1 John 3:4-10 Bible Teaching

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13 1st John 3:4-10
June 12th 2016
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Okay, I want to take the next seven verses as a block because they are all interrelated and I think it’s important to bring the content out from all the verses when discussing them.

So let’s read from verse 4 through 10 and then we’ll come back and hit four.

1st John 3:4 Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.
5 And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin.
6 Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him.
7 Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.
8 He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.
9 Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.
10 In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.

Now we can see that we have written these passages out on the board. I want to sort of walk through them as a whole to try and explain what they are saying . . . and what they’re not – because it is easy to misinterpret them.

GO TO BOARD HERE

1st John 3:4 Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law:
for sin is the transgression of the law.

This is the premise verse. Whoever commits sin is in transgression of the Law for Sin IS the transgression of the Law!
We have to admit that where there is no law WHERE IT HAS BEEN FULFILLED, there is no transgressing it! To ignore this is a fatal flaw in understanding grace and exactly what Jesus did for us by obeying they law and fulfilling the Law and the Prophets. Now listen and look at the very next verse:

5 And ye know that He was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin.

Now hold on a minute. In verse 4 John defines what sin is – it is the transgression of the Law. And yet here he tells us that Jesus appeared TO TAKE AWAY OUR SINS (our ability to transgress the law – and then he purposefully adds) “and in Him is no sin (or no transgression of the law, implying complete obedience to it.
Sin is the transgression of the law and since IN HIM THERE IS NO SIN then we know that HE got into the ring with the Law and defeated it through obedience.
He appeared to take away out sin and since sin is the transgression of the law they way He did that was by overcoming the demands of the Law by and through perfect obedience to it!
Next John gives us the key to sinlessness. Ready?

6 Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not:

Get it. Sin is the transgression of the Law.
He came to take away sin and He did it by fulfilling the Law
(there was no sin in Him) THEREFORE
DRUMROLL PLEASE
Whosoever abideth in HIM sinneth not!
How does a person abide in Him? How?
BY FAITH!
They trust that He came and did what He said He would do and then they trust in Him and His finished work to overcome the Law, sin, self, the flesh, death and the grave!
ABIDE IN HIM BY FAITH AND SIN CANNOT EXIST IN YOU – BECAUSE HE HAD NO SIN and HE FULLFILLED THE LAW!

Then John adds:

“whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him.”

When Jesus was on the earth He said to pray that people’s eyes would open to SEE and that their ears would hear.
He also said that to Know Him and the Father was to have life eternal.
TO know Him would include realizing what He had come and done! That no sin (transgression of the Law) was in Him, and to trust this, trust that He came and did what He said He did. Believe it. Have faith in it! Don’t let anyone move you from your faith in Him, which would move you from abiding IN HIM who overcame the Law.

He adds, repeating pretty much what he says in the last verse of chapter 2, saying:

7 Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.

How, if Jesus has fulfilled the Law, and if sin is the transgression of the Law, and we are to abide IN Him FOR our righteousness, how do we DOETH RIGHTEOUSNESS?
(beat)
We believe.
When we have faith in Him, and are abiding in Him by faith, we are made righteous – even as He is righteous!
Again, when the Jews came to Jesus in John 6 and asked Him, “How do we work the works of God?” Jesus plainly replied, “This is the work of God, to believe on His Son whom He has sent!”
Our righteousness – listen – our righteousness cannot come by obedience to the Law – this will ONLY produce sin. And since sin is the transgression of the Law we KNOW that we have to die to the Law and live unto Christ (by faith) as a means to be seen as righteous by God).

Remember SIN is the transgression of the Law. The only way to escape sin then is either to obey the Law perfectly or it is to escape the Law – all Law – and to live by the Spirit which is Christ who fulfilled the law.

Paul made the place of the Law clear in Romans 10:4 when he said, “For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.”

Remember this line – “He is the END Of the LAW for all who believe on Him.” Why? Because we believe that He was without transgression of the Law, and therefore fulfilled it on our behalf, then offered His life up for our sin, and by fiath we look to Him NOW to justify us before God!

Paul said in Galatians 2:21 “I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.”

Taking this passage in hand we KNOW – we know that the righteousness that John speaks about here DOES NOT NOT NOT come by the law but through some other means (which of course is faith on Christ Jesus).

Our righteousness CANNOT be established by obedience to the law. Because we constantly transgress it. Hear Philippians 3:9 which says:

“And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith.”

