What Is Real Love? A Guide to 1 Johnናሙና

1 John 3:4-10

4 Everyone who sins is breaking God’s law, for all sin is contrary to the law of God. 5 And you know that Jesus came to take away our sins, and there is no sin in him. 6 Anyone who continues to live in him will not sin. But anyone who keeps on sinning does not know him or understand who he is.

7 Dear children, don’t let anyone deceive you about this: When people do what is right, it shows that they are righteous, even as Christ is righteous. 8 But when people keep on sinning, it shows that they belong to the devil, who has been sinning since the beginning. But the Son of God came to destroy the works of the devil. 9 Those who have been born into God’s family do not make a practice of sinning, because God’s life is in them. So they can’t keep on sinning, because they are children of God. 10 So now we can tell who are children of God and who are children of the devil. Anyone who does not live righteously and does not love other believers does not belong to God.1 John 3:4-10 NLT

Pray: Jesus, I am a sinner. And you loved me enough to sacrifice yourself for me. I know I don’t deserve it. I’m so grateful you chose to do it anyway. I belong to you now. My old life is gone. You’ve made me new and you’re making me whole. Help me to live for you and resist the attacks of the evil one. In Jesus’ name, amen.

In today’s Scripture, we are going to look at two different ways of existing in the world: as children of God, or children of the devil. Let’s dive in.

4 Everyone who sins is breaking God’s law, for all sin is contrary to the law of God. 1 John 3:4 NLT

Sin is so much more than making a mistake. It is breaking the law of God. The word “sin” is an archery term that means “to miss the mark.” Archers aim for a target, but sometimes they miss—they sin. As human beings, we were created with a mark to hit, but we have all missed the mark. We’ve fallen short of the target. We’ve all been created to live as children of God who obey His commands. Sin is a failure to live rightly as God’s kids.

Sin doesn’t stop there though. It’s worse than that. Sin is a disease that has infected all of humanity. It’s a disease of self-centeredness that bends our desires away from what God wants and towards what we want. It distorts the way we think, the way we see, and the way we act. But, there is good news.

5 And you know that Jesus came to take away our sins, and there is no sin in him. 1 John 3:6 NLT

Jesus came to rescue us from sin, repair our relationship with God, and restore our place as children of God. Jesus never sinned. He never disobeyed God and He never hurt others. He was pure and holy. He was the perfect sacrifice who took away the sins of the world.

6 Anyone who continues to live in him will not sin. But anyone who keeps on sinning does not know him or understand who he is. 1 John 3:6 NLT

Does John really mean that anyone who lives in Jesus will not sin? As in, they will never do anything to disobey God or hurt others? That seems like a really bold claim and, even more than that, a completely impossible standard. So, how do we figure out what John means here? First, we remember that context is everything. At the beginning of this letter, John wrote: “8 If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth.” 1 John 2:8 NLT

Clearly, John doesn’t mean that we will never sin or we are immune to sin. So what is he saying here? The ESV translates this verse this way: No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; 1 John 3:6 ESV

We would suggest the point John is trying to make here is that when we are living in Jesus, we will not intentionally make a habit of sinning. This is a really big deal for John, and it should be a really big deal for us. Following Jesus isn’t just something we talk about. It’s something that involves every part of our lives. It’s not a hobby we fit into our schedules when it’s convenient. It’s a whole new way of existing in the world. It’s not just a collection of truths we sprinkle onto everything else. It is the truth about who we really are and the way the world really works. And if we choose to intentionally make a habit of living outside the law God has put in place, then we are showing that we don’t really know Him personally or understand who He is as the Ruler of the Cosmos.

7 Dear children, don’t let anyone deceive you about this: When people do what is right, it shows that they are righteous, even as Christ is righteous. 1 John 3:7 NLT

John is warning us that there will be people who call themselves Christians that aren’t actually following Jesus. If they really are following Jesus, then they will do what is right by living in obedience to God and loving others.

8 But when people keep on sinning, it shows that they belong to the devil, who has been sinning since the beginning. But the Son of God came to destroy the works of the devil. 1 John 3:8 NLT

Who we belong to shapes who we become. And how we behave shows who we belong to. If we are making a habit of sinning with no attempt to even try to change, then it’s probably because we belong to the devil. If we belong to the devil then, over time, we will become more and more like him.

Jesus came to put a stop to the devil’s plan and to rescue us from the disease of sin. Jesus doesn’t go soft on the devil or on sin. He takes it deadly seriously. So much so He literally died to put it to death.

9 Those who have been born into God’s family do not make a practice of sinning, because God’s life is in them. So they can’t keep on sinning, because they are children of God. 1 John 3:9 NLT

Who we belong to shapes who we become. And how we behave shows who we belong to. When we belong to Jesus, we will become more like Jesus. His life starts coursing through our veins. A new heart starts beating in our chests. Our desires begin changing so that sin looks repulsive and obedience becomes attractive. As this process unfolds, making a habit of sinning becomes more than just something we don’t do; it becomes something we can’t do. Because we belong to Jesus. And day by day, decision by decision, He is making us more like Him.

10 So now we can tell who are children of God and who are children of the devil. Anyone who does not live righteously and does not love other believers does not belong to God. 1 John 3:10 NLT

Who we belong to shapes who we become. And how we behave shows who we belong to. If you want to know who someone belongs to, look at who they’re becoming and how they’re behaving. When we live in willful disobedience to God and we repeatedly hurt other people, we are showing we do not belong to God. But, when we really do belong to God, He frees us from the ugliness of sin, fills us with the power of His Spirit, and He forms us into the glorious image of Jesus.

Application: Talk to someone who knows you well. Ask them this question: Based on what you see me doing today, what kind of person do you see me becoming 10 years from now? Tell them to be brutally honest with you. Listen humbly and openly to what they have to say. After they answer your question, ask this follow up question: What are the things you see me doing that contributed to your answer? From there, pray and ask God what He wants to show you through that conversation. If He wants you to keep doing what’s working, then do that. If there’s something that needs to change, then commit to making a change.