WHY DID HE COME? (1 John 3:4-10)
pdf
Dr. Paul Manuel—2015
Dr. Paul Manuel—2015
We are not always aware of the serious ramifications our actions can have. This is especially so when we are young.
The apostle John, in his first epistle, reiterates one reason Jesus gave—to save the lost (1 John 3:5)—then adds one of his own—to destroy Satan's work (1 John 3:8b). It is these two reasons I would like us to consider this morning, from 1 John 3:4-10, because the author does not give them simply to make the list more complete. As far as the John is concerned, our knowing why Jesus came should affect our doing in service to him.
The recipients of this letter are predominantly gentiles, who believe that Jesus, God's son, came as a man, died for their sins, and rose physically from the dead. Recently, they have encountered some who teach a strange philosophy called Gnosticism, claiming that the human body is evil and that only the spirit is good. The Gnostics say a person needs special gnosis, or knowledge, to achieve salvation, which they describe vaguely as escaping the realm of matter and entering the realm of spirit.1 Their ideas are causing some of these Christians to question what they believe, and John writes to strengthen their faith.
John closes chapter 2 by exhorting his readers to live now, in the present, with an eye to the future.
I. Jesus came to deliver us from the penalty of sin.
The good news, as John's readers are well aware, is that God has taken the initiative in dealing with sin.
The Gnostics taught that, since the physical body is merely a shell we will discard when we die, it does not matter what we do in it or with it while we live. John disagrees, "On the contrary, it matters very much how we live." If there is no change in conduct, there is no evidence of redemption. The change will necessarily be different for each person, because we all do not start at the same place; but there must be change. John's statement of the alternative is quite blunt: "No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him," in any way that matters. "There was nothing sinful in Christ, and there can be nothing sinful in the Christian" (Brown 1982:427).
Some might question the need for such change. As I mentioned, the Gnostics believe that the body is an inferior mode of existence which enlightened individuals will forever leave behind upon entering the spirit realm. According to them, what hinders man and holds him back is ignorance not iniquity.8 There is no such thing as sin.9 This notion is similar to the kind of moral relativism we see today. There are no absolutes when it comes to right and wrong, only different viewpoints, all of which are equally valid. We are all essentially good, so what society needs is not stricter morality but greater tolerance. John warns his readers, any who may be attracted to this philosophy, that to deny sin is simply to deceive ourselves.10 One commentator put it this way (Vine 1970:55):
If I asked, "Is your life now different from what it was before you knew God?" most of you would answer "Yes" without even hesitating. Your relationship with God should not be static, though, something you established in the past but have not developed since (so also Brown 1982:431).11 The verb John uses in 1 John 3:7 denotes continuous action, but it implies progressive action: "He who does [lit. keeps on doing] what is right [with ever-increasing regularity] is righteous" Hence, there is another question, a potentially uncomfortable question, you must ask yourself periodically: Is your life now different from what it was, say, a year ago? You must not only do what is right, you must do what is right with greater frequency and consistency as time passes. Jesus came to deliver you from sin, both its penalty and its very presence in your life.
The believer's life must reflect this reason Jesus came. Just knowing why he came is not enough. A lot of people know (even demons, as James says), but because people do not act on that knowledge, they remain separated from God. Knowing must affect doing. John says that Jesus appeared to take away sin, and our lives should prove that, because—and here is the first point of this passage—
Apparently, John's readers were not too clear on this point, and he warns them about those who teach otherwise, like the Gnostics: "Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray." Jesus came to deliver us from sin. ...There is also another purpose for his advent...
II. Jesus came to deliver us from the power of Satan.
Jesus did not make the decision to come lightly. He knew the experience would not be altogether pleasant for him. Likewise, you must not regard his coming lightly, as did some in John's day. Jesus' appearance should be cause for wonder that he would even consider it, gratitude that he actually did it, and joy that he accomplished your deliverance by it. Jesus came to deliver you from Satan, both his plan and his power in your life.
The believer's life must reflect the reason Jesus came. John says Jesus appeared to destroy the works of the devil, and our lives should prove it. This means that righteousness is not only the evidence of your association with Jesus. The second point of the passage is that...
As John observes: "This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are."18 Jesus' coming demonstrated his love for us which, John says, is how we demonstrate right behavior, by our love for one another, because "[a]nyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God; nor is anyone who does not love his brother."19
Sin must never be a matter of indifference to us. Such an attitude stands in direct opposition to these two answers to the question, Why Did He Come? Jesus came that he might take away the deadly penalty of sin and that he might undo the devil's power of sin. Knowing this should affect our behavior to the extent that we do not continue in sin; not that we will never displease God, but that our lives will be characterized by increasing righteousness. Then we will experience the truth of John's closing statement:
Tom loved school, but Jerry, his younger brother, absolutely hated it. One weekend Jerry cried and fretted and tried every excuse not to go back on Monday. Sunday morning on the way home from church, the crying and whining built to a crescendo. Finally at the end of his rope, their father stopped the car and explained, "Jerry, it's the law. If you don't go to school, they'll put your mother and me in jail." Jerry looked at his father, thought a moment, then asked... "How long would you have to stay?"We are not always aware of the serious ramifications our actions can have. Unlike the possibility that Jerry's whining might result in his parents' incarceration, Jesus was well aware that his actions would result in more than his incarceration, they would lead to his execution, but for a very good cause, answering the question: Why did he come?
