of Jesus, “Take him away [aron]! Crucify him!” (see Luke 23:18). These usages suggest not just a new residence for sin, but its eventual removal by defeat/destruction.

John is not presenting Christ as having come simply to counterbalance sin in the human heart, that is, to hold down evil so as to give holiness a chance at succeeding in the believer. Christ came to complete a decisive victory over sin.^[1]

WHAT WE CAN WALK AWAY WITH ….

• We can walk away, today, with the understanding, as one of the great hymn writers penned down,  Jesus “PAID IT ALL.”. The Victory is ours to obtain if we simply accept, acknowledge, and believe in the one who paid it all. In this victory we can stand in the midst of sin and walk away from it, rebuke it, or both.

CONCLUSION:

           I recall, as a kid, an old TV show called “The Flip Wilson Show.” One of the famous quotes from that show was, “The devil made me do it.” I have used this quote many times in sermons as an example of our society today. Everyone wants to blame someone else for their sins but the bottom line is we can only blame ourselves. We can’t even blame the devil!

          We can do something about it though. We can repent, accept, and start living in the victory Christ has provided for us. Let Jesus “take away” your sins today and start living in the power of Christ!

Blessings my friends

Pastor Rod

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^[1] Williamson, R. (2010). 1, 2, & 3 John: A Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition. New Beacon Bible Commentary (115). Kansas City, MO: Beacon Hill Press.

I John 3:4

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Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness.

THE STUDY:

This verse is translated so many different ways:

NASB: “Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness”

NKJV: “Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness”

NRSV: “Everyone who commits sin is guilty of lawlessness”

TEV: “Whoever sins is guilty of breaking God’s law”

             Two senses may be present in this verse. First, sin is a breaking of the law. People create a performance record of violations; they break the law in an ongoing way.

Second, people may have a spirit hostile to the laws of God—sin is a lawless spirit. Sin may be understood especially as a lawless attitude toward God. Thus, sin is a condition from which believers must be set free. Paul writes similarly of sin as an inner compulsion that combats his better, spiritual judgment (see Rom 7:23).

Foundationally, John appears to believe that people sin because they are first sinners. They have an anti-God attitude that manifests itself in opposition to the purposes of God. Thus, the most fundamental need for everyone is to find correction for the core character problem, an answer that will turn the heart’s affections strongly godward. Such a solution would make it as natural to do the right, the holy, as formerly it was “natural” to do the wrong, the sinful.^[1]

WHAT WE CAN WALK AWAY WITH ….

• We walk away this morning understanding that we are naturally “bent toward sin!” This all can be changed by the one who dwells inside of us: Jesus! We cannot change our nature but the Holy Spirit that dwells inside of us can. This is what Paul meant when he talked about dying to the old self! Death and life are eternal but they each have different results: one is the result of (death), the other is the surrender of (life).

CONCLUSION:

What is sin?

 Man calls it an accident; God calls it an abomination.

 Man calls it a blunder; God calls it blindness.

 Man calls it a defect; God calls it a disease.

 Man calls it a chance; God calls it a choice.

 Man calls it an error; God calls it an enmity.

 Man calls it a fascination; God calls it a fatality.

 Man calls it an infirmity; God calls it an iniquity.

 Man calls it a luxury; God calls it a leprosy.

 Man calls it a liberty; God calls it lawlessness.

 Man calls it a trifle; God calls it a tragedy.

 Man calls it a mistake; God calls it a madness.

 Man calls it a weakness; God calls it willfulness. ^[2]

Today, let the Spirit that lives inside you point you toward a life that is filled with His glory and not a life of sin that will lead to death!

Blessings my friends

Pastor Rod

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^[1] Williamson, R. (2010). 1, 2, & 3 John: A Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition. New Beacon Bible Commentary (114). Kansas City, MO: Beacon Hill Press.

^[2] Tan, P. L. (1996). Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations: Signs of the Times. Garland, TX: Bible Communications, Inc.

I John 3:3 (Part 2)

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And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.

THE STUDY:

          If you remember yesterday we talked about the measure of true holiness being Christlikeness. Holiness is not first and foremost adherence to rules or standards. Rather it is the divine life being lived out through us. This morning we want to look at what John mean by “purifies himself?” The basic idea is of the preparation required to enter the divine presence. The cultic background of the terminology is that of ritual purity. In John 11:55 those preparing themselves for Passover went to Jerusalem “for their ceremonial cleansing” (hagnisōsin, see Exod 19:10–11). But here the term should be understood ethically as in the rest of the NT (Jas 4:8; 1 Pet 1:22).

Related language appears in John 17:19 when Jesus said, “I sanctify myself” (hagiazō emauton). This is Jesus’ preparation just prior to his return to the immediate presence of the Father. Jesus’ self-sanctification (making himself holy!) is his dedication to the cross to fulfill the will of the Father. It is the ethic of the redemptive mission of the Christ, the supremely revealed way of life.

