Rebels to Righteous

INTRO

When Hannah and I first moved back to the area we wanted to get up in the mountains.

I wanted to do something more than table rock or high shoals.

Every is recommending shortoff.

I go on all trails to become an “expert.”

Confident in my newfound expertise, we set out on the trail.

However, after hiking for about two miles past where the overlook should have been, I realized we were lost.

I was searching for a pond that, unbeknownst to me, had dried up.

We had gone way off course because I was fixated on the wrong marker.

Just like my misguided hike, our spiritual walk can easily be led astray when we follow the wrong markers.

In our pursuit of what seems right or attractive, we can end up far from our intended destination.

In 1 John 3:4-10, John addresses this very issue.

He warns about the dangers of sin and lawlessness, highlighting that those who truly know Christ are called to live differently.

John was concerned about believers being led astray by false teachings and deceptive practices

Kinda like I was led off the trail by looking for a pond that no longer existed.

This is a passage that can trip some folks up because we can fix our eyes on the wrong thing.

If we read this passage and we fall into the trap of perfectionism we can get lost.

The Bible is for you but it is not about you.

Here is what I want you to do today, see Jesus.

Don’t get lost in the sauce as it where. Don’t miss the forest for the trees.

Here is the thrust of this passage: Jesus Christ Conquers.

Do you find yourself feeling hopeless or helpless because of the struggles you face?

This text is for you. Christ conquers.

Are there areas where you repeatedly fall short, despite your best efforts?

This text is for you. Christ conquers.

Have you been hurt by false teachings or misleading influences?

This text is for you. Christ conquers.

Do you question whether you truly belong to Him or if you are worthy of His love?

This text is for you. Christ conquers.

Do you carry the weight of your past sins and feel unworthy of forgiveness?

This text is for you. Christ conquers.

Are you seeking comfort and assurance that Christ has already won the battle against sin and evil?

This text is for you. Christ conquers.

This is the good news:

Christ came to destroy the works of the devil.

Big Idea: Christ transforms us from rebels to God’s righteous children.

By abiding in Him, we stay on the right path and live out our true identity.

Today, we will look at our identity in Christ and our call to abide in Him.

But before we can fully grasp these aspects, it all starts with recognizing and embracing the truth that Christ conquers.

Understanding that Christ has conquered sin and the devil sets the foundation for everything else.

It is through His victory that we are empowered to abide in Him and live as His righteous children.

So let’s begin by focusing on this essential truth: Christ conquers.

1. Christ Conquers

Look back at the text with me:

1 John 3:5 (ESV)

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

Sin is humanity's biggest problem, and only God can rescue us.

If you are opening up the Bible and you want to understand it:

Two key questions for Bible interpretation:

“What does this text teach me about God?”

and

“What does this text teach me about our sinful nature?”

John addresses both in verses 4-6.

Jesus Christ Appeared and Dealt with Sin (1 John 3:4-5)

John hits us with a hard truth in verse 4:

"Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness."

Sin is rebellion, a defiant rejection of God's rule.

It’s not just an occasional mistake—it’s ongoing treason against our Creator.

We sin all the time: omission and commission

Because our problem is so massive, we need a massive rescue.

That’s why Christ came:

“He appeared in order to take away sins.” (v. 5).

This was his mission.

Remember what John the baptist when Jesus came to be baptized:

John 1:29 (ESV)

The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!

This is the gospel: Death, burial, resurrection.

Jesus, through His death on the cross, lifted and carried away our sins, offering complete forgiveness to those who trust in Him.

And don't miss this: Jesus could do this because He is sinless. “In Him is no sin” (v. 5).

His sinlessness qualified Him to rescue us.

This is echoed throughout the Bible.

Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 5:21

2 Corinthians 5:21 (ESV)

For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Jesus appeared, lived a sinless life, and dealt with our sin once and for all.

All of Scripture testifies to this powerful truth.

Now look at verse 8 of our passage

1 John 3:8 (ESV)

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.

If sin is personal enemy number one, then Satan is public enemy number one.

We battle sin within us and the Devil outside us.

But do not fear.

The Warrior Lamb (Rev 5), who defeated sin, is also our champion who has defeated Satan.

The Devil is doomed, even if he won’t admit it!

In John’s day and in ours the enemy works through false teachers.

False teachers claim you can be born of God and still practice sin.

[That is you keep on in a pattern of sinning without conviction, repentance and change.]

Behind these false teachers and their lies is the father of lies himself, the Devil (John 8:44).

Here is the call

1 John 3:7 (ESV)

Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous.

Don’t be deceived, rather pursue righteousness.

Listen we live in a time when we downplay sin.

