The Purpose for the Incarnation
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Please turn to 1 John 3:4-10 as we look at The Purpose for the Incarnation.
Based on my title for today, I would have to say that this sermon sounds like it would fit right in with a Christmas series. But just in case you are wondering, it is not Christmas yet — although both the Hallmark Channel, and its competitor, Great American Family Channel, are presently showing Christmas movies as a part of their Christmas in July Celebration.
Throughout the whole OT there are various references to the coming of the Messiah. Most of them point to the time in which His earthly kingdom will be established. Only a few point to His first coming — and in truth the prophets did not seem to have envisioned multiple comings of the Messiah. That, in part, is why the Jewish religious elite did not embrace Jesus as their Messiah — He was not acting in the way they expected Messiah to act.
Jesus was gentle, meek, and mild. But their picture of Messiah was of one who was a powerful military or political leader; one who would deliver them from Roman oppression.
To this day Jewish rabbis teach that there could be a different Messiah for each different generation. They also deny that the Scriptures teach that the Messiah would be God incarnate. Or that the OT Scriptures teach anything about a sacrificial, vicarious death of Messiah, let alone that the Messiah would die and rise again. They believe that Messiah would merely be gifted leader who could bring Israel out of bondage as Moses did at the time of the exodus.
The sad truth is that in the regular public reading of the OT Scriptures, in Jewish Synagogues, the reading of Isaiah 52:13-53:12 has disappeared. No wonder they do not recognize Jesus as the sin-bearing Messiah.
Two weeks ago we looked at what we as believers in Jesus Christ can do to prepare for His Second Coming, or appearing. Today we will be looking at what Christ accomplished during His first appearing. Our passage for this morning deals with how Jesus’ work on the cross dealt with the nature of sin, and the origins of sin.
First, let’s read our text.
Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness.
You know that he appeared in order to take away sins, and in him there is no sin.
No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him.
Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous.
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.
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.
Let’s begin by looking at
THE NATURE OF SIN
THE NATURE OF SIN
Note that,
The Nature of Sin is that Sin is Rebellion Against God
In verses 4-7 John lays out his argument regarding the nature of sin. In verses 8-10 he lays out his argument regarding the origin of sin. John Stott pointed out that John lays these two things out for us in a very similar pattern. For both the nature and the origin of sin John gives an introductory comment, a purpose statement for Christ’s first advent, and a logical conclusion which can be drawn from this purpose. We will look at each of these in turn.
To the casual reader it might seem that John is arguing that a believer can reach a state of sinless perfection. Yet, that would be a contradiction of what he wrote in
If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
And also in
If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
Again, in
My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.
MacArthur noted that, “In this passage the verbs related to sin are all in the present tense, indicating continuous, habitual action. In other words, John is not referring to occasional acts of sin, but to established and continual patterns of sinful behavior. Believers will sometimes sin (Rom. 7:14–25)—even willfully—but they will not and cannot sin habitually, persistently, and as a way of life (cf. Rom. 6:4–14; Gal. 5:24; Eph. 2:10).” (John MacArthur, 1, 2, 3 John, MacArthur New Testament Commentary (Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 2007), 122.)
With that in mind, let’s look at
The Introduction to the Nature of Sin
The Introduction to the Nature of Sin
Look at verse 4.
Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness.
It appears that the Gnostic teachers either underestimated the effects of sin, or excused it as being merely something which is negative in nature. They were wanting to accentuate the positive things and downplay the negative things. It seems that they believed that while the body may sin, the mind of the believer (or of those who belonged to their enlightened elite) was above any disposition to sin.
But John is combating this by teaching that sin is not merely negative or a mistake, sin is absolute rebellion against God.
That same error is found in many pulpits today, as preachers seek to downplay the tragedy of personal and corporate sin, and focus on positive things such as the love of God. God’s love, as wonderfully amazing as it is, is never at the expense of His holiness. God’s love and holiness always work hand in hand.
The term translated sin literally means to miss the mark. The picture is of a person shooting at a target with a bow and arrow. In some cases they fall short of hitting the target by an incremental amount. In other cases they fall short by a great deal. In other cases they refuse to shoot at the true target and shoot at something else instead. All of these are examples of sin. Sometimes we try to do the right thing, but we fall short of the goal. Other times, we know the right thing to do, and yet we refuse to do it, and that is absolute rebellion against God.
