1 John 3:5 [I]n him is no sin.
The amazing thing about Christ is that those who knew him best believed that he was sinless. John was closer to Jesus than anyone else (John 13:23), and he could find no fault in him. The Apostle Peter was also close to Christ and wrote, He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth (1 Peter 2:22).
We can fool some people most of the time, and most people some of the time, but it’s hard to fool those who are close to us. Many leaders have an excellent public image, but their staff knows what they’re really like. Jesus was just the opposite. The closer people got to him, the more perfect he seemed to them. This is the kind of Savior we need.
1 John 3:8 The one who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning.
Sinners want to hear that God is forgiving so that we can sin without restraint. We like to sin; God likes to forgive; it’s a perfect arrangement. But if that’s our opinion we don’t belong to Christ at all. We are, in fact, of the devil.
Antinomianism is the heresy that teaches we are saved by faith alone and, therefore, can sin as we please. Legalism is an opposing heresy that teaches we are saved by faith, plus obeying God’s law (Galatians 2:16). The Bible teaches that we are saved by faith in Christ alone (John 3:16), but that true faith makes us want to live for him.
Striding Edge is a trail in Britain that runs along the ridge of a mountain. The views are grand, but the trail is just a few feet wide, so hikers must be careful not to fall off either side. In our passion for obedience we must not add rules to the gospel. And in our passion for freedom we must not ignore divine commands. We are saved by faith in Christ alone, which makes us want to live for him alone. We must avoid the opposing dangers of legalism and antinomianism.
1 John 3:14 We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love each other.
A little girl sat on her Father’s lap and told him how much she loved him. But when she gave him a hug, she looked over his shoulder and stuck out her tongue at her brother. That’s normal family life but, according to the Bible, if you truly love God, you’ll also love fellow believers. If you prefer the company of unbelievers, you haven’t passed from death to life.
1 John 3:24 And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us.
Even as an old man, John was mindful of the indwelling Spirit. When he got up in the morning, he sensed the Spirit within him. And when he lay down at night, the Spirit was still with him. The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children (Romans 8:16), wrote Paul. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ (Romans 8:9), wrote Paul again.
The indwelling Spirit gives a clear and conscious awareness that we are children of God. This awareness will be stronger in some than others, and will vary throughout our lives. But the apostles spoke of the indwelling Spirit as the common experience of all believers. Christians throughout the ages have also spoke of the indwelling Spirit.
The awareness of the indwelling Spirit can’t be manufactured, and isn’t the same as feeling spiritual or religious. The indwelling Spirit is the gift of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, and is unique to Christianity. It’s a remarkable confirmation of the gospel that only believers can understand.
A little boy was flying his kite so high that it disappeared behind the clouds. Someone asked how he knew it was still there and he said, I can feel the pull. The Holy Spirit puts an upward pull in our hearts, assuring us that we belong to God through faith in Jesus Christ. The Spirit comes into us the moment we believe, and remains throughout our lives. He is God himself, and assures us that we belong to God.
1 John 4:8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.
From eternity past the Father, Son and Spirit have lived in a relationship of pure and perfect love. This divine community is partially reflected in the basic human community of husband, wife and child. Families are never perfect but a loving family reveals, in part, what it’s like to belong to God’s family.
A train accident left eleven people dead and many others injured. As he lay dying, a man left a message to his wife and children, saying how much he loved them. Since he didn’t have paper or pen, he wrote it with his blood. He probably said I love you many times before but, once he wrote it in blood, they could never forget it. God’s love should never be forgotten either, because he wrote it in blood on a cross. This is how we know that God is love.
1 John 4:10 [God] loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.
Imagine you bought the car of your dreams and drove it to the store. You were only inside for a minute but, when you came out, you saw someone scratching your car with a key. You’d want two things in order to be satisfied. First, you’d want to be paid in full. Second, you’d want the person who did it to suffer. The same applies to God.
Sin is more than a violation of God’s law; it also makes him angry. These are the problems Jesus solved on the cross. He paid for our sins with his life, and appeased God’s wrath by suffering. It wouldn’t have been enough for Jesus to die by stoning. That would’ve been too easy. He had to suffer on a cross for several hours before the wrath of God was satisfied. By paying for our sins with his life, and appeasing God’s wrath by suffering, Jesus became our atoning sacrifice.
Reflection and Review
If God is forgiving, why shouldn’t we sin?
How often are you aware of the indwelling Spirit?
