“Turning Away From Sin and Its Enslavement”

“1 John 3:4-9”

Introduction:

–      Do we really love God?   Have we turned away from sin? Have we been born of God?

·         If we live in sin, if we are enslaved by the habits of sin, this is a clear sign we do not love God. But if we have turned away from sin this is a clear sign that we love God.

·         If we have been born of God then we love God.

Þ      the person who loves God lives a righteous life, a pure and holy life.

Þ      he does not live in sin; he does not practice sin.

Þ      he lives in righteousness and he practices righteousness.

The need for deliverance: Man is sinful (v.4)

A.     Sin & Lawlessness

1.      He practices sin (v.4a)

a)         Man is in slavery to sin (John 8:34)

(1)        Simon was “bound by iniquity” (Acts 8:14-23)

(2)        The Prodigal Son was bound by sin (worldliness) to the point of wanting to eat pigs food (Lk.15:11-16)

Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one's slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness? (Romans 6:16 NKJV)

And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth, and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will. (2 Timothy 2:24-26 NKJV)

b)        The Works of the flesh (Gal.5:17-21)

"The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, (Matthew 13:41 NKJV)

"Many will say to Me in that day, `Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?'   "And then I will declare to them, `I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!' (Matthew 7:22-23 NKJV)

c)         The Method the Devil Uses—James 1:13-16

(1)        “drawn away” hunting term, trapping animals, draw them away from safety to traps.

(2)        “enticed” fishing term, lure, or bait

(a)         sin leads to more sin (Rom.6:19) & to death (Rom.6:23)

2.      He transgresses the law (v.4b)

a)         Adam & Eve (Genesis 2:15-17)

b)        Cain & Abel (Genesis 4:1-8 cf. 1Jn3:12), “Cain was of the wicked one, & his works were evil”

"You have heard that it was said to those of old, `You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.'   "But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, `Raca!' shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, `You fool!' shall be in danger of hell fire. (Matthew 5:21-22 NKJV)

II.                The provision for deliverance: (v.5, 8)

A.     Jesus Dealt with the Sin (v.5)

1.      He was manifested to take away our sins.

a)         “take away” – root word is “to lift.”

(1)        “The Lord laid on Him the iniquities . . .” (Is.53:4-6)

(2)        Not ours only, but the whole world (1Jn.2:2 cf. 4:9)

This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief. (1 Timothy 1:15 NKJV)

"For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost." (Luke 19:10 NKJV)

He then would have had to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now, once at the end of the ages, He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. (Hebrews 9:26 NKJV)

b)        “in Him there is no sin” (1Jn.3:3; Heb.4:15) – Jesus was pure & sinless.

c)         How did He take away our sin? 

(1)        By accepting the guilt for us (2Cor.5:21)

(2)        By taking the penalty for sin Himself (Rom.5:6)

B.     The Work of the Devil (v.8a)

1.      The person who practices sin is of the devil (v.8a)

a)         Jesus said, you are of your father the devil (Jn.8:44)

(1)        “the desires of your father you want to do”

(a)         Bar-Jesus desired to turn away people from the faith like Satan does (Acts 13:6-12)

(b)        “one of you is a devil” (Jn.6:67-71)

(1)         The Mental attack – Judas said, “Why such a waste?” (Jn.12:3-5)

(2)         The Moral attack – Satan put in Judas’ heart to betray Jesus (Jn.13:2)

(3)         The Will Attack – Satan entered Judas (Jn.13:27) to have Jesus betrayed & killed

(c)        Parable of the wheat & tares (Matt.13:24-30, 36-43)

C.     Jesus Dealt with the Devil (v.8b)

1.      The Son of God came to earth to destroy the works of the devil (v.8b)

a)         He want’s us to worship & serve him (Matt.4:8-10), he was thrown out of heaven (Is.14:12-15)

b)        He does not want you to know the power of sin has been broken!

c)         He wants control over our lives but “greater is He who is in me”!

He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, (Colossians 1:13 NKJV)

To open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.' (Acts 26:18 NKJV)

(1)        The devil tempted Eve (Gen.3:1-6) & Christ (Matt.4:1-11) & he will tempt you (Lk.4:13)

(2)        He brought sin into the world (Gen.3:13) & now has the  world lying in his lap (1Jn.5:18-19)

(3)        Evil works or deeds (Jn.3:19)

2.      How did Christ destroy the “works of the devil”?

a)         Satan’s power to charge men with sin is now “cast out.”

