1 - A New Life

SLIDE: Scripture 1 John 3:1

Scripture: 1 John 3:1

1 John 3:1 (NLT)

1 See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are! But the people who belong to this world don’t recognize that we are God’s children because they don’t know him.

SLIDE: Welcome Home

VIDEO: Bumper

SLIDE: Title

Introduction

Hello Friends! Today we’re starting a new 3-week series called Nothing to Fear: Nothing to Prove. Our series focuses on some of the key teachings of Christ found in the book of 1 John - specifically the power of Christ’s love and how he’s called us to love others as well.

Speaking of John… He is someone who actually lived and talked with Jesus himself, and he was an eyewitness to the life, death, and resurrection of Christ. He also was the longest-living member of the twelve disciples. Let’s just say he has a lot of wisdom to share!

What’s so important about John and his writing is this; The truths he teaches us about God are truths that he learned from Jesus himself. He learned by listening to Jesus, watching Jesus, and putting into practice what Jesus taught him. This resulted in a brand-new life for John.

The truths Jesus taught John are the same truths that John is going to teach us today. And if we listen to them and put them into practice, it will result in a new life for us, too.

Anyone here want a new life? John is going to teach us that we are children of God. And children of God have nothing to fear and nothing to prove. It’s amazing actually, the kind of life God offers us if we want to step into it.

We have nothing to fear because God is our Father and is always with us. We need not fear death, nor sickness, nor loss. We need not fear economic downturns or financial collapses. We need not fear war, nor hunger, nor poverty. Some or all of these things can and will occur, but because we are God’s children, we will endure and overcome because of God’s abiding presence of love and courage within us. In that sense we have nothing to fear.

And we have nothing to prove. God loves us lavishly and unconditionally. He accepts us right where we are, no matter what. The power of His love breaks us free from the need to constantly prove ourselves and seek approval and recognition from others. In that sense you have nothing to prove.

You are a child of God who has nothing to fear and nothing to prove. That’s what I want for you! And that’s what I want for myself! Let’s go to scripture and see what John has to say about all of this.

Read 1 John 3:1-7

1 John 3:1–7 (NLT)

1 See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are! But the people who belong to this world don’t recognize that we are God’s children because they don’t know him. 2 Dear friends, we are already God’s children, but he has not yet shown us what we will be like when Christ appears. But we do know that we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is. 3 And all who have this eager expectation will keep themselves pure, just as he is pure. 4 Everyone who sins is breaking God’s law, for all sin is contrary to the law of God. 5 And you know that Jesus came to take away our sins, and there is no sin in him. 6 Anyone who continues to live in him will not sin. But anyone who keeps on sinning does not know him or understand who he is. 7 Dear children, don’t let anyone deceive you about this: When people do what is right, it shows that they are righteous, even as Christ is righteous.

Main Teaching

SLIDE: Child of God

1. You are a child of God!

You can feel John’s enthusiasm for God in this first verse. And his enthusiasm is not some crazy zeal about a certain point of doctrine, but instead is a wholehearted embrace of a loving Father. John has encountered this loving Father and exclaims in amazement:

“See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” (1 John 3:1).

And that’s the first truth John shares with us today: God the Father has such great love for you that you are a child of God! Exclamation point!

And as a point of emphasis, John says it again just in case you’re tempted to doubt: “And that is what we are!” Exclamation point again!

You are a child of God. That is what you are. And the reason you are a child of God is because God loves you. That is a fact. That is the truth. You have nothing to fear. John learned this from Jesus. He learned it from listening to Jesus, from interacting with Jesus, and by receiving the Spirit of Christ into his life.

NOTE: Pastor, you can also see Romans 8:14-16, Galatians 4:6-7, John 1:12-13

----> ADVANCE

A. Treated like Jesus

You might say to yourself, “No one who truly knows me would say I’m a child of God.” Maybe your parents don’t see you that way, or your friends don’t see you that way. Maybe they know you too well. They know your faults, your mistakes, your bad habits. And because they might know some of the dark stuff about you, they would NEVER say you’re a “child of God.”

But you have nothing to prove. It doesn’t matter what they say. It matters what God says.

Even John points out, “The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.” (1 John 3:1). The world did not recognize Jesus as the Son of God. If the world did not recognize Jesus as a child of God — and He was clean! Without sin! — then why would we expect people in our world to see us that way?

You are a child of God. That is what you are. You have nothing to fear. And the reason you are a child of God is because God loves you. Not because you have your life together.

----> ADVANCE

B. Purification is a response to God’s love

John continues, “Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.” (1 John 3:3).

John says that children of God will purify themselves, just as he is pure.

It’s important to note that we are children of God first, and then as a response to that reality we then purify ourselves.

Don’t get that backwards! Don’t think that you have to purify yourself first so that then you’ll be acceptable to God. That’s not how it works. You are first and foremost loved by God and a child of God. As a response to that, you begin to purify yourself. Purification is a response to the love of God. The love of God is not a response to your purification.

The truth about you is you are a child of God because God loves you completely. The way to live in this truth is to purify yourself.

