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1JOHN CHAPTER 3 KJV WEB See previous page 1Jn 3,1-3 (43b) Judgment >> Satan destroyed >> Conform to the character of Christ >> Conform to His nature – The moment we see Jesus coming in the clouds, we will be transformed to His likeness. It is well and good to believe this, but are we merely waiting for the glory of God to snatch us from our troubles, or are we also preparing for Him, so when He transforms our bodies, it will be evident that we have conformed to His character? Our life’s mission should be to purify ourselves just as He is pure, so when He comes, we will not shrink away from Him at His appearing. (68g) Authority >> We have been given authority to be the children of God (103h) Thy kingdom come >> Purifying process >> Cleanse yourself (109d) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Revelations of the Holy Spirit >> Revelation of the true children of God (208fa) Salvation >> The salvation of God >> Personal relationship >> Being the friend of God >> Relationship with God through obedience >> We resemble Him through faith (228i) Kingdom of God >> God’s kingdom is a living organism >> God working in you >> God works in the new creation 1Jn 3-1,2 (238a) Kingdom of God >> Pursuing the kingdom >> The kingdom is transferred to the Church >> Born again >> Born of the Spirit by the will of God >> Born again by the will of the Father -- These verses go with verse 9 1Jn 3-1 (33a) Believers Are Children (Key verse) (33d) Gift of God >> God is our Father >> Kingdom belongs to the children of God – Wow! A mere exclamation point cannot sufficiently emphasize the magnitude of this statement; only in heaven will we fully appreciate what John is saying here. In this life we will never fathom the significance of being the children of God. “How great a love the Father has bestowed on us…” that we should be called brothers and sisters of Christ! What is more amazing is that the Father does not love His Son more than He loves us. He will exalt us all in various positions in the heavens, Jesus having the highest place, yet God loves us all the same. It is startling when we compound the significance of this verse with the reminder that Jesus is a member of the trinity, not that we are in any way part of the trinity, but that God has given us ringside seats to His glory. We will witness the harmony of God’s oneness in a position perhaps closer to Him than any other created being. God allows us to live such unassuming lives, so when he exalts us in eternity, we will remember our humble origins. (33m) Gift of God >> Believers are special to God >> We are beloved of God – The apostle John is beckoning us to see the full ramifications of our position with Christ as the children of God, if it were possible to fully comprehend such a notion in this life. Without Jesus interceding for us throughout eternity we would be nothing to the Father, having started from a lowly state as sinners, "He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son" (Col 1-13). John is challenging us to realize the fact that when God delivered us, He didn’t turn us into slaves, but into sons and daughters of the Father and brothers and sisters of Christ. However, Jesus is more than a son to His Father; He is a member of the trinity, so Jesus is the perfect mediator between God and His creation, the perfect amalgamation between God and man, so in the ages to come we might come to fully appreciate His divinity. God has saved us from the domain of darkness and made us brothers and sisters of of Christ, who is seated at the right hand of the Father, and He has seated us with Him to bear witness of His deity (Eph 2-6). Just as we have the genetic makeup of our parents, so we have the divine nature, the traits that characterize God's innermost being. That does not make us gods, but we are spiritually and physically related to the God/man, Jesus Christ. (34b) Gift of God >> God’s generosity >> Believer owns everything >> Trinity belongs to us >> Father belongs to us – It is impossible to fully comprehend the love the Father has bestowed on us. The vision that He has of us is far greater than the vision He had of Adam when He first created man. God is so generous, He wants to give us everything, including Himself. When we receive our full inheritance from God, we will come into ownership of literally all His possessions, including the creation. Everything God can possibly give we possess, including His Holy Spirit, which is the essence of God (Jn 4-24). However, we are finite creatures and we always will be, but God is infinite in every respect. This is what differentiates us from Him, hence the reason we worship Him. See also: Adam and Eve; 1Jn 3-6,7; 4a (35h) Gift of God >> God gives Himself to us >> The anointing (61b) Paradox >> Two implied meanings >> Complete—You are a whole member of the body / You have a part in the deity of Christ – God has invited us to share even in his divinity (2Pet 1-4). When we think of the Holy Spirit dwelling in us, He has intermingled Himself in our spirit, so we have become one spirit with Him (1Cor 6-17). We are no longer the same person, but a new creation, never to be separated from Him. The Holy Spirit is a member of the trinity; God has thus integrated us into his deity to bear witness of the Godhead in a position so close to Him that it is utterly breathtaking. For example, while Jesus argued with the Pharisees He used Ps 82-6 in His defense that states, “I said, 'You are "gods'; you are all sons of the Most High.” Jesus said in John 10-35,36, “If he called them `gods,' to whom the word of God came-and the Scripture cannot be broken- what about the one whom the Father set apart as his very own and sent into the world? Why then do you accuse me of blasphemy because I said, `I am God's Son'?” Essentially Jesus agreed with the psalmist calling those who believe in Him ‘gods’ (with a lower case ‘g’ of course). Keep in mind that the very next verse states, “But you will die like mere men; you will fall like every other ruler" (Ps 82-7). (70j) Authority >> Believer’s authority >> We have been given authority over all creation >> We are the children of God >> We have the divine nature (113d) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> The anointing >> Heaven’s clothes >> Garments of power (124a) Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >> Love >> Acts of love >> Love takes from the rich and gives to the poor >> Love takes sacrifice -- This verse goes with verses 16-21. Since God has humbled Himself and raised us to such heights, He has also called us to humble ourselves, so in the ages to come we will keep the lessons close to our hearts that we have learned. The lessons we learn in this life will directly translate to the life to come about dying to self and putting ourselves last, sacrificing everything to fulfill our ministry from God. Over the course of eternity we will come to the ultimate realization that we have the divine nature dwelling in us. The blessing of humility will suddenly take on new light. Col 3,1-5 speaks of this, “Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory. Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry.” Paul is saying we are already there in spirit. (156l) Witness >> Validity of the believer >> Evidence of being hell-bound >> Living an ungodly lifestyle >> Associating with the world (164h) Works of the devil >> Manifestations of the devil >> The world is at enmity with God >> The world does not know God (168e) Works of the devil >> Manifestations of the devil >> Do not conform to the world who did not recognize Jesus (196a) Denying Christ >> Man exercises his will against God >> Idolatry >> Lord, Lord >> Pretending to be a disciple -- This verse goes with verse 6 (222a) Kingdom of God >> The elusive Kingdom of Heaven >> Kingdom hidden behind the veil from the world >> The Church is hidden from the world KJV WEB / Navigation Bar 1Jn 3-2,3 (8e) Responsibility >> Prepare to Interact with God >> Prepare to meet Jesus by living a holy life (104k) Thy kingdom come >> Pure in heart shall see God >> Shall see Jesus >> Shall see His appearing (109d) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Revelations of the Holy Spirit >> Revelation of the children of God 1Jn 3-2 (34a) Gift of God >> God’s generosity >> Believer owns everything >> Jesus belongs to us (43g) Judgment >> Satan destroyed >> Perfect (mature) >> Flawless (60c) Paradox >> Two implied meanings >> The second coming / End time revival (117j) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Eyes of your spirit >> Seeing through the eyes of your spirit >> Acknowledging the presence of God (176b) Works of the devil >> The religion of witchcraft >> Ignorance >> Lacking experience with God -- This verse goes