62-18 5 Reasons Not To Sin—Part 2
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1 John 3:5
1 John 3:5
7 For as he thinks within himself, so he is. He says to you, “Eat and drink!” But his heart is not with you.
There is a corollary between what we think and how we live. For us, sinful behavior can be traced back to unbiblical thinking. Converse is true: Righteous living is possible only with scriptural understanding.
Apostle John is writing about godly living in 1 John. Chapter 3 is a call to purity-obedience to holy Scriptures-the revealed will of God.
2:6—those who claim to be believers ought to live like LJC.
3:3—the result of the hope we have: which amounts to realization of God's promises (particularly glorification) results in purification, sanctification or obedience.
V v 4-10 John expresses 5 reasons not to sin: 1) B/c what sin is (vs 4). Sin is not simply a passive offense. Too many times believers think of sin as "mistakes." We regard it lightly, dismissing it and even renaming it something than what it is.
Many people thought in John's day were like that-they said what we do in our bodies has no bearing on our spirits. They maintained this dual perspective of body being evil and spirit being good and thought they could then live any way they desired.
Man's problem is that he stands guilty of rejecting God's law. When he sins (which we all do b/c we inherit sinful natures as a result of Adam's disobedience in Garden) he is rebelling against God's supreme authority.
Sin is lawlessness—incompatible w/ God's nature and will.
2) Because of the Nature of Christ's Work
2) Because of the Nature of Christ's Work
vs 5a
Major tenet of Xian faith declares that JC came from heaven to earth, lived a sinless life, sacrificed Himself in obedience to the Father's will for the salvation of those who trust Him.
The confessions and creeds of the early church/fathers affirm this distinctive of Xianity:
“I believe”
Apostles Creed (3-4 Cen) "In God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth; And in JESUSC HRISTH, is only Son, our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary; suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; the third day He rose from the dead; He ascended into heaven, and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty"
Nicene Creed (4th Cen) "We believe in one God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all worlds, God of God, Light of Light, Very God of Very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father by whom all things were made; who for us men, and for our salvation, came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the Virgin Mary, and was made man, and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate. He suffered and was buried, and the third day he rose again according to the Scriptures, and ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of the Father. And he shall come again with glory to judge both the quick and the dead, whose kingdom shall have no end."
Creeds developed (in part) to prevent heresy from destroying the purity of the gospel message. In this way from the time of the early church, thru dark ages into the time of reformation the true church maintained a true gospel.
In particular, regarding the person and work ofLJC. In this way true saints have always ascended to Jude's call to “contend earnestly for the faith.” Creeds enabled believers to fight heresy, resist the claims of false teachers who would seek to lead them astray.
Apostle John is also refuting the false teachings, ideologies of Gnostic teachers, regarding the person and work of Christ.
Call to remember the purpose of Calvary-"you know ... "
There are certain things all believers know b/c we have the anointing-ministry of the HS who teaches all ofus God's truth.
Man's deepest problem is his sin nature which alienates him from God and demands divine judgment leading to eternal death. But in man's problem-we see God's gracious provision.
"He appeared in order to take away sins." That is the purpose of Jesus' life & ministry on earth.
NOTE: interesting how John words this: not "He was born ... "
or "came into existence" but "he appeared ... " Affirmation that Jesus is pre-existent (Jn 1:1 ). Jesus wasn't created at His human conception-He is God and simply appeared (lit "was manifested") invisible God becoming visible.
Scope of Christ's 1st advent includes all phases of His earthly life (not just death) but birth, early childhood, growth, ministry, passion, resurrection and ascension-for the purpose of taking away sin.
Jesus did not come simply to give us the fullness of the revelation of God-though He did that
Jesus did not come to live a sinless life and provide us an example how to live-though He did that
Jesus did not come to disciple men who would carry out His witness to the world-though He did that
Jesus did not come to perform signs and miracles and point people to the greatness of God's person though He did that
Jesus did not come to expose the heresy of Pharisees and self-righteousness-though He did that
The purpose of Christ's appearing was to deliver us from the bondage and penalty that sin held for all men. He came to take sin away.
TERM (αἴρω) “lift up, take or carry away"
Col 2:13-14 guilt taken away
Background for John is in the message of John the Baptist
John 1:29
Matt 1:21
Isaiah 53:4-12
15 It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all.
26 Otherwise, He would have needed to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now once at the consummation of the ages He has been manifested to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.
