1 John 3:4-10 New international Version
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. The one who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous. 8 The one 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 them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have 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 God’s child, nor is anyone who does not love their brother and sister.
- First Impression?
We had a range of responses that basically indicated there is no hope for us alone. There is hope for us in Jesus, but these verses make it plain that we cannot be perfect on our own.
- What is the purpose of the law?
In this context, the purpose of the law is to point out sin. It is not a “to do” list, but a “if you did this, you sinned” list.
- In fact: In Him is no sin, He takes away our sin, sin is lawlessness. Where does this leave the law?
Christ came to fulfill the law. Once the Holy Spirit has taken up residence in us, our lives are no longer about sin, but they are about being the hands of Christ. Our sins are forgiven and we have the Holy Spirit to show us when we fall short and we no longer need the list.
- Accounting for verse 6, how can we sin if we live in Him? How can we have seen Him or known Him and still sin?
We are still flesh; therefore, we still carry the desire to be about what we want rather than what God wants. We have the power to overcome, but we are not robots with perfect coding.
- How can we hold verse 6 about sin and verse 7 about righteousness together at once? If we are not perfect, how can we be righteous and still miss the mark?
Our discussion brought out the example for Abraham who was counted as righteous, even though he sinned and continued to partake in everyday life. To be righteous is to be covered by Christ’s sacrifice, not to be holy as He is by His very nature. There is a certain joy when the cat comes to you as opposed to the dog who comes no matter what.
- How difficult is it to keep from being led astray when these concepts are so complex?
Very much so. To the non-believer, these words are nonsense. To the believer, they are a discussion of the motivating factors in living. It is not about the meaning of the words, but the meaning trying to be expressed in words. The more we study, the more we can understand and the more we can help others mature.
- Verses 8, 9 and 10 together. “continue to sin” and “go on sinning” and “not do what is right” and “not love their brother”: I feel the answer is obvious and repetitive, but how do we use this to pour into the life of others who are struggling with the desire to follow God and the desire to follow the flesh?
We did not get to this one. It was a contingent question in case we did not discuss the aspects the other questions pointed to. We can use this verse to help others understand there is a difference between the life and outlook of a believer and of a non-believer. God uses us for works that He has prepared for us, and we cannot get bogged down in an attempt to be perfect that could only be achieved by Christ Himself. We are to focus on the small steps we can take before us and know that only God can work miracles.