with verse 6 (224d) Kingdom of God >> Illustrating the kingdom >> Description of heaven >> Describing the kingdom after he makes all things new >> Children of God resemble their Father – Consider what this verse has in common with Psalm 18-25,26, “With the merciful You will show Yourself merciful; with a blameless man You will show Yourself blameless; with the pure You will show Yourself pure; and with the devious You will show Yourself shrewd” (NKJV). John is alluding to the resurrection, saying that He will give us a body like His. The same will be true of those who partake of the second resurrection (the resurrection of the damned); their resurrected bodies will also resemble the way they see Christ. In this life the merciful see Jesus as merciful; the blameless see Him as blameless; the pure see Him as pure, and the crooked see Him as shrewd. That is, they project their own attributes on God and see Jesus the same way they see themselves, but in the next life God will project those attributes back on them at their resurrection, giving the wicked a grotesque and monstrous appearance. See also: Resurrection is the result of God's forgiveness; 1Cor 15,12-19; 171c (226j) Kingdom of God >> Illustrating the kingdom >> Rewards of heaven >> Levels of reward >> Rewarded by levels of glory in our spiritual bodies – We have ownership of all things through the Spirit; that is, we will inherit a body like His, but it has not yet become apparent what the glorified body is like. When Jesus comes for his church in the Rapture, Paul said that our bodies will be changed in a flash of glory (1Cor 15-51). We will suddenly go from mere mortals to possessing indestructible bodies that cannot die. John is saying that we don’t know what that really entails. We know we will be able to walk through walls and we will shine like stars in the sky, yet all we have in the Scriptures is an outline of our eternal future. We would not understand the resurrected body even if Jesus explained it to us, for the merging of the physical with the spiritual is currently incomprehensible. Furthermore, there is a difference between a resurrected body and a glorified body. Jesus said to Mary Magdalene in Jn 20-17, "Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet returned to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, `I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.'" Jesus was weaning her off His physical form in preparation to receive the Holy Spirit. Jesus has undergone a second transformation beyond the resurrection, for once He ascended to heaven the Father glorified His resurrected body; He now has a radiance brighter than the sun, and it is this glorified form to which John is saying it has not yet become apparent. These things we will not understand until we get there. 1Jn 3,3-7 (42h) Judgment >> Satan destroyed >> Transformed >> Conform to the purity of Christ 1Jn 3-3 (4a) Responsibility >> Advocate God’s cause >> Accountable to the character of God -- This verse goes with verses 6&7 (26g) Sin >> Consequences of sin >> Death is Satan’s nature -- This verse goes with verse 14 (97d) Thy kingdom come >> Attention >> Facing in the direction of the Lord >> Focusing your attention on God – What is the method we use to purify ourselves and conform to the image of Christ? We face in His direction and focus our attention on Him. In this way, our lives will conform to His image. The Bible teaches that Jesus is the very embodiment of God’s word, so those who strive to purify themselves fix their hope on Christ as students of the word and disciples of prayer. By this we abide in Him and hope in His coming kingdom and desire to participate in what He is doing to manifest that kingdom. (117a) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Rest in Jesus (Sabbath) >> Rest in His yoke by dying to self >> Working the rest of God (121i) Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >> Hope based on faithfulness >> Hope based on perseverance (191c) Die to self (Process of substitution) >> Separation from the old man >> Extract the leaven of hypocrisy – John says in verse one, “See how great a love the Father has bestowed upon us, that we should be called the children of God.” Then he says in verse three, “Everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies Himself just as He is pure.” John was one to screen the counterfeit from the genuine, and James was the same way. Any evangelist can testify that along their journeys they get a lot of people telling them they are already Christians. We would like to believe them, except that Jesus told us, ‘wide is the gate that leads to destruction and many follow it, and narrow is the way that leads to life and few find it’ (Mat 7-13,14). So there is a disconnect between the large numbers that claim faith in God and the few the Bible says are sincere. Many of them no doubt hadn’t thought about their so-called faith until the evangelist came along and tried to convert them, and then suddenly they were devout Christians. John is screening out these kind of people saying, ‘Do you call yourself a child of God? Purity of mind, heart and body is one of the attributes of the true believer!’ See also: Evangelism (Sowers and reapers); Jn 4,36-38; 131k KJV WEB / Navigation Bar 1Jn 3,4-15 (172b) Works of the devil >> Manifestations of the devil >> Tares among the wheat >> Devils among the saints >> Unrighteous among the righteous (194g) Die to self (Process of substitution) >> Turn from sin to God >> Hate evil >> Victory over sin >> Hate evil by loving good – The world believes that being good is good, but the world is not good. For most worldly people, being good is just a tool they use to get what they want. 1Jn 3,4-8 (2o) Responsibility >> Avoid offending God >> Get out of His way >> Quit sinning – There is a difference between making a mistake and sinning, and the key word that distinguishes them is "practice". The one who practices sin is a sinner with no hint of repentance in him, but the godly man who committed a sin has made a mistake for which he is sorry. It is obvious that a person who practices sin is not born again, having no remorse, indicating that the Holy Spirit is not actively working in his life. Conscience is our lifeline to God; if we break it or gets damaged, our relationship with Him suffers. We need to protect our conscience above everything, because it is how we express God’s work in our heart. (16aa) Sin >> The sin nature is instinctively evil >> Man’s flesh is related to the devil >> Unregenerate man is the son of Satan – Whether we are Christian or not, our flesh is related to the devil in that we were all born in sin. The question that remains is whether we walk in our fleshly sin nature or rise above it through faith in Jesus Christ. If we practice sin it is strong evidence that we do not know God; but if we practice righteousness, it is strong evidence that we do know God. If we don't know God, our sin nature will lead us into sin and manifest our unbelief. 1Jn 3-4 (92h) Thy kingdom come >> The narrow way >> What kind of trail is this? >> The wrong gate is wide and many enter by it (163k) Works of the devil >> Being a slave to the devil (Addictions) >> Entertaining demons >> Disciplined by the devil as a son -- This verse goes with verse 6 (167j) Works of the devil >> Manifestations of the devil >> Do not conform to the world >> The world of sin -- This verse goes with verse 6 (181a) Works of the devil >> Practicing witchcraft >> Rebellion >> Rebelling against God >> Rebelling against the authority of God (181c) Lawlessness (Key verse) (181d) Works of the devil >> Practicing witchcraft >> Lawlessness >> Lawlessness is no excuse for sin >> Sinning under the law is still lawlessness – The opposing argument so many Christians try to defend against the Scriptures is that the law is no longer in effect. John answered it saying, "Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness," referring to breaking the law. If the law were no longer in effect, we couldn't break it. 1Jn 3,5-10 (155k) Witness >> Validity of the believer >> Evidence of salvation >> You will know them by their fruits >> You will know them by their good deeds >> Good works that prove we belong to Christ – “He appeared in order to take away sins.” There are two ways that Jesus has come to take away sin: by the flesh and by the Spirit. Jesus came in the flesh and offered His body a sacrifice for sin to cleanse us from all unrighteousness that our spirit may be preserved for God. The second way was by giving us the Holy Spirit and commanding us to follow Him into a process of sanctification and purification in the flesh. His flesh purifies our spirit and His Spirit purifies our flesh. As we follow the Holy Spirit, He will lead us from sin and to righteousness, consisting