Living as Children of God

1 John 2:28–3:10 ESV

28 And now, little children, abide in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence and not shrink from him in shame at his coming. 29 If you know that he is righteous, you may be sure that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of him. 1 See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2 Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. 3 And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure. 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. 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.

Introduction

Have you ever heard the saying, “The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.”? Consider the life of two men with the last name Johnson. The older man is Rocky “The Soul Man” Johnson wrestled in the 1980s. The young boy is his son, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. Both success in wrestling. In one way, this saying is true for Dwayne Johnson. The saying is a way to describe when a child behaves or acts like their parents. In some instances, it is a compliment and an insult at other times. This saying matches well with what John is directing the believers to realize. If they are “children” of God through Jesus Christ, they ought to live in a manner that shows they belong to God. Today as we look at the concept of our call to be like God, look for areas in your life that you see the need to be more like God the Father.

Children of God should abide in Him

John calls believers in Christ “children” multiple times. This is the reality for those who believe in Jesus as the Christ. And numerous times, John tells the believers to abide in the word of God and Jesus. John is repeating the specific teaching of Jesus in John 25. We must abide in Christ. Jesus compared himself to the True Vine, and we are branches. If we do not abide in Him and His words, we are lifeless like a branch cut off from the vine. What does John mean by the term “abide”?

Abide: to continue in a certain state, condition, or activity. It also implies enduring and staying put or persisting.

John connects the command to abide with a sobering thought. Jesus will appear. This is a reference to the promise of Jesus to the Second Coming to make all things new. While this is good news and motivation for believers, it is a word of warning to those who reject God. John describes two groups: one with confidence and another that shrinks back. If we look back to the Garden of Eden. We see this in the life of Adam and Eve. Before sinning, Adam and Eve enjoyed the presence of God without shame. But once they sinned, they recognized their sin and chose to hide from God (shrink back).

Today, John would encourage us as well to abide in Christ. As children of God, we ought to live righteously because we belong to a righteous God. Therefore, we ought to practice righteousness. What does it mean to “practice” righteousness?

Practice: to behave in a certain manner; show a certain behavior or attribute; conduct or comport oneself.

We will look at this term in the following sections as it relates to practicing sin. But for now, we need to connect these two concepts. Those who choose to abide in Christ should also choose to practice living according to God’s way and not the way of the world.

The Honor of Being a Child of God

Next, John wants to awaken believers to the reality that they are children of God. Hopefully, we don’t miss the amazement that is intended because of our English translation. The original term literally means, “of what country?”. John wants believers to realize that this is no ordinary relationship as with a friend or family member. It is love from God, “agape”. The New Testament often uses this word to describe the unique and amazing love from God toward humanity. If we are in Christ, this is the confidence that we have. God has shown us amazing love that we do not deserve, nor can we demand. It is totally an action that He does for us because He has decided to. God has chosen to call us “His Children” (Called - to be or become designated with a quality)

The world, those who reject God, may not think much of our faith. They probably won’t agree with us that we belong to God nor care about it. They might not “get it.” But that does not matter. For what truly matters is that we set our hearts and minds to look forward to Christ’s coming and be ready.

Luke 12:35–40 ESV

35 “Stay dressed for action and keep your lamps burning, 36 and be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the wedding feast, so that they may open the door to him at once when he comes and knocks. 37 Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will dress himself for service and have them recline at table, and he will come and serve them. 38 If he comes in the second watch, or in the third, and finds them awake, blessed are those servants! 39 But know this, that if the master of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have left his house to be broken into. 40 You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”

Being ready means having a pure heart. Remember that the heart is symbolic for the center of who we are and our decision-making.

Practicing Righteousness or Lawlessness?

John uses the word “practice” multiple times. It refers to one’s behavior and character. In the context, John focuses on the idea of an intentional ongoing action and attitude toward something. Sin is to deviate from God’s desires and will. It may seem not to be a serious issue to false teachers in the church. But John confronts their error by pointing out that sin is equal to lawlessness. In saying this, he is describing their rebellious attitude toward anything that God would call sin. Since Jesus came to take away our sins through His death on the cross, we are enabled by God to live under His freedom and not ruled by sin.

For those who choose to “practice” sin, they fulfill the old saying, “The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.” They are acting like their spiritual father, the devil. If those who live in Christ are children of God, then the opposite is true for those who make it their life practice to live in sin. They are related to Satan, who also chose to rebel and reject God.

John states that those born of God do not make a practice of sinning. First, this statement is based upon the idea of sonship. “God’s seed” is a descriptive way of showing that we belong to God. We have become “born again” John 3:3-8. John reminds us that we now carry a new identity. In Christ, we are no longer our past self, for we have come into a new reality made possible through God’s grace.

Secondly, this statement needs to be set in its context. Some have taken this statement to imply that Christians can mature to the point that they will never ever sin again on this earth. The New Testament gives us the picture that believers will face various situations where they will need to confess the sins they have committed. The apostle Paul described his personal experience with sin in Romans 7-8. He concluded that sinful desires are part of this human experience and that we must “put to death the deeds of the body” (referring to the struggle with sin). So when we look read verse 9, we ought to think of it in this manner.

These texts do not speak of perfection but direction. The believer’s life is characterized by gracious habits of putting away patterns of sin and putting on patterns of righteousness. Those who profess to be saved but do not progress in cultivating patterns of life in obedience to Christ’s commands can make no legitimate claim to being true children of God.

‌MacArthur, John, and Richard Mayhue. Biblical Doctrine: A Systematic Summary of Bible Truth. Crossway, 2017. p. 588

Our Rights and Responsibilities

Today various movements are demanding civil liberties and rights. But the Bible speaks of our rights differently. Consider the rights of being a child of God. It is not something that we can demand from God; rather, it is a product of his grace and mercy toward sinners who repent and believe in Christ. He gives the right. This right to be called a child of God gives us the confidence to come before God, knowing that He will always receive the humble and repentant heart. The story of the Prodigal Son illustrates this very well. The son confesses his sin and knows he should not be called a son again. But the loving father rejoices and restores the son to the place and privilege of a son.

But along with our right to be called a child of God comes the responsibility to live differently. We ought to live now in a manner that reflects the goodness and character of God. We must take up a defensive attitude toward our sinful desires. Each person will struggle with various sinful desires to varying degrees. If a child of God struggles with sinful desires, this is not an unusual thing. The struggle is part of our responsibility to live as a child of God. Romans 8:13

Romans 8:13 ESV

13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.

Jesus made the same point when he taught his followers to deal with their temptation.

Matthew 5:30 ESV

30 And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell.

Jesus used hyperbole (exaggeration) to make the point that we ought to not be casual with our temptations.

Look at the following points of action to help you fulfill your responsibility to live as a child of God

Identify what tempts you or draws you away from God and toward sin.

Recognize the usual events and patterns that lead up to your desire to sin.

Make a plan to “eject” yourself when confronted with the temptation. (Joseph ran when Potiphar’s wife sought to tempt him)

Create boundaries that support your decisions to live as a child of God.

Never forget that erosion occurs slowly but is ultimately devastating.