24 and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.
5 and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us and released us from our sins by His blood—
The scope of Jesus' life on earth contributes to sin being carried away.
"sin" is plural-refers to the range of sin (categories) that people commit-"multitudinous acts of humans"
Christ's redemptive mission is to release us from those sins: Sin maintains a dominating grip of the unbeliever. Jesus came not only to provide redemption to those who trust Him and forgiveness but to actually take away sins. Language John uses is that one act in its entirety completely/continuously removes sin-that is, the practice of sin.
John is here dealing with acts of sin-practice of sin. The result of the substitutionary atonement for the believer is purifying. Jesus took our sins away-for John the idea of continuing to practice sin is incompatible with Christ's work on the cross.
End of vs 8 "came to destroy ... "
The works of the devil are the sinful acts and attitudes of which he is the source ( directly or indirectly). Everything Satan does or will do has been destroyed potentially at the cross and will be destroyed actually in his final judgment. Here is John is saying that the work of the devil are parallel to actual sins.
Christ came to destroy that work-He came to deliver people from the bondage of slavery to sin. He came to give victory of sin that otherwise maintained dominion.
"destroy" lit "to loose, to dissolve, to break up or destroy."
Christ came to undo what the devil had done or is seeking to do (particularly tempting and enslaving men). This is undone thru the redemptive mission of Christ.
Sin is incompatible with that mission. Hiebert "for a professed believer to persist in the practice of sin shows that he is still spiritually blind to the purpose of Christ, or demonstrates that he willfully scorns and rejects the intention of Christ for him."
3) Because of Christ's Nature
3) Because of Christ's Nature
5b
Word order is significant b/c it places the emphasis on the total absence of sin in the life of Christ-"and sin in Him is not"
John is not only denying that Christ ever committed an act of sin but he is also denying that Jesus had a sinful nature.
Everything that is contrary to the nature and will of God anything that is of quality or nature of sin is completely foreign to the nature ofLJC.
All Scripture writers unequivocally teach this about our Lord:
1 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous;
41 “And we indeed are suffering justly, for we are receiving what we deserve for our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.”
21 He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
Teaches about imputed sin-Christ did not sin but he became sin when God placed our sin on His Son.
15 For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.
22 who committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in His mouth;
18 For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit;
We know regarding the nature of our Lord "in Him ... "
There have always been distortions and perversions concerning His nature: Gnostics had 2 different ideas-not fully man, not fully God. Others insist that He did sin.
John says emphatically-"no sin." He is righteous. He never disregarded God's law, He came to fulfill it, carry it out and obey it completely. From His childhood to the moment of His ascension-Jesus lived so perfectly that no one is able to sustain a charge against Him of sin.
John 8:46 Jews trying to kill Him
46 “Which one of you convicts Me of sin? If I speak truth, why do you not believe Me?
He is the One we worship, love, look to, want to be like. He is our perfect, righteous example and is righteous in all that He is and all that He does.
Martyn Lloyd-Jones "He is the Son of God and none other. He is not just a great moral teacher, nor just a great religious genius. He is not one who has gone a little bit further than all others in this quest for God and for truth. No, He is the Son of God incarnate-'in Him is no sin.'"
He is the only One who could provide such complete and perfect sacrifice for our sin. OT sacrifices God gave the nation of Israel to show them what kind of sacrifices were required to atone for sin were simply a shadow and type of a greater sacrifice made by Jesus.
22 And according to the Law, one may almost say, all things are cleansed with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.
Those sacrifices had to be without blemish-perfect. The law demands perfection. A perfect sacrifice for sin cannot be made where there is a defect.
If there was only 1 sin Jesus committed-it was no longer a perfect sacrifice. 1 Peter tells us "knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ.
Because He Himself is undefiled, His sacrifice for our sin is complete. We need nothing else for redemption-nothing but the blood. It is sufficient to take away sins and to motivate us to pure living.
Reasons Not To Sin-because of what sin is, because of the work of JC, because of the nature/character of JC.
Sin is incompatible with these truths. As God's people we are freed from the power of sin over our lives and no longer held captive that we should obey it. We serve a different Lord perfect in all His ways. We should therefore seek to live like Him.