of the good works that God has prepared for us, demonstrating that we are the true children of God. (208bb) Salvation >> The salvation of God >> Salvation verses >> The kindness of God >> You can be saved without ever hearing about Jesus 1Jn 3,5-7 (42c) Judgment >> Satan destroyed >> Be like Jesus >> Overcoming sin -- These verses go with verse 9. Those who come from a hard life of drug addiction and bondage from an assortment of sins, when they become Christians, God expects them to repent, based on the Holy Spirit’s power to set them apart from these things. The standard of conduct has been set; regardless of the lifestyle from which we come, we have an obligation to overcome sin and prove that we are the children of God. 2Cor 6-17 says, “Therefore come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you." John is saying there must be evidence of our salvation or he will feel no obligation to believe us, nor should anyone else. He started out this chapter saying, “See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God.” Therefore, we should do everything we can to seek God's freedom through His power, who will deliver us from our bondage. See also: Addiction (Resisting its temptation); Mat 3,1-3; 8m (116a) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Working the grace of God >> Through Good Works >> Works That God put in your heart 1Jn 3-5 (39ib) Judgment >> Jesus defeated death >> Jesus defeated Satan’s authority >> Church has inherited Jesus' authority -- This verse goes with verse 8 (40d) Judgment >> Jesus judges the world through His own death -- This verse goes with verse 8 (45e) Judgment >> God’s judgment on believer’s sin >> Through His Son >> On the cross -- This verse goes with verse 8 (228k) Kingdom of God >> God’s kingdom is a living organism >> God working in you >> God works in you to cleanse you KJV WEB / Navigation Bar 1Jn 3,6-10 (89l) Thy kingdom come >> God convicts us of sin >> Conviction reminds us to repent – Anyone who practices sin creates an environment that is conducive for the devil to work in his life and in those around him. To call ourselves the children of God and exhibit the traits of the devil is being hypocritical. The Lord's conviction is the most beautiful aspect of a Christian’s life. His reproof is for our good as discipline; there is no joy in it until we repent. We must all go through it if we are the true children of God, because we all sin. There are levels of conviction that can be heavier than guilt. The true children of God learn to follow the conviction of the Holy Spirit throughout their lives, knowing that if they resist Him, the conviction will only increase. Whenever we sense Him nudging us, we know it is important, and so we turn our attention to Him and listen for His voice speaking through conviction; if we resist Him, the heaviness overwhelms us until we repent (Heb 12,5-11). The person who runs from God’s conviction is a bastard child, akin to the blasphemer. We must receive the discipline of the Lord, for if we run from Him, it is evidence that we are not a child of God. If we reject His reproof, He will never teach us about the beautiful aspects of Himself. (156K) Witness >> Validity of the believer >> Evidence of being hell-bound >> Living an ungodly lifestyle >> Practicing sin – What is John saying, that the true children of God never sin? No, that is impossible! To properly interpret this passage we must include the keyword “practice”. The true children of God abide in Him, and for this reason they do not practice sin. If they do, God will convict them as sinners, and this conviction will lead them to seek freedom and restoration from their bondage. However, they can choose to keep their bondage, and eventually their faith will erode, and if they continue resisting the Holy Spirit, their faith could die. They can decide against the Lord to keep their sin, but if they go too far down that road, they will not be able to retrace their steps. 1Jn 3-6,7 (4a) Responsibility >> Advocate God’s cause >> Accountable to the character of God -- These verses go with verse 3. We know that everybody sins. The first Adam merely had a single tree to avoid, which was easy compared to Christ, who was known as the second Adam. He was tested for 33-years in every imaginable way, yet found by God to be without sin. Adam and Eve fell into transgression almost immediately, and so all their children were born in sin with no exception. Even as born-again Christians we sin, yet this passage says, “No one who abides in Him sins.” John is talking about practicing sin. No one who abides in Christ allows himself to fall under bondage to sin as a permanent lifestyle. Eventually they overcome it, and this is our obligation to Christ. There is such a thing as bondage to sin even as Christians, otherwise why would Paul have addressed the subject in his letter to the Romans, devoting chapters 6&7 to breaking free of it? Christians can become enslaved to sin, but John is saying they do not remain in that state for long. Committing sin is depicted in the foot-washing ceremony that Jesus instituted (John chapter thirteen), illustrating the fact that as a person walks through life serving the Lord, he gets his feet dirty by the dust of the ground as we fulfill His calling, and that dirt represents sin. Jesus in His foot-washing observance said nothing to the effect that we are evil for having dirty feet, but sin becomes an issue when it becomes habitual and repentance is absent. See also: Adam and Eve; 1Jn 3,7-10; 161i (132a) Temple >> Your body is the temple of God >> Holy Spirit is in God’s people >> spirit of God in the spirit of man >> Spirit of the Father -- These verses go with verse 9 1Jn 3-6 (105c) Thy kingdom come >> Pure in heart >> Being a slave to a pure heart – John wrote in this epistle, “If anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father,” who cleanses “us from all unrighteousness” (1Jn 1-9 and 2-1). We all do things that we know are wrong, suggesting that John meant, 'nobody who abides in Him practices sin'. The one who practices sin does not abide in Him, and no one who practices sin "has seen Him or knows Him." The apostle John was one of Jesus’ twelve disciples, the one whom Jesus loved, so obviously John saw Him, but once He ascended to heaven, no one saw Him again, still thousands of years later we have the privilege of seeing Him through the eyes of faith, and those who have seen Him abide in Him, and those who abide in Him do not practice sin. (163k) Works of the devil >> Being a slave to the devil (Addictions) >> Entertaining demons >> Disciplined by the devil as a son -- This verse goes with verse 8 (167j) Works of the devil >> Manifestations of the devil >> Do not conform to the world >> The world of sin -- This verse goes with verse 8 (169e) Works of the devil >> Manifestations of the devil >> The world is blind to God >> Darkness has a blinding effect – Those who practice sin are spiritually blind to the truth of God; they cannot see His significance or recognize His value. They don’t care that Jesus is the Son of God or that He shed His blood for all mankind for the forgiveness of sin if they would only believe. They ignore Him and hope He goes away, but in the end they will be ignored and told to go away. Those who are blind and ignorant of God don’t believe anybody could know Christ. When we tell them that we have come to know Him, they scoff in our face; they don’t understand what we are saying. They think we are speaking on metaphysical terms, as though we know Him because we have read the Bible, like we know Huckleberry Finn because we have read Samuel Clemens, but faith in God goes far beyond mere head-knowledge. Faith is the means that God has given us to access His Spirit. (176b) Works of the devil >> The religion of witchcraft >> Ignorance >> Lacking experience with God -- This verse goes with verse 2 (196a) Denying Christ >> Man exercises his will against God >> Idolatry >> Lord, Lord >> Pretending to be a disciple -- This verse goes with verse 1 (221j) Kingdom of God >> The elusive Kingdom of Heaven >> Kingdom hidden behind the veil from the world >> God hides from sin >> He hides behind disobedience – We read the Scriptures and have learned that God has sent His Holy Spirit in place of Christ, and we can come to know God through Him who dwells in us. He teaches us about God and His Son, Jesus Christ, and He reveals the word of God to us, who gives us understanding in all things, and so in the most literal sense we have come to know Him, but tell that to an unbeliever. They not only personally disbelieve in God, they also disbelieve in our faith. Some deny the truth of the Bible, though believe in the existence of God (agnostic), calling it faith, but the writer of Hebrews says that believing in