Obvious Christianity – Part 2
1 John 3:1-10 (1-3)
April 24, 2022
A couple of weeks ago we started this new segment in John’s epistle.
I think it really is the heart of the epistle.
And as I told you last time when we introduced this text,
The EMPHASIS of these ten verses is on RIGHTEOUS LIVING.
We see it clearly in verse 10.
“By this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious: anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor the one who does not love his brother.”
• As a young man John was called a “Son of Thunder” and he was pretty rigid
and harsh.
• Certainly the love of Christ transformed this rigid disciple, but his black and
white view on what is obvious is as strong as it ever was.
John is now likely in his 90’s. He’s been around a while.
And there is nothing confusing to him regarding
The role of practical righteousness in the life of a believer.
True believers practice righteousness.
It is obvious.
WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT IT, it’s actually a little perplexing
To wonder how anyone ever came to doubt such a reality.
It’s probably been around for 40 years or so now, but there has arisen a view or belief even in our day which has been titled “Carnal Christianity”.
It is an idea that believe it or not
Has been widely adopted in the American church.
Basically it is the belief that a person can be saved,
But not be transformed.
You’ve likely heard it stated like this: “You may get saved at one point in your life and then later, at a separate time, you choose to make Jesus Lord.”
That view became real popular about 40 years ago.
And with the rise of that view came the rise of the supposed “Carnal Christian”.
• That one who had supposedly been saved and forgiven by Jesus,
• But who was still totally in the flesh; who still lived a life of carnality.
The sort of banner verse for that view is found in 1 Corinthians.
1 Corinthians 3:1-3 “And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual men, but as to men of flesh, as to infants in Christ. I gave you milk to drink, not solid food; for you were not yet able to receive it. Indeed, even now you are not yet able, for you are still fleshly. For since there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not fleshly, and are you not walking like mere men?”
And so using the Corinthians as an example people began to say that
“It’s possible for a person to be saved and yet still walk as fleshly or carnal men.”
• That such a person may have accepted Jesus as their Savior, but have not
surrendered to Him as their Lord.
• That such a person has received the blessing of forgiveness but does not
walk in obedience and is not experiencing sanctification.
Of course that is not Paul’s message to the Corinthians at all.
In fact, in chapter 5 Paul will call for the Corinthians to actually expel any “so-called” brother who still lives in sin.
1 Corinthians 5:11 “But actually, I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he is an immoral person, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler—not even to eat with such a one.”
Even later Paul will tell them:
1 Corinthians 6:9-10 “Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God.”
Clearly Paul does not hold to a belief that a person can be saved
And yet still maintain a life of carnality.
What Paul spoke of in chapter 3 was IN REFERENCE TO
Their spiritual immaturity not their physical immorality.
We could even add passages like:
Romans 8:5-8 “For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so, and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.”
It is clear from Paul there that men who walk in the flesh
And practice unrighteousness are clearly not redeemed.
Paul would go on to say:
Romans 8:12-14 “So then, brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh— for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.”
The view of the carnal Christian is a tragic distortion
That seeks to allow unredeemed men to feel saved
In spite of their sinfulness.
It is NOT what Scripture teaches.
But none the less that has been a view adopted even in our culture,
And even by the modern day church.
APPARENTLY it was a deception even floating around in John’s day.
(7-8a) “Little children, make sure no one deceives you; the one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous; the one who practices sin is of the devil;”
John was concerned that people in his day
Would buy into this deception of carnal Christianity
And so John is writing to boldly and clearly address the issue.
It doesn’t really get any clearer than: “the one who practices righteousness is righteous”.
And so we are reminded:
CHRISTIANS LIVE RIGHTEOUS LIVES
• Their righteous living is NOT the means of their salvation, but it is certainly a fruit of it.
• NOR would we say that Christians live perfectly righteous, but righteousness is certainly the goal.
And in these ten verses John is giving us
3 reasons why Christians live righteous lives.
I gave them all 3 to you last time, I’ll repeat them here again so you’ll clearly see where we are headed.
1) THE HOPE PRODUCING LOVE OF GOD
• God’s love gives hope and that hope produces righteous living.
2) THE SIN CONQUERING WORK OF CHRIST
• Jesus clearly came to destroy the works of the devil.
• He came to rescue men from sin, not leave them in it.