The apostle John, in his first epistle, reiterates one reason Jesus gave—to save the lost (1 John 3:5)—then adds one of his own—to destroy Satan's work (1 John 3:8b). It is these two reasons I would like us to consider this morning, from 1 John 3:4-10, because the author does not give them simply to make the list more complete. As far as the John is concerned, our knowing why Jesus came should affect our doing in service to him.
The recipients of this letter are predominantly gentiles, who believe that Jesus, God's son, came as a man, died for their sins, and rose physically from the dead. Recently, they have encountered some who teach a strange philosophy called Gnosticism, claiming that the human body is evil and that only the spirit is good. The Gnostics say a person needs special gnosis, or knowledge, to achieve salvation, which they describe vaguely as escaping the realm of matter and entering the realm of spirit.1 Their ideas are causing some of these Christians to question what they believe, and John writes to strengthen their faith.
John closes chapter 2 by exhorting his readers to live now, in the present, with an eye to the future.
1 John 2:28 ...dear children, continue in [Jesus], so that when he appears we may be confident and unashamed before him at his coming."The greatest obstacle to being able to meet him with confidence...is a life of sin" (Brown 1982:427), which John addresses in chapter 3, with a look back at the past, to Jesus' first advent, because...
I. Jesus came to deliver us from the penalty of sin.
1 John 3:4 Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness. 5 But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin. 6 No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him. 7 Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. He who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous. 8 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us....John begins this section with a general statement: "Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness." In other words...
A. Sin puts us in conflict with the law (1 John 3:4).John does not specify the degree of sin—whether a small lie or the most blatant sexual perversion. When it concerns a person's eternal standing before God, all sin has essentially the same result. As he writes later,2
1 John 5:17a All wrongdoing is sin....John also does not specify the kind of law—civil, ceremonial, moral—it is a package deal. James says,3
James 2:10 ...whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.Sin puts us in conflict with the law. Any sin, any wrongdoing, puts us at odds with God's righteous standard. Since no one is perfect, we are all in the same boat, no matter how wonderful we may be. That is the bad news.
The good news, as John's readers are well aware, is that God has taken the initiative in dealing with sin.
B. Jesus came to remove our sins (1 John 3:5).What qualifies him for this job, especially given the gnostic belief that the body is evil? For Jesus to take on human flesh, which is essentially corrupt, seems an ineffective way to deal with sin, but John says that "in him is no sin."4 Jesus is perfect and, thus, could serve as our substitute so that the atonement of his death could redeem us from death.5 ...When Jesus "appeared [to] take away our sins," was it just the penalty of sin that he removed? ...No, he replaced our affinity to do bad things with a responsibility to do good things.
C. We must do what is right (1 John 3:6-8a).Redemption establishes a relationship between us and Jesus, and that relationship is characterized by a certain lifestyle. John says: "No one who lives in him keeps on sinning."6 There is a change of behavior, not that the believer never sins but that he has broken the habit of sin.7
The Gnostics taught that, since the physical body is merely a shell we will discard when we die, it does not matter what we do in it or with it while we live. John disagrees, "On the contrary, it matters very much how we live." If there is no change in conduct, there is no evidence of redemption. The change will necessarily be different for each person, because we all do not start at the same place; but there must be change. John's statement of the alternative is quite blunt: "No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him," in any way that matters. "There was nothing sinful in Christ, and there can be nothing sinful in the Christian" (Brown 1982:427).
Some might question the need for such change. As I mentioned, the Gnostics believe that the body is an inferior mode of existence which enlightened individuals will forever leave behind upon entering the spirit realm. According to them, what hinders man and holds him back is ignorance not iniquity.8 There is no such thing as sin.9 This notion is similar to the kind of moral relativism we see today. There are no absolutes when it comes to right and wrong, only different viewpoints, all of which are equally valid. We are all essentially good, so what society needs is not stricter morality but greater tolerance. John warns his readers, any who may be attracted to this philosophy, that to deny sin is simply to deceive ourselves.10 One commentator put it this way (Vine 1970:55):
No matter how much one may claim to have a knowledge of Divine truth, it goes for nothing unless the life is in accordance with the truth, and therefore with the character and walk of Him who Himself was and is the Truth.... The Epistle of James stresses the deadness of faith without works, John's Epistle [stresses] the deadness of knowledge without works [emphasis added].To "be confident and unashamed before [Jesus] at his coming," we must do what is right.