Again we live in the age of affirmation.

The problem isn’t the wrong things you do, it’s how you feel about it.

Listen Jesus wants to dismantle shame too, but he does it by conquering the lies of shame and offering you freedom.

The enemy leads us down subtle traps.

He sets us down broken paths.

John says, no dear children, if you know Jesus you will live like Jesus

We will live out who we are

Doing right doesn’t make us righteous,

But it proves we are righteous, just as Jesus is righteous.

Those of us in Christ have been given Jesus’ righteousness.

Christ is our righteousness both positionally and experientially—

Jesus defines who we are before God and how we live on earth.

He is our redemption and sanctification.

Christ is our pattern (2:6) and our power (4:4) for righteous living.

As Paul says in Galatians 2:19-20

Galatians 2:19–20 (ESV)

For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Don’t be deceived into thinking you can practice sin and be righteous before God.

[That is you keep on sinning without conviction, repentance and change.]

That’s a big, satanic lie!

The Devil Is a Sinner Who Has Been Defeated

1 John 3:8 (ESV)

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.

Verse 8 is one of the clearest statements about why Christ came.

John directly mentions our archenemy, the Devil, who is the accuser and slanderer.

Jesus came to destroy the Devil’s works.

Verses 5 and 8 show that the works of the Devil, which Jesus came to destroy, is sin.

By His atonement, sin’s penalty is nullified for God’s children.

When we are brought from death to life, sin’s power is dealt a death blow.

And soon, sin’s presence will be gone forever.

Jesus delivered a knockout punch to the Devil on the cross.

An empty tomb stands as an eternal monument to His victory and ours!

ILLUSTRATION

A story that has sat with me is that of a man named Mr. Kline.

Mr. Kline, was a pretty despicable person.

He’s that unpleasant old curmudgeon that you kinda wish would just leave you alone and stop complaining.

One evening he was walking alone…discouraged, defeated, and convinced that life just wasn’t worth living because no one cared for him

As he walked past a church that Sunday evening He heard the congregation singing.

He caught the strains of a hymn:

“Saved by grace alone, this is all my plea. Jesus died for all mankind, and Jesus died for me.”

His hearing, however, was not very good, so when the congregation came to the words,

“Jesus died for all mankind,” he thought they sang, “Jesus died for ol’ man Kline.”

“Why”, he said, “that’s me!”

The Spirit of God Stopped him in his tracks, he turned and entered the small auditorium.

There he heard the simple message of the Gospel as the minister presented the good news that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners.

Mr. Kline believed and went from death to life.

He became a spiritual grandfather to that little church.

His life profoundly changed.

Jesus conquered the grave and he conquered Mr. Kline’s heart.

Apply:

Where are you struggling to believe that Jesus is the conquerer?

Where are you struggling to trust in the power of Jesus to overcome sin in your own life?

We have to recognize that we can be prideful…we can let that get in the way of acknowledging our struggle before Christ and in community.

Listen the life of faith is one of repentance. Confess sin daily in prayer, confess sin to others.(We just launched Discipleship Groups. Get in one)

In your daily life, take time for self-reflection and prayer.

Identify specific areas of struggle or sin in your life and bring them before Christ in prayer.

Surrender these struggles to Him and ask for His strength to overcome them.

We've seen how Christ conquers sin and the Devil, setting us free from the power of darkness.

Jesus, our sinless Savior, has triumphed over our greatest enemies, giving us the victory.

This is the foundation of our faith and the starting point of our transformation.

Through Christ, we are no longer bound by sin or the Devil’s deception.

But the story doesn’t end there.

Christ’s victory calls us into a new way of living.

It's not enough to simply acknowledge that Christ has conquered; we must also respond to this truth by abiding in Him.

This means staying connected to Jesus, drawing strength and guidance from Him daily.

Look at verse 6:

1 John 3:6 (ESV)

No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him.

This ongoing relationship with Him is crucial for our spiritual growth and transformation.

So what does it mean to abide in Christ? How do we make this a daily reality?

Let’s see second “We Abide,”

2. We Abide

Verse 6 naturally flows from verse 5.

Because there is no sin in Jesus, no one who abides in Him keeps on sinning.

If someone continues in a pattern of sin, it shows they haven't truly seen or known Jesus in a personal, saving way.

John’s logic is airtight: if the sinless Son of God came to take away sin, how can we claim to abide in Him while living in sin?

We can't.

It’s impossible.

Now, some might think this means we should be sinless in this life.

But that would contradict what John said earlier in 1:8 and 1:10.

Instead, the present tense verbs in verses 6 and 9 show us John’s point:

because of the new birth, we have a new nature.