Yet one cannot humanly accomplish the cleansing, sanctifying work is required to conquer sin. Only the holy God can fully purge and sanctify. To purify self is to be understood in the context of the pardon and cleansing from sin that is available only through Christ’s atoning death. But after accepting Christ’s sacrifice for sin we present our lives “as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God” (Rom 12:1). It is in this placing of our redeemed lives fully at God’s disposal that the call to purify self should be understood.

          This kind of living faith honors God and adheres to Scripture. A surrendered life gives God unhindered space in which to work. To the degree that we invite God’s purifying presence into our lives, to that degree we are engaged in purifying ourselves.^[1]

WHAT WE CAN WALK AWAY WITH ….

• We walk away this morning with the understanding that a life that is given up, forgiven, and walking in Christ is a life that is purified. Christ purifies, we surrender! This can only be done through a life that is faithful to God and honors and obeys Gods Word!

CONCLUSION:

In 1887, just following an evangelistic meeting held by Dwight L. Moody, a young man stood to share his story in an after-service testimony meeting. As he was speaking, it became clear to many that he knew little about the Bible or acceptable Christian doctrine. His closing lines, however, spoke volumes to seasoned and new believers alike: I'm not quite sure. But I'm going to trust, and I'm going to obey.

Daniel Towner was in the audience that night and was so struck by the power of those simple words that he quickly jotted them down, and then delivered them to a man named John Sammis, who developed the lyrics to one of the favorite old time hymn, Trust and Obey.

          Purifying ourselves is simply trusting and obeying! Let your day be filled with trust in Jesus Christ and being obedient to His will for your life.

Blessings my friends

Pastor Rod

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^[1] Williamson, R. (2010). 1, 2, & 3 John: A Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition. New Beacon Bible Commentary (113). Kansas City, MO: Beacon Hill Press.

I John 3:3 (Part 1)

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And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.

THE STUDY:

          Believers strive for a life of purity because Christ “is pure.” The pronoun “he” translates the affectionate pronoun ekeinos (lit. that one), a term often used in 1 John to refer to Jesus. The pronoun makes specific designation—that one. The incarnate, earthly Jesus (2:6) defines the purity in view.

The word “pure” (hagnos) means holy, belonging to God. The purity of Christ calls for his disciple to embrace that same purity. Yet, interestingly, hagnos (Pure) is never used in the Gospels to identify Jesus (Brown 1982, 397). The verb form (hagnizō) appears only here and in John 11:55 in the entire writings of John.

The measure of true holiness is Christlikeness. Holiness is not first and foremost adherence to rules or standards. Rather it is the divine life being lived out through us. The phrase just “as he is pure” involves the possession of the same kind of character Christ displayed. We will see Christ “as he is” and that unhindered seeing leads to a purity of life that is like his.^[1]

WHAT WE CAN WALK AWAY WITH ….

• What we can walk away with this morning is the understanding that Holiness is not “regulations” but “revelation.” It is Christ being revealed through us in our daily walk with Him.

CONCLUSION:

          Paul tells us to live victoriously and to avoid excesses of the flesh. Moody once illustrated this truth as follows: “Tell me,” he said to his audience, “How can I get the air out of this glass?” One man said, “Suck it out with a pump.” Moody replied, “That would create a vacuum and shatter the glass.” After many impossible suggestions, Moody smiled, picked up a pitcher of water, and filled the glass. “There,” he said, “all the air is now removed.” He then went on to show that victory in the Christian life is not by “sucking out a sin here and there,” but rather by being filled with the Spirit. ^[2]

          Living a life of Holiness is not removing sin here and there but a life that dies out each every day to Christ: Asking to be filled with the Holy Spirit and letting His ways be yours today!

Blessings my friends

Pastor Rod

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^[1] Williamson, R. (2010). 1, 2, & 3 John: A Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition. New Beacon Bible Commentary (112). Kansas City, MO: Beacon Hill Press.

^[2] Tan, P. L. (1996). Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations: Signs of the Times. Garland, TX: Bible Communications, Inc.

I John 3:2

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Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.

THE STUDY:

          In studying the Word of God one of the things to look for is repeated words or phrases. When we see this we need to pay close attention to it. There is a reason the writer repeats these words or phrases. An example in our day and time; “Son, I want you go throughout the house and empty all the trash cans. After you have finished that take the trash out to the garage. Once all the trash is collected take it out to the street for the garbage collectors to pick it up.” Repeated word is “Trash!” Why? The word “trash” is the main focus of the conversation.

          In this verse the word “WE” is repeated 5 times. John is trying to reconnect the believers with the one true God. It may appear they have been swayed by the teachings of the Gnostics. John says WE …

1. … are God’s Children!
2. … will be gloriously resurrected! 
3. … know all about Christ! 
4. … shall be like Him in the resurrection!
5. … shall see him as He is!

WHAT WE CAN WALK AWAY WITH ….

