Righteous Practice and True Identity

Introduction:

Biblical Christianity is not mere ritual. Indeed it eschews ritual.

Belief in Jesus is more than two things:

Holding certain propositions about Jesus to be true.

Based upon those propositions, to begin ritualistic practice, namely worship, in his name.

We know Him. We know the Father.

This changes the way we live in the world.

Genuine salvation changes the way we live, our lifestyles, while we remain in this life.

We live in obedience to his commands. (Physical practice)

They are consistent with his nature.

They are consistent with Christ’s own life.

We learned a few weeks ago, true believers know God’s nature.

We want to understand it more.

We want our behaviors to be consistent with it.

John is differentiating two identities:

The children of God versus the children of the devil

1 John 3:10.

Practicing Sin Equates to Lawlessness

John states a universal reality:

All who… (1 John 3:4).

“Doing sin” does not mean a one time act.

John acknowledges that true believers may commit acts of sin.

1 John 2:1

1 John 5:16

Here, he is concerned with practice or lifestyle, but his initial interest is to explain what “sin” is.

ἀνομία, ας f: to behave with complete disregard for the laws or regulations of a society—‘to live lawlessly, lawlessness, lawless living.’

Here, John has in mind a lifestyle of rebelliousness against God’s own nature.

“Sin” as a physical thing amounts to the practice of rebelling against God himself.

Lawlessness equates to rebellion.

Christ Came to Destroy Sin

John supports the previous, universal claim by reminding his audience of what they know to be true about Jesus.

He (“that one”) appeared, the first time so that he might “take away” sins.

He did not come to make it possible for us to indulge our sins.

1 John 1:9.

1 John 2:2

Sin is incompatible with his nature.

The implication of these two reminders can now be understood:

The practice of sin is inconsistent with Christ’s first coming, and thus with his own practices.

Sin and rebelliousness contradict the very nature of Christ himself.

The overt point is that true believers live lifestyles consistent with Christ’s own nature and practices.

Practicing Righteousness Reveals Our True Identity

John now comes to his point of contrast.

Those remaining in Christ are not sinning.

Therefore, all who are sinning have neither seen nor known him.

Christ made known God’s character and nature for man whose sinful nature prevents us from seeing God.

To have “known” him means more than knowing of his existence.

It implies a true, genuine understanding of what God is like.

We do not know God if our lives have not changed.