Down an Unfamiliar Road

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NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

By Dr. Robert R Seyda

FIRST EPISTLE OF JOHN

CHAPTER THREE (Lesson XXXVII) 09/02/21

^3:8 But when people habitually sin, 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.

EXPOSITION

John continues to reiterate the teaching of the Master, Jesus the Anointed One, that he heard first hand for over three years. Once, Jesus told the parable about how weeds and wheat often grow together in the field until the time of harvest. At that time, the weeds are gathered to be burned, and then the grain is harvested to be milled into flour. After Jesus finished with His parable, He went into a house. His disciples followed Him and asked Him to explain what He was talking about with the weeds and the wheat.

Jesus did not hesitate, but told them right away that the person who planted the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world. The good wheat is the people in God’s Kingdom; the weeds are the people who belong to the devil’s empire.^[1] And that was not the only time our Lord distinguished between those who do what is right and those who do what is wrong, and their future. He goes on to say that God is the Father of those who do what is right, and the devil is the father of those who do wrong.^[2] It undoubtedly inspired the Apostle Paul to tell the Ephesians that when they used to obey the world’s standards, they stumble in Satan’s lies, but now they live according to heaven’s standards and walk in God’s truth.^[3]

And if you don’t think God is serious about this, just remember that when angels sinned, God did not let them go free without punishment. He sent them to earth and put them in caves of darkness, where they are being held for judgment.^[4] The Apostle Jude adds his stamp of approval to what the Apostle Peter says.^[5] It was God’s plan from the beginning to eventually destroy Satan and his fallen angels and all those who foolishly follow him.^[6] Isn’t it ironic that the demon Jesus cast out of a man in the Synagogue cried out to Him, “Jesus of Nazareth! What do you want with us? Did you come to destroy us? I know who you are – God’s Holy One!”^[7] And once Apostle John was following Jesus, he heard the Master say, “Now is the time for the world to be judged; now the ruler of this world will be thrown down in defeat.”^[8]

So, the Apostle Paul was not overstepping his authority when he declared to the believers in Rome that the God who brings peace would soon defeat Satan and give them power over him.^[9] As he explained to the Colossians, Paul said that God stripped the spiritual rulers and powers of their authority and shamed them publicly when He won the victory on the cross and showed the world that they were powerless against Him.^[10] After all, this was the reason why He came to earth and took on human form in the first place.^[11] And the Apostle John would see this played out in his revelation when he saw the Dragon seized and bound with chains to remain imprisoned for a thousand years before he ended up in the bottomless pit.^[12]

Remember, the devil is not on our side; he is against us. He is the great accuser or slanderer.[13] The Apostle John tells us in verse eight that the devil was a sinner from the beginning. From the beginning of what? From the beginning of sin. The devil was the first sinner and has never ceased to sin. If the devil committed the first sin and has sinned unceasingly ever since, then whoever sins are morally his offspring. There is the kingdom of God and the domain of the evil one, and no one can find or make a third neutral realm; if they are not in the one, they are in the other. Verse eight seems to be conclusive as to the personal existence of the devil.[14] If the one is a mere personification of a tendency, why not the other? Both should be personal or neither.[15] The Anointed One’s act in removing our sins from us destroys the devil’s works, for, by the manifestation of the Light, the darkness is dispersed and destroyed.[16] The Greek verb lyō means unbinding or dissolving, therefore destroying – used frequently by John in his Gospel.[17] Our sins are the evil one’s works: what is sin in us is his natural tendency.

On the other hand, divine righteousness originates from having the nature of God.  Therefore, it is impossible to sin using our divine nature.  But, on the other hand, we derive sin from the devil. Thus, two clans, the brood of Satan and the family of God, reflect the nature of their father. We saw that Cain was of “that wicked one” because he killed his brother.[18] That is because he was a child of the devil.[19]  He acted like the devil because his behavior reflected who his father was. Therefore, all sin has its origin in Satan. God created Lucifer, son of the morning, but he became Satan on his own.[20] Thus, the devil is the source of all sin. 

What principle do we find in this truth? First, we can trace the source of all sin to Satan. The devil formulated the concept of sin.  All his children are cornered, corrupted, and controlled by him.  He is the spiritual source of those who commit sin.  The practice of sin was originated and introduced into the human race by the devil; thus, unregenerate people are his children, not merely because they imitate him, but because the principle of the sin within us points to him as the source.  Non-Christians belong to Satan and give him their allegiance. Therefore, it is natural for a son to act like his father.  A natural person is someone born but once. They may be cultured, religious, refined, a good citizen, educated, and even nice, but they are part of the devil’s horde. It means, behind all evil today is a wicked being who constantly undermines God and His will for the world.  He undermines God in every way he can. As a result, we continuously run into the super-demonic “works” of Satan. That is why both Christians and non-Christians must reckon with him as an evil force.

After all, Satan committed the first sin and continues to practice sin. So, what have we learned? The devil introduced sin into the universe. When we take part in sin, we share in satanic activity. God’s enemy is the spiritual force behind all evil. He introduced sin into the human race, and he sustains its use. He was the first sinner. Today’s sinners are his descendants.[21] The instant Lucifer rebelled against God, he introduced independence from God into the universe. He falsely slanders the righteous character of God from that point on. He is not subject to reform or improvement.

Remember, God did not create the devil; He created Lucifer, the Day-Star (or light bearer).  The devil did not always exist. Lucifer became the devil when he sinned. Before he fell, Satan had authority over all angels in the universe. He was their commander-in-chief. He was the first angel or chief angel (the archangel). Michael became the archangel when Lucifer fell.[22] We find the story of how Lucifer turned into a devil in Isaiah.[23] This Evil One declares five “I will” in this chapter. It is his declaration of independence from God, of spiritual anarchy. By becoming autonomous from God, he set in motion a revolutionary system against God. He aimed to displace God as a center of worship. He became a law unto himself. Therefore, whoever commits sin goes independent of God, just like Satan. Sin is autonomy and independence from God, “I don’t need God.  I will run my life. I do not need God for a crutch.”[24]

We all know that the devil murders, lies, and steals.[25] That is the sum of his modus operandi. These are the systems by which the devil undermines people’s faith. First, he lies to people to get them to believe that they can go independent of God – “I did it my way.” Then, he brings confusion and darkness into mankind’s way of thinking. That is why young people buy into his lies about drugs and free sex. His goal is always the same – get people to ignore God and put Christianity out on the margin of things. Get them to lie and cheat or do anything that they can get away with. It always ends in destruction.[26] Satan convinced Adam and Eve to sin[27] by enticing them to go against God’s word.[28] Their first child became a murderer. There is an army of murderers roaming the streets of the major cities of the world. Murder hides in the hearts of all unregenerate humanity.  It is the manifestation of the “children of wrath,”[29] because non-Christians tell lies easier than telling the truth. They tell white lies and pink lies. That is because their devilish father invented lying.[30]  They do his will.  It is just natural for them; it is part and parcel of their group heritage.[31]

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[1] Matthew 13:13, 38

[2] John 8:44

[3] Ephesians 2:2

[4] 2 Peter 2:4

[5] Jude 1:6

[6] Genesis 3:15; See Isaiah 27:1

[7] Mark 1:24

[8] John 12:31; 16:11

[9] Romans 16:20

[10] Colossians 2:15

[11] Hebrews 2:14

[12] Revelation 20:2-3, 10, 15

[13] As in Job 1:1-22 and 2:1-13 Cf. John 13:2; Revelation 2:10; 12:9, 12; 20:2, 10

[14] See John 8:44

[15] Cf. 1 John 3:5 with the latter half of 1 John 3:8

[16] John 1:5

[17] Ibid. 1:27; 2:19; 5:18; 7:23; 10:35; 11:44

[18] Ibid. 3:12

[19] Ibid. 3:10

[20] Isaiah 14:12-14; Ezekiel 24:12-17

[21] John 8:44

[22] Jude 1:9

[23] Isaiah 14

[24] Romans 8:7-8

[25] John 10:10

[26] Ibid. 8:34

[27] Genesis 3:1ff

[28] Revelation 12:9

[29] Ephesians 2:1-3

[30] John 8:44

[31] Ibid. 13:2, 27; See Acts of the Apostles 5:3; 2 Corinthians 11:3

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NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

By Dr. Robert R Seyda

FIRST EPISTLE OF JOHN

CHAPTER THREE (Lesson XXXVI) 09/01/21

^3:7 Oh, my dear children, don’t let anyone give you the wrong idea about this. The Anointed One dwelling in you always does what is right. So, in order for you to be more like the Anointed One, you must also do whatever is right.