3) THE LIFE CHANGING PRESENCE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
• He’s not called “The Holy Spirit” for nothing.
• He is a sanctifier and He does not leave men in sin.
And that will be the backbone of John’s argument
As to why Christians live righteous lives.
Well, last time we started looking at the first.
#1 THE HOPE PRODUCING LOVE OF GOD
1 John 3:1-3
All we really got accomplished last time was to
Sort of give clarity regarding this great love of God.
“See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God”
So we took John’s advice and we examined this love.
God’s love is a SOVEREIGN LOVE
• It was God’s will to put that love on us, not ours.
• It was God’s decision.
• It was God who instigated it.
• He sovereignly chose to love those who were not lovely.
God’s love is a SACRIFICIAL LOVE
• Redeeming sinners is not free; it’s not even cheap.
• God certainly loved us, but if He was to redeem us it would be a high price.
• It would cost Him the life of His Son.
• And God paid that price.
God’s love is a SUSTAINING LOVE
• He didn’t just love us and ignore us.
• He didn’t just love us, redeem us, and then set us loose.
• He brought us to His table; He adopted us as sons and daughters; He gave us an inheritance.
It really is a remarkable thing that God would take sinners like us,
And not only love us but redeem us,
And not only redeem us, but adopt us.
How could it be “that we would be called children of God”?
And yet John says: “and such we are.”
It is unfathomable, but it is reality none the less.
God has so loved us that He redeemed us and adopted us into His family.
Frederich Lehman wrote in his beloved hymn: “The Love of God is Greater Far”
“Could we with ink the ocean fill, And were the skies of parchment made;
Were every stalk on earth a quill, And every man a scribe by trade;
To write the love of God above Would drain the ocean dry;
Nor could the scroll contain the whole, Though stretched from sky to sky.”
John would certainly have you marvel at
God’s great love for those He has redeemed.
But that is NOT ALL John wants you to do.
John also wants you to UNDERSTAND THE HOPE God’s love produces.
You see it down in verse 3, “And everyone who has this hope…”
John is referring to a hope that we have
Which is the consequence of being a recipient of God’s love.
On one hand that is easy to understand.
• Each of us has a hope of eternal life.
• Each of us has a hope of dwelling with God in heaven one day.
But that hope is NOT based on our worth.
That hope is not based on our merit.
If that were the case our hope would be pretty thin.
• We’d actually live in great anxiety each moment out of fear that we might re-offend the God who saved us and lose our inheritance.
But our hope is not based on our will or our effort.
Our hope is actually based on God’s great love.
We delight in the fact that God loved us when we were sinners.
We delight that God loves us though He knew everything about us.
God didn’t get buyers remorse after redeeming us,
For He was well-aware of what we where when He chose to purchase us.
Romans 8:33 “Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies;”
We may in fact slip up from time to time,
And certainly Satan is more than eager to point that out to God.
And yet we rest in the fact that God justified us when we were sinners.
• He loved us when we were unlovable.
• His love is our security.
• His love is our hope.
That is a simple understanding of how God’s love produces hope in us.
My children may fear my discipline if they disobey or make a mistake,
But they don’t fear me putting them up for adoption.
And my love is practically evil compared to God’s.
GOD’S GREAT LOVE PRODUCES HOPE IN US.
But there is MORE TO UNDERSTAND here than just that.
To fully understand how God’s love produces hope in us
We must examine exactly what God’s love is accomplishing in us.
And this is what John would show you.
Let me break these down a little further this morning and show you 3 effects God’s love has in our lives.
1) OUR DISTINCTION (1b)
“For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.”
You could ask: WHAT REASON?
But John told us that.
Since God has loved us and adopted us and now calls us His children, John says, “For this reason the world does not know us”
So at the very least we must now acknowledge that
The love John refers to in verse 1
Is not a love that everyone equally receives.
Clearly the world did not receive it.
Clearly it is only a love which the redeemed enjoy.
In fact, it is A LOVE WHICH HAS DISTINGUISHED US from the world.
Whatever it is that God’s love has done in our lives,
The effect is that it has made us unrecognizable to the world.
Do you see that?
People who once knew us…
People who once recognized us…
People who once understood us…
Now no longer do because of God’s love in our lives.
His love has clearly TRANSFORMED us.