The OT prophet Jonah is an example of one who knew what God wanted him to do — travel to Nineveh and preach the gospel of repentance. But he rebelled against God, and got on a ship which was headed to Tarshish, which was the complete opposite direction. Of course, you know the story — God would not be thwarted by man so He caused a great storm and a great fish to be used to fulfill His plan and purpose.
So often we think of sin as merely making a mistake. But sin is absolute rebellion against God. When the prophet Samuel confronted King Saul with his sin, he basically said “my bad!” Then he asked Samuel to honor him before the people. When the prophet Nathan confronted David with his sin, he cried in anguish “I have sinned!” We need to take sin more seriously than we do.
In our text John equates sin with lawlessness. And lawlessness is rebellion against God. It is a violation of, not the Mosaic law, but the moral law of God.
So, is John teaching that believers are incapable of sinning? No! He emphasized in chapters 1 & 2 that believers do sin from time to time. In this context John is referring to habitual acts of rebellion against God.
MacArthur wrote,
“It is clear, then, that believers will not habitually violate the law of God. Whereas they formerly allowed lawlessness to dominate their lives, they now love God and desire to submit to Him. Obedience to the Word becomes precious to them, as it was to David who wrote:
The law of the Lord is perfect, restoring the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the judgments of the Lord are true; they are righteous altogether. They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb. Moreover, by them Your servant is warned; in keeping them there is great reward. (Ps. 19:7–11; cf. 1:2; 40:7–8; 119:97).” (John MacArthur, 1, 2, 3 John, MacArthur New Testament Commentary (Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 2007), 123–124.)
Let’s turn to
The Purpose For Christ’s First Coming
The Purpose For Christ’s First Coming
Note that,
When Christ Appeared the First Time it was to Take Away the Sins of His People
Look at verse 5.
You know that he appeared in order to take away sins, and in him there is no sin.
How did Christ take away our sins? This may be a reference to the Day of Atonement.
“The scapegoat” is mentioned in Leviticus 16 as part of God’s instructions to the Israelites regarding the Day of Atonement. On this day, the high priest would first offer a sacrifice for his sins and those of his household; then he would perform sacrifices for the nation. “From the Israelite community [the high priest was instructed] to take two male goats for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering” (v. 5). The priest brought the animals before the Lord and cast lots between the two goats – one to be a sacrifice and the other to be the scapegoat. The first goat was slaughtered for the sins of the people and its blood used to cleanse the Most Holy Place, the tent of meeting and the altar (v. 20). After the cleansing, the live goat was brought to the high priest. Laying his hands on the scapegoat, the high priest was to “confess over it all the wickedness and rebellion of the Israelites – all their sins – and put them on the goat’s head. He shall send the goat away into the wilderness in the care of someone appointed for the task. The goat will carry on itself all their sins to a remote place; and the man shall release it in the wilderness” (vv. 21-22). Symbolically, the scapegoat took on the sins of the Israelites and removed them (v. 10). For Christians, this is a foreshadowing of Christ.
Christ is the complete atonement for our sins. In many ways, He embodies each aspect of the Day of Atonement. We are told that He is our great High Priest (Hebrews 4:14). He is also the “Lamb that was slain from the creation of the world” (Revelation 13:8) as a sacrifice for our sins. And He is our scapegoat. Second Corinthians 5:21 says, “God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.” Our sins were laid on Christ – He bore our sins just as the scapegoat bore the sins of the Israelites. Isaiah 53:6 prophesies Christ’s acceptance of the sin burden: “We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” After the sins were laid on the scapegoat, it was considered unclean and driven into the wilderness. In essence, the goat was cast out. The same happened to Jesus. He was crucified outside of the city. “He was despised and rejected by men … He poured out His life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For He bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors” (Isaiah 53:3a, 12). Jesus embodied what the scapegoat represented – the removal of sins from the perpetrators.
Look at verse 5 again.
You know that he appeared in order to take away sins, and in him there is no sin.
The term translated “know” in this verse indicates a personal confidence and perception that Christ has, indeed, appeared. This is an undisputed fact. And the purpose of His incarnation — becoming man — was so that He could die to save His people from their sins.
MacArthur wrote, “The truth that Christ came to destroy sin is not just a future hope but also a present reality. John is not saying merely that believers will be delivered from sin when they die, and in the meantime will be as sinful as they were before their conversion. At salvation believers experience a real cleansing of and separation from their sins (cf. Eph. 5:26; Titus 3:5; Heb. 10:22), which on a practical level continues to occur as they become more and more conformed to the image of Christ (cf. 2 Cor. 3:18; 1 Thess. 4:1; 2 Peter 1:5–11).11 (John MacArthur, 1, 2, 3 John, MacArthur New Testament Commentary (Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 2007), 124–125.)
