Practical First John 3:1-10

[oikonomia]

Let's discuss this the practical good points of these verses for Christ's coming.
First enjoy the reading of section.

Behold what manner of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and we are. Because of this the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.

1J 3:2Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not yet been manifested what we will be. We know that if He is manifested, we will be like Him because we will see Him even as He is.

1J 3:3And everyone who has this hope set on Him purifies himself, even as He is pure.

1J 3:4Everyone who practices sin practices lawlessness also, and sin is lawlessness.

1J 3:5And you know that He was manifested that He might take away sins; and sin is not in Him.

1J 3:6Everyone who abides in Him does not sin; everyone who sins has not seen Him or known Him.

1J 3:7Little children, let no one lead you astray; he who practices righteousness is righteous, even as He is righteous;

1J 3:8He who practices sin is of the devil, because the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.

1J 3:9Everyone who has been begotten of God does not practice sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been begotten of God.

1J 3:10In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest. Everyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, neither he who does not love his brother.

 

[oikonomia]

Behold what manner of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and we are. Because of this the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. (v.1)

John and his audience (including all Christians) are not only called children of God but in reality are.
God's life and nature have been dispensed into people. They have an "organic" begetting from God as Father.

This is paramount for meeting Christ's at His eventual manifestation.
When John says "and we are" I think he meant he by experience knew he lived God's life in man.
It was beyond just rhetorical to him.

 

[oikonomia]

Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not yet been manifested what we will be. We know that if He is manifested, we will be like Him because we will see Him even as He is. (v.2)

There is inwardly a living of a God-men, we are children of the Divine Father. But there will be outwardly something
astounding and marvelous that will be manifested. We will be like Him in glory. He will transfigure us as a climax of
His transforming us. He works His way from the center to the circumference of our being.

We will be like Him because of the continual process of beholding Him and reflecting Him in our hearts.
Finally the beholding will not be inwardly by faith but by sight and the following reaches climax -

And the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. But we all with unveiled face, beholding and reflecting like a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, even as from the Lord Spirit. (2 Cor. 3;17,18)

We know that if He is manifested, we will be like Him because we will see Him even as He is.
So we need to build up the habitual life of turning our heart to Him to become a reflection of what He is in living.
This is in faith. A moment will come when we will see Him as He is in a glorious manifestation.
Then we will be like Him because we will see Him even as He is. (v.2)

 

[oikonomia]

And everyone who has this hope set on Him purifies himself, even as He is pure. (v.3)
Everyone who practices sin practices lawlessness also, and sin is lawlessness. (v.4)

Now this gets extrememly practical. To behold and reflect Him is to reflect the way He lived in our living.
The process of this transformation is for us to purify ourselves. And if we are prudent we will give heed to it.
It we are foolish we will neglect opportunity to allow Him to transform us.

Christ's life in the Christian is like the law of gravity. Its result is righteous and holy living.
Neglect of it results in our being defeated by "lawlessness."

For the law of the Spirit of life has freed me in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and of death. (Rom. 8:2)
Christ the indwelling Righteous One acts reliably as a law - even scientifically. But we must turn our heart to Him.
We must set out mind on the spirit where the Spirit of Jesus is.

John and Paul perfectly echo one another.
Compare:
And everyone who has this hope set on Him purifies himself, even as He is pure. (1 John 3:3)

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 enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, for neither can it be.

And those who are in the flesh cannot please God. (Rom. 8:6-8)

Compare:
And you know that He was manifested that He might take away sins; and sin is not in Him. (1 John 3:5)

For that which the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God, sending His own Son in the likeness of the flesh of sin and concerning sin, condemned sin in the flesh,
That the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the spirit. (Rom. 8:3,4)

 

[RandyPNW]

Behold what manner of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and we are. Because of this the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. (v.1)

John and his audience (including all Christians) are not only called children of God but in reality are.
God's life and nature have been dispensed into people. They have an "organic" begetting from God as Father.

This is paramount for meeting Christ's at His eventual manifestation.
When John says "and we are" I think he meant he by experience knew he lived God's life in man.
It was beyond just rhetorical to him.

Yes, we do not "become God" but share in the attributes of His love and kindness. We obtain from Him the gift of His righteousness, love, and spirituality. Unless we partake of His spiritual gifts, including the residence of His Spirit, we cannot declare ourselves true "children of God." We are only in the "applicant" stage, at best.

