Children of God. A series on 1 John, Part 5 (1 John 2:28 - 3:10)

 

Read 1 John 2:28 – 3:10 and Romans 6:1 – 14

When you meet someone, how do you identify yourself? Do you say, “I’m a mom of…” or “I’m so and so’s wife…” How do you define yourself? Do you ever say, “I’m a child of God”? For, as John says in 1 John 3:1, “that is what we are!” We are children of God! But how is that possible? We are lawless sinners, but Jesus came to take our sin away (1 John 3: 5). Because He is sinless, we too, are made sinless in God’s eyes. John isn’t saying that the believer’s life is sinless in and of themselves, but rather, the believer’s life is made distinctive by doing what is right. In Christ we have the Holy Spirit who helps us. Satan cannot control believers but will be overcome and destroyed by Christ’s work. Sin is of the devil and Jesus came to destroy “the devil’s work” (1 John 3: 8). As God’s children, we are “born of God” and therefore have His seed (1 John 3:9). Just as children inherit the traits of their parents, so, we too will be like our Heavenly Father, without sin. Those who sin like the devil are children of the devil. As God’s family we are marked by holy living. We must strive to be sinless and righteous as He is. We must strive to be like Him and not be led astray (1 John 3: 6-7). But how? How can we who are sinful become sinless? Romans 6: 2 tells us that if we have died to sin, we cannot continue to live in it. Who of us could bear the punishment for sin? Who of us could bear this death? Certainly not us! By grace we have been baptized into Christ, His death, and His resurrection so that “we too might walk in newness of life” (Romans 6: 4). Our old self was crucified with Him; that is Christ Jesus, so that we will no longer be enslaved to sin. Jesus’ death set us free from sin (Romans 6: 6-7). Christ conquered death so we are dead to sin and alive in God (Romans 6: 8-10). Sin will no longer reign over us as we are no longer under the law, but under grace. By God’s grace we are no longer seen as sinners (Romans 6: 11-14). In order to have victory over sin we must die to sin with Christ and live to God, by faith in Christ, through the working of the Holy Spirit. We must refuse to let sin reign over our lives, but instead, offer ourselves to God. All of this should make us obviously different than the world. And just as the world didn’t know Jesus, so it will not know us (1 John 3:1). So, live with faith in Jesus Christ and let His redeeming work shine brightly in your life. Turn from sin and seek God. Strive to be His child; dead to sin and alive in Christ, because with Christ, we are heirs to eternal life!