the existence of God is just the beginning of faith. We must also believe that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him (Heb 11-6), and still this is only an introduction to faith in Christ. We come to God based on these truths and develop a relationship with Him through the obedience of faith, which introduces us to the person of Jesus (Rom 5-1,2), who promised that those who seek Him will find Him (Mat 7-7). Some might tell us that they believe these things, but if they never obey Him, their faith never rises above unbelief. KJV WEB / Navigation Bar 1Jn 3,7-10 (87i) Thy kingdom come >> Obedience >> Those who obey believe in God >> Those who obey the word (161i) Works of the devil >> Satan determines the world's direction >> Carried Away >> Condemnation based on evidence of sin -- This verse goes with verses 19-21. We are accountable to the character of God to abstain from sin, because God is without sin. This is something the world does not understand or even believe. People’s hearts have become like granite and even more so as the end of this age comes to a close. People accuse God as though He had done something wrong. Most people complain that He is willing to allow sin and suffering in the world. They say because He has the power to put an end to suffering but doesn’t, supposedly that makes Him responsible for all the evil that is in the world. However, this is man simply shifting the blame of his own sinful ways onto God, using circular reasoning. God’s accusers are sinners, and they would be mortally offended if God made them stop sinning. They may have a logical case in a court of law against God who could have done something to avert misfortune, called negligence, but God created us and set the tree in the Garden of Eden for His own purposes, so He might test man, who came perfect out-of the box, but without the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil man would eventually doubt that he was truly free, since he was never given an opportunity to practice his will. To the natural mind it appears that God allows inequity and suffering to abound, but God wants His people tested and proven faithful, not for His own sake but for ours, since God already knows who is faithful and who isn’t. See also: Adam and Eve; 1Jn 3-1; 34b / Adam (Man is perfected through the curse); Rev 5-4,5; 41d 1Jn 3-7 (91m) Thy kingdom come >> The narrow way >> Trail of good works >> The trail that Jesus walked (127e) Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >> Goodness >> Rewards for doing good >> Sow the seeds of goodness >> goodness yields a harvest of righteousness (182e) Works of the devil >> The origin of lawlessness >> Deception >> Three causes of interpreting Scripture falsely >> Because they have no regard for God’s word 1Jn 3,8-15 (158a) Works of the devil >> Excerpts of the greatest verses of this chapter (160e) Works of the devil >> Led by the devil into sin 1Jn 3,8-10 (156j) Evidence Of Hell-Bound (Key verse) 1Jn 3-8 (18l) Sin >> Twisted thinking >> Evil is good >> Loving bondage – Some people hold to various religious doctrines as idols and say, ‘This is what I believe,’ but behave contrary to their beliefs, while others practice sin based on a secular worldview, and God says they are the same. It is not enough to merely believe; we must also practice the truth to prove we believe; otherwise, it proves we don’t believe. (39ib) Judgment >> Jesus defeated death >> Jesus defeated Satan’s authority >> Church has inherited Jesus' authority -- This verse goes with verse 5 (40d) Judgment >> Jesus judges the world through His own death -- This verse goes with verse 5 (45e) Judgment >> God’s judgment on believer’s sin >> Through His Son >> On the cross -- This verse goes with verse 5 (163k) Works of the devil >> Being a slave to the devil (Addictions) >> Entertaining demons >> Disciplined by the devil as a son -- This verse goes with verses 10-15 (166j) Works of the devil >> Manifestations of the devil >> Carnality/Secularism (mindset of the world) >> The carnal mind cannot discern between good and evil >> The carnal mind agrees with the devil – There are many people who are against all forms of religion, and they practice sin in a hedonistic lifestyle of sex, drugs and rock-n-roll. The secular mindset (the dream of living in a world without God) is the religion of Satan. There are many religions such as Catholicism, Islam, Jehovah witness, Hinduism, Buddhism, etc. All these belief systems have their own doctrines and ideas about God, and the world has a religion too; it is called Secular Humanism, which does not acknowledge the existence of a supreme God. They only acknowledge human laws, so they can live anyway they want within the confines of self-government. Secularism is a lifestyle, while humanism is the religion of that lifestyle. If someone doesn’t have a religion, Secular Humanism will be assigned to him by default, which is the religion of the devil, who is the ruler of the world. With Secular Humanism we are a god unto ourselves, so instead of there being one God over all to whom we must submit, Secular Humanism recognizes many gods, and no one is subject to any of them, except to the group, which is society. Hence, the world has never rid itself of idol worship, which has always been about worshipping self. Whatever their bodies dictate they do, and it leads to all kinds of deleterious effects. Since self-worship will not allow them to attribute their self-destructive behavior to the consequences of their own actions, to remain faithful to their god (which is self), they shift the blame to whomever is most convenient, including God, whom they insist doesn't exist. All atheists are Secular Humanists by definition; that is why we say it is the religion of the world. See also: Atheism, the Religion of unbelief (Secular humanism); 1Jn 5-19; 164c (167j) Works of the devil >> Manifestations of the devil >> Do not conform to the world >> The world of sin -- This verse goes with verses 10-15 KJV WEB / Navigation Bar 1Jn 3-9,10 (92f) Thy kingdom come >> The narrow way >> Trail of good works >> You must be born again to walk on this trail 1Jn 3-9 (41g) Judgment >> Satan destroyed >> Be like Jesus >> God’s righteousness is His doing – Compare this verse with 1Jn 1-8, "If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us." John went as far as to say that a true Christian cannot sin. We know that John committed sin occasionally, because he lived in a body of sin; he needed Jesus just as much as anyone to cleans him from all unrighteousness, so what did he mean by "he cannot sin"? Paul said in Rom 7-17, “So now, no longer am I the one doing it, but sin which indwells me.” He was making a distinction between himself and his body that was prone to sin. Essentially Paul said that once we have come to the point of hating our sin as God does, we are no longer the ones sinning but our bodies. Our sinful flesh is unredeemed, having the sentence of death hanging over it, but God has saved our souls, and it is the soul of the believer that can no longer sin. Our bodies will one day rot in the ground, but we will live on with the Lord in heaven, and He will give us new bodies that cannot die, nor be tempted to sin. (42c) Judgment >> Satan destroyed >> Be like Jesus >> Overcoming sin -- This verse goes with verses 5-7 (64e) Paradox >> Anomalies >> Limits of God >> God cannot sin (110g) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Spirit and the word >> Born of the Spirit by the truth >> Conceived by the Spirit of truth (132a) Temple >> Your body is the temple of God >> Holy Spirit is in God’s people >> spirit of God in the spirit of man >> Spirit of the Father -- This verse goes with verse 24 (134h) Temple >> Your body is the temple of God >> Body of sin >> Dying to the sinful nature – No one who is born of God practices sin. Obviously we all commit sin, and for this reason Jesus shed His blood for us. Just because we got saved doesn’t mean we will never sin again. Rather, we have the Holy Spirit dwelling in us, and He will not let us be enslaved to sin. Prior to our salvation many of us were fraught with bad habits and harmful addictions, but once God had a chance to deliver us from these shackles, John says we will never enter into habitual bondage again. This suggests that one of two things must be happening in every Christian, either we are enjoying the freedom of Christ, walking with God with an occasional sin, or we are experiencing tremendous conviction because of unresolved sin, but there is no such thing as a Christian carelessly practicing sin. (155g) Witness >> Validity of the believer >> Witness of the believer >> Holy Spirit bears witness of the believer (238a) Kingdom of God >> Pursuing the kingdom >> The kingdom is transferred to the Church >> Born