1 John 3:4-9 Concerning Sin

I love Bible questions. I love them, sometimes a passage of scripture will illicit a question, and 1 John 3 has a doozie of a line in, that should give every question pause. It concerns sin. It will cause some doubt their some salvation, it will inform others that hey you have been pretending, and it should drive us all to our knees confessing. My question to you is when was the last time you got on your knees and confessed your sins to Jesus Christ?

The concerning passage, that is concerning sin.

1 John 3:4–9 Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness. And you know that He was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin. Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him. Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous. He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil. Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God.

I know the wording there is off. I am trying to convey the idea “The troubling passage, the one that deals with sin.” Because this is a passage of scripture that should make everyone sitting in the pew grab your collar a little bit and go woah did it just get hot in here. I sin, am I going to hell.

John wants you to have assurance of your salvation

Salvation Test #1 - Do you obey God’s commands?

1 John 2:3 “Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments.”

I spoke about this on November 2nd In other words Genuine Christians obey Jesus commands

Salvation Test #2 - Are you habitually sinning?

We will be diving headlong into this topic, but I want you to remember the illustration I gave you about the pool back in November, when I would take vial of water and put a little pill in it to see if it was contaminated. That is what these tests do they give the proof are you a genuine Christian. Hopefully you will leave these passage assured of your salvation. One way or the other. Either you will say “Yes I am a Christian, or you will look at the scriptures and say I have been pretending for too long and it is time to get right with the LORD. The most important thing is that you have accepted Jesus free gift of salvation. Everything else in this life is secondary to that.

DO CHRISTIANS SIN? YES!

But Pastor......… what about this passage?

1 John 3:6 Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him. and

1 John 3:9 Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God.

Those verses should put you back on your heals and go WOAH!!!!! You should take a good hard look at these verses and ask yourself the question, what is John talking about, am I a Christian? Last week I sinned, I told a lie to my wife. I got mad at my boss. I cursed out the guy who almost ran me off the road. I sin, am I really a Christian?

But Parishioner....… context is important.

1 John 1:8–10 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.

This is where we have to have a hermeneutical study of the word of God. The way you study is important. It is not a good idea to do Bible study like this. Flip through the pages and pick out a verse and say HAHA, this is my life verse. You have to read and understand the entire council of God. The best way for you to do that as a Christian is to A) Read the entire book, comparing scripture with scripture, and B) Ask questions either ask a seasoned student of the Bible or consult a respected commentary. But reading things in context so often clarifies things.

John clearly states at the beginning of this book. You sin. If you say that you have none, you are a liar. Two people have told me, Pastor you talk about sin all the time. I have heard about sin my entire life why are you talking about sin. Well, SIN is your biggest problem. It doesn’t go away, and you sure aren’t going to hear about it on TV unless you are listening to a good preacher, so this is where you need to hear about sin. The truth is that all of us from the best of us to the worst of us have a sin problem, but praise God Jesus is the sin solution.

Christians are not rebellious habitual sinners.

1 John 3:4 Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness.

Lawlessness ( transgresseth kjv ) poieo - It emphasizes not a one‑time act, but the ongoing practice or lifestyle of sin

It is the opposite of Abiding in God. It is Abiding in sin. It is you are wallowing in sin like a pig and you like it. It doesn’t bother you, you relish in it. It has a hold of you and no matter what you are addicted to it, you love it.

Christians don’t live as a rebel, as if sin reigns in their heart.

Romans 6:12–14 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.

Christians will sin, but it doesn’t rule in our lives as a daily habit. I would like you to think about this....

I am not what I want to or should be....

Praise God I am not who I was and I am not what I one day will be.

That is the mark of a Christian.

Jesus died to save you from your sin.

1 John 3:5 And you know that He was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin.

I know salvation is a three step process

Instantly you are eternally saved from the penalty of your sin. Justification

We are in the process of being saved from the power of sin. Sanctification

One day we will be saved from the presence of sin. Glorification.

Jesus did all that on the cross. It was the reason He came and if you accept Him, you have step 1 end of story, there should be evidence of #2 and we have hope that in the future we will attain #3

Jesus took your sin on His cross, to change your life.

2 Corinthians 5:21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

The Christian life is not I said a prayer (I am not taking anything away from prayer hear me out) I live like the devil and when I get to heaven I am going to start acting like it, no God began a good work in you the moment you are saved and will be faithful to complete it in you.