We’ve gone from rebels, to children.

Because Christ has taken away our sins, we have new freedom.

Sin no longer dominates or enslaves us.

It's no longer the defining feature of our lives.

Abiding in Christ means that while we may fall into sin, we don’t walk in it.

Sin isn’t our habit; it’s not our normal practice.

We don’t love sin; we hate it.

We don’t delight in sin; we despise it.

In our union with Christ—another way of saying abiding in Christ—we have experienced a decisive break with sin.

It no longer rules us. Christ does.

Living in sin and living in the Savior can’t coexist.

It’s a spiritual contradiction.

So are you abiding?

Have you made your home in Christ?

This is how sin loses it’s power.

Because the more we spend time with Jesus the more we look like him.

ILLUSTRATION

Every summer I have a love hate relationship with mowing.

I enjoy it when I actually get out there, but admittedly sometimes it’s hard to get going.

Recently our riding mower broke down.

So I am doing chunks of our acre lot with a push mower.

I have to confess I’ve been even less motivated to get out there.

But what happens when you don’t mow?

Your grass grows right?

It get’s a bit wild.

The other day I came home with Samuel.

We had gotten Hannah a lily for mothers day to plant around our house.

We go to hide it behind the house.

I knew Hannah wouldn’t look back there.

No one does.

That’s why I hadn’t mowed it yet.

Sammy is walking behind me when he hears me go, “OHHHH MY GOODNESS!”

A 5 foot black snake was hanging out in the tall grass behind our house.

This is what happens when we don’t abide.

Little by little our inhibitions go and before you know the snakes of sin and indifference move in.

Abide.

APPLY

Again I want to point you to a discipleship group.

We all need to be in them.

In this groups we talk about the disciplines or the practices for abiding in Christ.

We talk about 9

Rest

Silence and Solitude

Prayer

Fasting

Scripture

Community

Generosity

Service

Witness

We have to work to grow in these.

- Dwell App

We’ve seen how abiding in Christ means staying connected to Him daily, drawing strength from His presence, and living in obedience to His teachings.

Just as a garden flourishes with consistent care, our lives thrive when we make abiding in Christ a daily practice.

This ongoing relationship with Jesus transforms us and keeps us on the right path.

But abiding in Christ does more than just keep us on track; it also redefines who we are.

As we remain in Him, we come to understand and live out our true identity.

John reminds us that we are not just followers of Christ; we are children of God.

This profound truth shapes every aspect of our lives.

Our identity as God’s children means we are loved, accepted, and called to reflect His character.

So we see third.

3. We are Children

So, what does it mean to live as children of God?

How does this identity influence our actions and interactions?

Look at verses 9-10:

1 John 3:9–10 (ESV)

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. 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.

False teachers in John’s time, and even today, claim you can be righteous without doing what is right.

But God’s Word says, “No way!”

Those abiding in Christ can’t keep living in sin as a habitual pattern.

It’s impossible.

Jesus changes everything.

A new heart doesn’t produce invisible or rotten fruit.

If anyone is in Christ, they’re a new creation; the old is gone, the new is here.

John wraps up this section with three clear descriptions of God’s children, using a bit of repetition to drive the point home.

1. God’s Children Have Experienced a New Birth (1 John 3:9)

John underscores the new birth—being born again.

This isn’t just a spiritual cliché; it’s a profound transformation.

Regeneration is God’s work of grace, making us new creatures in Christ.

It’s a heart change wrought by the Holy Spirit, leading to repentance and faith.

Repentance is turning from sin toward God.

Faith is accepting Jesus Christ and fully committing to Him as Lord and Savior.

John says this happens because God’s “seed remains in him,” the believer.

This “seed” can be seen as the new nature we receive through Christ’s work, imparted by the Holy Spirit.

This new nature changes us from the inside out, making us more like Jesus.

2. God’s Children Do Not Practice Sin (1 John 3:9)

Without the new birth, we can’t live like new people.

Sin dominates us, and Satan manipulates us.

Our hearts are filled with hate, not love.

But with the new birth, we can’t keep practicing sin because we’re born of God.

This truth is both comforting and humbling.

It comforts us because sin won’t ultimately win in our lives.

We might stumble, but “the One who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world” (4:4).

We’re destined to be like Jesus (3:2; Rom 8:29-30).

Sin and Satan don’t get the last word.

It also humbles us, reminding us that without Christ—His atonement, His advocacy, His victory—we’d remain enslaved to Satan and sin.

Any righteousness in us is Christ’s righteousness flowing through the new birth.

3. God’s Children Love One Another (1 John 3:10)

Verse 10 is a transition into a a deeper dive into love.

