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J Letters from John Part 6: Child of GodNow? 1 John 2:28-3:10 Slide 2 Slide 3 Goal Up to this point, John has given us an almost binary perspective of those who belong to God and those who do not, as weve seen over and over again the contrast between these two worlds. In this passage however, though he continues along this same perspective, he shows us how intimate the world who belongs to God truly is. Slide 4 Big Idea! since we have been declared Children of God, we will exhibit the traits of our Father! Slide 5 J Letters from John 1 John 2:28-3:10 page 1208 Slide 6 J Letters from John Actively Abides (1 John 2:28-29) John spurs us on to persevere because Jesus Christ will soon appear, therefore a child of God Slide 7 1 John 2:28-29 Christs return is mentioned 318 times in the 260 chapters of the New Testament. To continue or abide in Him is not shirking our responsibility and waiting for His return, but activity doing that work which you want Christ to catch you doing when He returns. Slide 8 Godly Living & the Return of Christ 11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, 12 training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self- controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, 13 waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, 14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works. (Titus 2:1114 ESV) Slide 9 1 John 2:28-29 John wants us to emphatically understand that a lifestyle of righteous deeds did not originate from mans organic birth, but is a result of his spiritual birth from above. Slide 10 J Letters from John Persistently Purifies (1 John 3:1-3) John now reveals to us the amazing love of the Father, and as a result, His child Slide 11 1 John 3:1-3 Throughout scripture Gods love is defined as doing something incredible for the objects of His love. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16 ESV) but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Rom 5:8 ESV) For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16 ESV) but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Rom 5:8 ESV) Slide 12 1 John 3:1-3 Its one thing to be redeemed and freed from the slavery of sin, its quite another to have those freed slaves become your children! Slide 13 Children by Adoption 15 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, Abba! Father! 16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirsheirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him. (Rom 8:1517 ESV) When Christ gave himself for us, he gave us all the rights and privileges which went with himself, so that now he has, as our Brother, no heritage apart from us, although, as Eternal God, he hath essential rights to which no creature may venture to pretend. C.H. Spurgeon Slide 14 1 John 3:1-3 Slide 15 Hated and Unknown 18 If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. 20 Remember the word that I said to you: A servant is not greater than his master. If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. 21 But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me. (John 15:1821 ESV) The one consolation is that by rejecting us, John says, the world confirms our relationship with God the Father! Slide 16 1 John 3:1-3 Slide 17 What We Shall Be And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit. (2 Cor 3:18 ESV) who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself. (Phil 3:21 ESV) When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. (Col 3:4 ESV) Slide 18 1 John 3:1-3 To understand the natural outflow of this blessed hope, John uses the Greek verb hagnizo, as one who now continually prepares themselves to be ushered into the presence of a great monarch, and has been given a model to follow. That model is Jesus Christ! Slide 19 J Letters from John Longingly Loves (1 John 3:4-10) Finally, we know that Christ overcame the power of sin and therefore the Child of God Slide 20 1 John 3:4-6 Slide 21 Christs first appearing was to destroy the power of sin. Those who abide in Him can and must have victory over sin. Slide 22 Power Over Sin 5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. 6 We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. (Rom 6:56 ESV) Slide 23 1 John 3:4-6 The NIV translation correctly attempts to convey the grammatical structure of the phrases. In essence what John is saying, those who continually live in Christ, will naturally not keep sinning, since living in Christ and sinning are mutually exclusive. Slide 24 1 John 3:7-9 7 Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. He who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous. 8 He who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devils work. 9 No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because Gods seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God. John now warns us and tests us as children of God, in verses 7-10, so that we will be clear about who we are, and who they are. Those who, as a lifestyle, do right are righteous, and those who, as a lifestyle, do sinful things, are of the devil. This is not the best-of-both-worlds theology. We dont go online and pick the best options, compare prices, and delivery dates, and call it My Theology. Slide 25 1 John 3:10 Johns child-of-God-self-testthe So What? of the passage: 1.Do we desire with all our heart to do right, as God sees it? 2.As a child of God, do I love my brother? Johns child-of-God-self-testthe So What? of the passage: 1.Do we desire with all our heart to do right, as God sees it? 2.As a child of God, do I love my brother? To love one another is the brand we are given to signify ownership by Jesus Christ. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another. (John 13:35 ESV) Slide 26 Take ComfortGod is Working And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. (Phil 1:6 ESV)