What does it mean to purify yourself? It can mean a lot of things, but here are some ideas to get started:

(Pastor, give some examples of each of these that would be relevant to your congregation)

Turn away from sinful, destructive habits

Replace those sinful habits with virtuous, life-giving habits

Guard your heart and mind with what you watch and see

Seek reconciliation in all your relationships

Engage in actions that bring love and healing to this world

Do any of those resonate with you? God loves you and you are his child. Is there one of those you might want to focus on as a response to God’s love? This is how we purify ourselves, one step at a time.

SLIDE: Take away our sin

2. Jesus takes away our sin

John continues, “Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness. But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin. No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him.” (1 John 3:4-6)

Now at first glance, these verses might sound disturbing. John says, “No one who lives in him keeps on sinning.”

I don’t know about you, but I keep on sinning. I do a lot of bad things that I don’t want to do. And, I don’t do a lot of good things that I do want to do. That’s a problem for me. I just keep on sinning even though I am a Christian and following Christ as best I can.

If I keep on sinning, does that mean that I’m not a true Christian? Does this mean I’m not a true child of God or that I’m not truly saved? No! Remember, we have nothing to fear and nothing to prove.

----> ADVANCE

A. Not threats, but a promise

What John is sharing is not a threat, but a promise. “No one who lives in him keeps on sinning.” He’s saying that we shouldn’t get discouraged, because one day the sin, the dysfunctions, the bad habits will all be stopped. We will overcome them all. We will put them to death. So, keep fighting. Keep crucifying the sinful nature until it’s done.

Jesus came to take away our sins. Literally, Jesus saves us from our sin. When John tells us, “No one who lives in him keeps on sinning” he’s actually sharing some good, encouraging news with us.

If I do keep sinning, if I do keep struggling over and over with the same sin, it means “I either haven’t seen him or maybe I don’t truly know him” (1 John 3:6). That’s not a threat, that’s an encouragement to keep seeking him more and know that there’s goodness and freedom ahead that you haven’t encountered yet. Once we truly see him and know him, he will take away our sin. He will help us overcome it and put it to death.

----> ADVANCE

B. Freedom from the power of sin

God takes sin very seriously, and God wants us to stop sinning. But the reason he wants us to stop is because He loves us, and He knows that sin destroys our hearts, our minds, our families, our relationships. Sin destroys and eats away at our world.

To be saved from sin doesn’t mean to only be saved from the consequences of our sin in God’s eyes (although that’s part of it); to be saved from sin means we are also saved from the power of sin. It means we are saved from the capacity to sin. We are saved from its power over us so that we do not sin. This is the kind of present-day salvation I need.

Scripture teaches us:

Titus 2:11-12

Titus 2:11–12 (NLT)

11 For the grace of God has been revealed, bringing salvation to all people. 12 And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God,

Do you see? Salvation is explained as the ability to say “no” to ungodliness and worldly passions. It’s the ability to overcome our impulses and temptations. It’s the ability to say “no” and stick to it. We are no longer under sin’s control.

And salvation is further explained as living a self-controlled, upright, godly life in this present age. Can anyone here use a little more self-control? This is what God offers to us in this present age, or put another way, in this lifetime right now.

Salvation is so much more than being saved from punishment or consequences. Jesus saves us from the power of sin, helps us set and enforce Godly boundaries, and then live uprightly with self-control.

This means salvation is more than going to heaven when we die. Salvation is for Today, in this life, right now. That’s what true salvation looks like in the life of a child of God. That’s the kind of salvation I want! How about you?

SLIDE: Love others

3. Do the right thing: Love others

Finally, John encourages us to do the right thing. He says in closing, "Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. The one who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous.” (1 John 3:7)

Friends, let me tell you: loving others the way Jesus loves us is ALWAYS the right thing to do. To love others is to live uprightly. To love others is to live in true righteousness. When we love others the way Jesus loves us, we show ourselves to be true children of God. This is righteous living.

For example, Jesus said we should love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us (Matthew 5:44). Why? Because that’s exactly what our Father does. Jesus said, “He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, on the righteous and the unrighteous,” (Matthew 5:45). And we should do the same so that we might be children of our Father in heaven.

In other words, loving others the way God loves us is the perfect way to demonstrate that we are sons and daughters of God. God loves the righteous and the unrighteous, and as His children we love people the same way.

You have nothing to fear and nothing to prove. You have nothing to fear because God is with you. You have nothing to prove because God accepts you just as you are, right here and now.

Maybe the only thing we need to prove to others is God’s great love for them? Can we love like that? Can we demonstrate that? Can we love our families and coworkers and neighbors in such a way that it would prove to them that God loves them?

Jesus said, “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John 13:35

Conclusion

Remember church;

You have nothing to fear and nothing to prove.

You are a child of God who is deeply loved.

Jesus takes away your sin by setting you free from the power of sin.

Loving others well is always the right way to live.

SLIDE: Reflective questions

Let’s close with a few reflection questions:

-----> How would you live differently if you were convinced you had nothing to fear and nothing to lose?

-----> Do you know that you are accepted, just as you are, right now, as a child of God?

-----> Is there anything you want to talk to God about right now?

Consider these questions and put these truths from 1 John into practice this week. I’ll look forward to seeing you next week as we continue our series together.

Let’s pray together.

Prayer: “Lord Jesus Christ, you love us unconditionally and accept us right where we are today, even though you won’t leave us here. Teach us today that we have nothing to fear and nothing to prove, because we are God’s children. Help us to live in that reality. Amen.”