Albert Barnes (1872-1951) says the Apostle John repeats what he said before about sinners and now applies it to saints. If the person who sins is living wrong, then the person who does what is suitable is living right. In other words, if you break God’s law, it identifies you as a lawbreaker. Likewise, if you do what God’s law says, it recognizes you as a law keeper. Barnes notes that it is laid down as a great and undeniable principle in religion – a maxim that none could dispute and as vital as it is plain. And it is worthy of all the emphasis which John places on it. The person who does what’s right is a conscientious individual and no one else. I like how John Stock (1817-1884) puts it: “The Christian with their Cross is better than the worldlings with their crown.”[1]

Barnes goes on to say that no matter how anyone may claim justification by faith in fulfilling the external duties and rites of religion, it does not reach the level required by God for salvation, nor does their stand on fundamentalism or church laws. No matter how many visions or highly emotional moments they may have, nor their boast of how much peace and joy is in their soul, it still leaves them lacking. Also, what little emphasis they place on dying or going to heaven doesn’t count unless they are truly ethical in the proper sense of the term. Then, it is clear; they cannot be a child of God.[2]

To put it bluntly, if they are a person who keeps God’s law and leads a holy life, they are honorable, for that is true faith. However, such a person will always feel that their claim to be regarded as an honest person is not to be traced to what they are in themselves, but to what they are by the grace of God.^[3] John Bradford (1510-1555) died a martyr in England by being burned at the stake on Monday, July 1, 1555. Before his death, he watched as city officials led several poor criminals through the city to their execution. As they passed by, the surrounding crowd heard Bradford say out loud, “There, but for the grace of God, goes John Bradford.” He knew that the same evil principles were in his heart which brought those criminals to a shameful end.[4]

Daniel C. Snaddon (1915-2009) states that the Gnostics made many claims about their knowledge of God for their spiritual lives, but were very careless in living for Him in their personal lives. There should be no confusion on this point. A person cannot have a holy life while living unholiness. But, on the other hand, a believer can only live a godly life because they have the moral nature of the Anointed One in them.[5]

Colin G. Kruse (1950) notes that the Apostle John addressing his readers again as dear children before urging them: do not let anyone lead you astray. As John saw things, those who abandoned the congregation were not only living sinful lives themselves, but they were teaching others to do the same. Hence, the warning is found in this verse. The Apostle had already warned his readers about those who would deceive them.[6] In that case, John aimed his alarm at the deceivers who denied that Jesus is the Anointed One, the Son of God. So, in the present verse, the author warns the readers again to be careful that no one can lead them away from the truth.

In this context, the warning relates to moral behavior, says Kruse, that the person who does what is right is law-abiding. Thus, it would appear that those who were trying to lead the readers astray were breaking the link between doing what is right and being honest. So, John already explained it as having fellowship with God and walking in the light, [7] between knowing God and obedience to His Word, [8] and between being in the Light and loving fellow believers.[9] These allusions to the teaching of those who forsook the church help us understand what the author means by “doing what is right.” It means walking in the Light because God is Light. It involves being obedient to His Word and showing love to fellow believers.

Once again, we face a problem, notes Kruse because it is unlikely that the seducers would have been interested any longer in claiming to be noble as Jesus the Anointed One is pure. Though they probably did make the distorted claim that they were spiritual, as God is upright. If this is the case, then it may be best to interpret this verse by saying that, in John’s mind, the virtuousness of Jesus the Anointed One reflects the character of God. Therefore, those misleading others would be less effective by any claims of being blameless as God is faithful by their failure to do what is right as Jesus did. Otherwise, it may be that for John, being honest as God is holy, is synonymous with being sinless as Jesus the Anointed One is honest. Thus, John felt no need to specify one or the other, even when he refutes the unfaithful members’ claims that the distinction would have been significant.[10]

Bruce B. Barton (1954) says that apparently, the false teachers who were denying the doctrine of the Anointed One[11] were also claiming that they knew God, yet they were living ungodly lives.[12] The Apostle John warned his dear children not to let anyone deceive [them] about this. When people do what is right, it shows that they are right-minded. Even as the Anointed One is moral, it does not mean that doing what is right makes people sinless, but rather that their right-doing is given to them by the Anointed One naturally leads to doing virtuous acts. In the same way, a tree that bears good fruit is healthy. Although the fruit doesn’t make the tree wholesome, it shows that it is productive.[13]

Daniel L. Akin (1957) says that getting confused and wrongheaded about the seriousness of sin can be a profound spiritual problem, especially when the satanic cherubs of our age sing that sin is no big deal. John, therefore, with fatherly firmness (“Little children”), warns his spiritual children against being deceived. “Let no one deceive you” is a present imperative. It is a word of command calling for persistent vigilance. It echoes the prior warning, “I have written these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you.”[14] Deception can take many forms. For instance, it can force us both doctrinal and morally into disbelieving the penalties of living poorly in a lifestyle of sin. It can also capture us socially when we fail to love others as God loved us.[15] [16]

David Legge (1969) points out that in verses seven and eight: to live a sinful lifestyle is not only lawlessness, and a denial of the Anointed One, and a betrayal of an absence of abiding, but these same verses tell us that it proves our spiritual parentage. These verses say: “Don’t be fooled, my little children, anyone who does right is good, just like the Anointed One. Anyone who keeps on sinning belongs to the devil. He has sinned from the beginning, but the Son of God came to destroy all he has done.”

Now here we have John telling us that you can only be conscientious if you have the nature of the Anointed One. You cannot become spiritually ethical just by doing your best to obey the rules. On the other hand, the Apostle Peter tells us, “We have everything we need to live a life that pleases God. It was all given to us by God’s Spirit. But if you practice wrongdoing, the implication is that it’s not natural to God – unrighteousness isn’t in His nature.”[17] So then it begs the question: who is our father if we are habitual, in a lifestyle, practicing sin? John’s conclusion is: our father is the devil.[18]

Douglas Sean O’Donnell (1972) says that one of the reasons the Apostle John penned this epistle was to clear up such a mess and showcase the goodness of the good news afresh. Of course, in this letter, the problem is not merely moral randomness but false teachers. Imposters are out to deceive, and they have been betrayed. Their disinformation, like all other skillful lies, was appealing. Put simply; they claimed that a follower of Jesus could still be a child of God and live like a spoiled child of Satan. That is, a Christian could know they have been forgiven all their sins and yet knowingly continue in sin. That sounds pretty good! Seems that philosophy still sells. John, however, wants us to spew it out of our mouths and cut it out of our hearts and heads.

As a loving and protective parent, John warns Christians, prone to wander away from God’s fatherly hand, not to let that happen. “Whoever does what is right is faithful, as Jesus is trustworthy.”[19] The Gospel is life-transforming! Don’t let anyone delude you about its effects. No one “born of God” lives godlessly. There is a black-and-white difference between the “child of the devil” and the “child of God.” The first one shoves in sin like barbecue pork on Fat Tuesday, and the second purges themselves from sin by daily practicing the Anointed One’s abiding uprightness.[20]

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[1] Stock, J., An Exposition of the First Epistle General of St. John, op. cit., p. 261

[2] Matthew 7:16-23

[3] Albert Barnes: New Testament Notes, op. cit., p. 4845

[4] Treatise on Prayer, Edward Bickersteth, published by Hooker & Agnew, Philadelphia, 1841, p. 60

[5] Snaddon, Daniel C., Plymouth Brethren Writings, 1 John, op. cit., loc. cit.

[6] 1 John 2:26

[7] Ibid. 1:5-7

[8] Ibid. 2:4-6

[9] Ibid. 2:9-11

[10] Kruse, Colin G., The Letters of John, The Pillar New Testament Commentary, op. cit., Kindle Edition.

[11] 1 John 2:22

[12] Ibid. 1:6

[13] Barton, Bruce B., 1, 2, & 3 John (Life Application Bible Commentary), op. cit., p. 68

[14] I John 2:26

[15] Ibid 3:10

[16] Akin, Dr. Daniel L., Exalting Jesus in 1,2,3 John (Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary), op. cit., Kindle Edition.

[17] 2 Peter 1:4

[18] Legge, David (1969) Preach the Word, 1,2,3, John, op. cit., Part 9

[19] 1 John 3:7

[20] O’Donnell, Douglas Sean, 1–3 John (Reformed Expository Commentaries), op. cit., Kindle Edition.

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NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

By Dr. Robert R Seyda

FIRST EPISTLE OF JOHN

CHAPTER THREE (Lesson XXXV) 08/31/21

^3:7 Oh, my dear children, don’t let anyone give you the wrong idea about this. The Anointed One dwelling in you always does what is right. So, in order for you to be more like the Anointed One, you must also do whatever is right.

A holy God does not tolerate sin to the slightest degree. That is why we need to be right with God to go to heaven.[1] It is not human goodness but Godly fairness. No respectability found in us is adequate; all our virtues are as filthy rags.[2]  Generosity by good works is not the graciousness of God.  Anything but God’s conscientious goodness is just a religious coating.  When we come to the end of life’s short day, only God-approved integrity will be acceptable to Him, not our artificial friendliness.  Our morality is irrelevant and incidental. 

