The story is told of a German philosopher who was stumbling through the famous Tiergarden of Berlin. He was deep in thought and shabbily dressed and the caretaker suspected that he must be a hobo who had wandered in. He stopped him and asked him, “Who are you> ” and “Where are you going? “ Startled from his thoughts the elderly man who had been asking himself the same questions, replied, “I don’t know. I wish someone would tell me.”
There is no reason for any Christian to be confused about these questions. The answer is in our Bible. The answers are, “I am a child of God, and I am on my way to heaven.”
Our Lord is not only the author of science and history but he came to save us and set us on the way to our Heavenly home. If you know Jesus, you know who you are and where you are going.
1 John 3: 1-9
1 See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us,
1 John 3:1 : John 3:16; 1 John 4:10
In all religions of man, man is reaching up to god. Here we note right from the start of our text, that in Christianity man is not reaching up to God, but God is reaching down to man. It is because of the great love of the Father he provided a way of salvation that any person can do. Even a child can understand that God loves him and has asked him to believe that Jesus is His Son and be obedient to him.
Not only does God make a way for man to be saved, but He adopts those who also do what he instructs, into his own family and will share his home with them.
that we would be called children of God; and such we are
1 John 3:1 : John 1:12, John 11:52, Romans 8:16, John 3:2, 10
For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.
1 John 3:1 ,John 15:18, 21; 16:3
Don’t expect non-Christians to understand this for it is beyond their comprehension. Why? Because they do not know God. How can they? They do not know his word, and faith comes through the word, written or spoken, but,most of all,lived and observed in the lives of Christians.
The real aliens in this world are not “beings from outer space,” but are Christians. There is even a song, you may recognize it from the words, “this world is not my home, I’m just a passin through” We are on our way to our heavenly home right now. One day, soon, we will arrive yhere and move in.
John, the beloved disciple continues:
2 Beloved, now we are children of God,
1 John 3:2 : 1 John 2:7
1 John 3:2 : John 1:12; 11:52; Rom 8:16; 1 John 3:1, 10
We are not just guests. We are not visitors. That life is permanent, there is a difference. For the 47 years we lived in Africa, we were guests, labeled as “aliens” in our documents, even though we could have lived there as long as we lived, but there is a difference. There were things we could not do. We could not vote. We could, and did pay taxes. We bought a home. As far as people around us could see, there was no difference.
As Christians we were and are still different. America is my land of birth, and I can, and do, vote, but still it is not my eternal home. That is still to come.
Why? Because I have been adopted into God’s family, we are siblings, and Jesus is our brother by adoption. He paid the price that we might be grafted into the family. The Holy Spirit is at work within us to make us what we need to be. He brings life, eternal life.
We are aware that the beautiful roses in our gardens are all grafted onto roots that are vigorous,but they produce no flowers at all or very poor ones. We have three bushes by our door. The middle one died back and then grew out from below the graft. It is a vigorous rambling plant with no blossoms. I need to dig it out, but so far have just cut it off at the ground level.
The Christian is grafted into the family, his power and very life depends on the gift of the Holy Spirit he gained when he was baptized into the body. The Holy Spirit will transform us into the very image of the Lord. This is an enigma to a non-believer. But, have you ever met someone for the first time, and without being told, just know that they are a child of God? Of course you have; like recognizes like. That is one of the reasons we are told in scripture to marry within the brotherhood of the Christian family. That is the brotherhood of the church. It has not appeared as yet what we will be like. We will know that when He appears, for we will be like Him.
1 John 3:2 : Rom 8:19, 23
1 John 3:2 : Luke 17:30; Col 3:4; 1 John 2:28
1 John 3:2 : Rom 8:29; 2 Pet 1:4
1 John 3:2 : John 17:24; 2 Cor 3:18
3 And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.
1 John 3:3 : Rom 15:12; 1 Pet 1:3
1 John 3:3 : John 17:19; 2 Cor 7:1
This is a key verse of the text. We, as Christians, want to be becoming more like our Lord every day, for we look forward to live with him in his home one day. We have to have the strength of the Spirit to prepare us for that glorious opportunity.
There as a time when we were without Christ.
Philippians 3:12 “Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that that for which also I an apprehended of Christ Jesus. “
4 Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness.
1 John 1:8
“Practices” in the Greek means “to make sin habitual.” There is a difference between an occasional slip, which can be forgiven, a repentant Christian and a backslider who is not regretful, and who does not repent or ask to be forgiven. Some such, even deny that there is any such thing as sin, or speak of “white sins” as though there were grades or levels of sin. The Bible makes no such difference.
1 John 1:9
1 John 2:1
Sin is lawlessness, self serving, the breaking of the law of God, but more than that, it is the opposite of love. It can even be doing nothing at all. James 4:17 “Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.”
5 You know that He appeared in order to take away sins; and in Him
there is no sin.
1 John 3:4 : Rom 4:15; 1 John 5:17
1 John 3:5 : 1 John 1:2; 3:8
1 John 3:5 : John 1:29; 1 Pet 1:18-20; 1 John 2:2
Christ died to make his followers holy, to sanctify them. His purposes must be our purposes. We must be working toward the same goals.
2 Corinthians 5:21 “he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”
Ephesians 5:25-27 ”Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it, that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word. that he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.”
We know that it was because God loved us that He sent Jesus,
John 3:16,17. “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son , that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that through him the world might be saved.”
6 No one who abides in Him sins; no one who sins has seen Him or knows Him.
1 John 3:5 : 2 Cor 5:21; 1 John 2:29
1 John 3:6 : 1 John 3:9
7 Little children, make sure no one deceives you; the one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous;
1 John 3:6 : 1 John 2:3; 3 John 11
1 John 3:7 : 1 John 2:1
1 John 3:7 : 1 John 2:26
8 the one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil.
1 John 3:8 : Matt 4:3
1 John 3:8 : 1 John 3:5
1 John 3:8 : John 12:31; 16:11
1 John 3:9 : John 1:13; 3:3; 1 John 2:29; 4:7; 5:1, 4, 18; 3 John 11
9 No one who is born of God practices sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.
1 John 3:9 : 1 Pet 1:23; 1 John 3:6; 5:18
Cross references:
1 John 3:7 : 1 John 2:29
1 John 3:8 : Matt 13:38; John 8:44; 1 John 3:10
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