If I asked, "Is your life now different from what it was before you knew God?" most of you would answer "Yes" without even hesitating. Your relationship with God should not be static, though, something you established in the past but have not developed since (so also Brown 1982:431).11 The verb John uses in 1 John 3:7 denotes continuous action, but it implies progressive action: "He who does [lit. keeps on doing] what is right [with ever-increasing regularity] is righteous" Hence, there is another question, a potentially uncomfortable question, you must ask yourself periodically: Is your life now different from what it was, say, a year ago? You must not only do what is right, you must do what is right with greater frequency and consistency as time passes. Jesus came to deliver you from sin, both its penalty and its very presence in your life.
The believer's life must reflect this reason Jesus came. Just knowing why he came is not enough. A lot of people know (even demons, as James says), but because people do not act on that knowledge, they remain separated from God. Knowing must affect doing. John says that Jesus appeared to take away sin, and our lives should prove that, because—and here is the first point of this passage—
Righteousness proves your association with Jesus.
II. Jesus came to deliver us from the power of Satan.
1 John 3:8 ...He who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil's work. 9 No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God's seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God. 10 This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God: nor is anyone who does not love his brother.John sees only two kinds of people. The first kind he mentioned in 1 John 3:7, noting the identification such a person has with Jesus: "He who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous." The second kind John mentions here in 1 John 3:8, noting the identification such a person has with someone else: "He who does what is sinful is of the devil."12 In other words...
A. Sin puts us in concert with the devil (1 John 3:8b).When people disobey God, when they transgress His law, they may be acting independently, but they are allying themselves with the opposition. They are promoting someone else's agenda. Again, sin puts us in concert with the devil,13 and that is an alliance doomed to fail, because...
B. Jesus came to destroy Satan's work (1 John 3:8c).What makes such an affiliation unwise is that it places us not only on the wrong side but on the losing side, because Jesus "appeared [to] destroy the devil's work."14 The word John uses, which the NIV translates "destroy," literally means "to loose" and indicates not so much that Jesus demolished Satan's plan as that he dismantled it, as if all the stitching on the clothes you are wearing came undone at once, at which point, it fell apart and fell off you.
Illustration: Everything requires a certain amount of energy or force to hold it together. On the sub-atomic level, there are "immense forces holding positively-charged protons together in the nucleus of the atom" (Cohen 1990:1482). The nails, screws, and glue in the pulpit apply a certain force that maintains its structural integrity. My ability to stand in the pulpit requires that I energize certain muscles. Without the right amount of tension, I would collapse.15John says that what Jesus accomplished was, in effect, to loose [dissolve] the [energy or force or threads] that held together the elaborate deception of Satan's work, so that it just collapsed. As one commentator put it, Jesus came "to undo whatever the devil had achieved, [and] to thwart whatever he tries to do" (emphasis added; Marshall 1978:185). ...Again, when Jesus "appeared [to] destroy the devil's work" was it just to remove what the devil had planned? ...No, it was to replace it with a plan of his own.
C. We must do what is right (1 John 3:9-10).John follows this assertion with another statement on behavior, similar to 1 John 3:6: "No one who is born of God will continue to sin." There is a connection between sin and Satan, in that sin makes people susceptible to Satan's influence. As John observes later, "the whole world is under the control of the evil one" (1 John 5:19). For the Christian, Jesus broke that control. John states toward the end of this epistle,
1 John 5:18 We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin...and the evil one cannot harm him.The child of God possesses an ability a child of the devil does not have: "God's seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God."16 John does not mean that you can do no wrong but that you can resist any influence Satan attempts to exert.17
1 John 4:4b because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.God has given us the resources, so we should use them. To "be confident and unashamed before [Jesus] at his coming," we must do what is right.
Jesus did not make the decision to come lightly. He knew the experience would not be altogether pleasant for him. Likewise, you must not regard his coming lightly, as did some in John's day. Jesus' appearance should be cause for wonder that he would even consider it, gratitude that he actually did it, and joy that he accomplished your deliverance by it. Jesus came to deliver you from Satan, both his plan and his power in your life.
The believer's life must reflect the reason Jesus came. John says Jesus appeared to destroy the works of the devil, and our lives should prove it. This means that righteousness is not only the evidence of your association with Jesus. The second point of the passage is that...
Righteousness proves your disassociation with Satan.
Sin must never be a matter of indifference to us. Such an attitude stands in direct opposition to these two answers to the question, Why Did He Come? Jesus came that he might take away the deadly penalty of sin and that he might undo the devil's power of sin. Knowing this should affect our behavior to the extent that we do not continue in sin; not that we will never displease God, but that our lives will be characterized by increasing righteousness. Then we will experience the truth of John's closing statement:
1 John 5:11 ...God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12a He who has the Son has life....
For the Bibliography and Endnotes see the pdf here.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Relevant and civil comments are welcome. Whether there will be any response depends on whether Dr. Manuel notices them and has the time and inclination to respond or, if not, whether I feel competent to do so.
Jim Skaggs