again >> Born of the Spirit by the will of God >> Born again by the will of the Father -- This verse goes with verses 1,2 KJV WEB / Navigation Bar 1Jn 3,10-18 (129i) Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >> Unity >> love perfects unity >> God’s love – John never taught that we have an obligation to love those outside the Church, any more than God commanded Israel to love the world, but to remain committed to their tribe and nation. Jesus taught us to be good Samaritans and do good to our enemies, but our primary ministry remains with our immediate family members and the Church in that order. Lastly to consider is our neighbor in the world. Therefore, when we see the great love of the Good Samaritan to his neighbor, how much more are we to love our immediate family members and the Church? God wants us to use the majority of our energy and resources on those inside the Church for the sake of perfecting unity, so we can reach many in the world with the gospel of Christ, that they too may become members of God's family. Just the fact that the world can see our love for one another will be enough to make them want to be Christians (Jn 17,21-23). They will be attracted to the love of the saints, but if we go into the world and try to love them apart from the Church or apart from unity, they will just take advantage of us. We will waste our resources on them that we could have used for the brethren. If we give our money to those who do not claim to know God, what will they do with it? They will spend it on cigarettes and alcohol, but if we give those same dollars to someone hurting in the Church, we will bless them, and they will benefit and glorify God for our provision, and faith will grow and increase. Eventually, as this continues, the world will realize that we take care of our own and want to be part of our spiritual family. See also: Who is my brother; 1Jn 3,10-14; 156da / Brother versus neighbor; Mat 25-40; 29i 1Jn 3,10-15 (158h) Works of the devil >> Essential characteristics >> Divide and conquer >> Division (Cliques) >> Hating your brother – There is nothing good to say about Cain, for as far as we know he never repented of his sin. Many murderers got saved and repented of their murderous ways, but there is no Christian who commits murder. Someone who calls himself a Christian and murders (hates) his brother the way Cain did because he was jealous of his gifts is not a child of God. It is one thing for the world to hate us, but if we hate one another, John says we are not the children of God. One of the greatest proofs that we know God is that we love each other, and our fellow Christian also has the Spirit of God, but if the world hates us, and if we hate our fellow Christian, it proves we belong to the world and not to Christ. (163k) Works of the devil >> Being a slave to the devil (Addictions) >> Entertaining demons >> Disciplined by the devil as a son -- These verses go with verse 4 (167j) Works of the devil >> Manifestations of the devil >> Do not conform to the world >> The world of sin -- These verses go with verse 4. The world’s hatred of us is actually targeted at the Holy Spirit who lives in us, because they know He is the source of eternal life, and they do not possess Him, and for that reason they are not going to heaven, unless they repent and believe in Jesus. They are unwilling to sacrifice their personal lifestyle of choice, knowing that Christianity requires a complete transformation of heart for the sake of faith in Jesus, and they hate us for our faith. They wish there were a fountain of youth they could drink and live forever their own way, and there actually is such a river (Rev 22-1), and it belongs to God, but they don't want to belong to Him, so they settle with the inevitability of death and allow the sentence of hell to hang over their heads. They pressure the medical field to find new and better ways to keep them alive longer and to forestall the inevitable, and for this reason we think they would be interested in eternal life, but they can’t agree to the terms of faith in Jesus, and they are not excited about sharing heaven with God. They would love to live forever in this life, in this body and in their sinful nature. They know heaven doesn’t have these things and without them they assume there would be no point in living. See also: Contrast between the world and the Church; Gal 6-14; 64i (174i) Works of the devil >> The religion of witchcraft >> Form of godliness >> Form of a servant but denying God your loyalty (184b) Works of the devil >> The origin of lawlessness >> Darkness >> Hiding behind your own imagination >> Hiding behind a false authority 1Jn 3,10-14 (156da) Witness >> Validity of the believer >> Evidence of salvation >> Loving your fellow man is evidence of sa lvation >> Love your enemies – John is borrowing from his gospel, in the statement Jesus made, “This is my commandment that you love one another” (Jn 15-12). Obviously, Jesus was talking about loving our fellow Christian brothers and sisters in the faith. Unbelievers can be good people (comparatively speaking), better even than some Christians, but they don't practice righteousness. This is why John used righteousness instead of sin as the standard for measuring faith. Therefore, the litmus test is not the fact that they practice sin (proving they are bound for hell), but whether we practice righteousness (proving we are bound for heaven), and what was John's definition of righteousness but love of the brethren? All other forms of righteousness take a distant second, and when John talks about loving the brethren, he means loving sincere Christians. Does that mean we are not obligated to love our neighbors in the world? Yes, them too, but they also take a distant second. Based on this reasoning, then, we conclude that John was saying those who do not love God's people are of the devil. He controls the world and hates the Church, and the world serves him. Look at it this way, not everybody in the world hates Christians, but neither do they love us, and those who don't love us don't know God. See also: Who is my brother; 1Jn 3,16-21; 124a 1Jn 3,10-13 (18j) Sin >> Twisted thinking >> Unable to distinguish between good and evil >> God’s people are evil 1Jn 3-10 (70a) Authority >> Righteous judgment (outcome of discernment) >> Passing judgment by the word of God – Going back to what Jesus said on the Sermon on the Mount to be fruit inspectors, there is no need to wonder if a person is a child of God; we only need to inspect their fruit. The one who commits sin and omits righteousness is not of God; that’s what John said. Worldly people have heard various passages from the Bible, such as, “Do not judge” (Mat 7-1), and they quote these passages to other worldly people, and they all agree on its interpretation, that no one is to judge for any reason or under any circumstance, yet they violate their own interpretation of this verse a hundred times a day. In Mat 7-1 Jesus said that we are not to pass false judgment, such as judging someone because we don’t like his or her hair or some other socio-economic triviality. Perhaps a person has turrets or is developmentally disabled or is not in our clique. Jesus commanded us not to judge at all regarding things like this; rather, God expects us to judge with righteous judgment (Jn 7-24). 1Jn 3-10 says that just because a person goes to church doesn’t mean they are going to heaven; and if they aren’t going to heaven, then they are false brethren and enemies of the true Church. In fact, some of our greatest enemies are those who go to church but don’t know God. It is imperative to know who are the true brethren and who are not, and the only way to know this is to discern it in the Spirit, and that is a type of judgment. When people stumble, it doesn’t mean they’re not Christians, but if they consistently commit sin and omit righteousness, it should cast a glooming shadow on our confidence in them being true brethren. KJV WEB / Navigation Bar 1Jn 3,12-15 (25b) Murder (Key verse) (25f) Sin >> Poverty (Forms of fear) >> Satan and his children are murderers (135d) Temple >> Your body is the temple of God >> Sins of the body >> Abortion >> Consequences of abortion >> People have abortions for the same reason they crucified Jesus Christ (157k) Witness >> Validity of the believer >> Evidence of being hell-bound >> Having a murder spirit – What did John say is the Church’s most destructive sin? Jealousy! And what is the outcome of jealousy? Murder! And what does the Church murder through jealousy? They are killing the gifts and stifling the ministries of their fellow saints. What makes this so chilling is that the gifts and ministries of the saints are for everyone’s benefit, and no one should receive the credit to himself, so what reason is there