seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
1 John 3:1 See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2 Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears,[a] we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. 3 All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.
4 Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness. 5 But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin. 6 No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him.
7 Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. The one who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous. 8 The one 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 devil’s work. 9 No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God. 10 This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not God’s child, nor is anyone who does not love their brother and sister.
11 For this is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another. 12 Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother’s were righteous. 13 Do not be surprised, my brothers and sisters,[b] if the world hates you. 14 We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love each other. Anyone who does not love remains in death. 15 Anyone who hates a brother or sister is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life residing in him.
16 This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. 17 If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? 18 Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.
19 This is how we know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence: 20 If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. 21 Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God 22 and receive from him anything we ask, because we keep his commands and do what pleases him. 23 And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us. 24 The one who keeps God’s commands lives in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us.
a. 1 John 3:2 Or when it is made known
b. 1 John 3:13 The Greek word for brothers and sisters (adelphoi) refers here to believers, both men and women, as part of God’s family; also in verse 16.
This is from enduringword.com.
We shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is: John made the connection between seeing Him as He is and our transformation to be like Jesus. We can say that the same principle is at work right now. To the extent that you see Jesus as He is, to that same extent, you are like Him in your life.
We can say that this happens by reflection. “When a man looks into a bright mirror, it makes him also bright, for it throws its own light upon his face; and, in a much more wonderful fashion, when we look at Christ, who is all brightness, he throws some of his brightness upon us.” (Spurgeon)
Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him: The change from being of the devil to being children of God comes as we are born of God; when this happens, our old nature, patterned after the instinctive rebellion of Adam, dies – and we are given a new nature, patterned after the instinctive obedience of Jesus Christ.
John here is simply emphasizing what it means to be born again. It means that a change comes into our lives – it is a change that will be worked out into every area of our lives as we grow in Christ, but it is a real, observable change.
It is the same message Paul preached, saying that as believers we are to put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and that we are to put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness (Ephesians 4:22, 24).
And shall assure our hearts before Him: Our assurance is two-fold. First, God already knows everything about you and He loves you, He cares for you, He desires you; second, God knows all things, and knows who we truly are in Jesus Christ. If we are born again, then the real self is the one created in the image of Jesus Christ.
For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things: But what if we have been walking in love, yet our heart still condemns us before God? John assures us that God is greater than our heart, and so reminds us that we cannot base our relationship with Him purely on how we feel in His presence.
We have confidence toward God: How precious is the confidence we can have in Jesus Christ! There is such a thing as a false confidence, a confidence in self or in illusions; but there is also a glorious confidence we can have in Jesus.
“The word rendered confidence stood in ancient Greece for the most valued right of a citizen of a free state, the right to ‘speak his mind’… unhampered by fear or shame.” (Barker citing Dodd)
And do those things that are pleasing in His sight: The person who is in fellowship with God will want to do those things that are pleasing in His sight. We should have hearts that just want to please the Lord in everything that we do.
It is sobering to look at our lives and see how much we do to please ourselves and how much we do to please the Lord. We shouldn’t think that the two are opposites; God is glorified when we enjoy His goodness and His good things. Yet, the godly life will have special focus on just pleasing God, even if it doesn’t particularly please us at the moment.
Yesterday, I think it was yesterday, I read John said Paul could be confusing. I think John can be confusing too.
There's a thing that happens when a human accepts Jesus. It's a physical, emotional, cerebral thing. It's real.... but since I can't touch it... or pick it up and show it to another human.... I have to try to use human words to describe it. That's what this chapter is about.... John is trying to explain that being "born again" is a real thing.
From these letters, all the letters, Paul's, Peter's and John's.... I have learned there were two types of people in the early church. There were those who truly believed and those who just didn't get it. I'm sure there were always a few who were sitting on the fence... but the message was so new... the historical proof was so raw.... they didn't stay on the fence too long.
Jesus wasn't an "on the fence" kind of guy though.
