His Example
Notes
Transcript
Introduction:
Cross-stick example:
God does not invite us to a dead relationship! He does not seek the relationship but not the fellowship. God seeks us to be connected. Even in the garden, He knew they sinned at that tree, but in the “cool of the day” he sought man. Now sin, certainly separates ever since the garden, God removed man. Through this mini series we will look at three major aspects that will equip us for practical and biblical christian living.
His example
His Command
His warning
This is a letter written when John is older in age, some suggest when he was around 80 years old. John, the elder, is refuting a christian life that is not authentic. John begins this thread by inviting believers beyond just the average relationship and into sweet fellowship. John is writing during times where false teachers were creeping into the churches much like what Paul was writing about. Elements of gnosticism are present, and John is refuting the lifestyle that does not resemble a relationship with the Father. John writes about four central themes: Love, light, truth, and fellowship. He is known as the Apostle of love.
28 And now, little children, abide in Him, that when He appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming.
29 If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone who practices righteousness is born of Him.
1 Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.
2 Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.
3 And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.
“Behold”
Manner- Out of this world kind of Love
Children of God: 1 John 2, 1 John 5:18-20- Review
1 John 3:1 tells us what we are, 1 john 3:2 tells us what we shall be, and 1 john 3:3 tells us what we should be. -Weirsbe
1) Salvation from start to finish is an expression of God’s love.
1) Salvation from start to finish is an expression of God’s love.
4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,
5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),
6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
7 that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:
Weirsbe:
“God’s love for us is unique. This verse in 1 John 3, can be translated as, Behold what peculiar, out-of-this-world kind of love the Father bestows on us.”
2) The world does not know us:
2) The world does not know us:
John’s epistle reminds us to exercise the right kind of love (1 john 2:7-11) Now it warns us that there is a wrong kind of love, a love that God hates. This love for what the bible calls, “The world”.
Weirsbe states four reasons why we should not love the world:
Because of what the world is
Because of what the world does to us (2:15-16)
Because of where the World is headed (2:17)
A) “Worldliness is not so much a matter of activity as of attitude”
Worldliness not only affects your response to the love of God, it also affects your response to the will of God.
“If ye love me keep my commandments”
"Anything that causes you to lose the enjoyment of the Father’s love or his desire to do the Father’s will is worldly and must be avoided”
4. Because of what a christian is (2:12-14)
John uses the identification of a christian in an unusual form
A) Children- All believers- Literal wording is “born ones” (James 4:4)
God does not want us to remain as children (1 John 1:3)
B) Fathers- mature believers who know the Father
C) Young men who conquered the evil one- through the word of God.
The “world” has three meanings in our bibles:
1)Physical world or earth (Acts 17:24)
2)Human world or humankind (John 3:16)
3)Sometimes combined (John 1:10) World knew him not (humankind)
There are certainly some days where we fail. Next week we will be looking at the topic of Sin in regards to our relationship with the Father.
3) “We shall be like Him”
3) “We shall be like Him”
Purify yourselves like He is pure. Be holy because I am holy. Be found being like Him!
In view of the return of Jesus Christ, we should keep our lives clean. All this reminds us of the Father’s love. He invites us to dwell with Him- this is His desire. 1 John 1:3 .
1 John 2:28 expresses the idea that we are to be found being like Him.
20 For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,
21 who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself.
Are we living our lives that reflects Him and is eagerly awaiting His return? If we are, our lives should look different from when we first accepted Christ as our Savior.
A call to stand:
1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.
2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
19 And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts;
10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.
11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness,
15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.
17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God;
“Living holy is not to promote legalism, or even take a step towards a works based salvation, but to bring Glory to the Father.
We were created in His image to bring Glory to Him, not the world.
We live in an alien element and if we are not careful, the alien element will stifle us. When the world is in the christian, trouble starts.
Example of this love:
A group of teens were out partying and they had plans to go to a certain restaurant for a further good time. Jan explained she would rather the group just take her home. Jan explained that her parents do not approve of the desired destination they were planning on going to. The group began to make fun of Jan and asked if her father will hurt her for going to such a place. She explained, no, I am not afraid that my father will hurt me, but that I will hurt my Father.
She understood the principle that a true child of God, who has experienced the love of God, has no desire to sin against that love.
In “Shoe leather Christianity- Johhny Hunt-James Hastings writes:
It is the dropping of God out of life that makes life uninteresting; it is the neglect of His presence that shadows our days. The way to find blessedness is to find God; and he is to be found in every ordinary thing in our daily round. We always find Him when we try to do everything for His glory. For Thy Sake! This is life's deepest inspiration and this its highest power.