to be jealous? If they were the least bit spiritual they would know this. 1Jn 3-12 (159d) Works of the devil >> Essential characteristics >> Counterfeit >> Counterfeit godliness >> Counterfeit righteousness (173h) Works of the devil >> The religion of witchcraft >> Catholicism >> Unholy sacrifice >> Offering sacrifice without God’s approval >> Sacrifice against the ways of God 1Jn 3-13 (164j) Works of the devil >> Manifestations of the devil >> The world is at enmity with God >> The world hates the Church – The world cannot love us, because the Spirit of God dwelling in us repulses them, for His Spirit is not of this world, and unbelievers can only accept the things of the world. Show me a church full of backbiting dissenters, and I will show you a church full of false brethren impersonating Christianity. Those who hate the brethren “abide in death”, and there is no death in Christ; there is only life and peace. Anyone who calls himself a Christian and hates the brethren is a liar. 1Jn 3-14 (26g) Sin >> Consequences of sin >> Death is Satan’s nature -- This verse goes with verse 3 (38c) Judgment >> Jesus defeated death (Satan) >> Resurrection overcomes death (237l) Kingdom of God >> Pursuing the kingdom >> The Church is transferred to the kingdom >> Transformed from death to life – John commands us to love one another so we might furnish absolute proof that we are the children of God. (254b) Trinity >> Holy Spirit’s relationship between Father and Son >> Jesus is the life of the Spirit >> We live because He is life >> We live because we are in Jesus KJV WEB / Navigation Bar 1Jn 3,16-21 (124a) Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >> Love >> Acts of love >> Love takes from the rich and gives to the poor >> Love takes sacrifice -- These verses go with verse 1. John is almost plagiarizing James, saying it is good to hope that our brother’s needs are met, but it is better to meet them when he has needs. John is obviously talking about our Christian brothers and sisters in the faith, not necessarily our neighbors or somebody off the street, though we should also be good Samaritans, yet we are all the more obligated to the brethren within the Church. Since we know each other and our personal circumstances and needs, we are in a better position to serve one another than those who are in the world, whom we don't know; hence, we don't know how they will use the resources we invest in them. The opportunities to serve are many in the Church. Therefore, if we see a brother in need and close our heart against him, how does the love of God abide in us? John is all about proving our faith, like James. See also: Who is my brother; 1Jn 3,17-21; 74a (230k) Kingdom of God >> God’s kingdom is a living organism >> Mystery of godliness >> Solving the mystery of godliness >> The love of Christ is the mystery of godliness 1Jn 3,16-18 (12m) Servant >> Jesus is our example of a servant – To lay down our lives for the brethren is to vicariously lay down our lives for Christ, as He said in Mat 25-40 “The King will reply, `I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'” We are acting like Christ when we put our brother’s needs before our own. Jesus laid down his life as an example for us that we should do the same for the brethren. Again, John is not talking about our neighbor when he uses the word “brother,” but the brothers of Jesus who believe in Him. (131c) Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >> Unity >> Brother depends on you >> To care for his needs – When it says we are to lay down our lives for the brethren, it doesn’t necessarily mean we must die for them. We may lay down our lives for the brethren up to but not including literal death by dedicating our lives to the faith for the purpose of ministering to the saints, and so we are laying down our lives for them, and anybody who would do this would also die for the cause of Christ. A person who is willing to lay down his life for the brethren can be trusted. Trust is a big thing in the Church of God, but there is a lack of trust in the body of Christ, simply because people are unwilling to lay down their lives for each other by dedicating their lives to the faith, that they might have something to share with the brethren. If more people’s faith mattered to them, there would be a whole lot more trust among the people of God, a lot more anointed ministry, spiritual growth and unity, more development of character, and more knowledge and wisdom of the Spirit that we could share with each other to help build the body of Christ. As it is, though, hardly anyone takes his faith seriously; we just believe in a set of doctrines, but John didn't say, ‘This is love, that we believe in a set of doctrines.’ That is not what Jesus said either; He told us the truth, and then He showed us the Truth by laying down His life for us, and now it's our turn to do the same for the brethren. 1Jn 3-16 (11e) Servant >> Jesus is our standard – The cross is the standard the Bible gives of God’s love, and it is the standard by which we ought to love one another. Laying down our lives for the brethren is a greater test than any math or history test we will ever take. What does it mean to lay down our lives for the brethren? He is talking about the gospel influencing the direction of our lives to the point of changing us. To the extent that our lives change because of our faith is the extent that we lay down our lives for the brethren. Those who believe in God without the gospel affecting them cannot be trusted as true brethren. They might sound like brothers in the Lord; they might look the part; they might come to church and sing songs, lift their hands and do all the things that brethren do, but if their faith does not change them, they are untrustworthy. (187b) Die to self (Process of substitution) >> Separation from the old man >> Die to the flesh >> The ministry of dying to self >> Die to self to minister to people >> Die to self to encourage the strong (189j) Die to self (Process of substitution) >> Separation from the old man >> Masochism (Self-made martyr) >> Fasting >> Fasting simulates dying to self (210b) Salvation >> The salvation of God >> Jesus is our sacrifice >> Jesus goes willingly to the cross – John said, “We know love by this…” and then spoke about the cross. This helps to explain Gal 2-20; Paul said “I am crucified with Christ,” and by that we lay down our lives for the brethren. The cross is the love of God; bloody and brutal, the cross is how we know God loves us. We might think or assume or even believe God loved us, but now we know for sure He does, because He sent His Son to die for us, “that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life” (Jn 3-16). Had Jesus not willingly gone to the cross, had the Roman soldiers taken Him against His will, we still wouldn’t know God loved us. Conversely, had Jesus come on His own initiative and died for our sins, we still wouldn’t know that God (the Father) loved us. The beauty of Jn 3-16, coupled with this verse is that both the Father and the Son love mankind. Now we know for sure we will be accepted in heaven. 1Jn 3,17-21 (74a) Thy kingdom come >> The heart >> God wants you to bless your brother from the heart – There is a lot of controversy about the word "brother" in the Bible. For example, a lawyer asked Jesus a question that inspired Him to tell the story about the Good Samaritan, asking, “Who is my neighbor?” (Lk 10-29). Jesus answered that all races and colors and creeds of mankind are our neighbor, but who is our brother? There is a difference between neighbor and brother. In the Old Testament the word “brother” meant Israel’s fellow countrymen the Jew, regardless of tribe. Moreover, all the nations of the world are our neighbors. Nothing really has changed in this regard between the old and new covenants, except that our brother is now defined as a spiritual Jew, those who believe in Jesus, regardless if they are Jew or gentile. If we happened upon three people who were beaten and robbed: a sibling, a Christian and a stranger and could help only one of them, let it be our sibling first, our Christian brother second and our neighbor last. It would be a shame if we gave all our resources to a panhandler on the street, who turned all our hard-earned cash into whiskey, rather than help our Christian brother who really could be helped. See also: Who is my brother; 1Jn 3-17; 130f 1Jn 3-17,18 (156d) Witness >> Validity of the believer >> Evidence of salvation >> Loving your fellow man is evidence of salvation >> Love the brethren – A person who continually closes his heart against his brother in need John says does not know God. Christians are giving people; when they see a need, they meet it; it is in our new nature that God has given us, though our old nature remains, so the choice is ours which nature to follow. Giving to charities is inefficient, in that most of our money will not reach those in need, but will be siphoned to the bureaucracy to support their rubber-band fights and pay their yacht mortgage. The safest charities to invest our resources are local ones that we see first-hand how our money is spent. It is better to get involved in a church effort instead of individually helping people, so nobody learns our address or phone number and continuously contacts us begging for more money, exposing themselves as fraudulent. When helping people by giving to our local church, we can impose simple expectations on those we help, such as requiring them to become loyal members of the church, and so test their willingness to help themselves, so we can publicly keep in touch with their progress and needs. 