Be In The Light: Family of The Light

Intro

Good morning and again welcome to you in person and on the live stream. Thank you for joining us this morning as worship God in prayer, song, confession and last but not least the preaching of His Word.

Two weeks ago we started our series of In The Light. Week one we looked at who is The Light and why that is important. Week two we learned about what it meant to be raised in the light. Today we’re going to dive into what it means to Love and be in the family of Light.

Families come in all different shapes and sizes all have different core values that make up the foundation of their family. In the Fast Saga, We see that the core value was driving fast and loyalty. Then it turned into a loyalty without boundaries. To the point (spoiler alert) that they pull the torretto family out of retirement and two other characters end up in space. The point being that as they aged and circumstances changed, the requirement placed on the family members changed. As we’ll see today, for the believers in this world, it doesn’t.

Children of God

1 John 3:1–3 ESV

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. 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. And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.

As john continues in his letter to the house churches and we continue with him we have to remember that John is battling the heresy of Docetism, that the son of God didn’t take on flesh and only appeared to do so, also the the division in the church that was occuring from the doubts that came out of that teaching. So, here we have John establishing declarative truths before laying down imperative truths. Meaning that john is going to tell us who we are, before telling us what we are to do.

We are children of God. I love this, we are called children of god and so we are. Our identity in christ is the primary reason we live out our lives a certain way. That first verse makes me think of

Psalm 8:4 ESV

what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?

So who are we that we should be called children of God? Are we people of extraordinary distinction, not particularly. But, Like Nohan said last week, it is by grace that we are called children of God and because the world lacks grace and mercy, that’s why when we fail somewhere the people of the world are the first to point out.

I struggle with this at work. For as much as I teach and preach, sing and lead, my speech fails me at work. when it does, the first people to point it out are my coworkers, “Don’t you go to church, aren’t you a christian? Aren’t you a pastor or something?” I usually answer with, I’m not making excuses, but this is why I go to church, I’m not perfect and I need Jesus.”

we are children of the light and our testimony matters, but when we fail and those that are of this world attempt to condemn us we need to remember these truths, That we are children of God, his grace and mercy is on our lives even in our imperfection.

Sin

1 John 3:4–10 ESV

Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. You know that he appeared in order to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him. Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous. 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. 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. 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.

In this text we are clearly seeing the difference between practicing sin and practicing righteousness. To practice is the repeated exercise or performance of an activity or skill in order to gain proficiency. So, as believers should we practicing sin? I hope you answered no.

The Reformation Study Bible: English Standard Version (2015 Edition) Chapter 3

The present tense of the Greek suggests behavior that is characteristic or usual, i.e., persistent, impenitent sin. In this way, John acknowledges, but does not excuse, the possibility of occasional sin in the life of the believer.

This is something we were talking about in our team meeting that practicing sin is different from sinning in general. I don’t want to get into the weeds about this but the commentary put it well, one is habitual unrepentant sin and another is occasional. I believe that the greater point is this, on this side of eternity the struggle with sin is present for all, not just the unbeliever 2 Cor 12:8, but that’s just it, it’s a thorn, a struggle and by God’s spirit we fight these battles every day. But when we stop battling, stop fighting and start giving in, we need to ask ourselves what’s going on.

So when we look at the difference that John is building between children of the light and children of the dark, we see that he is calling the churches of ephesus and by extension us, to practice righteousness. Now the question is this, are we righteous? In short not yet. meaning this, As we are here on this side of eternity, we are declared righteous, but still lacking.

I’m about to geek out a little bit. In matthew 22 we have the parable of the wedding feast. The king invites people to the wedding feast for his son, but they don’t come. Then the food is ready and they still don’t come, some even kill the servants sent to summon them. Then he just invites everyone, but those he first invited. The rest reads this way:

Matthew 22:11–14 ESV

“But when the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there a man who had no wedding garment. And he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless. Then the king said to the attendants, ‘Bind him hand and foot and cast him into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ For many are called, but few are chosen.”

In those times, the host provided the garments, or clothing, for the party. Just like with us, God through Jesus christ has provided righteousness, and by the work of christ, declares us righteous as we put on christ. This is the doctrine of jsutification. Philip Eveson fromt TGC puts it this way:

The doctrine of justification concerns God’s gracious judicial verdict in advance of the day of judgment, pronouncing guilty sinners, who turn in self-despairing trust to Jesus Christ, forgiven, acquitted of all charges and declared morally upright in God’s sight.