So we KNOW KNOW KNOW contextually that John could NOT ever be talking about believers establishing their own righteousness through the law and therefore whenever he (or any of the other New Testament writers speak of the righteousness of believers) they always mean the righteousness that comes by faith.

Paul goes so far as to say this:

Galatians 2:19 For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God.

What does this mean? In Romans 7 we recall he provides us with an illustration saying:

Romans 7:2-6 For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband. So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man. Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God. (And to verse 6) But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.”

Translation? We are dead to the Law and are therefore free from sin, like a woman who is free from the sin of adultery once her husband (the law) dies.

AND . . .

Our righteousness comes by our abiding BY faith in His who fulfilled the law. It has to be understood to understand what John is saying here.

Can the Law ever produce righteousness? Listen to Paul again in Galatians 3:21:

“Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law.

And the key to living by faith in Christ, the fulfiller of the Law, is that the righteousness of the Law (which is based on loving God and neighbor) can be fulfilled in us, as Paul makes clear in Romans 8:4 saying:

“That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.”

Okay, going back to 1st John, he has made it clear that transgression of the Law is sin, and Paul has made it clear that we are dead to the Law (because to live to it would produce sin. So – verse 8 – where John now gives us whopper number one, saying:

8 He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning.

Since sin is the transgression of the Law and we are supposed to be dead to the law this is saying one or two things:

It is either saying that those who live by the Law are of the devil (because it is the presence of the law that sin is known) or it is saying that since we are dead to the Law and now live by faith that the sin we are now guilty of committing is the sin of faithlessness. And admittedly it could be saying both.

And then he adds, “For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil,” (which is sin).

(SOMEONE ERASE BOARD PUT VERSE 9-10 UP)

In other words Jesus came and fulfilling the Law (which the Devil was always against, meaning obedience to God) He was able to destroy the works of the Devil (which again are disobedience to the Commands of God.

And now at verse 9 and 10 we come to the Double Whopper with onion rings and a supersized drink and rootbeer float – hang on!

9 Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him:
and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.

Alright let’s get down to business.

And we’ll begin by looking at the Greek for the Words represented by verse 9:

1Jo 3:9 Whosoever (pas – all who are) is born of God doth not . . .

The Greek is “OO”– which is a primary word and the absolute negative adverb which means “no,” “not, none and never!”

So, all who are born of God NEVER . . .

commit sin ; for His seed remaineth in him and he cannot

again OO DUNOMAHEE, the absolute negative – never – cannot) DUNON AHEE – have the ability
or have the possibility to . .

sin , because he is born of God .

Now, these first lines could mean a number of things. Let’s discover them from the other translations where the options are provided:

1Jo 3:9 (MKJV) Everyone who has been born of God does not commit sin, because His seed remains in him, and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God.

1Jo 3:9 (RSV) No one born of God commits sin; for God’s nature abides in him, and he cannot sin because he is born of God.

1Jo 3:9 (WEB) Whoever is born of God doesn’t commit sin, because his seed remains in him; and he can’t sin, because he is born of God.

1Jo 3:9 (YLT) every one who hath been begotten of God, sin he doth not, because his seed in him doth remain, and he is not able to sin, because of God he hath been begotten.

In these two translations the meaning seems to be that because a person has God in Him (sperma) they CANNOT sin.
Other translations take the liberty to enhance the meaning. For instance the WNT says

1Jo 3:9 (WNT) No one who is a child of God is habitually guilty of sin. A God-given germ of life remains in him, and he cannot habitually sin–because he is a child of God.

1Jo 3:9 (TCNT) No one who has received the new Life from God lives sinfully, because the very nature of God dwells within him; and he cannot live in sin, because he has received the new Life from God.

1Jo 3:9 (BBE) Anyone who is a child of God does no sin, because he still has God’s seed in him; he is not able to be a sinner, because God is his Father.

1Jo 3:9 (DBY) Whoever has been begotten of God does not practice sin, because his seed abides in him, and he cannot sin, because he has been begotten of God.

1Jo 3:9 (MNT) Whoever is a child of God cannot go on sinning, because his seed is abiding in him; and he cannot go on sinning because he is a child of God.

So from these translations we get two main ideas –

First, that a person with God in them CANNOT SIN – it is impossible because God is in them

And then SECOND, those who have God in them will not practice, continue to or live a life of sin.

Which translational approach do you embrace? I propose that both are absolutely true.

