God's Children: How to Identify the Brothers part 2

Scripture Reading 1 John 2:29-3:10

Opening Prayer

Introduction

Review (2:29-3:1)

I. God’s children can be identified by righteousness (2:29-3:1)

II. You really have hope for life (2-3)

Exposition 1 (4-6)

1 John 3:4–6 ESV

4 Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. 5 You know that he appeared in order to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. 6 No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him.

What does it mean that “sin is lawlessness?” (4)

It is a definition

It is a denial of God’s standards.

If you truly understood the severity of sin, you would never choose to sin.

Yet we all have denied God’s law and been lawless.

Therefore, Because we were lawless, and God desired for himself a people to love and have relationship with, He determined to redeem for Himself a people.

This has always been His plan

Verse 5 emphasizes this Gospel

It begins by reminding the readers of something that they know

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

Gospel...

It hinges on sinlessness (the sinlessness of Christ)

Verse 6 then goes on to talk to us about abiding in Christ

Christians abide in Christ

What does abide mean?

To “live in”

Read v. 6

To say it positively, people who are truly saved don’t give in to sin

I. Sin is truly against God and is not to characterize a believer (4-6)

Clarify, not sinless but also not given in to sin

If you are a Christian, your life should have, as a major component, a method to accomplish this

How?

At the least, be at church.

Talk about the fellowship, bearing burdens, building one another up, rebuking eachother

Read the word like a glass (mirror)

Pray

Ask for help (prayer/accountability)

Exposition 2 (7-10) [4th point]

1 John 3:7–10 ESV

7 Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous. 8 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. 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. 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.

Don’t Be Deceived (7)

How you live reveals who you are (8-9)

Of the devil or

Of God

Sin reveals lostness

II. Who are you born of? (7-10)

Conclusion