1 John – Passing the Tests: Part 2 • 04.28.24
Nick Lees   -   April 25, 2024

Passing the Tests II
1 John 3

God’s direction for eternal life

  1. Marvel at God’s extravagant love that saves and sanctifies
  2. Recognize that your practice reveals your parentage
  3. Imitate Jesus by loving in deed and in truth

Good morning church family! Welcome guests + introduce self + series.

Dismiss 4th + 5th graders

Ushers + Bibles (1 John 3; Page 1212)

We’ve reached the halfway point in our 8-week series through 1-3 John! After today, we have two Sundays left in 1 John and then Pastor Jack will lead us through a study of 2 and 3 John over two Sundays. I’ve heard from some of our staff and small group leaders that there have been some great conversations in our small groups over what we’ve learned. I’m thankful to hear it! May we continue to grow as a body of believers who walk in the light, confessing sin and turning from it, protecting one another from the deceitfulness of sin, and doing so together as the church!

If you’ve missed any of this series or are a guest visiting with us today, let me help you by giving a quick recap of 1 John. The letter begins with John testifying to his credentials as an eyewitness of Jesus Christ. In fact, he wasn’t alone, but there were many eyewitnesses to the life and ministry of Jesus – and their testimony is that he is the Son of God who has come down from heaven, took on flesh, and dwelt among us to save us from our sins. In this letter, John has shared that the way to eternal life is through faith in Jesus. Not only is this the way to eternal life, but it is the way to complete joy and fellowship with God and other Christians.

As we’ve seen and heard over the past several weeks, John has addressed several topics related to authentic faith. And there is a reason for this – he is writing to churches who have been shaken up by people who were once gathered with them leaving their gatherings to follow another teaching. Specifically, a teaching that denied that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of God. This is a HUGE problem because it contradicts the core beliefs of Christianity – if Jesus isn’t the Christ, the Son of God, then he could not be a sufficient sacrifice for our sins nor accomplish our salvation. That’s a little bit of a problem, isn’t it?! John wants his readers and Christians today to know the truth about Jesus and not deviate from it!

So, he’s writing to assure and protect these believers and churches from false teaching. And as he writes, he presents to them several tests to help them have assurance in their faith. He speaks about walking in the light – handling sin biblically rather than pretending that it’s no big deal or that you don’t have any sin. He points to the reality that Jesus Christ came and died to save us from our sin – so of course we have sin in our lives, and we need to confess and forsake it! John also speaks about obeying Christ’s commandments – that this is a test of whether you know God. Those who obey him reveal that they know Him, but those who do not obey do not know or love God. Authentic faith is revealed by obedience.

John also wrote that authentic faith is revealed by love for your fellow Christians. This was the example of Jesus during his life and ministry, and it is the expectation for all his followers. So, John has encouraged them to persist in this love for one another and not get distracted by loving the world or the things in the world. As we know, there are a lot of possible distractions from following Christ and a wise Christian must be aware of them and resist them. After all, the world and its desires are passing away, but whoever does the will of God abides forever. We must keep an eternal perspective! It’s not worth it to trade eternal life for temporary pleasures/treasures in this world.

That is a very high-level summary of what we’ve heard so far. If you’ve missed any of the sermons in this series, I would encourage you to go back and listen to them on our website, so you are fully caught up. For now, let’s turn our attention to our study of God’s Word for today in chapter 3. You may have noticed that we kept the sermon title and goal from last week, as John is yet again presenting truths about assurance in Christ. We’re talking about Passing the Tests and we’re listening again for…

God’s direction for eternal life

I’m going to begin with the final verses in chapter 2 as they are related to what is coming next.

1 John 2:28–3:3 (ESV)

28 And now, little children, abide in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence and not shrink from him in shame at his coming. 29 If you know that he is righteous, you may be sure that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of him.

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.

See the incredible love the Father has given to us! That we should be called children of God; and so we are. John invites his audience to behold and be amazed! The love of God has led him to do a wonderful work of salvation and sanctification (making us holy) in his people.

This is why, as he said in 2:28, they do not need to fear Jesus’ second coming. As they abide in him and walk in holiness, they will have great confidence and no shame at his return. Because they’ve sought to live righteously! They have responded properly to the extravagant love of the Father.

Do you ever slow down enough to consider the extravagant love of God? That through faith in Christ you can have this same hope of being adopted into his forever family?

What incredible news! That though we were once dead in our sin and destined for hell, through Christ we have the hope of forgiveness and heaven. It is possible to have a secure identity in Christ as a son or daughter of God!

This is the same truth that Paul rejoices in when he writes to the Ephesians:

Ephesians 1:3–6 (ESV)

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, 4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love 5 he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.