Some day, once we are out of this tainted flesh, and our sanctification has become glorification and christ has returned as verses 2 and 3 say:

English Standard Version Chapter 3

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.

Righteousness

Until then, we practice righteousness. Meaning that even as we still live in this flesh and struggle, that we, by God’s Spirit living in us can try to live out the declarative reality we spoke about in verses 1-3 ass we live out the imperatives(commands) we have in the rest of our verses today.

RC Sproul said this:

The Reformation Study Bible: English Standard Version (2015 Edition) Chapter 3

We are not saved by the law, but we demonstrate our love for Christ by obeying His commandments. “If you love Me,” Jesus said, “keep My commandments” (John 14:15).

So what are His commands? To the crowd (and to us)in Matthew 22 he says:

English Standard Version Chapter 22

You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 40 On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”

In the upper room discourse of the gosepl according to John chapter 13

John 13:34–35 ESV

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

English Standard Version Chapter 3

11 For this is the message that you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. 12 We should not be like Cain, who was of the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own deeds were evil and his brother’s righteous. 13 Do not be surprised, brothers, that the world hates you. 14 We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death. 15 Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.

Man, John is faithful and consistent with the words of christ. Here he is tying What he wrote in the Gospel to his writing here. Nerd fact, the letter of james was written before this first letter of John and the cool part is that John is tying into that, Next month the letter of James will be our series, so I wont deep dive that.. The basic theme being this, you want to practice righteousness, Love one another. Sas, he dicho, caso cerrado.

It’s that simple right??? Let’s see what that looks like

English Standard Version Chapter 3

16 By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. 17 But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? 18 Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.

If that doesn’t sound like James 2, that’s beyond me.

It’s not easy to do any of that. How many opportunities do we have to lay down our lives for one another? luckily not a lot, in Johns case persecution was everywhere. But how many chances do we have to give to one another, to help someone in need and maybe we don’t?

English Standard Version Chapter 25

34 Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36 I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ 37 Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? 38 And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? 39 And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ 40 And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’

Man that is tough. Thank God for His grace and mercy, cause I know I fail.

Assured and carried

English Standard Version Chapter 3

19 By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him; 20 for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything. 21 Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; 22 and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him. 23 And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. 24 Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God, and God in him. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us.

There is not a lot in scripture about certain disciplines being signs of assurance, though sometimes we treat it this way when we try to measure ourselves and others. Things like reading scripture, praying, ministry, though these things are great and we see examples of faithful people in scripture doing these things and being greatly encouraged, they are not the measurement that even christ gives us. Meaning this, that scripture tells us that our assurance is to be found in christ and his work, and we live that out by loving one another. The Holy Spirit gives us a passion for God’s word, communion and serving the church, but beyond that he supplies us with the passion to love eachother. Not just our neighbor but more intently each other, meaning believer to believer.

As a family in Christ, our values, the things that make us a family, our core values do not change, unlike our families in this world and unlike the FAst and Furious family. Not only that, but the blood we have been united by is stronger than what unites us to our relatives and parents. The saying goes that blood is thicker than water, but the whole saying is this:

the blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb

The covenant we have in christ and his blood unites us eternally. our core values as we learned today are this

English Standard Version Chapter 3

23 And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. 24 Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God, and God in him. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us.

We are children of God and we get to live by His spirit to that end. That we love another and proclaim this great love to the world that turns its back to the Father.

If you don’t know if you’ve come to believe in jesus, reach out to us, we are here for you. The call to put on christ is for all who have ears to hear and if you’ve heard the call today, reach out.

1 Praise the Lord! my heart with His love is beaming, I am a child of God; Heaven’s golden light over me is streaming, I am a child of God.

2 Let the saints rejoice with my raptured spirit, I am a child of God; I will testify that the world may hear it, I am a child of God. [Refrain]

3 Let a holy life tell the gospel story, I am a child of God; How He fills the soul with His grace and glory, I am a child of God. [Refrain]

4 Saved from sin today, every band is riven, I am a child of God; Through the tests of life I have peace from heaven, I am a child of God. [Refrain]