Jesus is purifying His bride.

Ephesians 5:25–27 “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.”

Jesus should be creating in you a clean heart. We are no longer filthy. Jesus came to this earth to save you from the power of sin. I admit! I grew up in church, I was raised right, BEFORE CHRIST! I cursed, I listened to ungodly music, I looked at ungodly things, I was abiding in sin, I was angry, lustful, and a liar. Today I am not those things. Am I perfect. By no means, but I have found victory, and I like it! Jesus did it, not me. I didn’t do it myself I don’t have that kind of power. JESUS changed me! He can do that for you too. How many of you can say the same thing. Say AMEN if this is you..… Be honest especially with number two

I am not what I want to be or should be.

Praise God I am not who I used to be.

Hallelujah I am not yet what I will be!

If you are living in sin, you don’t know my Jesus.

1 John 3:6 Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him.

If you are living in sin. ABIDING in habitual sin, you haven’t met my Jesus yet, but don’t worry He is holding out His nail pierced hands!

If you are a liar (you don’t have the strength to let the truth win you lie to your wife every chance you get) , then you don’t know my Jesus, but He is holding out His nail pierced hands

If you are a fornicator (you are addicted to pornography, you are cheating on your spouse, you lust all the time) then you don’t know my Jesus, but He is holding out His nail pierced hands

If you are angry (hatred gets the best of you all the time, you yell you scream everytime you are behind the wheel you yell at the other drivers, you hate you can’t forgive, anger is your way of life) than you don’t know my Jesus, but He is holding out His nail pierced hands.

If you are addicted to sin (drug addiction, alcohol addiction, your addicted to a foul mouth dirty jokes, wickedness is your way of life) then you don’t know my Jesus but He is holding out His nail pierced hands.

The best thing that you can do is meet my Jesus, He can become your Jesus, He is victory over sin

True Christians, live right!

1 John 3:7 Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous.

I will tell you this there are too many verses for me to share with you that say Believers, God’s people Hate evil and cling to Good! Christian you are redeemed. We aren’t perfect, but we are being changed. We are sinners who still need are Savior but our lives are different. Every once in awhile you will meet someone who claims to have a relationship with God, BUT they don’t live right. They are living a lie.

Love Good and Not evil.

3 John 11 Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. He who does good is of God, but he who does evil has not seen God.

Isaiah 5:20 Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!

Amos 5:15 Hate evil, love good; Establish justice in the gate. It may be that the Lord God of hosts Will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph.

It goes on and on, every book of the Bible stresses, DO RIGHT! Only when God has changed you can you have the power to do right. You can’t defeat sin on your own it only by those nail pierced hands

Christ makes you a new man live righteous before God.

Ephesians 4:24 and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.

Whose team do you play for?

1 John 3:8 He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.

The devil is the best example of the rebellious, habitual sinner.

Isaiah 14:12–14 “How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, You who weakened the nations! For you have said in your heart: ‘I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation On the farthest sides of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.’

His rebellion from when he said I will be like God started in Eden and has never stopped. He from the beginning is the example of the sinner a rebel who can not redeem himself. A lifestyle of sin that cannot be changed. We are different than him because we can be redeemed, Jesus extends to you His nail pierced hands

The devil’s days are numbered.

Revelation 20:10 The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.

I chose a long time ago to sign up for the winning team and it changed my life. The devil God’s enemy and my enemy was defeated on the cross.

The solution to your sin problem is to be born again.

1 John 3:9 Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God.

You either belong to God or the devil there is no middle ground. I have described to you the sinner. He is dead in his tresspasses and sins. He can’t escape it on his own. His lifestyle is sin. His habits are sinful. They are lust anger addiction lying stealing rebellion and wickedness. But those who know God are different, they find that God is saving them from sin, They are not yet what they want to be or should be but praise God by His power they aren’t what they used to be and have hope that some day they will finally be forever free. If you haven’t experienced the saving power of Jesus Christ, you don’t know what it is like to have the life changing power of Jesus Christ

Will you be born again?

John 3:7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’

Let Jesus Change your life, only He can.

Galatians 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.

There He is His nail pierced hands reaching out to you. Full of Grace Full of Mercy and today we need to think FULL OF POWER! The power to SAVE!!!!!

To change you from the inside out. I believe you can’t do it on your own, it is only in His strength, that you can be SAVED FROM SIN!