1Jn 3-17 (17e) Sin >> Judging in the flesh >> Based on greed (130f) Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >> Unity >> Committed to caring for the needs of the body >> Committed to supporting one another – There is an ongoing debate in Christendom as to what the word “brother” means in the Bible, and most have determined that it refers to “our fellow man”, meaning anybody. Jesus went around doing good to everybody He met, but He ministered to the house of Israel almost exclusively, that is, His own countrymen, the Jews. Therefore, when the Old Testament uses the word “brother”, it is referring to fellow Israelites, and so “brother” in the new covenant is translated to mean spiritual Jew, people who believe in Jesus, including believing gentiles. These are the people we ought to help before helping our neighbors in the world who are of no account to the Church. In doing so, we are advocating faith in Jesus and taking care of our own. See also: Who is my brother; 1Jn 3,10-18; 129i (130l) Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >> Unity >> Accept one another >> Accept the weak (175c) Works of the devil >> The religion of witchcraft >> Form of godliness >> Wealth gives a false sense of godliness KJV WEB / Navigation Bar 1Jn 3,18-23 (85la) Thy kingdom come >> Belief >> Treating the knowledge of God as fact >> Believing the Son by obeying the Father >> Obeying the law by faith in the cross >> Obey God for answered prayer 1Jn 3,18-22 (114f) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Working the grace of God >> Obeying the Holy Spirit >> Receiving a revelation from God through obedience (122g) Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >> Confidence in yourself as you die to sin >> Confident in good conscience – If we meet the needs of our brothers, God will include us in His blessing of the saints, and the greatest benefit is that we will build confidence before God that we know the truth. It will also assure our hearts before Him in prayer that He will supply our needs in whatever we ask. For this reason those who serve one another from the heart have great confidence before God. When we materialize our faith for the sake of the brethren, God will materialize Himself in our own lives as answered prayer, “because we keep His commands and do the things that are pleasing in His sight.” Believe in Jesus and love the brethren, this is Christianity; it is the truth from God. 1Jn 3,18-20 (69b) Authority >> Discernment >> Discerning the Truth 1Jn 3-18,19 (86n) Thy kingdom come >> Obedience >> Be doers of the word from the heart >> Love the truth – Some people struggle with their faith and question if they believe. The disciples asked Jesus to increase their faith, and He responded by speaking the word of God to them (Lk 17-5,6), but in this case John told us we could actually do something about the littleness of our faith. He said we should put our faith to work, allowing it to manifest as love, which is perfected faith. The best way to know we believe is to walk in love, not just give to charities; even unbelievers do that, but actually walk in love and demonstrate the fruits of the Spirit in our daily walk, not just be a nice person but seek to emulate the goodness of God. Helping our brother helps our faith. 1Jn 3-18 (44c) Judgment >> Satan destroyed >> Complete >> Fulfill the requirements – God is greater than our conscience, so that if we are struggling from a lack of faith, remember that God is the keeper of our souls and that He is greater than our lack of faith and greater than an evil conscience. He knows our struggles and temptations, and He knows our desires and willingness to serve Him, and He will lead us in directions that will increase our faith. He will place our foot on the ministry that He has prepared for us, and by walking on His trail of good works He will perfect our faith. (85b) Thy kingdom come >> Your words can lead to your own demise >> How can you, being evil, speak what is good? 1Jn 3,19-21 (18d) Sin >> False Judgment lacks evidence >> Undefined charges (42e) Judgment >> Satan destroyed >> Be like Jesus >> Innocent before God – This passage is about committing sin, defiling our conscience and the process God uses to cleanse us from all unrighteousness and restore our faith (1Jn 1-9). Yes, Christians sin, and when we do, God assures us that we have not been severed from Christ, that our salvation is still intact. God has commanded us to maintain a blameless reputation before men, and now He is commanding us to maintain a blameless relationship with Christ, so there is no wiggle-room for us to sin. When John said that God is greater than our heart and knows all things, Paul confirms in 1Cor 4-3, “To me it is a very small thing that I may be examined by you, or by any human court; in fact, I do not even examine myself.” (154j) Witness >> Validity of the believer >> Witness of the believer >> Conscience >> Having a good conscience >> God is my conscience – We repent in order to heal our conscience, which we use to have confidence in God. He is greater than an evil conscience; He knows everything about us and still He loves us. He is not a prude; He will help us after we have sinned and even while we are sinning. He is able to assure our heart before Him. Either we have committed sin and God will assure us that we belong to Him, or we have not sinned and our clear conscience gives us confidence before Him. John is articulating God’s process of daily cleansing His people; all Christians run through this cycle: we start by having confidence in God, then we do something stupid, developing an evil conscience; we cry to God; He grants us repentance, and then we walk in that repentance, cleansing us of an evil conscience, reinstating our confidence before God. See also: Repentance; 1Cor 5-8; 100l (161i) Works of the devil >> Satan determines the world's direction >> Carried Away >> Condemnation based on evidence of sin -- These verses go with verses 7-10. An evil conscience does not pertain to committing sin as much as accepting sin and incorporating it into our lives. When we get to heaven and learn what is true perfection, we will realize just how much sin we allowed, but in this life our mortal flesh is immersed in sin. We do things we don’t even know are evil, things we will never do in heaven. If we are not conscious of sin, we can walk before God with a clear conscience, even though we may be sinning and don’t know it. The closer we get to God in our walk with Him, the more our conscience becomes attuned to sin, and when we repent, our conscience becomes all the more clear as our lifestyle conforms to godliness. This is how God changes us over time to fit into His purpose. (181j) Works of the devil >> The origin of lawlessness >> Deception >> Self deception >> Deceitfulness of sin 1Jn 3-20,21 (27d) Sin >> Consequences of sin >> Knowledge can bring a curse if you don’t walk in it 1Jn 3-20 (212j) Sovereignty >> God is infinite >> God is all knowing >> God knows everything about you – There is a difference between our conscience and the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives; our conscience can be corrupted to feel bad about things that are not bad and feel good about things that are not good, but it is different with the Holy Spirit. We need to develop our conscience around the Holy Spirit and learn conviction for things that God reveals to us, and discard things that God condemns. Jesus taught ideas that nobody had ever thought or imagined, things that the conscience would have never considered, and He speaks to us in the same way, and for this reason He is greater than our conscience. 