These blessings are ours in Christ! They come as a result of his choice to save us and set us apart for his kingdom. What an incredible privilege and blessing! “In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace!” Paul states it plainly – it was God’s eternal plan to do this and it was driven by his extravagant love! This resonates with the rejoicing of John with his audience. And it invites us to…

  1. Marvel at God’s extravagant love that saves and sanctifies

Saves – rescues us from our sin and the eternal death it earned us. (Rom. 6:23)

Sanctifies – makes us holy and blameless before him (Eph. 1:4)

To state it again – this is the hope for all who trust in Christ. Your identity can be secure as a child of God. John wanted his audience to know this with certainty. They did not need to give heed to the false teachings of the deceivers of his day because they had a far better hope in Christ!

And, as he explains, this adoption into God’s family sets Christians apart from the world. They are no longer a part of the system or people that oppose and hate God. Which is why the world does not “get” Christians – we are different… we are citizens of a heavenly kingdom who do not fit in here… our home is in heaven with God.

This section of 1 John is laden with a focus on what is to come. Being prepared for Jesus’ return. Being unashamed at judgment day. In 3:2, John whets their appetite for how things will get even better when Christ returns. Because when he returns, “we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.” This is the hope of a Christian! That God will complete the work of sanctification that he has begun in us. We see this spoken of in multiple places in the New Testament. Let’s rejoice in these glorious promises!

Romans 8:28–30 (ESV)

28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. 29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.

Not only is God at work in all things for the good of believers, he tells us that he is actively conforming you to the image of his Son through those things. He has an aim of making you holy. His will is that you would join him in glory one day. And he knows exactly how to accomplish that will! I have another glorious promise to share with you…

Philippians 3:20–21 (ESV)

20 But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.

This is why Christians do not fear but anticipate the second coming of Christ. For us, it is not for judgment but for glorification! Though we are wholly unworthy in and of ourselves, because of the extravagant love of God we have this hope. And, as John stated, this hope in Christ leads us to be purified or made holy as he is pure/holy.

Has that been your experience? Have you cultivated such a deep longing, an eager anticipation for eternity with Christ that it leads you to live righteously here and now?

God’s Word says that a Christian’s future hope ought to have a direct impact on how they live here and now. My hope of heaven is not disconnected from my struggles today. Instead, it helps me to persevere and endure in the faith. It encourages me to not lose sight of where I am heading so that I will make the righteous decisions now.

  • When you are tired and tempted to be selfish, remember that pleasure here and now is fleeting but righteousness has eternal value
  • When you feel beaten down or discouraged, remember that Christ died for you and is coming again to bring you to himself. Hope in him!
  • When your employer asks you to do something unethical, remember that your identity is found in Christ, not your job. Choose the path of integrity that honors Christ.

Christian brother or sister, I want to encourage you to reorient your eyes on eternity. Do not lose sight of where you are heading. God has gloriously adopted you into his family. Allow that extravagant love to lead you to have great hope as you wrestle in the brokenness of this life in this world. As your eyes are on Christ and your heart is full of the hope of heaven, let that drive you to live righteously in your daily life.

With that in mind, let’s return to the text and see where John is going next with his letter.

1 John 3:4-10 (ESV)

4 Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. 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; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him. 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. 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.

Whew! John gets right back into confronting the lies of the deceivers. Their claim that sin is not a big deal and that you can live in sin and still be good with God is a lie! He equates the practice of sin with lawlessness which means rebellion against God. Those who live in ongoing, unrepentant sin are rebels against the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

John even appeals twice to the reason Jesus came – first in verse 5 – “in order to take away sins” and again in verse 8 – “the reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.” How can anyone claim that sin is no big deal or that they are good with God while living in it when Jesus came to destroy sin and rescue people from it!? If this is your position, please recognize that you are arguing with God on this matter.

John is laying out two different ways of life in this passage. A person is either making a practice of sinning or practicing righteousness. They are mutually exclusive ways to live, and they reveal very different realities about who you are and who you come from…

The call here is to…

  1. Recognize that your practice reveals your parentage

Put another way – our fruit (how we live) reveals our root (who we really are). Or as Pastor John Stott says, “Our parentage is either divine or diabolical.” The Bible teaches that the way we live reveals who our parent is – either we live righteously and reveal that we are a child of God, or we live sinfully and reveal that we are a child of the devil.

Whew again! Nobody likes to hear that they are a child of Satan. But that is God’s description of you if you are unwilling to turn from your sin and live for him. Please note that this is clearly speaking to those who “keep on sinning” and “make a practice of sinning”. This is language of habitual unrepentance and failing to desire to confess or handle sin God’s way. This is speaking of a person who has a hard heart and is consistently living in opposition to God’s will and ways. When John wrote this, he was speaking of those deceivers who had departed from the church. He was thinking of those in the world who reject Christ and oppose all that God stands for… He is not speaking of the Christians to whom he is writing.