 

[oikonomia]

Yes, we do not "become God" but share in the attributes of His love and kindness. We obtain from Him the gift of His righteousness, love, and spirituality. Unless we partake of His spiritual gifts, including the residence of His Spirit, we cannot declare ourselves true "children of God." We are only in the "applicant" stage, at best.

Thanks for joining in RandyPNW.

We become God in life and nature but not in His Godhead.
There are non-cumminucable attributes in which the children of God will never become.

His children will never become the object of worship.
His children will never become creators of universes
His children will never be omnisient, omnipotent, or omnipresent.
His children of course can never be as never being created or born - eternal as to the past.

But in this section John tells us that His seed abides in us.
The full influence of that divine life seed is that it makes man without sinning as God's life is.

Everyone who has been begotten of God does not practice sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been begotten of God. (1 John 3:9)

Why is victory over the sinning nature possible?
Because God dispenses His life into man, spoken here as "His seed."

 

[RandyPNW]

Thanks for joining in RandyPNW.

We become God in life and nature but not in His Godhead.
There is non-cumminucable attributes in which the children of God will never become.

His children will never become the object of worship.
His children will never become creators of universes
His children will never be omnisient, omnipotent, or omnipresent.
His children of course can never be as never being created or born - eternal as to the past.

But in this section John tells us that His seed abides in us.
The full influence of that divine life seed is that it makes man without sinning as God's life is.

Everyone who has been begotten of God does not practice sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been begotten of God. (1 John 3:9)

Why is victory over the sinning nature possible?
Because God dispenses His life into man, spoken here as "His seed."

Well, I was with you completely all the way up until you began to infer "sinless perfection." I don't believe the call to "perfection" by Jesus inferred "sinless perfection." I don't believe the call to righteousness and to avoid sin a reference to "sinlessness."

What is being called for is for our adoption of Christianity, which is a continual preference for spiritual choices over carnal choices. Being that we are always tempted by carnal choices indicates we were born in sin and are burdened with the need to overcome it throughout our mortal lives.

Indeed, we are called to avoid sin. But the process involves *overcoming sin* rather than *extinguishing sin.* Sin will only be extinguished in the resurrection.

 

[keras]

John and his audience (including all Christians) are not only called children of God but in reality are.

Some real reality would be good.
As Paul quoted Hosea in Romans 9:24-216, it will only be when the Lords faithful Christian peoples are gathered into all of the Holy Land; in the very place where ancient Israel was rejected, that His people will be called the children of the Living God.

 

[oikonomia]

Well, I was with you completely all the way up until you began to infer "sinless perfection."

I am not espousing instantaneous "sinless perfection" from the moment one becomes a Christian.
A seed has to grow. A seed implanted in the "soil" of a human being needs watering and growth.

It is clear that the end result of the full development of the divine life produces us without spot or blemish or
any such thing.

Even as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world to be holy and without blemish before Him in love, (Eph. 1:4)
And again-
That He might present the church to Himself glorious, not having spot or wrinkle or any such things, but that she would be holy and without blemish. (Eph. 5:27)

This is our destination as the divine seed of God's life grows in and among us for complete permeation.

I don't believe the call to "perfection" by Jesus inferred "sinless perfection."

I am with you that John's audience was not in such a state. But they did have the seed of God as we also do if
believers. When John speaks of the need to confess our sins in chapter one he is speaking to the same believers.
When he delineates that there are children and young men and fathers among them he recognizes different
levels of spiritual maturity.

Are you yet seeing that I did not mean the instantaneous "sinless perfection" of, let's say, hyper "Holiness" ?

I don't believe the call to righteousness and to avoid sin a reference to "sinlessness."

Hoping that you understand better that it is a process of the growth of the sin overcoming seed, John speaks boldly
from experience no doubt, the victory ahead.

Everyone who abides in Him does not sin; everyone who sins has not seen Him or known Him. (1 John 3:6)
In some areas of my life I have not yet seen Him.
In other areas I cannot deny that the seeing of Christ as life in me has delivered victory.
So we know that we are on the right track to give that divine seed full unhindered room to grow.