Let’s take some facts from the light of scripture. And well cover the approach that a person born of God cannot continue in sin, to practice sin.

What we are talking about here is the sanctification process of human flesh, the learning to allow (LET) the Spirit reign over our flesh, of dying daily to Christ, taking up our cross, being buried with Him and rising to new life.

In this regard we are learning and allowing the Spirit within to take the helm of our existences – and those who have truly been born of God – who HAVE His SEED in them – are constantly being called back by Him to live by the Spirit, to repent for the ways of the flesh, and to give up our sins as they pop up.

We cannot escape the power He has over our flesh and He will, having a home in us, draw us to repenting for living by the flesh and not faith.

So in this sense I see this interpretation as correct. But I see the interpretation as having a secondary application and not being nearly as important as the primary which is

People born of God, those who have His seed in them, cannot ever sin.

(long beat)

And I think our understanding of this fact will go a long, long way in helping us actually not practice sin in the flesh.

Let’s see if I can explain this which I will attempt to do by appealing to a number of biblical concepts of which most would agree.

Most recently we talked about

Sin being the result of transgression the Law.
We’ve talked about our being dead to the Law as a means to be free from sin – like a married woman is free from the law of her marriage when her husband dies.
Then we also know from scripture that regenerated believers we are new creatures in Christ and that “all things become new” as a result.
We know that our hair and teeth and skin do not become new when we are regenerated, that it is a spiritual newness, and with God in us – his sperma- just as it was His sperma that conceived Christ through Mary – that we are totally new in Him.
We know that our identity, once born again, is in Him. It is of Him spiritually. Our old man is dead. We are NO LONGER our former person and when that old man takes his or her last physical breath and turns to dust what will remain is the new creature in Christ, born of the seed of God, and cultivated by the things of the Spirit.

THIS NEW IDENTITY CANNOT EVER NEVER SIN.

Put it this way, the spirit born of God (the new creation) does not sin, and cannot sin and remain God’s child – God’s children CANNOT sin – it’s absolutely impossible because we are His children by virtue of the fact that He is in us – His seed is in us and that seed, that new creature or new identity CANNOT sin – any more than God Himself can sin!

Back to the first application, sometimes the old nature revives and for a moment exerts its power. But that is just the former man and NOT our true identity.

Paul puts it perfectly, saying in Romans 7 beginning at verse 14:

14 For we know that the law is spiritual, but I (my former man, my flesh) am carnal, sold under sin.
15 For what I am doing (my New Creature), I do not understand. For what I will to do (the Speerma of God in me), that I do not practice; but what I hate (by the new spirit), that I do (in my former man).
16 If, then, I do what I will not to do, I agree with the law that it is good.
17 But now, it is no longer I who do it (not my new man, not my new creature as a Christian), but sin that dwells in me. (in my flesh)

What Paul says here is what John is speaking of – that it is absolutely IMPOSSIBLE for the God in us, our new Creature to sin.

Paul continues and says

18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells (therefore that is completely capable of sinning – it’s its nature); for to will is present with me (by the new spirit in my heart), but how to perform what is good I do not find (in my body of sin).
19 For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice.
20 Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! DING! DING! DING!

Let me repeat this.

20 Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me.

Now listen, this is not some semantical excuse for sinning – “I didn’t do it. My flesh did. Put him in jail, but not me.”

It’s not that black and white. But at the same time it is black and white and if we allow ourselves to see human existence through this lens we can become equipped to see ourselves – who we are – in terms of Him and His spirit in us.

And once a shift in true identity occurs much of the battle with our flesh is won.
In this state religion and its appeals are lost. And the believer begins to operate as a child of God not as a fallen human sinner.

Change of identity is a powerful force in the human realm. It’s why the military breaks its recruits down and then reforms them into the image that they want.

Its why “isms” are so effective because when you tell a person that they represent this or that “ism” or “ist” that this is their identity, they are likely to embrace the role and live up to whatever demands and descriptions that are associated with the title.

The more ancillary and external elements included in the identification, the more props that affirm the ID (new clothes, hair lengths, lifestyles, cultural elements) the greater the identification.

Gang members, mafia members, band members, Mormons, Amish, Army, Navy, Airforce, Marines, punks, hair bands – whatever – Irish, Italian, African – all of them tacitly provide its members with identification by which they live and embrace.

But here’s the deal – these are of this world, and they actually are appeals to the flesh, not genuine appeals to the germ of God residing in those who are His.