COMMENTARY

I like how Bede the Venerable (673-735) puts it: “It goes without saying that we can never be upright in the same complete way that God is righteous.” The difference between God’s virtues and ours is the same as looking at one’s face in a mirror. There is a certain resemblance, but the two substances are entirely different. Therefore, the comparison is not at all the same as the likeness between the Father and the Son when it comes to nobleness, and our mirror image of the Anointed One’s ethics reflecting in us.[3]

In verse seven, John Trapp (1601-1669) expounds on what the Apostle John refers to as being ethical in our Christian lifestyle. But, he says, provided that they do it from a correct point of view. Otherwise, as King Ahab humbled himself, [4] men may naturally perform an outward honorable act yet not be law-abiding inside. Alexander the Great was troubled in conscience after becoming drunk killed Clitus the Black in 328 BC, who saved his life at the Battle of Granicus earlier in 334 BC. So, he sent for philosophers to advise him on what he might do to appease his conscience and quiet his guilt.[5] Then we have the soldier Uriah the Hittite, who transported the altar to Damascus and was called “a faithful witness.”[6] He was true to his word, yet no one thought he was noble. So, it is as the Apostle Paul said, “We are saved by faith in God, who treats us much better than we deserve. It is God’s gift to us, and not anything we have done on our own.”[7] Once this happens, then come those deeds done in love. Trapp quotes an anonymous theologian who said, “By doing pure things in the right way, we are made righteous.” But that is a complete denial of salvation by grace, not by works.^[8]

Jacobus Arminius (1560-1609) writes about the justification of mankind before God and says that since the word “justification” is deduced from justice, from this concept, its significance will appropriately result in justice or virtuous deeds. When properly considered, it signifies morality or an agreement for the right reasons. [9]And it is contemplated either as a quality or an act – is a fixed attribute in a subject, an act produced by an efficient cause. Thus, the word “justification” denotes (a) an act that is occupied either in infusing the quality of blamelessness into some person or, (b) in acquiring it for them or, (c) in forming a judgment on a person and their acts in pronouncing a sentence on them.[10]

John Flavel (1627-1691) states that having seen what the receiving of Jesus the Anointed One is, we understand that it is the faith by which we are justified and saved. Next, we come to the Dignity and Excellency of this faith, whose praises are throughout the Scriptures. It is the instrument of our justification.[11] Till we receive the Anointed One, we remain in sin – under guilt and condemnation; but when faith comes, then comes freedom: “Through Jesus, everyone who believes is set free from every sin, a justification you were unable to obtain under the law of Moses.”[12] What respect, asks Flavel, would you for a pardon that was placed in your hand while you were on the ladder to the gallows or guillotine block? A pardon, which you cannot read without tears of joy, is brought to you by the hand of faith. O immeasurable grace! You place Jesus’ cloak of purity over your defiled souls, which causes you to become “the charitableness of God in Him,” or, “commendable as He is creditable,” not some inherent devotion of your own, but with a relative example from another.[13]

John Bunyan (1628-1688), in his discourse on the Pharisee and the Publican,^[14] notes how unsafe the Pharisee’s self-righteousness was. He hints that many believers do not want their meritorious deeds examined for fear of finding faults and failures. What the Pharisee was ignorant of is the fact that in order for him to live right before his fellow man, he had to live right before God. A person then must be honest according to the law before doing saintly acts according to the Gospel. Hence first, you have true Gospel-morality whose fruit is a new birth.[15] Not born out of that person’s moral virtues, but born by virtue of the Anointed One’s mighty working with His word upon the soul. Who, afterward, acts and works trustworthy from a principle of life? And John says again, “Little children, don’t be fooled. Anyone who does right is doing good, just like the Anointed One Himself.”[16] And this scripture gives us two things to consider. The first is that those who only act devoutly are not right-minded. The second is that they who do what is right are worthy, as the Anointed One is sinless.^[17]

Acting with Godly kindness in dealing with all people, says George Swinnock (1627-1673), consists partly of the way you perform and the principles behind your kindness, and your aim and purpose for being involved. First, be careful how you approach others; let your attitude be honest, humble, and hospitable. Second, do what is right in dealing with others. Conscientiousness is a virtue that guides and orders the whole person for the good of their neighbor, making the right choices, the affections to love and desire, and acting wholesomely to do what may for the welfare of others. Being ethical is of great importance to godliness that it is sometimes an illustration for every believer in union with the Anointed One.[18] Those who live right are honorable.[19] [20]

William Burkitt (1662-1703) points out that Christians should not concentrate on their affections, desires, joys, and comforts. Instead, examine what actions they will take, not their peace of mind, but what path they chose to carry out God’s will. For God does not measure people’s sincerity by their tides of affections, but by the constant resolve of their resolutions and the general course and tenor of their conversation.^[21]

Brooke F. Westcott (1825-1901) clarifies that being law-abiding signifies a divine family relationship with God. Doing what is right reveals the character of a person; it does not create it. Their actions identify the noble person. In other words, a person’s character is the foundation upon which honorable deeds are built. What the Apostle John says here compares to what he says in his Gospel.^[22] But there is more to consider. The pureness of any believer is that of the Anointed One dwelling in them. It is what gives them not only spiritual life, but life more abundantly.^[23] Unlike what some early church scholars say about comparing the spiritualness of the believer and the uprightness of the Anointed One, our virtuousness is merely a reflection of His.^[24]

William E. Shepard (1862-1930) focuses on the statement, “There is none righteous, no not one.”[25] Here we again face the necessity of studying the context to understand the meaning of a verse properly. To take out this segment of the text will immediately entangle a person in such a snare of contradiction that they will be unable to extricate themselves. The word of God properly understood does not contradict itself. When we find some statement that is an apparent discrepancy, which flies in the face of the general tenor of the Scriptures, we should neither expose our ignorance in the improper use of it nor by “handling God’s Word deceitfully.” If we believe that it means that there is none blameless in the world, we should place this portion of the text alongside the practical teaching of God’s Word. In that case, we would at once find ourselves in a dilemma, and the odds would be against us. Let us place it beside a few verses like the following: “Oh, dear children, don’t let anyone deceive you about this: if you are constantly doing what is good, it is because you are good, even as He is.”[26] It would seem from this text that John was warning them against those who claimed there were charitable, declaring that “Only those who do what is right are trustworthy.”[27]

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[1] Roman 3:22; 4:5; 5:17; 10:3; 1 Corinthians 1:30; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Philippians 3:7, 9; Hebrews 11:7

[2] Isaiah 64:6

[3] Bede the Venerable: Bray, G. (Ed.), James, 1-2 Peter, 1-3 John, Jude, p. 198

[4] 1 Kings 21:29

[5] Plutarch: The Life of Alexander the Great

[6] Isaiah 8:2

[7] Ephesians 8:2

[8] John Trapp: Epistles of John, op. cit., pp. 728-729

[9] Psalm 11:7; Ephesians 6:14; Philippians 1:11; 1 John, 3:7

[10] The Works of Jacobus Arminius: Vol. 1, Disputation 19, p. 536

[11] Romans 5:1

[12] Acts 13:39; Romans 8:1

[13] John Flavel: The Method of Grace, p. 114

[14] Luke 18:9-14

[15] 1 John 2:29

[16] 1 John 3:7

[17] Bunyan, John, Practical Works: Vol. 5, The Strait Gate, Discourse Upon the Pharisee and Publican, Ch. 7, pp. 228-234

[18] 1 John 3:7

[19] Roman 6:17

[20] Swinnock, George, The Works of: Vol. 2, The Christian Man’s Calling, Part III, Sec. II, p. 194

[21] Burkitt, William: First Epistle of John, op. cit., p. 767

[22] John 3:31

[23] Cf. John 13:15; 15:12; 17:14

[24] Westcott, Brooke: Epistles of John, op. cit., p. 105

[25] Romans 3:10

[26] 1 John 3:7

[27] Shepard, William E., Wrested Scriptures Made Plan, Ch. 2, op. cit., p. 8

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NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

By Dr. Robert R Seyda

FIRST EPISTLE OF JOHN

CHAPTER THREE (Lesson XXXIV) 08/30/21

^3:7 Oh, my dear children, don’t let anyone give you the wrong idea about this. The Anointed One dwelling in you always does what is right. So, in order for you to be more like the Anointed One, you must also do whatever is right.

EXPOSITION

Let’s remind ourselves what one of the big problems in the Apostolic congregations was. Many Jewish converts told the Gentile converts they needed to add obedience to the Law to enhance their salvation. Even though the apostles told them many times, it doesn’t work that way.^[1] Others were bragging that their faith gave them freedom from the Law to live physically as they pleased because they were spiritually saved by faith,^[2] not works. But as the Apostle Paul told the Galatians, you can’t ignore God’s Word and get away with it. What you sow in the flesh will be reaped in the flesh; what you sow in the spirit will be reaped in the spirit.^[3]

Some even thought they could excuse their shortcomings simply by claiming they didn’t mean any harm, or it wasn’t against God but their neighbor.^[4] Furthermore, even the Apostle James told his readers that they couldn’t excuse their worldly lifestyle simply by saying they believed in God. After all, even the demons believe there is a God.^[5] And apparently, some thought they could buy their way into heaven.^[6] Then those who believed they could work their way into heaven with charitable works. Of course, a person should be happy to help others, especially those in need.^[7] But that should never be taken as merit or earned salvation. Oh yes, they unroll the scroll of the prophet Ezekiel and read to you that Sovereign LORD said that those who do these things would live.^[8]

But the Apostle John no doubt remembered what the Lord said about this when He cautioned His disciples about pretending to do what was right. If they only did what was right just to convince others that they were righteous, they were no better than the Pharisees and Jewish Teachers. And neither one of them would enter the kingdom of heaven.^[9] So, it’s no wonder that the Apostle Paul warned the Roman believers that God’s rewards were only for those who did what was right to bring Him honor and glory and punishes those who refuse to listen to His commandments.^[10] And just like the Ephesians, they too were once in the darkness of not knowing God’s plan of salvation through grace and faith, but that He, the Light of the world, came down from heaven and revealed that plan to all who would listen. And those who then walk in that Light will do only that which is good and right.^[11]

No wonder that the Apostle Paul told the Philippians that he constantly desired them to do those good, kind things that show you are a child of God, for this will bring much praise and glory to the Lord.^[12] Should anyone find living the holy life that God requires will be stressful and cause them much grief, the Apostle Peter wants to remind everyone that the Anointed One carried our sins in His body on the cross. He did this so that we would stop living for sin and live for what is right. “By His wounds, you were healed.”^[13] And did not the Psalmist say that if you focus on what is good and oppose what is wrong, you prove that God chose you from among others and gave you more joy and honor than anyone else?^[14]

