February 12, 2014
I John 3:5-9
(All scripture is from the New King James Version unless otherwise indicated.)
Let’s see what else we can pick from John’s Nose! That’s gross! So let’s pick another one of John’s Knows instead! The next know is I John 3:5, and we will look at the truths with which John deals in four following verses. Here is I John 3:5 through 9:
…you know that He [Jesus] was manifested to take away our sins; and in Him
is no sin. Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen
Him nor known Him. Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices
righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous. 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. 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.
This is an important know! …and John is absolutely sure of it – and we should be too! “…you know that He was manifested to take away our sins….” Christian, if this is true, where are your sins? They are taken away, and – as David wrote in Psalm 103:12 – they are removed “…as far as the east is from the west….” Jesus – the sinless One – bore them on the cross, becoming sin and sinner in our place before the Father. We are standing now before God not only with our sins taken away, but Jesus has also clothed us with His robe of righteousness. We are counted as completely sinless and righteous before God! If you know this – really know it – it will revolutionize living out your Christian life!
Then, in verses 6 and 7, John reiterates truth we already covered in the last blog – “Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him….He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous.” If you know Jesus as your Savior, you are righteous before God. And your life will reflect righteousness because your Lord is righteous! At least that is the way it should be, Christian! And if this isn’t true in your Christian walk, then you are deceived! As John said in verse 7, “Little children, let no one deceive you…” about this matter.
In the next verse – verse 8 – John delves into the very purpose for which “…the Son of God was manifested….” And that purpose is “…that He might destroy the works of the devil.” But didn’t Jesus Himself say in Luke 19:10 His purpose for coming to earth was this? “For the Son of man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.” But isn’t that one of the main works of the devil? – to secure our rebellion and lostness before God? We are lost because Satan deceived our first parents into disobeying God. And that rebellion – we are all disobedient to God – has been passed down to every generation since! Jesus came to save us – to restore us to our original estate. And His sacrifice will effect the redemption of all creation in the end. There will be a new heaven and a new earth (Revelation 21:1), and the devil will be banished forever to hell. I would say that is totally destroying “…the works of the devil.”
Finally – for this section of scripture – John deals with something that has caused controversy in Christendom for centuries. He writes in verse 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.” Some say that a Christian can reach sinless perfection this side of heaven. Others say that is not possible. We still sin as believers, but we are bathed and cleansed in the blood of Jesus. By the way, John deals with this subject again at the end of his epistle – I John 5:18: “We know that whoever is born of God does not sin; but he who has been born of God keeps himself, and the wicked one does not touch him.”
Here is the explanation: Nothing that comes from God contains the capacity for sin. James 1:17 says, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variation or shadow of turning.” God cannot sin, and any gift He gives to His children is as good and perfect as He is – containing no sin! This surely applies to the new nature He gives us by His Holy Spirit when we are born again (see II Corinthians 5:17). That new nature cannot sin! But we still have the old nature, and the old nature surely does nothing but sin! To grow in Jesus Christ is to feed the new nature by the Word and make it strong. And the stronger and more dominate the new nature becomes in the believer, the less sin will be manifested in his or her life!
So know these truths! And practice them! The result will show in your Christian life!