And so you must understand that GOD’S LOVE IS NOT STAGNANT.
• God’s love is not indifferent.
• God’s love is not passive.
GOD’S LOVE IS ACTIVE.
• It is a saving love
• It is a redeeming love
• It is a transforming love
Otherwise God’s love wouldn’t make us unrecognizable to the world.
When God’s great love is poured upon a sinner
It has a transforming effect on that sinner’s life.
Hebrews 12:6 “FOR THOSE WHOM THE LORD LOVES HE DISCIPLINES, AND HE SCOURGES EVERY SON WHOM HE RECEIVES.”
God, in His love for His children, actually disciplines us
So that we may share in His holiness.
Romans 8:28-30 “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.”
God, in His love for His children,
Is actually conforming us into the image of Christ.
You may not be able to see God’s love,
But you can see the effects of it on a life.
TO PUT IT SIMPLY,
AFTER WE BECOME A RECIPIENT of God’s sovereign, saving, and sustaining love WE ARE NO LONGER THE SAME.
And that is seen in the fact that: “the world does not know us”
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?
• sure, they still know your name.
• Yes, they still recognize your face.
BUT THEY HAVE NO CONCEPT OF THIS CHANGE
THAT HAS OCCURRED IN YOUR LIFE.
1 Peter 4:4 “In all this, they are surprised that you do not run with them into the same excesses of dissipation, and they malign you;”
Peter said they are shocked; they don’t understand
Why you don’t like doing the things you used to like to do.
Paul would say:
Colossians 3:3 “For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.”
“hidden” is the word KRUPTO
It’s where we get our word “cryptic”
THE WORLD DOESN’T GET IT.
AND THEY NEVER HAVE.
Take Abraham:
Hebrews 11:13 “All these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.”
• Abraham was called a “stranger” and an “exile on the earth”
• Nobody understood him.
And this same terminology is used of believers today:
1 Peter 1:1 “Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who reside as aliens, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, who are chosen”
1 Peter 2:11 “Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul.”
BUT WHY DOES THE WORLD NOT KNOW US?
John says, “because it did not know Him.”
Certainly John learned this from Jesus:
John 15:18-21 “If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you. “If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you. “Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A slave is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they kept My word, they will keep yours also. “But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know the One who sent Me.”
So are you putting it all together here?
• Once you become a recipient of God’s love the world no longer recognizes you.
• And John says that is because they didn’t recognize Jesus.
And you have to ask: What does one have to do with the other?
Well clearly then God’s love is working
To cause you to look like Jesus.
DO YOU SEE THAT?
That’s the only way John’s statement makes sense.
If God’s love wasn’t making you like Jesus
Then it wouldn’t matter if the world recognized Jesus or not.
God’s love is having an active effect on your life
And that effect makes you unknown to the world.
So there is a distinguishing aspect of God’s love in your life.
• It sets you apart.
• It makes you different.
• That is our distinction and it is a consequence of God’s love in our lives.
Now there is a second effect of God’s love
2) OUR DESTINY (2)
“Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is.”
So we know that God, through His love, is causing us to look like Jesus.
The immediate effect is that it makes us distinct from the world.
But, we realize that is still an ongoing process.
• He is conforming us into the image of Christ,
• But none of us would say that we have fully arrived.
In fact, we can’t even full grasp
What that might look like in our lives.
John says, “it has not appeared as yet what we will be.”
We understand that we have a long way to go before we are like Christ,
But even in that we still don’t have a full grasp of it.
We know God is changing us,
But we don’t fully grasp what that change will look like.
However, “We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is.”
We don’t know now what it will be, but we will.
There is coming a day,
• When the Lord returns, that our sanctification will be complete.
• We will be fully transformed.
• We will be glorified.
1 Corinthians 13:12 “For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known.”
1 Corinthians 15:51-52 “Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.”
Philippians 3:20-21 “For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself.”
This is the Christian destiny.
FURTHERMORE THIS IS THE CHRISTIAN HOPE!
The Christian hope is NOT JUST a longing to go to heaven when we die.
The Christian hope is much greater.
Our hope is that one day I’ll never sin again!
Our hope is that one day I’ll be made perfect like Christ!
God has certainly begun that process to such an extent that the world should no longer recognize me,
But the Christian longs for the day when God completes that process.