John was convinced that his audience did practice righteousness, and he is protecting them from those who did not. He is equipping them to think biblically about what is happening to them and around them. Those who are in Christ the righteous will live righteously. And those who are not in him will prove it by their unrighteous lifestyle.

Now we must confess that it is God’s incredible work of salvation in anyone’s life that enables them to change. Left to ourselves, we would not desire him or be able to live for him. The Bible declares that we were previously dead in our sin. A dead person cannot make themselves come to life. However, God can bring life from the dead!

Ephesians 2:1–5 (ESV)

And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— 3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.

4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—

2 Corinthians 5:17–18 (ESV)

17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 18 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation;

Once dead in sin, now made alive in Christ! All the wonderful work of God in us. And this produces a clear and evident transformation in the way we live – Christians practice righteousness.

John has effectively brought us back to the Moral Test: How do you respond to Christ’s commands? Do you practice righteousness? Or do you practice sinning?

A Christian should have great confidence as they bear good fruit in their life. This is evidence that they are a new creation – a child of God. This is not an opportunity to brag or boast in self, but an opportunity to rejoice in God’s grace and mercy! Thank you, Jesus, for saving and sanctifying me! To you be the glory for anything good I have done!

As Christians, we cannot continue in sin given all that Christ has done at his 1st coming and will do at his 2nd. Allow the finished and future work of Christ to drive you to obedience to his commands in this life!

But that is not where John’s argument ends. As we heard in verse 10, a Christian is revealed not only by their practice of righteousness, but also by their love for their brother. John is bringing us back to the love test: How do you view and treat fellow Christians? Do you love or hate them? Let’s keep reading for John’s elaboration on this.

1 John 3:11-24 (ESV)

11 For this is the message that you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. 12 We should not be like Cain, who was of the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own deeds were evil and his brother’s righteous. 13 Do not be surprised, brothers, that the world hates you. 14 We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death. 15 Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.

16 By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. 17 But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? 18 Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.

19 By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him; 20 for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything. 21 Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; 22 and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him. 23 And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. 24 Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God, and God in him. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us.

John provides proof of his argument – Cain, who hated his brother and murdered him, proving he was a child of the devil. John highlights the tension between evil and righteousness. This is a tension that has long existed and continues to this day. The world opposes God, who is righteous, by practicing evil. So, it’s not surprising that the world hates Christians, a people who follow God and practice righteousness.

If your goal is to be well-liked by those in the world, you are on a fool’s errand. It simply cannot be done. The only way that is possible is to compromise your righteousness as a child of God. Because fundamentally, at its core, the world hates righteousness because it hates God. You have to choose – who will you love? God or the world? Whose love do you desire most? God or the world’s? Your answers will direct the rest of your life.

A Christian loves God and his brothers. This is evidence of salvation. Anyone who hates Christians abides in death. This was the fruit of the deceivers in John’s day. It is still the fruit of those who oppose God in our day. But it does not have to be your fruit!

You can respond to the love of Christ – he is the one who laid down his life for us. Respond in faith like these people had so many years ago. Like so many of us in this room have done. Jesus’ example is our calling – to love sacrificially; to be willing to lay down our lives for the brothers. This is not merely a call to do kind things for one another, but a call to die for one another. Jesus died for us. Would you do the same for your fellow Christian if it came down to it?

We do not live in a country where death for our faith is truly on the table. But many of our Christian brothers and sisters around the world face that reality. Christians in large parts of Asia, Africa, and the Middle East understand this calling in a way that many of us Americans cannot.

Can you imagine how powerful this sacrificial love truly is? If I am willing to DIE for you, what would I withhold from you? Nothing. My possessions are yours. My time is yours. My energy and abilities are yours. If I am willing to lay down my life for you, then anything of lesser value is also yours. My life is yours because my life is Christ’s.

Galatians 2:20 (ESV)

20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

God help us all to think and live this way! This extravagant love for our brothers/sisters is evidence of new life. This is the way to eternal life. Or as John teaches…

  1. Imitate Jesus by loving in deed and in truth

This is God’s direction for eternal life. This is our calling as Christians! To imitate the Christ. To demonstrate, through our lives, that we follow him. And Jesus radically loved others. He laid down his life for us.

James has much to say about this radical love in his letter. I’ll share just a small portion of it today:

James 2:14–17 (ESV)

14 What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? 17 So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

Christians are called to much more than mere talk. It is not enough to say the right things if you do not connect that with DOING the right things. Christ demonstrated his love for us by dying on the cross in our place. He didn’t just say he loved us; he showed us by saving us!