Because instead of the New identity every single true Christian has impressed upon their souls is the identity of . . .?

Love.

Which is the fulfillment of the Law. Its what all the Law and the Prophets hang upon. It is the identity that cannot cannot cannot sin.

And it is in us. It is the identity that will continue on after this life to God while the sinful flesh will remain in the grave.

It is who we are – children of love. And it stand (or should I say it rests) in opposition to the law by which sin is made known.

We either thrive and live in love or we thrive and live by laws.

We are either lovers or we are lawyers.

Our flesh will always seek the law – it is certain, concrete, and easy to use to make ourselves look good and to condemn others.

But the germ in us, which is our new identity, our new creature, is love – and it cannot sin – ever – and it is the new Law, the fulfillment of the Law.

And it seeks to forgive, be longsuffering in the face of trial, injustice, failures, disappointment, persecution – get it?

When we are living by what is in us, rather than that which surrounds us, we cannot sin. We will not sin. We do not sin.
As you know, Paul continues in Romans 7 and wraps his thoughts up saying:

21 I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good.
22 For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man (which is love).
23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.
24 O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?
25 I thank God–through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with the mind (my inner man where God has entered) I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin.

So back to 1st John 3:9

9 Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him:
and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.

Remember we have two approaches to the contents of this verse – the first speaks to the sin the lives in our flesh and the second is the impossibility for sin to live in our spirit.

A quick comparison of passages from 1st John will show that an extreme and false doctrine might be reached by pressing people to only see things through one class and to exclude the other.

Here is a list of passages from this very epistle that speak to the first class of sin that can thrive in our flesh:

John says in 1st John 1:8:

“If we say that we have no sin we deceive ourselves” he says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive our sins,” (1st John 1:9). He says, “If we say we have not sinned we make him a liar,” (1st John 1:10). He says, “If any sin we have an Advocate with the Father,” (1st John 2:1.) He says, “I write these things that you may sin not,” (1st John 2:1). He says, “If any man see his brother sinning a sin not unto death,” (1st John 5:16) and he says, “There is a sin not unto death,” (1st John 5:17).

These passages all refer to Christians – so we know that sin IS possible through the flesh we are looking to overcome. We can’t discount this, I believe, because the sins of the flesh – if allowed to thrive do seem to have the capacity to diminish faith – in some unknown but some understood way.

On the other hand there is the other class of non-sin which gives us hope – the fact that God is our new identity (through Christ by the Spirit) and in Him it is impossible to sin.

The passages that cover this area in 1st John include

“The blood of Jesus his Son cleanses from all sin,” (1st John 1:7). “Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not,” (1st John 3:6)
“He cannot sin because he is begotten of God,” (1st John 3:9.) “Whosoever is begotten of God sinneth not,” (1st John 5:18.)

Taking these passages alone we would be looking at the reality of the Christian seen by the Spirit alone.

Because we remain in the flesh we still have to consider that we are not yet in a state of absolute holiness.

Therefore the two classes of scripture must be interpreted in light of each other.

Together they teach that sin remains (rises up) in us as long as we are in the flesh.

As Galatian 5:17 says, “The flesh lusteth against the Spirit” [Ga 5:17].

Galatians 6:1 says that we (the flesh we inhabit) “may be overtaken in a fault.” But this ought to be seen as the temporary revival of our old nature.

The new nature, the spiritual being born of the new birth, cannot sin and will abide no matter the fleshly failures of sin.

If this nature is to die and be abandoned it seems that it must come by a rejection and abandonment of the Spirit – an abortion – for which there remaineth no more sacrifice for the soul.
(so again, verse 9)

9 Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.

Then verse 10 – which we will merely touch on before wrapping up today – where John once again distinguishes between the Children of God and the Children of the Devil, saying:

10 In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.

And we have here John provide us with yet another description of members of the two camps:

Those who are children of God and those who are children of the devil.

And he describes them in terms of two negatives, saying:

whosoever
1, doeth not righteousness is not of God, and 2, neither he that loveth not his brother.

Doing righteousness and love of the brethren.

We have talked about what he means, contextually, by doeth not righteousness but I am convinced that this speaks to believing on (having faith in) the Lord Jesus Christ which leads to treating all equitably but then he adds another qualifier.

“NEITHER he that loveth NOT his brother.”

And he now proceeds to talk about this love. Which we will get to next week.

Q and A and Comments