You know that He appeared [in visible form as a man] in order to take away sins; and in Him there is [absolutely] no sin [for He has neither the sin nature nor has He committed sin or acts worthy of blame]. 1 John 3:5
Welcome back. We’re in chapter three this week. Lots of this-not-that in this week’s reading. Enjoy.
Before we begin we must pray:
Lord Jesus, this chapter is full of what could be really confusing, please make it clear. Thank You for leading and for revealing and for keeping us ready. Lead on…
Please read 1 John 3:1-3 AMP
Children of God Love One Another
1 See what an incredible quality of love the Father has shown to us, that we would [be permitted to] be named and called and counted the children of God! And so we are! For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. 2 Beloved, we are [even here and] now children of God, and it is not yet made clear what we will be [after His coming]. We know that when He comes and is revealed, we will [as His children] be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is [in all His glory]. 3 And everyone who has this hope [confidently placed] in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure (holy, undefiled, guiltless).
See what an incredible quality of love the Father has shown to us, that we would be [___________________] __________________
and ____________ and _______________ the children of God!
And so we are!
Yes, we are children of God through Faith in Christ and what He’s done for us. And being God’s children is why the world does not know us, it did not know Him.
I don’t know about you, but I hear a lot of Paul’s writings while I’m studying this. Consistent messages, just differently stated. The focus here in these three verses is our position as children is from God the Father, through Jesus the Son, and our future is secure and full of wonder and promise. You can count on it.
Beloved, we are [even here and] now _______________________, and it is not made clear what we will be [after His coming]. We _________ that when He comes and is _____________, we will [as His children] be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is [in all His glory].
And everyone who has this _______ [confidently placed] in Him ________________ himself, just as He is ________ (holy, ____________, _______________). Amazing promise.
Don’t those three verses inspire your faith?
This hope, it does not put us to shame…
And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. Romans 5:5
God’s seed, the Holy Spirit, do you think they’re different or is seed another way of denoting the Holy Spirit? I’m going to guess that they are different and the seed is God’s presence within us while the Holy Spirit is the third part of the Trinity the conduit through which God’s love is within us. I don’t know, what do you think?
Please read 1 John 3:4
4 Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness [ignoring God’s law by action or neglect or by tolerating wrongdoing—being unrestrained by His commands and His will].
Please read 1 John 3:5-6
5 You know that He appeared [in visible form as a man] in order to take away sins; and in Him there is [absolutely] no sin [for He has neither the sin nature nor has He committed sin or acts worthy of blame]. 6 No one who abides in Him [who remains united in fellowship with Him—deliberately, knowingly, and habitually] practices sin. No one who habitually sins has seen Him or known Him.
To abide is to deliberately, knowingly, habitually remain in fellowship with Him. Second by second, moment by moment remembering He is with you. He has you in the palm of His hand. Listen. Praise Him. Thank Him. Habitually. Deliberately. Mindfully. Intentionally. It means united to Him. United to Him is to be connected permanently. Yet it takes remembering and deliberately focusing and habitually practicing His Presence to hear and to know and to abide.
Please read 1 John 3:7
7 Little children (believers, dear ones), do not let anyone lead you astray. The one who practices righteousness [the one who strives to live a consistently honorable life—in private as well as in public—and to conform to God’s precepts] is righteous, just as He is righteous.
See? Even we can be lead astray.
The one who practices righteousness [the _______________________________________
_________________________________________________- in private as well as in public—and _____________________________________________] is __________________, just as He is righteous.
A precept is a general rule intended to regulate behavior or thought.
Please read 1 John 3:8-10
8 The one who practices sin [separating himself from God, and offending Him by acts of disobedience, indifference, or rebellion] is of the devil [and takes his inner character and moral values from him, not God]; for the devil has sinned and violated God’s law from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil. 9 No one who is born of God [deliberately, knowingly, and habitually] practices sin, because [a]God’s seed [His principle of life, the essence of His righteous character] remains [permanently] in him [who is born again—who is reborn from above—spiritually transformed, renewed, and set apart for His purpose]; and he [who is born again] cannot habitually [live a life characterized by] sin, because he is born of God and longs to please Him. 10 By this the children of God and the children of the devil are clearly identified: anyone who does not practice righteousness [who does not seek God’s will in thought, action, and purpose] is not of God, nor is the one who does not [unselfishly] [b]love his [believing] brother.
Verse 9… God’s seed remains [______________] in him [who is born again—_________________________—spiritually transformed, _________, and set apart ____________________]; and he cannot habitually sin, because he is born of God and longs _________________________________. Do you long to please God?
Please read 1 John 3:11-12
11 For this is the message which you [believers] have heard from the beginning [of your relationship with Christ], that we should [unselfishly] love and seek the best for one another; 12 and not be like Cain, who was of the evil one and murdered his brother [Abel]. And why did he murder him? Because Cain’s deeds were evil, and his brother’s were righteous.
Please read 1 John 3:13-15
13 Do not be surprised, believers, if the world hates you. 14 We know that we have passed out of death into Life, because we love the brothers and sisters. He who does not love remains in [spiritual] death. 15 Everyone who hates (works against) his brother [in Christ] is [at heart] a murderer [by God’s standards]; and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.
Love is the sign of the believer’s life.
Please read 1 John 3:16-18
16 By this we know [and have come to understand the depth and essence of His precious] love: that He [willingly] laid down His life for us [because He loved us]. And we ought to lay down our lives for the believers. 17 But whoever has the [c]world’s goods (adequate resources), and sees his brother in need, but has no compassion for him, how does the love of God live in him? 18 Little children (believers, dear ones), let us not love [merely in theory] with word or with tongue [giving lip service to compassion], but in action and in truth [in practice and in sincerity, because practical acts of love are more than words].
This love is not a feeling, it is an action, something you do for the benefit for someone else.
Please read 1 John 3:19-22
19 By this we will know [without any doubt] that we are of the truth, and will assure our heart and quiet our conscience before Him 20 whenever our heart convicts us [in guilt]; for God is greater than our heart and He knows all things [nothing is hidden from Him because we are in His hands]. 21 Beloved, if our heart does not convict us [of guilt], we have confidence [complete assurance and boldness] before God; 22 and we receive from Him whatever we ask because we [carefully and consistently] keep His commandments and do the things that are pleasing in His sight [habitually seeking to follow His plan for us].
Carefully and consistently keep His commandments and do the things that are pleasing in His sight [habitually seeking to follow His plan for us].
Please read 1 John 3:23-24
23 This is His commandment, that we believe [with personal faith and confident trust] in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and [that we unselfishly] love and seek the best for one another, just as He commanded us. 24 The one who habitually keeps His commandments [obeying His word and following His precepts, abides and] remains in Him, and He in him. By this we know and have the proof that He [really] abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us [as a gift].
His commandment is this: _______________________________ in the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love and seek the best for one another. By this we know and have the proof that He [really] abides in us, by ___________________________________ [as a gift]. Believe and Trust in Jesus. For He will never let you go.
Are you behind on the study? Go back to 1 John 2 here, or 1 John 1 here.
Footnotes
- 1 John 3:9 I.e. in human terms, God’s seed is like a divine “genetic code” which is passed on to His children and produces in them the desire to live in a way which pleases Him.
- 1 John 3:10 See note 2:10.
- 1 John 3:17 Lit livelihood of the world.