Christ took the sins of men upon Himself, paid & died for the sins of the world.

“Who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness----by whose stripes you were healed. (1 Peter 2:24 NKJV)

Who shall bring a charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. (Romans 8:33 NKJV)

b)        Satan’s power to cause death is now “cast out.”

Men no longer have to die. Christ died for man, became man’s substitute in death.

Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. (Hebrews 2:14-15 NKJV)

"Because I live, you will live also. (John 14:19 NKJV)

`For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. (Philippians 1:21 NKJV)

"O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?" (1 Corinthians 15:55 NKJV)

c)         Satan’s power to cause men to be separated from God is now cast out.

Man can now live forever with God.

For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit, (1 Peter 3:18 NKJV)

But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you. (Romans 8:11 NKJV)

d)        Satan’s power to enslave men with the habits of sin and shame is now “cast out.”

By His death, Christ made it possible for man to be freed from sin. Man can now conquer the enslaving habits of sin by the power of God’s Spirit.

What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?   Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? (Romans 6:1-2 NKJV)  

Knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.   For he who has died has been freed from sin.   Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, (Romans 6:6-8 NKJV)

And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. (Romans 6:18 NKJV)

But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life. (Romans 6:22 NKJV)

“Greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world” (1 John 4:4).

e)         He conquered evil spirits & forces  by His Resurrection

When Christ arose, He triumphed over Satan, openly showing that death is the work of Satan.

Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it. (Colossians 2:15 NKJV)

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. (1 John 3:8 NKJV)

III.             The proof of deliverance (v.6-7)

A.     Righteousness – Believers Duty

1.      If we abide in Christ, we do not sin (v.6a), if we sin, we do not know Christ (v.6b)

a)         It is impossible to abide in Christ & to live a sinful lifestyle.

b)        One with a sinful lifestyle has never seen God, only the pure in heart see God (Matt.5:8).

c)         This does not refer to an occasional sin into which a believer may fall.

2.      We can be deceived about the matter of sin and righteousness (v.7)

a)         One cannot practice righteousness unless he is righteous.

b)        It is possible for us to be deceived and to think that those who may do certain acts of righteousness are righteous—we must be on guard (24:4-5, 11, 24; 2Tim.3:10-17).

c)         Only Christ is righteous & for us to be righteous, we must receive the righteous One into our hearts and lives

IV.             The result of deliverance (v.9)

A.     Being Freed from Living in Sin

1.      “He does not commit sin” & “he cannot sin”

a)         To sin means to continue in sin; to constantly sin; to practice sin; to habitually sin; to live in sin.

b)        “he cannot go on sinning.”

c)         Romans 6:1...‘shall we continue in sin’ “ (Word Pictures In The New Testament, Vol.6, p.223).

The Amplified New Testament has the correct idea based upon the Greek:

      “No one born (begotten) of God [deliberately and knowingly] habitually practices sin, for God’s nature abides in him - His principle...remains permanently within him - and he cannot practices sinning because he is born (begotten) of God.”

2.      For His seed remains in him

a)         New birth (Jn.3:3-5), New creation (2Cor.5:17), New man (Eph.4:24 cf. Col.3:10), Divine nature (2Pet.1:4),Word of God (1Pet.1:23).

b)        The Holy Spirit of God Himself:

(1)        helps the believer to conquer sin and to keep from sinning.

(2)        stirs the believer to love and focus upon Christ.

(3)        stirs the believer not to sin.

          William Barclay

     “John is not setting before us here a terrifying perfectionism, in which he is demanding a life which is totally and absolutely without sin; but he is demanding a life which is ever on the watch against sin, a life which ever fights the battle of goodness, a life which has never surrendered to sin, a life in which sin is not the permanent state, but only the temporary aberration, a life in which sin is not the normal accepted way, but the abnormal moment of defeat. John is not saying that the man who abides in God cannot sin; but he is saying that the man who abides in God cannot continue to be a consistent and deliberate sinner” (The Letters of John and Jude, p.96f).