Little children, let no one lead you astray; he who practices righteousness is righteous, even as He is righteous; (v.7)
John speaks confidently and boldly. He and others had grown mightily in the divine life.

I did not like these bold utterances of John long ago. Now I realize how important and appropriate God to have these words
in the New Testament. Some were "inheriting the promises." And we should be imitators of those who are inheriting the promises.
That you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and long-suffering are inheriting the promises. (Heb. 6:12)

What is being called for is for our adoption of Christianity, which is a continual preference for spiritual choices over carnal choices.

I prefer the translation "sonship" to adoption. For "adoption" though a nice legal term does not convey well the organic life aspect of
being saved in the realm of God's divine life imparted into us.
Sonship coveys both the life and position of a born son.

Predestinating us unto sonship through Jesus Christ to Himself, (Eph. 1:5a Recovery Version)
That He might redeem those under law that we might receive the sonship. (Gal. 4:5 RcV)
And again:
. . . but you have received a spirit of sonship in which we cry, Abba, Father! (Rom. 8:15b RcV)

Back to John, he was 1000% right to empasize that it is God Himself who lives in Christians.
No one has beheld God at any time; if we love one another, God abides in us, and His love is perfected in us. (1 John 4:12)
And again:
In this we know that we abide in Him and He in us, that He has given to us of His Spirit. (v.13)
And again:
Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him and he in God. (v.15)

This is a living union of the Triune God living in us and we in Him.
Sure, legally we have been reconciled to God. But "much more" we need a salvation in the realm of
God living in us through His Spirit, even through Himself as a divine seed.

Paul shows well the judicial aspect and the organic aspect of full salvation in Romans 5:10.
For if we, being enemies, were reconciled to God through the death of His Son,
much more we will be saved in His life, having been reconciled, (Rom. 5:10)

Being that we are always tempted by carnal choices indicates we were born in sin and are burdened with the need to overcome it throughout our mortal lives.

I am with you and so of course is the Apostle John. Chapter one he writes -
If we say that we do not have sin, we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us. (1 John 1:8)
Can anyone accuse the apostle of teaching "sinless perfection" immediately upon being saved?

As the light within us encreases we will see shortages which we then must confess to be cleansed.
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (v.9)
This is the normal route for the GROWING of the divine seed of the Triune God implanted within believers.

More fellowship ----> More growth ---> More light----> More confession and cleansing ---->
which in turn leads to More fellowship -----> More growth etc. etc. etc.

It is a cycle. It is a life long repeating cycle that cannot but bring us to maturity.

Make no mistake about it though. Our destination is a conscience void of offense before God and man.
And this purification as a cycle, a process we utilize unto the coming of the Lord.
And everyone who has this hope set on Him purifies himself, even as He is pure. (1 John 3:3)
And again:
Little children, let no one lead you astray; he who practices righteousness is righteous, even as He is righteous; (v.7)

Indeed, we are called to avoid sin. But the process involves *overcoming sin* rather than *extinguishing sin.* Sin will only be extinguished in the resurrection.

But we in ourselves run after the sin that so easily bests us.
The power is in the life of the seed of God.
And in Him is all our confidence. For we can only be dragged down.

But to turn our heart to that sinless Victor within us, and growing in us, is the overcoming.
And latter we see that it is in an evironment of divine love of one another the SEED becomes strong.

In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest. Everyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, neither he who does not love his brother.

For this is the message which you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another, (vs. 10,11)

In the normal prevailing church life there is the vertical power of the seed of God's life growing.
And there is the horizontal power of the fellowship of life which nourishes the growth of Christ within us.

So we need to speak these promises and proclaim them and stand upon them.
Especially as the coming of the Lord draws nearer.
Love and nourishment of the life of God will give us boldness and confidence before the Lord when He comes.

In this has love been perfected with us, that we may have boldness in the day of the judgment
because even as He is, so also are we in this world. (1 John 4:17)

 

[RandyPNW]

I am not espousing instantaneous "sinless perfection" from the moment one becomes a Christian.
A seed has to grow. A seed implanted in the "soil" of a human being needs watering and growth.

I pretty much agree with everything you say in your post. I was only concerned about what may have been misperceived as "Sinless Perfection." I agree with your focus on the development of our spiritual life, as we learn to let God's word guide us through our lives. To be "sons of God" we should show ourselves to be organically allied with the Son of God.