Jul. 20, 2025

“WALKING IN THE LIGHT”

“THE PRETENDERS”

1 JOHN 3:4-10

The entrance, presence, and consequences of sin are major plot points in the story of God’s creation, fall, and redemption. 

Romans 5:12 “Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned.”

The hero of the story of redemption appears on the stage, providing a way of escape for all of us enslaved by sin:

Romans 5:19 “For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous.”

Jesus Christ is that life bringing hero who bore our sin on the cross and rose again.

Romans 5:17 “For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.”

Romans 7:18-21

What then, should be the normal expectation of holiness in the Christian life? Constant victory? Constant drudgery? Frequent defeat? Slow but steady progress?

A true Christian knows God. A counterfeit Christian may talk about God and get involved in religious activities, but they do not really know God.

John Gives Us Reasons For A Holy Life.

1.  Jesus Died For Us- 1 John 3:4-8

1 John 3:4 “Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness.”

The Greek term translated “commit” or “practices” is “poion” it is a present participle. John has in mind a person who commits sin continually, persistently, habitually, as a lifestyle, not an occasional sin.

The lost person who habitually sins “also commits lawlessness” vs.4. So what’s the difference between committing sin and committing lawlessness?

1 John 3:3 “And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.”

*So, this is why Jesus Came:

1 John 3:5-6 “And you know that He was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin. 6Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him.”

*Christ Came to Take Away Our Sins:

James 4:17 “Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.”

1 John 5:17 “All unrighteousness is sin, and there is sin not leading to death.”

Christ’s mission in His first coming was to “take away our sins” vs.5.

Romans 8:3 “For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh.”

2 Corinthians 5:21 “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”

John is writing about the unsaved person, “Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him.” vs.6

*Christ Came to Destroy the Works of the Devil.

1 John 3:7 “Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous.”

For John “doing” is the test of “being.” He must have been listening carefully when Jesus taught:

Luke 6:43-45

1 John 3:8 “He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.”

Why should we live holy lives?

2.   God The Holy Spirit Lives In Us- 1 John 3:9-10

1 John 3:9 “Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God.”

But in 1 John 1:8, 10 John says, “8If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 10If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.” 

So which is it? Does the person born of God “not commit sin” even being unable to sin, or is such a claim to be without sin a lie?

John uses present tense (hamartanein) it is a verb of which present stem means  “to be a sinner,” that is, it expresses a state rather than an action.

The best way to put it is a person born of God does not practice sin.

1 John 3:10 “In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother.”

Romans 6:12-14 “Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. 13And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. 14For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.”

So we have to keep clean:

Psalm 119:9-11 “How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word. 10With my whole heart I have sought You; Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments! 11Your word I have hidden in my heart,
That I might not sin against You.”