But it is so helpful to our passage this morning because it gives two basic tests to distinguish a child of God from a child of the Devil:

Do you do what is right?

Do you love others?

[AGAIN not perfect of course we fail bit do you have conviction, repentance and change]

John simplifies it down to these essentials.

If you find yourself in patterns of unrepentant sin. If you have no conviction, repentance and change…then the Bible would say you are showing yourself to not be a child of God.

Do you do what is right?

Do you love others?

Love is righteousness in action toward others.

Those who hate sin, who’ve been freed from the Devil, and who are born of God will do what is right and love others.

It’s in our spiritual DNA.

We mirror our Father.

What we see our Father and Savior do, we do.

On the flip side, if the Devil is your spiritual father, your life will show it through sin and hatred (John 8:44).

The question is, “Who’s your father?”

Your life will tell the story.

Do you do what is right?

Do you love others?

It doesn’t matter how many times you got wet.

It doesn’t matter how much you know.

Listen if your life is not marked by conviction, repentance and change.

If you live in habitual unrepentant sin and you feel indifferent.

Friend the bible tells you that no one borne of God makes a practice of sinning.

Illustration

Columbia friends of ours brought home two girls.

When the showed up they couldn't talk…they could only make animal noises.

They were protective of food.

They were unsure.

Before, they lived without the security of a stable home.

Went back to visit. Now, their identity is transformed—they’re part of a family, with all the rights and privileges of being a daughter.

Church, do you see?

when we are born of God, we are adopted into His family, changing our identity and how we live.

Are you feeling overwhelmed trying to balance being a child of God in different spheres of your life?

Remember that God's grace is sufficient for you in every situation.

Take time each day to surrender your life to Him completely, asking for His wisdom and strength to guide you.

Trust in His provision and lean on His promises as you navigate the challenges and joys of being His child in every aspect of your life.

Stay connected to Him through prayer, worship, and studying His Word to remain grounded in your identity as His beloved.

CONCLUSION

John has made it clear:

1 John 3:8

The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.

It’s been said, “By a carpenter mankind was made, and only by that Carpenter can mankind be remade.”

Jesus, the carpenter from Nazareth, the Son of God, has indeed remade us. He redeemed us by His blood, regenerated us by the Spirit, and reconciled us with the Father, calling us to a new life.

What a joy it is to be a child of God!

To know that you have been saved and set free from the shackles of sin and the tyranny of Satan.

Through His victory, we are transformed from rebels into God’s righteous children.

This transformation is the heart of the Gospel.

Thank You, Jesus, for coming and making us new.

May we live out our true identity, abiding in Christ and reflecting His righteousness and love to the world.

Bishop John Taylor Smith, former Chaplain General of the British Army, was once preaching in a large cathedral using John 3:7 as his text, “You must be born again.”

In order to drive it home, he said, “My dear people, do not substitute anything for the new birth.

You may be a member of a church, even the great church of which I am a member, the historic Church of England,

but church membership is not new birth, and ‘except a man be born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.’ ”

The rector was sitting at his left. Pointing to him, he said, “You might be a clergyman like my friend the rector here and not be born again, and ‘except a man be born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.’ ”

Then he pointed directly at the archdeacon in his stall and said,, “You might even be an archdeacon like my friend in his stall and not be born again and ‘except a man be born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.’

You might even be a bishop, like myself, and not be born again and ‘except a man be born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.’ ”

A day or so later he received a letter from the archdeacon, in which he wrote:

My dear Bishop: You have found me out.

I have been a clergyman for over thirty years, but I had never known anything of the joy that Christians speak of.

I never could understand it. Mine has been hard, legal service.

I did not know what was the matter with me, but when you pointed directly to me and said, “You might even be an archdeacon and not be born again,”

I realized in a moment what the trouble was.

I had never known anything of the new birth.”

He went on to say that he was wretched and miserable, had been unable to sleep all night, and begged for a conference, if the bishop could spare the time to talk with him.

The next day they got together over the Word of God and after some hours, were both on their knees, the archdeacon taking his place before God as a poor, lost sinner and telling the Lord

Jesus he would trust Him as his Saviour. From that time on everything was different.

He had gone from a rebel to a righteous child.

Have you?

Do I truly believe that Christ has conquered sin and the devil in my life? If not, what holds me back?

How does my life reflect the truth that sin no longer has dominion over me? Are there areas where I need to surrender more fully to Christ?

In what ways can I incorporate spiritual disciplines (such as prayer, Bible reading, and community) into my routine to help me abide in Christ more effectively?

Are there aspects of my old self that I need to let go of in order to fully embrace my new identity in Christ?