Certain Eternity Part 27 – The Practice of the Child of God
1 John 3:3-10 May 11, 2025
Introduction
Mother’s Day…influence of moms (and dads) on our kids
o Example of mom is deeply impactful:
Things mom did or said that we now do or say
Things that were un/important to mom that are important to us
o Words of encouragement spoken by mom
o Selfless service of mom
o Love and compassion of mom
2 parts: 1) Purity and Practice, 2) Points of Practice (Four Points)
1 John 3:1-3 “1 See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should
be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not
know us is that it did not know him. 2 Beloved, we are God’s children now, and
what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we
shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. 3 And everyone who thus
hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.”
Purity and Practice (v3-4)
“3 And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.”
“hopes in Him” that is, in His return….John says the result of our hope should be
seeking to be more like Him
“Purifies” (GK. hagnizō from hagnos (pure) = freedom from defilements or
impurities; see also word study on related word hagios = holy, saint) refers to
cleansing oneself from defilement (literal meaning often had ritual cleansing in
mind). The idea here is the withdrawal from the things of this world (common)
and dedication to God (holy); emphasis on the idea of one’s heart being fully
devoted to the Lord; His will and way.
o Note present (continuous) tense of “purifies”
o Callback to 1 John 2:15-17… the world is “common” and passing away
o Notices that the responsibility is on the individual to pursue purity – John
does not say that we are to make ourselves righteous – only Jesus can
cleanse us and do that (see 1 John 1:7, 9) ….but we can make the choice
to walk in purity on a daily basis….our responsibility is purity through the
grace of God and power of Holy Spirit
This is the distinction between position (in Christ) and practice – John
now articulates how our practice proves our position (how we live is
evidence of who we belong to….whose child I am)
o CH Spurgeon, “[The child of God] actively, personally, prayerfully,
intensely, continually, aims at the purification of himself, looking to God for
aid. Some defile themselves willfully. Some take things as they are. Some
believe that they need to do purifying. Some talk about purity, but never
strive after it. Some glory in that which is a mere counterfeit of it. The
genuine Hoper does not belong to any of these classes: he really and
successfully purifies himself.”
o CH Spurgeon’s practical process of pursuing purity:
“By getting a clear notion of what purity really is.
By keeping a tender conscience, and bewailing his faults.
By having an eye to God and his continual presence.
By making others his beacons or examples.
By hearing rebukes for himself, and laying them to heart.
By asking the Lord to search him, and practicing self-examination.
By distinctly and vigorously fighting with every known sin.”
Steven Cole “Note that [John] is not saying believers never sin (as some have
falsely interpreted this passage), but just that this is not the direction of their life.
Nor is he saying that their pursuit of holiness results in perfection, but that it does
demonstrate the general “direction” of their life”
“4 Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is
lawlessness.”
Practices (Gk. poieō) literally, to do a thing. Present tense verb (i.e. ongoing
action)
o The deliberate, knowing, ongoing habit, pattern, or lifestyle of a person –
your “walk”, your way of life
Remember the proto-Gnostics – indifferent to sin, didn’t care because they were
saved through secret knowledge, not faith in Jesus that evidenced itself through
being more like Jesus (i.e. pure as His is pure). So this is another polemic of
John against the false-gospel being preached by the proto-Gnostics
“Lawlessness” (Gk. anomia) literally describes that which is without the law and
signifies, not merely the abstract idea, but the intentional, willful disregard for and
actual breach of the law of God
o John MacArthur “He says here we’re not talking about sin as a violation,
we’re talking about sin as an attitude. Everyone doing sin, practicing sin is
engaged in practicing lawlessness. And lawlessness is an attitude. It is not
so much the transgression of the Law, as the indifference to the Law.
Construction here makes sin and lawlessness identical. It’s living as if there
is no Law. It’s living as if there is no law-giver.”
o John Piper “Lawlessness is living as though your own ideas are superior
to God’s. Lawlessness says, “God may demand it, but I don’t prefer it.”
Lawlessness says, “God may promise it, but I don’t want it.” Lawlessness
replaces God’s law with my contrary desires. I become a law to myself.
Lawlessness is rebellion against the right of God to make laws and govern
his creatures… The work of Satan is to tempt us to reject the authority of
God and become like God ourselves. Satan works to nurture and cultivate
the pride that puts its own desires above the law of God. This is
lawlessness; this is the essence of sin; and this is what the Son of God
came to destroy in you and me.”
Matthew 7:21-23 “21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the
kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
… 23 … ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’”
Sin is lawlessness, sin is evil, it is not to be tolerated or excused. It is certainly
not to be “practiced”. It is to be recognized, repented from, overcome, and left
behind through the power of Holy Spirit living and moving within us.
Points of Practice (v5-10)
Are you my mother? (Dr. Seus book…little bird, finding mom…finding identity)
Who do we stick close to (abide) (v5-6a)
o “5 You know that he appeared in order to take away sins, and in him there
is no sin. 6 No one who abides in him keeps on sinning…”
o Jesus’s whole ministry was to defeat the power of sin in the world…to
make a way for us to be cleansed (positionally) and allow for the coming of
Holy Spirit into our lives that we may live righteously (in practice)
o Jesus was without sin, and we are to be like Him
If we remain in Christ (our position) then our practice cannot be to
continually sin…because there is no sin in Him
Who do we watch (see and know) (v6b)
o “6…no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him.”
“seen” (Gk. horaō) to gaze or stare upon from a distance, to look
upon so as to clearly perceive – you haven’t looked very closely at
Jesus to understand who He is if you keep on sinning
“Known” (Gk. ginōskō) experiential knowledge – haven’t been with
Jesus if you keep on sinning
Who do we trust (deception of doubt) (v7-8)
o “7 Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness
is righteous, as he is righteous. 8 Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of
the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the
Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.”
The enemy will always seek to deceive us – especially about our
assurance of salvation. If our lifestyle is that of following Jesus, we
can have confidence that we are saved.
Ligon Duncan “John is not saying that we are saved by being
righteous. He’s not saying, ‘If you practice righteousness, God will
accept you as righteous.’ He’s not saying that ‘if you practice
righteousness, you will be saved.’ Nor is he saying, ‘You must both
believe and practice righteousness, and then you will be saved.’ No,
what he is saying is this: if God has done a work of grace in your
heart, if you have truly believed on Christ alone for salvation as He is
offered in the gospel, if by faith alone you have rested in Christ for the
forgiveness of your sins—then this is the way you will live. The
evidence of God’s grace working in your heart will be seen in your
life.”
Conversely, if our lifestyle is of sin, do not be self-deceived, you are a
child of the devil because Jesus destroyed (Gk. lyō) = to loose or set
free) the works of the devil and we cannot continue in that lifestyle
Who do we emulate (righteousness/lawlessness of our family) (v9-10)
o “9 No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides
in him; and he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God.
10 By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the
children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of
God, nor is the one who does not love his brother.”
o A pig and a sheep may fall into the same mud hole, but there is a
difference. The pig will love it and wallow in it, because that’s its nature.
The sheep will want to get out and avoid that mud hole the next time,
because it has a different nature. If God’s seed abides in you, you cannot
wallow in the mud. If you like it in the mud and don’t want to get out, you
may need to ask whether you truly have been born of God.
o As a child of God, we are new creations…children who cannot have a
lifestyle of ongoing willful sin against our good heavenly Father…we will not
stay in the mud….we cannot our new nature will not allow it.
Conclusion
Praise God that He is the ultimately parent – perfectly displaying all of the
qualities of what mothers (and fathers) should be…and through Holy Spirit we
have the ability to reflect that as God’s children.
Amen. Amen.