Likewise, we must be a people who imitate Jesus by loving in deed and in truth. Which is what James is highlighting. We must not only wish our brother or sister to be warmed and filled, but we must also clothe and feed them! Jesus also emphasized obedience:

Matthew 7:24 (ESV)

24 “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.

Jesus said that it was everyone who HEARD and DID his words who were like the wise man who built his house on the rock. They are the ones who stand the tests of life and whose faith endures. The ones who only HEARD but did not DO his words have a house or faith that comes crashing down.

So, what about you? Do you love others in deed and in truth? Is there evidence in your life that reveals you are not simply a hearer of the Word but also a doer?

A Christian should have great confidence when they look over the course of their life and see tangible evidence of both hearing and doing God’s Word. Their love for others is evidence of new life within them. And, again, to God be the glory for that! We are simply seeking to be obedient to Jesus’ example and teaching.

As Christians live this way, John assures them that they can know that they are of the truth and that God is for them. We all know that even when we are seeking to live wisely and well, there are times when our hearts/consciences can condemn us. In those moments, we must turn to God and cling to his promises. If we are seeking to live according to His Word, however flawed we might be, we can know that we are forgiven and part of his family. Our identity is secure in him.

And, as we live righteously, it gives us great confidence in the Lord and should lead us to a life free from condemnation. There is great hope that comes when you are able to end your day knowing that you sought to please the Lord throughout it. Our prayers are emboldened because we know that God hears them. As he tells us often in the Old Testament, his ears are inclined to the righteous. Does your prayer life reflect such confidence? Are you continuing to come boldly to him on behalf of those who are in need? May we be a people who are dependent in prayer – for ourselves, for our brothers, for those who do not yet know Christ. There is much work to be done until Christ returns.

This is not intended to be an opportunity to brag or boast in self, but simply to rest in the good work God has done and is doing in us. It is appropriate to rejoice in the righteousness God has produced in us. It is good to have great confidence in the faith as we obey him.

If your faith is in his Son Jesus Christ and you love others and keep his commands, then you can rest assured that you are abiding in God and God in you. The indwelling Holy Spirit testifies to this reality. You are a child a God and you will spend eternity with Him. What a glorious hope indeed! And because we have this anointing and knowledge of God, it gives us a great drive to practice righteousness. Which is how God has intended our faith to work.

May we be a people who:

  1. Marvel at God’s extravagant love that saves and sanctifies
  2. Recognize that your practice reveals your parentage
  3. Imitate Jesus by loving in deed and in truth

Communion

We are going to close out our services today by worshiping the Lord through the celebration of communion or the Lord’s table.

Communion is an opportunity for Christians to remember all that the Lord has done for us through his death, burial, and resurrection. This is an opportunity for Christians to remember that we have embraced the promised hope of Christ for the forgiveness of our sins and salvation of our souls!

We will celebrate by partaking of both the bread and the cup as a symbol and reminder of Jesus’ body broken in our place and his blood shed for the forgiveness of our sins. Communion is an opportunity to remember how great a price was paid so that we could be saved from our sin. It is a sobering, yet joyful celebration for Christians. Sobering that the Son of God would give himself for us as a ransom. Joyful that he did, and the result is a living hope that cannot be taken from us! Jesus is victorious; therefore, we have the hope of heaven with Him!

At this time, I’d like to invite the ushers forward with the elements.

Before we pass them, I want to share the biblical requirements for joining in this celebration.

This celebration was given by Jesus to his followers. We invite anyone who has trusted in Jesus Christ alone for salvation to join us in this celebration today. If your faith is not in Jesus Christ alone, then we would encourage you to let the elements pass by you and simply consider what you’ve heard so far during the service this morning and reflect on what is keeping you from trusting him.

The second requirement we see in Scripture is a call to examine ourselves. This is the idea of making sure that you’ve confessed any known sins and sought to turn away from it. It would not be wise to partake of the table if you have sin in your life for which you are not repentant. Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 11 that taking the table while living in sin is eating and drinking judgment on yourself. I would ask you not to do that, for your sake and the sake of God’s glory. Instead, I would encourage you to use this time to confess that sin and make a plan to address it right away. If you know you need to be reconciled to someone else in this church, please take care of that during this time. The table is time to protect the unity of the church.

The ushers are going to pass the elements now as we have a time of silent reflection and prayer to prepare for the table. Please use this time to reflect on all that we’ve talked about today and to prepare yourself to take communion by confessing and repenting of any known sin. After the elements have been passed, I’ll lead us in prayer and taking communion together.

Ushers pass elements

Silent prayer. Corporate prayer.

1 Corinthians 11:23–26 (ESV)

23 For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”

Take bread.

25 In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

Take cup

Hallelujah, thank you, Jesus!