It's easy to love a guy who buys you a meal every time you go see Him. It's easy to love going to a concert or a pot luck. It's easy to sit in a pew and sing the right songs and recite the right prayers. It's easy to read the words out of a book and nod in "sincere" contemplation.
It's easy to sing Silent Night and put up pretty Christmas lights..... but what's it going to be like when there is no money to put presents under the tree this year. Will good Christians pray for more money to buy more presents? Will good Christians worry more about how they will survive this meager gift season or will they be thankful for what they have?
Back in the days of John.... being a Christian wasn't easy. They met wherever they could... the church in Corinth met in a brothel....there was no shining white steeple on the early church. Christians were hunted by the Roman Soldiers. Christians were hated by their neighbors. Christians had to do business with other Christians because no one else wanted to be seen with a Christian.... "survived the Roman Cross and cooked a fish dinner... yeah right!"
Changed.... Christians are changed.... that's a very dangerous sounding event to someone who is "odd man out". Sure it's one thing for a child to say "I believe".... after all... a child is still molding their life. The old geezer in the corner, though, the one with the bottle in a brown paper bag... the one who hasn't shaved and may even stink of vomit.... now that guy has been down a really rough road.... and yet, that's the kind of guy most likely to show up at the door of the church. That's the kind of guy the goodie two shoes who is there to see and be seen has a real problem with.
John says we are all in the same boat before we accept Jesus into our hearts. That means that the little child, the old geezer, and the goodie two shoes are all bound for hell until they get to the spot where they will choose. The little child will choose Jesus based on the light happy feel of the option... and the little child will benefit from the guide down the little child's life.
The old geezer will not be so eager to jump on the Salvation train. He would have to give up drinking.... He will have to clean up his act.... and that is no small feat. I know for a fact, giving up alcohol and cigarettes is just as hard as kicking pain killers. On top of that.... all the geezer's friends are drunks too... and that means he would have to find new friends.... for a guy who claims He walked out of a tomb sealed and guarded by a Roman Soldier..... that's a huge ask.....
The goodie two shoes.... well I've know a lot of them... and they are facing the hardest challenge. The goodie two shoes has to admit they are not a goodie two shoes..... they sit in that pew and nod and sing and lift their hand and say amen.... they might even lead a Bible Study.... but they aren't really Christian because they never let their guard down... never let anyone know they have a secret. Those humans are the hardest to get to.
Let me assure anyone who has not accepted Jesus into their lives..... it's a game changer. I would suggest they visit a foreign church [so they won't be hindered by their friends finding out they hadn't really accepted Him] and let themselves do it. When the call goes out... get out of that pew and go up front.... let the world know Jesus is the Messiah... the Only Begotten Son of the One True Living God.... and He will control life now.
As soon as that happens... a chill will go down the spine.... the muscles relax a little... it's like a load is taken off the shoulders... that's the physical part.
As soon as that happens.... a confidence will come in.... the feeling that life doesn't hold them down. It's a feeling that nothing matter but Jesus.... it will take over and that old geezer will have confidence that he can pass on that one drink.... and a shower would be nice..... that's the emotional part.
Then a Christian will want to know more about Jesus..... John says we are all part of the family of God. Jesus is our Big Brother.... and He will go with us when we meet with God, the Father.... cause Jesus knows us better.... and Christians... well they want to know about their Big Brother and their Dad.... it's just what families do.
No one expects a human to be perfect. Everyone knows humans can not be perfect.... we strive for perfection but we'll never get there.... The change that comes when Jesus enters our lives is based on the life we have. A little child doesn't need the same guidance as the old geezer... and the goodie two shoes has to have a total reboot so they can take the manmade halo off.
Everyone will see a change though. It's just the way it is... it might be a small change at first.... but it will grow....
All humans change when Jesus becomes part of their lives. Christians are the adopted children of God. Being adopted changes a human. The change may be very small at first but then grow.... or it might be a huge turn and then grow... or it might be a natural as taking that first step as an infant.... and then grow.
All humans change when Jesus becomes their Big Brother.
Christians.... have a Godly Big Brother..... and it shows.