Therefore, it is no longer a matter of choice but of compliance. Believers don’t live their lives the way they want, but the way God wants. So, we need to prepare our minds for service. And by exercising complete self-control, put all our hope in the grace that will be the Lord’s when Jesus the Anointed One returns. We did not understand how to prepare in the past, so we allowed our sinful tendencies to do all the wicked things we wanted to do. But now, we are God’s children, so we should obey Him and not live the way we did before. We need to be holy in everything we do, just as God is holy. He is the one who chose us. As it says in the Scriptures, “Be holy because I am holy.”^{[15] [16]}

The Apostle John repeats his declaration with emphasis and new considerations in his tender address, “My children, I am writing this so that you won’t sin. But if you do sin, Jesus the Anointed One always does the right thing, and He will speak to the Father for us.”[17] There are always people who attempt to reconcile being godly in their talk while ungodly in their living. In John’s day, some Gnostics taught that conduct was immaterial to one’s spiritual life, for no external acts could defile a believer. “These external acts,” says John, “prove the person’s spiritual character and origin. If they do what is right, thank God. However, if they do what is wrong, they have no one to thank but the devil.” The Greek adverb kathōs (“even as” KJV; “just as” NIV) introduces a fresh motive for self-purification by presenting a comparison. Note the difference between “even as” in verses three and seven. The Anointed One does what’s right, and this attribute is reproduced in us, so we can be just like Him.

Then, verses seven and eight strongly suggest that those who are antichrists misinterpret sin and uprightness. Maybe the antichrists taught that it was okay to continue to sin while claiming fellowship with God. So, by John calling out to his readers as “little children,” he directly applies what he said in verses five and six. They should let no one deceive them. The Greek indicates that John’s readers were to stop the deception that was already in process. It also indicates the severity of the satanic error to which they were susceptible.

After warning his readers about the “antichrists’” misconception about sin and righteousness, John now warns them about the importance of consistency in the faith.  Genuine virtue springs from One who is kind by nature.  Sin finds its origin in the Devil.[18] This word for “deceive” is the same word used 2:26.  The word means to “lead astray.”  Evidently, the antichrists led some of John’s readers astray from a correct view of God’s nature concerning His righteousness.

The genuine believer in fellowship reflects respectability beyond themselves.  He is far more than a mere profession.  He has the life of God in him.  Therefore, the life of God in the believer reflects itself in goodness produced by God.  There is a close connection between conduct and character.  Temperament is the foundation of life and deeds. John does not say that the practice of righteousness makes one righteous. Instead, the person with the right conduct is a person with the right Christian lifestyle.

A believer in fellowship always reflects the source from whom they derived their fairness – the Son of God.  He demonstrates the nature of the Anointed One. They behave like Him because He is from Him. The words “just as” can be expressed as “precisely as that Anointed One is righteous.”  These words do not indicate that believers exercise righteousness to the same extent as Jesus did but in the same manner as He did.  Being ethical in character always shows itself in virtuous conduct.  Natural decency springs from an honest attitude. Just as Jesus did not become righteous by doing, the believer does not become righteous by doing.  Jesus was eternally and unchangeably righteous, so He disclosed Himself as such in the world.  Believers reveal the justness they have in the Anointed One because of their life in union with Him.  There is a big difference between those who try to imagine the personality of the Anointed One and those who project in His image. As such, the believer’s conduct displays their relationship with God.

So, how do we apply this to our lives? Satan is ever on the hunt for gullible believers. Untaught Christians are particularly susceptible to deception from Satan when it comes to respectability. Every believer possesses two kinds of right standing before God.  First, Jesus declares the believer to be as righteous as He was at the moment of personal trust in the cross to forgive sin. That is judicial righteousness.  The second is by justification that flows out of our fellowship with the Lord. That is moral righteousness.[19]  The Holy Spirit yields the needed attitude. There is no way that a person can fellowship with God and not produce experiential goodness.[20]

Those who live righteously demonstrate that they are righteous. Such believers resemble the One with whom they have fellowship.  There is a type of self-righteousness that does not come from Jesus the Anointed One. It is simply a false front to deceive others into thinking that it is real. John says in effect, “Don’t let them fool you; it isn’t real.  They are phony, having no relationship with Jesus the Anointed One.” For someone to say, “I am a Christian,” and live like the Devil, is just kidding themselves.  This is self-deception.  No one would believe them.  Instead, people believe what they see, “What you are speaks so loud I can’t hear what you say.”

---

[1] Romans 2:13

[2] 1 Corinthians 6:9

[3] Galatians 6:7-8

[4] Ephesians 5:6

[5] James 2:19

[6] Ibid. 5:1-3

[7] Psalm 106:3

[8] Ezekiel 18:5-9

[9] Matthew 5:20

[10] Romans 2:6-8

[11] Ephesians 5:8-9

[12] Philippians 1:11

[13] 1 Peter 2:24

[14] Psalm 45:7; cf. 71:1-7

[15] Leviticus 11:44, 45; 19:2; 20:7

[16] 1 Peter 1:13-16

[17] 1 John 2:1

[18] John 8:44

[19] Philippians 1:9-11

[20] Galatians 5:25

• 

ANXIETY ABOUT THE FUTURE

With the Covid pandemic still raging, the chaos in Afghanistan costing more American lives, inflation driving up prices, taxes driving down income, and the Federal Government’s senseless spending, here’s a word from Bishop François Fénelon following the unrest after the war between France and Spain.

The future is in God’s hands, not harmonizing with your will; God will rule it according to your need. But if you seek to forecast it in your wisdom, you will gain nothing but anxiety and anticipation of inevitable trouble. Try only to make use of each day. Each day brings its good and evil. Sometimes what seems evil becomes good if we leave it to God and do not get in His way with our impatience.

Be sure that God will grant you whatever time you need to reach Him. Perhaps He may not give you as much as you would like for your plans or to please yourself under the pretext of seeking spiritual perfection. Still, you will find that neither time nor opportunity for self-denial and self-pleasing will be in short supply. All other time is lost when you spend it on carving out your future, no matter how good your efforts or intentions may seem. Be assured that you will find all such circumstances adapted to your actual needs, not wishes. In proportion, as God upsets your inclinations, He will be aware of your weakness. However, do not be afraid; leave everything to Him. You will always find freedom in God so long as you do not surrender to the false idea that you have lost the freedom to think and act. 

Written over 450 years ago

Vocabulary redacted by Dr. Robert R Seyda

• 

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

By Dr. Robert R Seyda

FIRST EPISTLE OF JOHN

CHAPTER THREE (Lesson XXXIII) 08/27/21

^3:6 So if we stay close to Him, obedient to Him, we won’t be sinning either; but as for those who keep on sinning, they should realize this: They sin because they have never really met Him or become His.

Daniel C. Snaddon (1915-2009) accepts what the Apostle John said about those in union with God and do not sin. Because those who practice sin have never met Him and certainly have gotten to know Him, this verse contrasts the true believer with one who has never been born again. The subject here is not isolated acts of sin, but rather its practice. Christians do sin – this breaks our fellowship, but not our relationship. But if we earnestly confess that sin, God is more than happy to forgive us and reconnect us with Him.[1]

Colin G. Kruse (1950) states that since there is no sin in Jesus the Anointed One, it is the basis for the assertion in verse six. The Apostle John uses the present tense forms of the verbs “to remain” and “to sin,” indicating that we can view both the “remaining” and the “sinning” in this statement as ongoing acts. Where John speaks of believers ‘remaining’ in someone, as he does here and in eight other places in this letter, mostly he means staying ‘in God.’[2] In one place, John explicitly speaks of remaining “in the Son and the Father,”[3] and in two locations, we can infer from the context that remaining “in the Son” is intended.[4] The context of verse six seems to indicate that remaining “in the Son” is proposed. But remember, you can’t be in one without being in the other.

The problem is further compounded, says Kruse, by the following statement in verse six: “No one who continues to sin has either met Him or gotten to know Him.” There are no indications that those who left the church would claim that they saw and knew Jesus the Anointed One, for they denied that Jesus was the Messiah, the Son of God come in the flesh. Yet, as reflected throughout this epistle, they claimed that they knew God, and perhaps this is what John indirectly denies by this statement. Therefore, to interpret verses five and six as saying that in John’s mind, the sinlessness of Jesus the Anointed One (emphasized in verse five) reflects the sinlessness of God. So, their ongoing sinful behavior diminishes any claims by the agitators who left the congregation they are living in or remain in God. On the other hand, for John, staying in God is synonymous with remaining in the Anointed One. John does not always specify one or the other, even when disproving the renegades’ claims because the distinction would have been significant.[5] [6]

Bruce B. Barton (1954) says that the Apostle John argued that those joined in union with the Anointed One should live as He lived – pure, without sin. The Greek word menon in “lives in Him” indicates “abiding” and “remaining.” In his Gospel, John used this same verb about the branches abiding in the vine.[7] So, since a branch is attached to the vine to sustain its life, believers must live in union with the Anointed One to be free from the power of sin. This complete union with the Anointed One and separation from sin portray the ideal Christian. Living in sin and living in God are mutually exclusive, like darkness and light. The sinful deeds that believers commit[8] do not come from or belong to their lives in the Anointed One.