Prior to our embracing the work of Christ to deliver us from sin and its penalty, we were slaves of sin. But through His death and resurrection Jesus delivered us from the domain of darkness — the kingdom of Satan — and transferred us into the kingdom of light — the kingdom of Christ. Now we have a new Master, and new Name, and a new Citizenship. My heart burst with joy just thinking about it.
So far, we have looked at John’s introduction to the nature of sin, and the purpose for Christ’s first advent. Let’s look now at
The Logical Conclusion
The Logical Conclusion
which can be drawn from the above information. Look at verse 6.
No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him.
Note that,
Though Christians will Sin Occasionally, it is Impossible for Them to Persist in Sin Indefinitely
MacArthur noted, “Thus John taught that no one who sins can also abide in Christ. It is not that people who become Christians will never sin again (1:8), but they will not live as they did, because no one who sins consistently or habitually in the pattern of the unregenerate has seen Him or knows Him.” (John MacArthur, 1, 2, 3 John, MacArthur New Testament Commentary (Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 2007), 126.)
Look at verse 7.
Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous.
First, John came to the logical conclusion that those who persist in sin are not truly born again. Second, he also concludes that those who persist in righteousness show by their good deeds that they have been born again.
John Stott wrote, “The false teachers, tools of Satan the arch-deceiver, were seeking to lead them astray, not only theologically (2:26) but morally as well. So let them be on their guard.”
Stott went on to write, “The heretics appear to have indulged in the subtly perverse reasoning that somehow you could ‘be’ righteous without necessarily bothering to ‘practice’ righteousness. John roundly denies the possibility.” (John R. W. Stott, The Letters of John: An Introduction and Commentary, vol. 19, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1988), 127.)
We have been looking at what John has to say about the nature of sin. Let’s turn our attention now to
The Origin of Sin
The Origin of Sin
Let’s look first John’s introductory statement about the origin of sin.
The Introduction
The Introduction
Note that,
Sin Originated with Satan as He Rebelled Against God Most High
Look at the first part of verse 8.
Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning.
The devil, or Satan, is the arch-enemy of God, as well as the father of all sin. MacArthur noted, “Diabolos (devil) means “accuser” or “slanderer.” The expression the devil has sinned from the beginning likely refers to the moment of Satan’s rebellion against God (cf. Luke 10:18), because God originally created him as a perfect angelic being (Isa. 14:12–14; Ezek. 28:12–17). Satan is the prototypical rebel, the leading antagonist against God, and the ruler of this sinful world system (Eph. 2:2). Because he opposed God and His plan (Gen. 3:1–14; cf. Zech. 3:1; Matt. 4:1–11; 13:19; 1 Thess. 2:18) and instigated the original rebellion against God’s law, all unsaved sinners are in a sense the Devil’s children (cf. John 8:44; 2 Cor. 4:3–4; Eph. 2:1–3).” (John MacArthur, 1, 2, 3 John, MacArthur New Testament Commentary (Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 2007), 126.)
As believers in Jesus Christ we cannot be possessed by the devil or one of his minions. But we can certainly be harassed by them. We can set ourselves up for satanic oppression by harboring bitter feelings towards one another. Paul wrote,
Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil.
Peter warned,
Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
We need to be on our guard against Satan and his schemes, and the best way to do so is to put on the armor of God as mentioned in Ephesians 6:10-20.
But I am straying from our text. John is not telling us how to fight against Satan in this text. He is simply stating that those who make a practice sinning belong to the devil and not to Christ.
Let’s move on to consider John’s statement regarding
The Purpose of Christ’s First Coming
The Purpose of Christ’s First Coming
Note that,
In His First Advent, Jesus Came to Destroy the Work of Satan
Look at the last part of verse 8.
The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.
MacArthur wrote, “The phrase the works of the devil encompasses various satanic activities such as instigating sin and rebellion, tempting believers, inspiring unbiblical ideologies and false religions, persecuting and accusing believers, instigating the work of false teachers, and wielding the power of death (e.g., Luke 8:12; John 8:44; Acts 5:3; 1 Cor. 7:5; 2 Cor. 4:4; 10:3–5; Eph. 6:11–12; 1 Thess. 2:18; Heb. 2:14; Rev. 12:10). None of those works can ultimately defeat the saints, who have been delivered from his Kingdom (Col. 1:13).” (John MacArthur, 1, 2, 3 John, MacArthur New Testament Commentary (Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 2007), 126.)
