1 John: Lavished
1 John 2:28-3:10
James Spence
What John's not saying is that Christians will live a sinless life (ref 1 v 8-10) One of the marks of a Christian is that you recognise that sin & you go back to Christ for forgiveness. So he’s not saying we’ll never sin & also he’s not saying there are some sins that just don’t matter (no distinction between minor or major sins; v.4) ....
So what is he saying? The family likeness: children of God - there is no sin because of Christ. Our sin has been taken away (v.5) - the sins we have committed & those we will commit they’ve already been taken because of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross.
Also, the desire to sin is downsized:
we’re not sinless yet but we do fight sin; we don’t give into it every time.
Jesus came to destroy the devil’s work, to remove that sin so we could be in his family - so why would we want to go back & do what the devil does? Why take on that family resemblance again? We are children of God; sin is not us.
To fight the trapped pattern of sin,
remember there is grace both for forgiveness & to break the pattern:
- pray to the God who loves you to have that pattern broken, to fight that battle;
- seek the love (& support) of Christian brothers & sisters;
- fill your heart & mind with the promises & truths of the Word.
You know how much God loves you
You know when Christ appears. You will be like him
You know your sin has been taken away
You know the son of God has destroyed the Devil’s work
- Look at all these things you know! You know them!
You have been born of God, you are a child of God, this is who you are ~ there’s nothing better than that.
This is your family likeness so let’s all be remainers. Let’s take this Apostolic testimony keep us as children of God.
__________________
Lavished
1 John 3
James Spence
Pressures from the World to live a ‘less than’ life....
We shouldn’t be surprised by this pressure because the world doesn’t know us but neither do they know Jesus.
When Jesus was on earth, people rejected him - they saw him but not what he came to do; they didn’t know him.
Following in the family likeness: there should be this rejection; [acting as a kind of ] a reassurance that we follow in Christ.
Confidence & hope:
"this is how we know"… our family likeness will be made complete, the privileges we experience now will be fully realised. Reflecting glory back to him; share in that glory - confident & unashamed because we are children of God.
We are children of God now & we will be like Christ when he comes - it’s what called us to be Christians in the first place; it gives us that status & that hope; it calls us to remain.
James Spence
What John's not saying is that Christians will live a sinless life (ref 1 v 8-10) One of the marks of a Christian is that you recognise that sin & you go back to Christ for forgiveness. So he’s not saying we’ll never sin & also he’s not saying there are some sins that just don’t matter (no distinction between minor or major sins; v.4) ....
So what is he saying? The family likeness: children of God - there is no sin because of Christ. Our sin has been taken away (v.5) - the sins we have committed & those we will commit they’ve already been taken because of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross.
Also, the desire to sin is downsized:
we’re not sinless yet but we do fight sin; we don’t give into it every time.
Jesus came to destroy the devil’s work, to remove that sin so we could be in his family - so why would we want to go back & do what the devil does? Why take on that family resemblance again? We are children of God; sin is not us.
To fight the trapped pattern of sin,
remember there is grace both for forgiveness & to break the pattern:
- pray to the God who loves you to have that pattern broken, to fight that battle;
- seek the love (& support) of Christian brothers & sisters;
- fill your heart & mind with the promises & truths of the Word.
You know how much God loves you
You know when Christ appears. You will be like him
You know your sin has been taken away
You know the son of God has destroyed the Devil’s work
- Look at all these things you know! You know them!
You have been born of God, you are a child of God, this is who you are ~ there’s nothing better than that.
This is your family likeness so let’s all be remainers. Let’s take this Apostolic testimony keep us as children of God.
__________________
Lavished
1 John 3
James Spence
Pressures from the World to live a ‘less than’ life....
We shouldn’t be surprised by this pressure because the world doesn’t know us but neither do they know Jesus.
When Jesus was on earth, people rejected him - they saw him but not what he came to do; they didn’t know him.
Following in the family likeness: there should be this rejection; [acting as a kind of ] a reassurance that we follow in Christ.
Confidence & hope:
"this is how we know"… our family likeness will be made complete, the privileges we experience now will be fully realised. Reflecting glory back to him; share in that glory - confident & unashamed because we are children of God.
We are children of God now & we will be like Christ when he comes - it’s what called us to be Christians in the first place; it gives us that status & that hope; it calls us to remain.