The statement “Christians don’t sin,” notes Barton, presents the ideal lifestyle. In this verse, John purposely used the present-tense verb to denote sin as an ongoing action. He was not saying that one who sins once has never known God, but he insisted that people who continue to sin do not know God. In other words, they do not know God’s character. God’s desire for all believers is that one day they will be completely sinless, even if they cannot attain that perfection here on earth. Then, during their pilgrimage on earth, they can claim God’s power and the help of the Holy Spirit to stay away from sin as they prepare for what God has in store for them.[9]

Daniel L. Akin (1957) notes that verse six logically and necessarily flows from verse five. Because there is no sin in Jesus, no one who abides in Him keeps on sinning. In fact, if one does continue in a pattern or practice of sin, another logical and necessary conclusion must be drawn: “everyone who sins [keeps on sinning] has not met Him or gotten to know Him” in a personal, saving relationship. If the sinless Son of God appeared in history to take away sin, how is it possible to remain in union with Him and live in sin simultaneously? The answer is, you can’t. It is impossible.

Some have understood verses six and nine to affirm sinless perfection in this life, says Akin. Would it, however, contradict what the Apostle John said earlier?[10] No! Using the present tense verb in verses six and nine gives us clarity in what John is saying. Because of the new birth, we have a unique nature. Since the Anointed One took away our sins, we have new liberty and freedom. Sin no longer dominates us or enslaves us. Sin is no longer the character and conduct of our lives. Because we now abide in the Anointed One and the power of His person and work in the Gospel, we may stumble into sin, but we will not go on walking in sin. Breaking God’s law will not become a habit; it will not be our regular practice. We no longer love sin; we hate sin. We no longer delight in sin; we despise sin.[11]

David Guzik (1961) cautions us that it is crucial to understand what the Bible means when it says, “does not sin.” According to the verb tense the Apostle John uses, “does not sin” means does not live a lifestyle of habitual sin. John has already told us, “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.”[12] The grammar indicates John is speaking about occasional acts of sin. The grammar of verse six suggests that John is speaking of a settled, continued lifestyle of sin. However, John is not teaching the possibility of sinless perfection.[13]

Peter Pett (1966) hears the Apostle John tell us that to continue sinning without regard for staying faithful to God is lawlessness. It is to reject God’s will and refuse to live according to His teachings.  It is to reject His authority. Therefore, sinning without regard to God’s commandments (whether old or new) is lawlessness. For sin is anarchy. And those who live that way are rejecting God, however religious they may be. And the one who receives such a gift of grace and forgiveness cannot be like that. It is impossible.

One reason for this contrast between believers who go on sinning and those who do not, says Pett, is the false teaching of their opponents. Some of them taught that sin was not a problem; it was simply a weakness of the flesh, and they believed the physical acts of a believer were insignificant. One day, the soul would discard the body. That means you can live any way you want. So, you are not doing anything wrong at all. So, they could go on “sinning” as much as they liked.

On the other hand, notes Pett, some sought to deal with the flesh by punishing it, by extreme self-discipline such as flagellation. What mattered was to purify the soul by obtaining mysterious knowledge. Some even taught, “let us continue in sin that grace may abound.”[14] No, says John, those who practice sin and go on sinning without conviction are not of God and directly opposite those who recognize that understanding evil is essential. It is because, although weak and failing, [15] they have done away with sin in union with the Anointed One[16] and seek to do away with rebellion in their lives.[17]

Peter Legge (1969) finds the positive thing here for us in verse six is that there is victory over sin in communion with the Lord Jesus. This is the source, if we abide, have fellowship with Him if we’re in perfect harmony with Him, and there’s nothing between our soul and His heart, we can have victory over sin! Now sonship escorts us into union with the Anointed One, but fellowship brings us into communion with the Lord. So, a Christian who has “union” in sweet communion with their Lord will constantly gain victory over sin.[18]

Douglas Sean O’Donnell (1972) observes that the Apostle John initially makes a negative point. Then, in verse six, he writes, “People who stay one in their hearts with Him won’t keep on sinning. If they do keep on sinning, they don’t know the Anointed One very well because they have never met Him.” Then in verse eight, John adds: “Anyone who keeps on sinning belongs to the devil. He has sinned from the beginning, but the Son of God came to destroy all that he has done.” Finally, in verse ten, John summarizes the negative with a positive: “You can tell God’s children from the devil’s children because those who belong to the devil refuse to do right or to love each other.”[19]

What this tells us is that you can’t turn anything into something just by using words. It takes a transformation. We live in an age when a man says he’s a woman, it’s accepted, or when a white woman claims she is black, people treat her as such. But that does not work when it comes to identifying oneself as a Christian. To achieve that, you must be born all over again to become the creation God wants you to be. So, just by claiming to be a Christian does not make it so.

---

[1] Snaddon, Daniel C., Plymouth Brethren Writings, 1 John, op. cit., loc. cit.

[2] 1 John 3:24; 4:12, 13, 15, 16

[3] Ibid. 2:24

[4] Ibid. 2:6, 28

[5] These rebels already believed that the Messiah was two people: Jesus of Nazareth (the man) and Jesus the Anointed One, where as John believed they were two in one – the son of man and the Son of God.

[6] Kruse, Colin G., The Letters of John, The Pillar New Testament Commentary, op. cit., Kindle Edition.

[7] John 15:1-8

[8] 1 John 1:8-10; 2:1-2

[9] Barton, Bruce B., 1, 2, & 3 John (Life Application Bible Commentary), op. cit., pp. 66-67

[10] 1 John 1:8, 10

[11] Akin, Dr. Daniel L., Exalting Jesus in 1,2,3 John (Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary), op. cit., Kindle Edition.

[12] 1 John 1:8

[13] Guzik, David – Enduring Word, op. cit., p. 53

[14] Romans 6:1, 15

[15] 1 John 1:8-10

[16] Ibid. 1:7, 9; 2:1-2

[17] Pett, Peter: Truth According to Scripture Commentary, op. cit., loc. cit.

[18] Legge, David: Preach the Word, 1,2,3 John, op. cit., Part 9

[19] O’Donnell, Douglas Sean, 1–3 John (Reformed Expository Commentaries), op. cit., Kindle Edition.

• 

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

By Dr. Robert R Seyda

FIRST EPISTLE OF JOHN

CHAPTER THREE (Lesson XXXII) 08/26/21

^3:6 So if we stay close to Him, obedient to Him, we won’t be sinning either; but as for those who keep on sinning, they should realize this: They sin because they have never really met Him or become His.

Ernst Dryander (1843-1922) remarks that the Apostle John expresses the terrible nature of sin from three distinct points of view. He says, first of all: “Whoever sins breaks the law.” It means “lawlessness.” They are rebels against God’s holy command. The person that sins sever all connection with the living, holy God. There is no reason to stop now to consider the question of what sin is; we all have the unmistakable testimony of our conscience whether this is pure or impure, whether that is right and godly, or evil and corrupt. But the real questions are, “Do we recognize sins as wickedness? Do we regard wicked thoughts or the heart’s hidden, impure emotions as rebels against God and His Word?”

Of course, notes Dryander, there is a consensus among people that some sins, such as assault and murder, are undeniably wicked and should be punished. However, others, like theft or exceeding the speed limit, are regarded more leniently. People call them shortcomings or weaknesses, about which everyone is answerable to themselves alone and nobody else. John does not think so. Someone lying occurs every day in everyday life, which the world brushes away. Nevertheless, any transgression against God’s holy command is a sin. This envy, hatred, or malice, which is the normal state of many and therefore not regarded as wrong, is a declaration of war flung into the face of God’s commands.[1]

James Morgan (1859-1942) reminds us of all the Anointed One did here on earth to help us to never think about sinning. He points out that as soon as the Anointed One was born, He was given His name by God. It was Jesus (Greek iēsous meaning “Yahweh is Salvation”), “because He will save His people from their sins.” Thus, when His gospel began to be preached, Peter proclaimed its nature in these words, “When God raised His Son from the tomb, He sent Him to you first to bless you by turning each of you from your wicked ways.”[2]

And the Apostle Paul, noted Morgan, who had long preached it with power, and entered fully into its spirit, summed up its grand aim by saying, “God has shown us how kind He is by coming to save all people. He taught us to give up our wicked ways and worldly desires and live decent and honest lives in this world. Therefore, we are filled with hope as we wait for the glorious return of our great God and Savior, Jesus the Anointed One, who sacrificed Himself to rescue us from everything evil and make our hearts pure. He wanted us to be His people and eager always to do the right thing.”[3]

Thus, constantly and forcibly, says Morgan, the purpose of our Lord’s mission is represented to be the destruction of sin. And what did He do to accomplish such a purpose? Morgan explains: “We estimate the importance of any object in the eyes of those who pursue it, by what they are willing to do or suffer, that they may gain it.” Let us use this standard to judge and what He estimated the value of salvation to be from sin. We will see that He esteemed it so costly that He willingly suffered and died for it.