How do we know that God is love?
The amazing thing about Christ is that those who knew him best believed that he was sinless. John was closer to Jesus than anyone else (John 13:23), and he could find no fault in him. The Apostle Peter was also close to Christ and wrote, He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth (1 Peter 2:22).
We can fool some people most of the time, and most people some of the time, but it’s hard to fool those who are close to us. Many leaders have an excellent public image, but their staff knows what they’re really like. Jesus was just the opposite. The closer people got to him, the more perfect he seemed to them. This is the kind of Savior we need.
1 John 3:8 The one who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning.
Sinners want to hear that God is forgiving so that we can sin without restraint. We like to sin; God likes to forgive; it’s a perfect arrangement. But if that’s our opinion we don’t belong to Christ at all. We are, in fact, of the devil.
Antinomianism is the heresy that teaches we are saved by faith alone and, therefore, can sin as we please. Legalism is an opposing heresy that teaches we are saved by faith, plus obeying God’s law (Galatians 2:16). The Bible teaches that we are saved by faith in Christ alone (John 3:16), but that true faith makes us want to live for him.
Striding Edge is a trail in Britain that runs along the ridge of a mountain. The views are grand, but the trail is just a few feet wide, so hikers must be careful not to fall off either side. In our passion for obedience we must not add rules to the gospel. And in our passion for freedom we must not ignore divine commands. We are saved by faith in Christ alone, which makes us want to live for him alone. We must avoid the opposing dangers of legalism and antinomianism.
1 John 3:14 We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love each other.
A little girl sat on her Father’s lap and told him how much she loved him. But when she gave him a hug, she looked over his shoulder and stuck out her tongue at her brother. That’s normal family life but, according to the Bible, if you truly love God, you’ll also love fellow believers. If you prefer the company of unbelievers, you haven’t passed from death to life.
1 John 3:24 And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us.
Even as an old man, John was mindful of the indwelling Spirit. When he got up in the morning, he sensed the Spirit within him. And when he lay down at night, the Spirit was still with him. The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children (Romans 8:16), wrote Paul. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ (Romans 8:9), wrote Paul again.
The indwelling Spirit gives a clear and conscious awareness that we are children of God. This awareness will be stronger in some than others, and will vary throughout our lives. But the apostles spoke of the indwelling Spirit as the common experience of all believers. Christians throughout the ages have also spoke of the indwelling Spirit.
The awareness of the indwelling Spirit can’t be manufactured, and isn’t the same as feeling spiritual or religious. The indwelling Spirit is the gift of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, and is unique to Christianity. It’s a remarkable confirmation of the gospel that only believers can understand.
A little boy was flying his kite so high that it disappeared behind the clouds. Someone asked how he knew it was still there and he said, I can feel the pull. The Holy Spirit puts an upward pull in our hearts, assuring us that we belong to God through faith in Jesus Christ. The Spirit comes into us the moment we believe, and remains throughout our lives. He is God himself, and assures us that we belong to God.
1 John 4:8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.
From eternity past the Father, Son and Spirit have lived in a relationship of pure and perfect love. This divine community is partially reflected in the basic human community of husband, wife and child. Families are never perfect but a loving family reveals, in part, what it’s like to belong to God’s family.
A train accident left eleven people dead and many others injured. As he lay dying, a man left a message to his wife and children, saying how much he loved them. Since he didn’t have paper or pen, he wrote it with his blood. He probably said I love you many times before but, once he wrote it in blood, they could never forget it. God’s love should never be forgotten either, because he wrote it in blood on a cross. This is how we know that God is love.
1 John 4:10 [God] loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.
Imagine you bought the car of your dreams and drove it to the store. You were only inside for a minute but, when you came out, you saw someone scratching your car with a key. You’d want two things in order to be satisfied. First, you’d want to be paid in full. Second, you’d want the person who did it to suffer. The same applies to God.
Sin is more than a violation of God’s law; it also makes him angry. These are the problems Jesus solved on the cross. He paid for our sins with his life, and appeased God’s wrath by suffering. It wouldn’t have been enough for Jesus to die by stoning. That would’ve been too easy. He had to suffer on a cross for several hours before the wrath of God was satisfied. By paying for our sins with his life, and appeasing God’s wrath by suffering, Jesus became our atoning sacrifice.
Reflection and Review
If God is forgiving, why shouldn’t we sin?
How often are you aware of the indwelling Spirit?
How do we know that God is love?