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1 John 2:28-3:10
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.
3 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.
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.
Worship Lyrics
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Watch the Sermon
Summary: This is our first Sunday of Advent, which means “coming.” These weeks preceding Christmas are a time of expectant waiting and preparation for the coming of Christ, always with his 2nd Advent in view. He will return! Our passage in I John this Sunday speaks of these 2 appearances of Christ. One has already occurred and one is yet future – and we’re living between the two. In light of what he says, we find that the Christian life is not a scenic walk in a park overlooking a placid sea. It’s more like guerrilla warfare in enemy-occupied territory. There are considerable threats arrayed against us.
“Let no one deceive you,” John says. So there’s the threat of false teaching that can infiltrate the church. There’s an ancient enemy who’s been sinning from the beginning, luring us into his works. And we ourselves, in our flesh, can sabotage our own fellowship with God through sin. Given these dangers, John wants to fortify his readers in who they are as God’s children and exhort them to live holy lives. Abiding in Christ, continuing to walk with him, obeying him, in ever-deepening fellowship, is evidence of the new birth. Living a holy life and forsaking sin is a sign that you’ve become a Christian.
And John will point to the 1st & 2nd appearances of Christ as powerful motivators on this journey. He tells us plainly why Jesus came. That’s the topic of our sermon series for Advent. John says Jesus came to take away sins and he came to destroy the works of the devil.
Review and Apply
Why does John stress the practice of righteousness so much? Is this a threat to the freedom of the gospel?
John affirms that God is righteous. Therefore, all those born of him practice righteousness. What discrepancies in righteous living do you find in your life?
How convinced are you of the Father’s love for you? What causes you to doubt your status as his child?
How often do you ponder the return of Christ? Do you find you shrink from that day or hope in it?
Whether you’re experiencing lingering doubt of the Father’s love for you or crushing guilt due to sin, how are you encouraged by the stated reasons John gives for the 1st Advent of Christ?
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