1Jn 3-21,22 (104g) Thy kingdom come >> Pure in heart shall see God >> Shall see the Father >> God can see us–we are in His sight – The writings of the apostle John, include the Gospel of John, his three epistles and the Book of Revelation. They have clarity of conviction that only James rivaled in his epistle. God can see into our heart with a clarity that far exceeds the clarity of the writers of the Bible, and He wants us to see Him with the clarity of His word. The Book of Revelation is full of symbolism, making it a difficult book to understand, but what he says is clear, and what he is saying here couldn’t be clearer. This verse puts us behind the eight-ball in such an elegant way, explaining why our prayers get answered, “because we keep his commandments and do the things that are pleasing in His sight.” That makes the opposite just as true: God does not answer our prayers because we don’t keep His commandments or do what is pleasing in His sight. 1Jn 3-21 (121k) Confidence (Key verse) (233c) Kingdom of God >> Pursuing the kingdom >> Seeking the kingdom >> Seeking the goals of the kingdom >> Seek the goal of knowing God (faith) KJV WEB / Navigation Bar 1Jn 3,22-24 (156b) Witness >> Validity of the believer >> Evidence of salvation >> Loving God is evidence of salvation >> Keeping His commandments – After John tells us that keeping His commandments is evidence that we belong to Him, he then says that absolute proof of our identity as the children of God is the Spirit whom He has given us. However, this is not something we can prove to anybody but ourselves; personally, this is how we know we are born of God, as Rom 8-16 says, “The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God.” There is no greater evidence than this, but if we want to prove to some one else that we belong to God, we will need to keep His commandments. Jesus said, “This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you” (Jn 15-12), and then said, "By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another" (Jn 13-35). Jesus was talking about His people loving each other as evidence to the world that we are His children. Love is the ultimate evangelism tool; Jesus said in His high priestly prayer, “I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me” (Jn 17-23). We should love our enemies, but love for one another in the faith is special and unique and far greater than our love for those who are in the world. 1Jn 3-22 (30l) Gift of God >> God favors you through your prayers (86g) Thy kingdom come >> Obedience >> Be doers of the word >> Clothe yourself with the word of God >> Practice the truth -- This verse goes with verse 24. T o keep His commandments and do what is pleasing in His sight, we must first give up our secular worldview and become spiritual as Paul said, “and stop sinning” (1Cor 15-34). At the same time we need to develop a relationship with Jesus through the Holy Spirit, and come to terms with the fact that we are not mere spectators but active participants of God’s grace. Many of us have been erroneously taught that we are spiritually incapable of righteousness in the eyes of God as though all our good deeds are as filthy rags (Isaiah 64-6). This was true before we got saved but not after God imparted His righteousness in us (Act 10-15). After God cleansed us and set a path for our feet, we should not consider the works He produces in us to be unholy. We are called by God to walk in His grace, but if we don’t walk in Him, His grace is in vain (2Cor 6-1). It is like sending power lines from the station to our house; all that is left is for us to flip on the switch and the rooms are lighted, but if we don’t flip the switch, we remain in darkness. We play a very small part but a necessary one. Once we begin to walk in His grace and keep His commandments, God will answer our prayers. See also: Working the grace of God (works that complete our faith); 1Cor 3-8; 226i (206j) Salvation >> God makes promises on His terms >> Conditions to promises >> Conditions to getting your prayers answered – Some people feel they are not addicted to anything, yet over a period of decades they never seem to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and they wonder why. They see other people spiritually developing while their growth is stunted. They don’t believe they are in bondage to anything, nor do they look into the biblical doctrines that lead to freedom in Christ and to an anointing that is able to catapult their relationship with Jesus into high gear. They are in bondage to unbelief as Christians. They may believe in Jesus for their eternal salvation, but they are in bondage to a secular mindset that is affecting their understanding of the Bible and the doctrines that pertain to freedom in Christ and walking in the power of God. They wander through life, attempting to serve God by their flesh. This is a very common problem in the Church today. On the one hand, they ridicule all secular worldviews, and on the other they are guilty of this very mindset, and for this reason they don’t get their prayers answered. (247b) Priorities >> God’s priorities >> God’s interests >> God is interested in His people >> God is interested in our spiritual health – There are various types of sin, just like there are various types of repentance. For example, the newborn Christian can commit sin and God will just wink at it while he is becoming established in the faith, for the sin he commits is in ignorance, not that he is unaware of it, but that he does not know how to stop sinning. Newborns are still in bondage to their old way of life, and they must develop a relationship with the Holy Spirit through the word of God and prayer before they can break some of the bondages from their former manner of life. There are some sins we can stop right away, because they are not addictions, but there are other sins that are addictive and difficult to break. We need to work with God to overcome them if we are going to find freedom in Christ. KJV WEB / Navigation Bar 1Jn 3-23,24 (129f) Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >> Unity >> love perfects unity >> Love is the mortar between the blocks 1Jn 3-23 (67g) Authority >> Jesus delegates authority >> The name of Jesus is the salvation of God (90j) Thy kingdom come >> Keeping the law >> We do not nullify the law through faith; we fulfill it (125b) Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >> Faith and love >> Faith toward God and love toward man 1Jn 3-24 (35f) Gift of God >> God gives Himself to us >> Father sends the Holy Spirit (68e) Authority >> Jesus delegates the Holy Spirit to us >> Sent from heaven – We abide in Christ as He abides in us, fostering confidence that blossoms into a revelation of Jesus Christ through the Spirit that He has given us. The Holy Spirit teaches us to obey the Lord and leads on a personally designated trail of good works that God has prepared for us from all eternity. Too often the gospel stops at the cross, but that is just the beginning, for the glory of the cross is the ministry of the Spirit. God had to forgive us before He could send His Spirit. The Holy Spirit is by far the most neglected member of the trinity in Christendom today, possibly even the most neglected topic of the Bible, though He is the most important aspect of our salvation. The cross allows Christians to be forgiven, but the Holy Spirit is the very substance of that forgiveness. (86g) Thy kingdom come >> Obedience >> Be doers of the word >> Clothe yourself with the word of God >> Practice the truth -- This verse goes with verse 22 (92j) Thy kingdom come >> The narrow way connects you to God >> It demonstrates your faith in Him – Many people in the Church and outside the Church believe they abide in Jesus for no particular reason, they just believe it. They don’t realize there is a condition involved: we abide in Him if we keep His commandments. It is baffling to see so many people treat their faith in God and their hope of eternal life with so little regard. John says that keeping His commandments is how we know we are the children of God. This not only requires a change in lifestyle but also a change of heart, requiring us to renovate virtually every aspect of our lives. However, most people are unwilling to do this, being under the persuasion that God has given them their lives to enjoy and figure they would not enjoy their lives if they sacrificed it for their faith in Jesus. Consequently, keeping His commandments is automatically shoved out the window. They keep His commandments only when it is convenient, otherwise they just do what they want and depend on God’s grace and mercy to forgive them. This is abusive to the grace of God. (132a) Temple >> Your body is the temple of God >> Holy Spirit is in God’s people >> Spirit of God in the spirit of man >> Spirit of the Father -- This verse goes with verses 6&7 (139k) Temple >> Temple made without hands >> Hiding place >> Abiding in Jesus (254j) Trinity >> Holy Spirit’s relationship between Father and Son >> Jesus is equal with the Holy Spirit >> Salvation of Jesus’ Spirit See next page