We have often discussed that powerful chapter of Romans 7
And even pondered Paul’s urgent plea:
Romans 7:24 “Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death?”
When you read Romans 8 it becomes clear that Paul’s plea was immediately answered by salvation and the sanctifying work of the Spirit.
It is the Spirit who sets us free from our sinful slavery.
However, there is a sense in which that hope of deliverance is on-going.
For even though God has set us free from our sin
And is sanctifying us,
There is still a deep desire for the total completion of this process.
Paul speaks of that later in Romans 8
Romans 8:18-23 “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now. And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body.”
And this is our Christian destiny.
And it is a product of God’s love toward us.
So when God sets His great love on us, it has a distinguishing effect
And it points us to our future destiny.
And here is John’s final effect
3) OUR DESIRE (3)
“And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.”
This is the final effect of God’s love in your life.
It actually causes you to desire to join God in His sanctifying work.
Christians don’t begrudgingly accept God’s sanctification.
Christians eagerly participate in God’s sanctification.
The Christian,
• Having received God’s love,
• Begins to see that God is transforming us.
• Though he doesn’t know exactly what he will be,
• He does know the direction he is headed.
• And so the Christian eagerly and actively participates in that process.
Philippians 2:12-13 “So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.”
“this hope” which Paul refers to is “the hope of perfection”.
• It is the hope of glorification.
• It is the hope of Christ-like-ness.
We see that God has started this in us and we eagerly anticipate the day He completes it and so we also run toward it.
THIS IS THE CHRISTIAN DESIRE.
Notice how John puts it:
“everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself”
• This ISN’T just the mindset of a select few over-zealots.
• This ISN’T just for the fanatic.
• This IS basic and obvious Christianity.
• This IS what Christians do.
1 Peter 1:13-16 “Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written, “YOU SHALL BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY.”
Ephesians 5:3-5 “But immorality or any impurity or greed must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints; and there must be no filthiness and silly talk, or coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. For this you know with certainty, that no immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.”
Colossians 3:3-10 “For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory. Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry. For it is because of these things that the wrath of God will come upon the sons of disobedience, and in them you also once walked, when you were living in them. But now you also, put them all aside: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices, and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him”
1 Thessalonians 4:3-8 “For this is the will of God, your sanctification; that is, that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each of you know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, not in lustful passion, like the Gentiles who do not know God; and that no man transgress and defraud his brother in the matter because the Lord is the avenger in all these things, just as we also told you before and solemnly warned you. For God has not called us for the purpose of impurity, but in sanctification. So, he who rejects this is not rejecting man but the God who gives His Holy Spirit to you.”
I mean it’s the obvious Christian desire and expectation
Christians live pure lives.
Christians live righteous lives.
• They may not be perfectly pure all the time…
• They may not be perfectly righteous all the time…
But that is the goal, that is THE DESIRE, that is THE DESTINY,
And that is what THEY WORK FOR.
And all of this is THE EFFECT of God’s redeeming love.
He set His love on sinners in an active and redeeming way.
• He didn’t just save them and ignore them.
• He saves them and adopts them.
• He calls them children and then treats them as His children.
And the children who have received this great love
Will respond with a desire to please this Father
Who has so lavishly loved them.
THAT IS OBVIOUS CHRISTIANITY.
Does that make sense?
AND SO AGAIN WE WONDER
Where this notion of carnal Christianity comes from?
• ARE WE TO ASSUME that God has children whom He loves, but He doesn’t care how they turn out?
• ARE WE TO ASSUME that God has children whom He loves, but He doesn’t transform them?
• ARE WE TO ASSUME that God has children whom He has redeemed, who totally despise His love and plans for their life?
THAT WOULD BE ABSURD!
Look, if you don’t care about righteous living…
• If you don’t care about sanctification…
• If you don’t care about God’s will for your life…
• If you don’t eagerly anticipate being glorified…
There is reason to question if you have ever been redeemed at all.
God’s love is an active love.
God’s love is a redeeming love.
God’s love is a sanctifying love.
You cannot remain unchanged after receiving it.
• You cannot continue to look like the world after receiving it.
• You cannot be content in sin after receiving it.
• You cannot be indifferent toward glory after receiving it.
“everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.”
That is THE FIRST REASON why Christians live righteous lives.
There are two more, and we’ll talk about those next time.