• We walk away this morning with the understanding that everything God has done is because He LOVES us! We are His children because he loves us. We will be gloriously resurrected because He loves us. He has revealed Christ to us because He loves us. He sent His son so that we may be like Him because he loves us. We shall have an opportunity to be in heaven with God because He loves us.

CONCLUSION:

A young woman grew up in dire poverty in the heartland of the country. A benefactor made it possible for her to take a trip to the coast where for the first time she saw the ocean. Captivated, she stood gazing at its vastness. In awe she was heard to say, “Thank God for something of which there is more than enough!” So it is with God’s love. We stand in awe of its vastness. There is more than enough!

If you don’t know this I want to make sure you walk away this morning hearing it from me, “God Loves You!” He always has and He always will. It’s what we do in response to this love that makes the difference.

         

Blessings my friends

Pastor Rod

I John 3:1 (Part 2)

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I John 3:1 (Part 2)

See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him.

THE STUDY:

          God’s children experience the love of God. We profess him as our Father, for we have an experiential knowledge of God. We put our trust and faith in him who loves us, provides for us, and protects us.

          The hostile, unbelieving world, however, does not know the children of God. Unbelievers cannot understand us, says John, because they do not know God (compare John 16:2–3 They will put you out of the synagogues. Indeed, the hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God. And they will do these things because they have not known the Father, nor me.)

“The world does not recognize us because it never recognized him.” The unbelieving world lives separated from God and will never know the significance of our spiritual relationship with God. If we were to become worldly, we would forfeit our status as children of God. By rejecting us, however, the world confirms our relationship with God the Father.^[1]

WHAT WE CAN WALK AWAY WITH ….

• We walk away, this morning, with the understanding that those who comprehend our ways are those who are believers as well. The world cannot understand “US” because they do not know God!

• We should not find it confusing to the fact that the world rejects us. This is actually a confirmation to the fact that we are believers in Christ.

CONCLUSION:

          I am not sure if it is the fact that I am getting older or the world is getting crazier. I am finding that in our world, I am not of the norm. I don’t think up is down, left is right, and sin is acceptable in certain situations. For the longest time I would be frustrated by this fact and feel that I was not normal. I am coming to an understanding that knowing Christ and having a personal relationship with Him, I am normal.

My encouragement to you today is to accept the fact that the world is not going to understand us (believers). You are not abnormal but normal! Embrace it and continue to do what the Holy Spirit guides you to do. All of this for the Glory of God!

Blessings my friends

Pastor Rod

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^[1] Kistemaker, S. J., & Hendriksen, W. (1953-2001). Vol. 14: New Testament commentary : Exposition of James and the Epistles of John. New Testament Commentary (294). Grand Rapids: Baker Book House.

I John 3:1

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See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him.

THE STUDY:

John does not say “the Father loves us.” If so, he would be describing a condition. Instead, he writes, “the Father has lavished [his love] on us” and thus portrays an action and the extent of God’s love. John has chosen the word Father purposely. That word implies the Father-child relationship. However, God did not become Father when he adopted us as children. God’s fatherhood is eternal. He is eternally the Father of Jesus Christ and through Jesus he is our Father. Through Jesus we receive the Father’s love and are called “children of God.”^[1]

          The love of the God is not based on a condition; if we love him, only then, will He love us. God loved us from the very beginning as we were thought of and created by Him. It was all about love!

          A good way to comprehend this thought of God’s love for us: Being a parent to our children. I do not display love for my children only when they are good or do nice things for me. My love for them started at the very moment I knew of their existence. I have loved them in spite of their faults, mishaps and disobedience. I don’t condone their sin but I love them regardless of it.

WHAT WE CAN WALK AWAY WITH ….

• This morning I hope we walk away with the understanding that God’s love is not a conditional love but a love that is extended out to each and every one of us. It is up to us to receive it and live in it!

• Just as we love our children in spite of all their faults, shortcomings, and sins, God loves us. He doesn’t condone our sins but he loves us in spite of them. As sinners, we must repent and accept the grace God extends to us because of His love for “His Children.”

CONCLUSION:

          Charles Spurgeon preached a great sermon from a very short text. The text consisted of only four words: “If children, then heirs.” (Rom. 8:17). The truth and force of those words came through as Spurgeon stripped them of what they did not say.

The words did not say, if creatures, then heirs. Many people think that we are automatically in the family of God, but the Bible does not say that we are heirs just because we are His creation. Neither does the text say, if children of Abraham, then heirs. That is what many Israelites believed. They thought they were automatically children of God because they were children of Abraham. However, to some of them, Jesus said, “Ye are of your father, the devil.” (John 8:44).

The text also ruled out baptism, church membership, confirmation, and other works and rites. We must be spiritually born into God’s family. If children, even “the poor of this world (are) … heirs of the kingdom.” (Jas. 2:5).

Blessings my friends

Pastor Rod

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^[1] Kistemaker, S. J., & Hendriksen, W. (1953-2001). Vol. 14: New Testament commentary : Exposition of James and the Epistles of John. New Testament Commentary (292–294). Grand Rapids: Baker Book House.