New Series: Being Light in a Dark World: A Study of 1 John
Sermon Recap
John moves from abiding in Christ to the hope
of Christ’s return. Believers are already children of God, yet what they will
be, has not fully appeared. When Christ appears, they will be like Him because
they will see Him as He is. That future hope changes present behavior: everyone
who hopes in Christ purifies himself. John then draws a sharp contrast between
practicing righteousness and practicing sin. He is not saying a Christian never
sins; the letter has already made that impossible. He is describing the settled
direction and practice of a life. Jesus appeared to take away sins and destroy
the works of the devil, so those born of God cannot be at peace with a life
defined by sin.
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. [1] 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. (ESV)
Discussion Questions
- What stands out to you most in 1 John 2:28-3:10?
- How does being called a child of God shape your sense of identity?
- Why should hope in Christ’s return affect present choices?
- Where would living “ready” change your behavior?
- What does it mean to you to be called a child of God?
- How does assurance of future transformation give hope in present struggles?
- Why is it dangerous to treat sin casually?
- How can we distinguish ongoing repentance from settled rebellion?
- What sin are you actively fighting right now?
- What evidence of God’s transforming work can you thank Him for?
Closing Thoughts
Holiness is not withdrawal from mission; it
gives credibility to mission. A church that talks about the transforming power
of Jesus while making peace with sin sends a confused message. As we pursue
purity, we show that Christ not only forgives but changes people. Encourage one
another this week to fight sin from the security of being God’s children.
END
No comments:
Post a Comment