This brings us to consider
The Logical Conclusion Regarding the Origins of Sin
The Logical Conclusion Regarding the Origins of Sin
Note that,
True Believers will not Continue in a Lifestyle Which is Characterized by Blatant Sin
Look at verse 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.
Leon Morris wrote, “Born of God points to divine action. There is something supernatural about the life of believers. They have been regenerated by nothing less than the power of God. Again we must give the present tenses their full force: No-one who is born of God will continue to sin. Indeed, he cannot go on sinning. John has already repudiated the doctrine of sinless perfection (1:8, 10) and we must not interpret these words in such a way as to contradict those. But we must see that sin and the Christian are radically opposed.” (Leon L. Morris, “1 John,” in New Bible Commentary: 21st Century Edition, ed. D. A. Carson et al., 4th ed. (Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: Inter-Varsity Press, 1994), 1404.)
Doesn’t that give us fuel for thought, that sin and the Christian are radically opposed? We have been given a new nature at the time of our new birth. This new nature somehow flows from Christ’s sinless nature. When we, who are believers, sin, it is not our new nature which sins. It is our old nature. Though we are no longer slaves to sin, we still act like we are sometimes. That is because our old sinful nature is battling for dominance over our new sinless nature. In other words, so often our lives are a contradiction.
The children of Israel, after their exodus from Egypt, often longed to return to Egypt. And many continued to worship the pagan deities which their forefathers began to worship while dwelling in Egypt. They never fully put off the old and put on the new. That illustrates what the believer must do — put to death what remains of sin in our lives, and put on the Lord Jesus Christ — giving no more provision for the flesh.
The walk of faith in Christ was never intended to be easy. It is a narrow road in which we walk. It is a steep path which is filled with twists and turns, and all sorts of obstacles.
Even Paul struggled against sin.
For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin.
For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.
Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good.
So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.
For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out.
For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing.
Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.
So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand.
For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being,
but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members.
Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?
Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.
Thankfully Paul went on to write,
There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
Christ has done the hardest part of the work. He took our condemnation upon Himself. But in return He expects us to live a life which is worthy of the calling we have received in Him.
Look at verse 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.
John is an author of stark contrast. Here he is showing the stark contrast between the children of God and the children of the devil. From his statement we can draw a couple of logical conclusions.
First,
The Children of God Will Live a Righteous Life Before God
As Paul wrote to the Titus:
For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men,
teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age,
Second,
The Children of God Will Love Their Brothers and Sisters in Christ with a Sacrificial Love
Of course, John, in our text, actually uses these statements to point out who the children of the devil are, rather than the children of God. Look at verse 10 one more time.
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.
This morning we have looked at the nature and origin of sin. The nature of sin is that it is absolute rebellion against God. The origin of sin is the devil.
So, if we as believers struggle with sin, we need to remember that we are in good company. The fact of the matter is that most unbelievers do not struggle with sin because they have no conviction about it. The fact that a person struggles with their propensity to sin indicates that God is doing a work in their life. Take comfort in knowing this truth which Paul share with the Philippian church. He said:
And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.
Don’t give up on the struggle. Keep fighting. Keep on keeping on. Again, to the Philippians Paul wrote about his own spiritual desires and struggles.
Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.
Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead,
I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
In Jesus name, let us press on together toward the goal for which we have been called.
Let’s pray.
Holy Father,
We come before You this day seeking to live our lives in a way which honors and glorifies You. Help us, Lord, to walk in a worthy manner. We need Your strengthening every hour of every day.
Lord, we praise You for Your predetermined plan in which Your Eternal Son became man so that He could die to save His people from their sins. And we are so grateful that we are among His people — that we are His sheep who have heard His voice and follow Him.
Lord, I pray for those among us today who have not yet responded to the voice of Christ to repent and believe the gospel — I pray that this would be the day in which Your Spirit moves them to do so.
I pray this in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
Closing Song #349
Closing Song #349
When we walk with the Lord in the light of His Word,
What a glory He sheds on our way!
While we do His good will He abides with us still
And with all who will trust and obey.
Trust and obey, for there’s no other way
To be happy in Jesus, But to trust and obey.
Ephesians 3:20–21 “Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.”