Morgan then gives us six purposes for which our Savior was willing to endure to accomplish His mission:

• For this purpose, He was born a human. He took our nature. The Son of God became the Son of man. “Though He was in the form of God, He chose not to cling to equality with God; But He poured Himself out to fill a brand-new vessel; a servant in form and a man indeed. The very likeness of humanity, He humbled Himself, obedient to death – a merciless death on the cross!”^[4]

• For this purpose, He lived as a human. He chose poverty, reproach, and the most harmful treatment because they were in accordance with the design of His mission. “He was hated and rejected; His life was filled with sorrow and terrible suffering. No one wanted to look at Him. We despised Him and said, He is a nobody!”[5] Jesus said, “Foxes have dens, and birds have nests, but the Son of Man doesn’t have a place to call His own.”[6]

• For this purpose, He died on our behalf. “He endured the shame of being nailed to a cross.”[7] “The Lord decided to make His servant’s soul a sacrifice to take away the sin and guilt of others.”[8] “He poured out His soul until it brought Him death.”[9] “An innocent person died for those who are guilty. The Anointed One did this to bring you to God.”[10]

• For this purpose, He rose triumphantly from the grave. “He was handed over to die because of our sins, and He was raised to life to make us right with God.”[11]

• For this purpose, He appears for us at the right hand of God. “He is forever able to save the people He leads to God because He lives on to intercede to God for them.”[12]

• For this purpose, He will come again in His glory and gather His people to Himself. “So, the Anointed One died only once to take away the sins of many people. But when He comes again, it will not be to take away sin. Instead, He will come to save everyone who is waiting for Him.”[13] In a word, “You know that Jesus came to take away our sins because there is no sin in Him.”[14] It was the one grand aim of His glorious life.[15]

Harry Ironside (1876-1957) uses an instance in his life to illustrate how those born of God do not go on sinning. Years ago, when he went to California as a boy, the only oranges known then were the ones with seeds. But then, two of the Washington navel orange trees were brought to Riverside from Brazil and cultivated. Cuttings were taken from these parent trees at Riverside, and orange trees were budded with the Washington navel shoots, and their character was entirely changed. So, a man having a forty-acre orchard and not wanting to be left entirely without fruit would cut off the top half of his trees. Twenty acres would go on bearing the oranges with the seeds. He would cut under the bark of the lopped trees and put in the navel orange cuttings, and in a couple of years, all those trees would have new branches and would be loaded with oranges.

I might say to the owner, says Ironside, “What kind of oranges are these?” “Washington navel oranges,” he would reply. “Is that the only kind of oranges they bear? Don’t they sometimes bear oranges with seeds?” “Oh no,” he would say; “A budded tree does not produce seeded oranges.” But even as he speaks, I stoop down and see a little shoot under the branches coming out of the trunk of the tree, and say, “Look, what is that shoot?” He would snip it off or take out a knife and slice it away, saying, “That’s from below the graft. It must be pruned off.” You see, what is characteristic of the budded tree is that it bears the navel oranges, but if one does not watch, there will be a shoot of the old nature below the grafting. So likewise, as children of God, we cannot go on living in sin. If you ever find a Christian slipping into anything unclean or unholy, you know that this comes from below the graft[16] – it is the old nature manifesting itself![17]

Paul E. Kretzmann (1883-1965) states that our knowledge of the salvation of the Anointed One is living knowledge and living faith. We have fellowship with the Anointed One through this faith and know we are and remain in Him. Therefore, Christians do not sin; they refuse to serve sin to keep their hearts, minds, and thoughts away from sinful things. They refuse to yield their members to be servants of wrongdoing.[18]

On the other hand, notes Kretzmann, everyone who persists in sinning, is lawless, in opposition to God’s holy will, thereby gives evidence that they have never met nor gotten to know the Anointed One by faith. Therefore, if a person is in any way a willing servant of sin and still tries to persuade themselves and others that they are a Christian, they only deceive themselves. Note, these words of the Apostle John do not state, as the so-called perfectionists claim, that a Christian here on earth will reach a stage in which they are a sinless person. On the contrary because we still have our sinful nature to contend with, we Christians are prone to stumble and even fall. According to our spiritual personality, we are pure in the sight of God, for the sake of the Anointed One’s righteousness; according to our regenerated self, we do not sin and keep all our members in subjection in holiness. But our carnal self, the old Adam, transgresses the will of God in countless instances, thus imposing upon us the duty to wage constant warfare against it, as the Apostle Paul has so clearly pictured it.[19] ^[20]

---

[1] Dryander, E., A Commentary on the First Epistle of St. John in the Form of Addresses, op. cit., pp. 102-103

[2] Acts of the Apostles 3:26

[3] Titus 1:11-14

[4] Philippians 2:6-8

[5] Isaiah 53:3

[6] Luke 9:58

[7] Hebrews 12:2

[8] Isaiah 53:10

[9] Ibid. 53:12

[10] 1 Peter 3:18

[11] Romans 4:25

[12] Hebrews 7:25

[13] Ibid. 9:28

[14] 1 John 3:5

[15] Morgan, J. (1865), An Exposition of the First Epistle of John, op. cit., pp. 184-185

[16] See John 15:1-8; Romans 11:11-24

[17] Ironside, H. A. Addresses on the Epistles of John (Ironside Commentary Series Book 43), op. cit., p. 30

[18] Romans 6:1-14

[19] Ibid. 7:14-24

[20] Kretzmann, Paul E. Popular Commentary, 1 John, op. cit., p. 558

• 

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

By Dr. Robert R Seyda

FIRST EPISTLE OF JOHN

CHAPTER THREE (Lesson XXXI) 08/25/21

^3:6 So if we stay close to Him, obedient to Him, we won’t be sinning either; but as for those who keep on sinning, they should realize this: They sin because they have never really met Him or become His.

James Macknight (1721-1800), Scottish minister and theological author, serving at St. Giles Cathedral of Edinburgh, holds the same opinion as other Bible scholars on the Apostle John’s saying that any person in union with the Anointed One does not sin. That means they are not habitual sinners.^[1] That’s why, says Thomas Scott (1747-1821), We can never sufficiently admire the love, which the “Father has placed on us” or rejoice too much in our contentment if indeed we are numbered among the “children of God.” Who and what were we, or what had we done, that the infinite Lord should condescend from heaven to notice and make us unique! “What kind of love is this,” that He would redeem, regenerate, adopt, and bless such worthless worms, such guilty, polluted rebels? Doubtless, it is way beyond human comprehension and incapable of being illustrated by any comparison. May we then be, says Macknight, obedient to Him as His dear children; and in that way show our appreciation for His unspeakable mercy, and express that thankful, grateful, and humble attitude, which is so appropriate for those who are so highly favored and distinguished.^[2]

In this commentary, Joseph Benson (1749-1821) employs the same phraseology that I use related to scriptures that talk about our being “in” the Anointed One. He says, “Whosoever abides in union and fellowship with Him in loving faith and does not sin. That means they do not try to remain Christians while living in sin.” If they constantly break any known law of God, they have never met Him, neither gotten to know Him. Their views and knowledge of Him have been so superficial that they don’t deserve to be called Christians. They have not conquered their love of sin and the frequency of it to be brought into holiness.

Furthermore, says Benson, they have not reached or retained a spiritual level of communion with God. Certainly, when a person sins and violates any known law of God, the loving eye of their soul is not fixed upon Jesus;[3] neither do they know Him on a personal basis. Macknight feels that it is possible some of the heretical teachers, condemned by the Apostle John in this epistle, tried to make their disciples believe that their opinions were derived personally from the Anointed One. They boasted about seeing and conversing with Him during His ministry on earth, consequently that they knew His doctrine perfectly. But the apostle assured his children that if these teachers, who admittedly continued in sin, ever saw or conversed with the Anointed One, they were utterly mistaken about His character and His doctrine because John knew what he was talking about.^[4]

Jewish convert Augustus Neander (1789-1850) talks about what he calls “promoters of externalized and formal Christianity.” He says that this proceeded chiefly from the Jews with their superficial and outward tendencies in religion. Such belief rested in a mere faith by works, public profession, and physical fulfillment of the law. These are the empty words against which the Apostle Paul warns his Ephesian brethren.[5] With such a superficial conception of the Law, the rich young man in the Gospel supposed he had fulfilled all its requirements from his youth.[6] Sadly, the Church has reproduced this concept with the uniform effect of making obedience to the Law easy, of lowering the essentials of Christianity in each one’s life, thus enabling a person to soothe their conscience. John was urging Christians to strive for holiness by shunning all that is sinful. Some were very outspoken about this adverse influence. It was necessary because it lessened their moral earnestness and relaxed moral judgment in the church. Therefore, John is warning his brethren against certain seducers.[7]

Albert Barnes (1798-1890) says that some scholars are of the opinion that what the Apostle John says here teaches the “doctrine of perfection” or that Christians may live entirely without sin. Some accused John of introducing this as a characteristic of the faithful Christian.^[8] But if we look closer at what John said, you can see what he is really saying. John simply implies that anyone truly born of God does not sin, that is, has no intention of sinning, no desire to sin, and does not live to sin. So, it appears that the Apostle is sure that any true believer has no plans of wandering away from God or intentionally breaking His Law. John repeats this same argument in verse nine below.

