Living Like God’s Children 1 John – Part 3 7/7/2024 I. Abiding in Christ and Confidence at His Coming And now, dear children, continue in him, so that when he appears we may be confident and unashamed before him at his coming. If you know that he is righteous, you know that everyone who does what is right has been born of him. 1 John 2:28-29 NIV • Continue/Abide in Christ: • Have Confidence at His Coming: • Call to Righteousness: “If you know that he is righteous, you know that everyone who does what is right has been born of him.” - Our righteous acts are a result of our relationship with God. II. The Love of God and Our Identity as His Children See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure. 1 John 3:1-3 NIV The Father's Love: - Lavished not earned: Not based on our merit but on His grace. Our Identity: - As children of God, we have a new identity and status. Hope and Purification: - All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure. - Our hope in Christ’s return motivates us to live pure and holy lives. III. The Incompatibility of Sin with the Child of God Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness. But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin. No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him. Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. The one who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous. 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. 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. 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. 1 John 3:4-10 NIV • Nature of Sin: - Sin is lawlessness and rebellion against God. • The Believer’s Relationship to Sin: " No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him.” - Sin is incompatible with our new nature. • Evidence of Our Identity: 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. - Our actions and love for others are visible signs of our true identity. Talk About It: How does the passage define the concept of abiding in Christ? What does it mean to be called a "child of God" in this passage? What does it mean when it says that those who abide in Christ do not continue in sin? How can believers apply the teachings of this passage to their daily lives? How should hope in Christs’ return influence a believer's conduct and attitude? In what ways are believers called to reflect God’s love in their lives? What are the specific behaviors or characteristics that differentiate the children of God with the children of the devil?