1 John 2:28-3:10
Scripture 1 John 2:28-3:10
28 And now, little
children, abide in him, so that when he appears, we may have confidence and not
shrink from him in shame at his coming. 29 If
you know that he is righteous, you may be sure that everyone who practices
righteousness has been born of him.
3 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. 2 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. 3 And everyone
who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.
4 Everyone who makes a
practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. 5 You know that he
appeared in order to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. 6 No one who abides in
him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known
him. 7 Little
children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous,
as he is righteous. 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. 10 By this it is
evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil:
whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does
not love his brother. [1]
Devotion
John begins by calling his readers “little
children” as a term of endearment. He asks his readers to abide in God because
John wants them to be ready for the second coming and not be ashamed. In verse 29 John comes back again to a thought
that is apparently never far from his mind. The only way a person can prove
that he is born again and abiding in God is the righteousness of their lives.
The profession of the lips will always be proved or disproved by the practice
of his life.
Chapter 3 begins by John expanding
on the theme of our relationship to the Father. We are not only called children
of God; “that is what we are!”7 (3:1b). God’s love does not simply effect a
name change. Believers really are his children. Our status has changed. We have
been given new life. We have a new orientation and a new family. The childhood
is real, just as his fatherhood is real.[2]
Next, John tackles the reason the
world does not know or recognize believers. First the world did not know who
Jesus truly was. Second, while we are now children of God “what we will be has
not yet been made known. This points us to the second coming of Christ. Third
when he does return, we shall be made like him. We shall be transformed on that
day. Made in some way like our risen Lord. Thus, anyone who hopes in Christ becomes
pure as Christ is pure. The further along in walking with Jesus should mean
that the person is further along in purity.
John then goes on to say and imply
that there are certain basic truths about sin. He tells us what sin is. Sin is
the deliberate breaking of the law. A person who puts his own desires in place
of the law is practicing sin. He tells us what sin does. Sin undoes the work of
Christ in that it multiplies the very thing Jesus came to destroy. Next, we
learn why sin is. Sin comes from the failure to abide in Christ. Sin comes from
an imperfect union with Jesus Christ. We learn where sin comes from. Sin comes
from Satan. Satan sinned from the beginning. Sin is the principle aim of his
existence. For humans to sin is for them to obey the devils desires rather than
Gods. Finally, he tells us how sin is conquered. Jesus Christ by his life,
death, and resurrection broke the devil’s power and preserves those who believe
in Him.[3]
The Christian is reborn through God
and therefore has God’s seed in him. God’s family are those who abide in
Christ. Loving God and their neighbor with all their heart, soul, mind, and
strength. Having the new birth by the seed of the Father means that the
Christian is preserved from sin by the indwelling power of the word of God.
At the same time John is not saying
that it is possible to live without ever committing a sin. But rather he is
saying that the truly reborn Christian will not make a habit of sinning. John
is not setting us up for some type of perfectionism. Instead he is asking for
us to live a life which is ever on the watch against sin, He is saying that the
person who abides in God cannot be living a life of continual sin.
By this it will be obvious who is a
child of God and who is a child of the devil. The one who practices righteousness
is of God and the one who practices unrighteousness is of the devil. Therefore,
let us confess God both with our lips and with our very lives.
Prayer
Father we pray that we may become
more and more like your Son Jesus. May we be known for our visibly righteous
lives and words. Protect us from the snares of the devil and help us seek
forgiveness when we fail you. May your love inspire us to be more loving and
may your peace inspire us to be peacemakers. Amen
[2] Campbell,
Constatine R. 1, 2, and 3 John (The Story of God Commentary) (p.98) Zondervan
Academic. Kindle edition
[3] Barclay,
William, The letters of John and Jude, The Daily Study Bible, (pp 91-92)
Westminster Press, 1960
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