Robert Smith Candlish (1806-1873) sees four arguments against committing a sin or breaking the law. These are all connected to those whose essential purity is to be a model in purifying ourselves: I. The end or design of His appearing – “to take away our sins.” II. His sinlessness – “in Him is no sin.” III. Our oneness with Him – “whoever abides in Him does not sin.” IV. The incompatibility of sin with any real acquaintance with Him – “whoever sins have not met Him, neither gotten to know Him.” These four may be reduced to two: the first and second being, as it were, doctrinal; the third and fourth experimental: the former turning on what He is to us, as our Savior; the latter, on that, we are in union with Him as His saved ones.[9]

Henry Alford (1810-1871) does a thorough job of deciphering the above verses. And in one instance, as here in verse six, he focuses on the Greek verb menō, which the KJV translates as “abideth.” (“lives in” – NIV). Other translations of this verb include “remain,”[10] “dwell,”[11] “continue,”[12] “tarry,”[13] and “endures.”[14] In his Greek Lexicon, Thayer says that this verb is equivalent to “not to depart, not to leave, to continue to be present.” So today, we would see this as one’s permanent position. So, to take what John says here and paraphrase as “he who permanently stays” in Him (the Anointed One), “does not go on sinning.”^[15]

Brooke Foss Westcott (1825-1901) sees a connection between what the Apostle John says here with what he said in chapter one, verse six. It describes a characteristic – a prevailing habit, not primarily an act.^[16] Each sinful act interrupts fellowship, both with God and with fellow believers. Yet, as much as it may be foreign to a person’s character and not their normal behavior, it still leaves them with a changed personality.^[17] Since sin comes from hostile feelings toward God, its effect violates one’s love for God. That is the essence of a Christian’s character – to love God and each other.^[18]

Joseph Agar Beet (1840-1924) speaks about Christian purity. However, this deliverance does not imply the annihilation of the tendency to sin so that we no longer find it in us as a hostile force against which we have to watch and contend. For, if the Anointed One, by His presence and power in our hearts, gives us complete and constant victory over sinful tendencies within us, so that it no longer consciously molds our acts, words, or thoughts. God saved us from the polluting power of sin. A tendency to do evil is every moment stomped on, will cause us no spiritual shame.

Beet illustrates this exposition by an analogy found in outer space. If the moving force in any planet were to stop, it could carry the planet from its orbit deeper into the universe to oblivion. But, on the other hand, the planet could also fall into the sun with the inherent force removed, thus losing its existence. But under the combined influence of these two forces, each exerting its full influence every moment, moves the planet on its appointed orbit, preserving its individuality, yet subordinate to a body immensely greater than itself. So, we move in absolute devotion to Him, from whom we receive Light and Life and all things.

Similarly, says Beet, we carry in our bodies chemical forces which would destroy us were they not neutralized by the presence of life.[19] Yet, despite these forces, the body may be in perfect health, for the neutralizing power is sufficient to preserve us. Just so the presence of Christ in our hearts holds back our inborn tendencies to evil, aggravated as they are by personal sin, and keeps us from all corruption. Thus, does He save His people from their sins.

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[1] James Macknight: First Epistle of John, op. cit., p. 69

[2] Thomas Scott: First Epistle of John, op. cit., p. 494

[3] Hebrews 12:2

[4] Benson, Joseph: Firsts Epistle of John, op. cit., loc. cit.

[5] Ephesians 5:6

[6] Matthew 17:19

[7] Neander, Augustus: The First Epistle of John, Practically Explained, op. cit., pp. 184-185

[8] Barnes, Albert: New Testament Notes, op. cit., p. 4843

[9] Candlish, R. S., The First Epistle of John Expounded in a Series of Lectures, op. cit., p. 251

[10] 1 John 2:24

[11] Ibid. 4:13

[12] John 2:12

[13] Matthew 26:38

[14] John 6:27

[15] Alford, Henry: Greek NT, op. cit., p. 165

[16] Cf. Titus 3:11; Hebrews 10:26

[17] See 1 John 2:1

[18] Westcott, Brooke: Epistles of John, op. cit., p. 104

[19] So why does the stoppage of respiration and blood flow start the process of decomposition? The answer is all chemistry. Immediately after the heart stops, blood stops flowing through the veins and arteries and begins to pool and spread to the lowest lying areas of the body. This gives the skin a “bruised” appearance. Investigators can use this post mortem (after death) “bruising” to make determinations about the position of the body at the time of death. This process of blood seeping into the peripheral tissues of the body is called livor mortis. Between 3 and 6 hours after the heart stops, a chemical in the body called ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate) runs out. ATP requires the intake of oxygen to be produced, so its production ceases with death. This is an important chemical since it is responsible for the flexing of muscle: When ATP is no longer available, the chemical myosin becomes irreversibly locked onto the muscle tissue and the muscle “locks” into place. This is called rigor mortis. The same is true when a person severs their life-giving presence of the Holy Spirit, and their heart no longer beats with love and enthusiasm, and the blood of Jesus no longer washing as their sins, they too will become motionless with no spiritual life.

• 

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

By Dr. Robert R Seyda

FIRST EPISTLE OF JOHN

CHAPTER THREE (Lesson XXX) 08/24/21

^3:6 So if we stay close to Him, obedient to Him, we won’t be sinning either; but as for those who keep on sinning, they should realize this: They sin because they have never really met Him or become His.

Some Christians believe that if they sin, they are not truly saved. Everyone discovers after they receive the Anointed One that they are not perfect. Some attempt to become Christians again and again only to find out they still sin. Some give up on the Christian life. But the Bible does not teach that a Christian can reach a state of sinless perfection on earth. Christians are not sinless but have less sin. Their spiritual nature goes to war against their human nature. The new creation is free of sin, while the old creature is nothing but sinful. The key to victory in the Christian life is to establish momentum where the reborn spirit through the Anointed One rises by ascending the spiritual ladder. The sinner’s stillborn spirit still lies motionless under the devil’s spell. Take note, those who see and know the Lord in fellowship do not produce sin.  Sinning is not part of abiding in union with Him.  Therefore, whenever we sin, we do not reflect fellowship with the Lord. It does not mean that the Christian must be sinless, [1] but that sin is abnormal to the Christian life[2] and brings grief to the believer.[3]

Notice, we should not say about others, “they sinned because have never met Him, nor gotten to know Him.” No one can detect faith in someone else’s heart. None of us can sit in judgment on someone else. Remember, living in union with the Spirit does not represent what a believer does on their own. That’s because living for God and living in sin are mutually exclusive. Spirituality is dependent upon the Holy Spirit being in control. Christians live according to the will of God and the character of God.  If there is one sin in the conduct of a believer, the Holy Spirit is no longer totally in charge; they control their behavior. Being under the control of the Holy Spirit is at odds with the life of the believer is out of control.[4]

Remember, Jesus is entirely free from sin. And since the Anointed One is perfectly pure and came to take away sins, anyone who genuinely believes in Him does not give themselves to sin. A child of God should never break fellowship with God when they sin. It causes them to stay out of harmony with Him until they confess that sin and allows the Holy Spirit to retake control of their life. During their broken fellowship, their Lawyer, Jesus the Anointed One, the righteous one, defends their case before the Father.[5]  Jesus represents all their cases before the Father. The Father may have to discipline them to put them back into communion with Himself. Just because they are a true believer, they are not protected from the consequences of sin.[6]

COMMENTARY

An early church theologian, Didymus the Blind (313-398 AD), talks about sinners who have no personal relationship with God by pointing out that those who dwell in virtue and true doctrine do not sin out of ignorance. They are not unaware; they know that the one who remains in the Anointed One is righteous and sanctified and does not sin. For how can someone act unrighteous when they are in the company of those living right, and how can they be content to place corruption alongside holiness? Therefore, anyone who sins is outside the Anointed One and has no part or fellowship with Him.[7]

John Gill (1697-1771) says that as the branch in the vine, deriving all light, life, grace, holiness, wisdom, strength, joy, peace, and comfort from the Anointed One; or dwells in fellowship with Him by faith to enjoy communion with Him as a fruit of enjoying union with Him; and stands fast in Him, being rooted and grounded in Him, and lives by His truths and ordinances, take up His rest, and places their security in Him, and perseveres through Him: does not sin; not that they have no sin in them, or lives without sin, but they do not live in sin, nor surrenders to a spiteful attitude in life; for this would be inconsistent with their staying in union with the Anointed One, and to enjoy communion with Him.

Those who sin habitually, says Gill, have never met Jesus, neither gotten to know Him. It’s because they’ve never looked at Him through eyes of faith. That’s why they have never spiritually seen the glory, beauty, fullness, and suitableness of the Anointed One for their needs. Because of this, they do not know how much it cost to pay the price for their salvation. No wonder they have never experienced the joy they have in communion with Him in His presence. So, that leaves the question: What do the people of God have in common with the people of sin? No more than light has with darkness.[8] Consequently, since they’ve never met Him and gotten to know Him as their Savior or experienced His presence in their lives, for though they may profess to know Him in words, they deny Him in the way they live.^[9]

In Jonathan Edwards’ (1703-1758) sermon concerning the perseverance of the saints, he talks about those who might continue in sin after professing to be born again. Those who once truly believed in the Anointed One never fall away and perish. It is because they are now unbelievers and are in a state of condemnation. They are spoken of as those that never believed.[10] Indeed, they did not believe in the name of God’s only begotten Son. It supposes that none of those that believed are now unbelievers or in a state of condemnation.

So again, those who stand condemned on judgment day are those, not only whom the Anointed One will know not, but those He never knew.[11] But is this an accurate representation of those who were once true Christians, known and owned by the Anointed One, but then went astray? Again, listen to what the Apostle Paul said, “I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others, I myself might be disqualified.”[12] Paul did nothing other than what he felt needed to be done in certain circumstances, especially when he knew beforehand what might happen. That is why he sent word to the chief captain of the Jews who lay in wait to kill him, to keep from being murdered by them. God revealed to him the night before so that Paul would live to see Rome.[13] That is why he would not allow the sailors to leave the ship.[14] That would have been impossible if Paul had not seen His Light and heard His voice, gotten to know Him, to then fall away into sin.[15]

John Wesley (1703-1791) is preaching on the new birthmarks in a believer. The first, says Wesley, is faith.^[16] But it is not theoretical or speculative faith. It is not a half-hearted acknowledgment that Jesus is the Anointed One, nor trust in a creed or even agreeing that the Bible is holy. And for sure, it is not inactive faith. It is a true living faith that one has been born again of God through the Spirit. Secondly, it is a belief that produces fruit, not only faith such as the fruit of the Spirit but faith that we can overcome outward sin with the indwelling Spirit. This is only possible when the branch remains in union with the vine. 

Wesley says that the Apostle John interprets his words by the tenor of his discourse. In the fifth verse of this chapter, he had said, “You know that He,” the Anointed One, “was revealed to take away our sins; since in Him is no sin.” What is the inference John draws from this? “If you are in union with Him, you don’t sin. But for those who do sin, they have never met Him, neither gotten to know Him.[17] To his enforcement of this critical doctrine, John submits a vital caution: “Dear children, don’t let anyone lead you into the wrong way. The Anointed One always did what was right. So, to be good like the Anointed One, you must do what is right!”[18] [19]

Joseph Bellamy (1719-1790) was an American Congregationalist pastor, author, and theologian in New England. He shows us where true love’s motives to God come from. The Lord’s supernatural perfections are (1) His absolute understanding, whereby He knows Himself and all things possible and is conscious of all things past, present, and future, an all-comprehensive view. So, that from everlasting to everlasting, His knowledge neither increases nor diminishes, nor His views of things experience the slightest variation, being always absolutely complete, and consequently necessarily always the same. (2) His almighty power, by which He can, with immeasurable ease, do anything that He pleases. And His moral perfections are (a) boundless wisdom, whereby He is able and apt to arrange everything orderly in the universe and for the best outcomes, and after the best manner. (b) His perfect holiness, and why He is brave enough to love right and hate wrong, to love righteousness and hate iniquity. (c) His impartial justice, whereby He is unchangeable prone to render to everyone according to their needs. (d) The bottomless goodness that allows Him to give His creatures fantastic favors if it pleases Him. And (e) His truth and faithfulness in fulfilling His will, according to His word. That way, there is an everlasting harmony between His will, His Word, and His works. And His being, supernatural and moral perfections, and glory all result from what is inherently in Himself. Therefore, His essence is authentic; He is infinite, eternal, unchangeable, independent, sovereign, and all-sufficient.^[20]

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[1] 1 John 1:8, 10; 2:1-2

[2] Galatians 5:16-17

[3] Romans 7:20

[4] Galatians 2:19

[5] 1 John 2:1-2

[6] Romans 6:21

[7] Didymus the Blind, Ancient Christian Commentaries, Bray, G. (Ed.), James, 1-2 Peter, 1-3 John, Jude, pp. 197-198

[8] 2 Corinthians 6:14

[9] John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible (Kindle Location 340826)

[10] John 3:18

[11] Matthew 7:23

[12] 2 Corinthians 9:27

[13] Acts of the Apostles 23:12-21

[14] Ibid. 27:31

[15] Works of Jonathan Edwards: Vol. 6, Remarks on Important Theological Controversies, Ch. 7, p. 480

[16] Galatians 3:26

[17] I John 3:6

[18] Ibid. 3:7

[19] Works of John Wesley: Vol. 5, Sermons on Several Occasions, Sermon 18, pp. 280-283

[20] Bellamy, Joseph, the Works of: Volume I, published by Stephen Dodge, New York, 1811, Section II, p. 69

• 

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

By Dr. Robert R Seyda

FIRST EPISTLE OF JOHN

CHAPTER THREE (Lesson XXIX) 08/23/21

^3:5 And you know that the Anointed One became a human so that He could take away our sins, and that there is no sin in Him, no missing of God’s will at any time in any way.

Because our predicament was so dangerous, an incredible rescue was required. We know this is why the Anointed One came to be a human: “His revelation was necessary so that He might take away sins.” Listen to John the Baptizer at the Jordan River, heralding to the top of his lungs, “Here is God’s Lamb, who takes away the sins of the world!”[1] By His bloody death on the cross, Jesus lifted, removed, and carried away our sins. The Son of God came to provide complete and everlasting forgiveness of sins to all who trust in Him.[2]

David Guzik (1961) explains what the Apostle John meant when he said that Jesus the Anointed One appeared on earth to carry away our sins. Jesus did this by having the penalty of our sin inflicted on Him. It immediately occurs when one comes by faith to Jesus for salvation. Jesus also accomplished this by neutralizing the power of sin. It is an ongoing work in the lives of those who follow Jesus. And Jesus achieved this by removing sin’s presence. It is a work to be completed when we pass into eternity and glorified with Jesus.[3]

David Legge (1969) says that to keep on sinning is not only a rejection of the Anointed One’s character, but the Apostle John tells us it is a denial of the Anointed One’s accomplishment on the cross. It is why the Anointed One came into the world, as John says here in verse five. John also states that the Anointed One came to take away our sins. Doesn’t the Scripture say that He was the Lamb slain before the foundation of the world?[4] So, the first time John the Baptizer lays eyes on Him, what does the Baptizer say? “Here He is, God’s Passover Lamb! He atones for all the world’s sins!”[5]

Now, I think it’s on a Friday, says Legge; we get our trash bins emptied, and you know what happens when the garbage truck comes by your house. In today’s terminology, the people who empty the garbage cans are “waste disposal technicians.” They gather up the rubbish, and then throw it into the back of the truck, and haul it off to the dump for you, and you never need to see it again. It’s terrific, they throw all your garbage into a crushing vehicle, and it disappears.

That is the sense here, notes Legge. The Anointed One lifted our sins out of the garbage bin of our lives and hauled them away forever. That is what the Lord Jesus did when He died on the cross and shed His precious blood. Here’s the wonderful thing: we don’t need to look for Him to return week after week to do the same thing. But better than that: when and where the Anointed One hauls off our moral trash, the devil can’t find it and carry it back.[6]

Douglas Sean O’Donnell (1972) says that several pastoral concerns arise from this text. Here we have a passage that has no precise, straightforward momentum and repeats its point in at least seven verses that sound similar. For the Apostle John, this is a “big idea.” The word “manifested” is vital to our text. John uses it five times, and four of those usages describe the two appearances of the Anointed One. The first appearance was the incarnation when the preexistent sinless Son of God “appeared [in order] to take away sins”[7] That perspective – the self-disclosure of God in His Son to deal with humanities’ sin – stretches from the preexistence of the Anointed One reinforced by the verb “appeared” or “manifested,” which implies preexistence. The second appearance showed, His being from eternity is supported by the title “Son of God,” used for the first time in verse three,[8]  along with the phrase “in Him, there is no sin.”[9] Thus, the Anointed One is“the Righteous One,”[10] “the Pure One,”[11] and “the Sinless One.”[12] [13]

3:6 So, anyone who lives in union with the Anointed One does not go on sinning. Anyone who continues sinning has never really understood who the Anointed One is and has never gotten to know Him personally.

EXPOSITION

This teaching did not come out of the Apostle John’s thinking but contained in the lectures he heard from Jesus the Messiah. The only way a Christian can be like Jesus is when Jesus’ Spirit lives within them. That way, it isn’t the believer’s responsibilty to go looking for the right thing to do, but the Anointed One accomplishes it through them because He is in charge of their heart, body, soul, mind, and spirit.^[14]

So, it makes sense that whoever is still living in sin has never met the Anointed One and gotten to know Him on a personal basis, says John. That certainly harmonizes with what the Apostle Paul told the Corinthians: there is no longer a veil over their eyes.[15] As His followers, our faces became mirrors that reflect the glory of the Lord to the world around us. We did not do this by our strength or means, but the Spirit of the Lord dwelling within us makes this happen as we become more and more like Him.^[16] In fact, the more we become like Him, the brighter His glory is displayed in our faces. If God could light up the world by saying, “Let there be Light,” He can light up our lives by asking us through His Spirit to “Receive the Light,” who is His Son, the Anointed One.^[17]

Now, as long as we stay in an unbreakable union with the Anointed One, our sinful tendencies will not have the power that persuades us to sin. However, if we sin, we no longer are protected by His love. Or it may mean that whoever remains in union with the Anointed One cannot deliberately and habitually sin. But then, would not John have written, “Those who abide in the Anointed One stays free from?” So, in what sense is it true that everyone that sins has not become acquainted with the Anointed One? Here are two explanations that offer us help.

(1) The Greek perfect tense expresses the present and permanent result of past action and is often equivalent to present tense. No doubt all would be easy if we had only to deal with the Greek verb, ginōskō, which means “he has known,” equivalent to “he knows.” The Apostle John simply means that whoever sins ceases to commune and know the Anointed One.

(2) Mankind’s sinning proves that their perception and knowledge have been imperfect, if not superficial, or even imaginary, just as Christians forsaking the Church proves that they never were sincere members.[18] This explanation is preferable. In verse two, we read that seeing God causes us to be more like God; similarly, seeing and knowing the Anointed One makes us look more like Jesus. Whoever is unlike the Anointed One, to that extent, has not seen nor come to know Him. For the best of us, it may be, we’ve only glimpsed the hem of His garment.[19]

Verse six says that a faithful Christian “does not sin.”  Verse nine says that they “cannot sin.”  However, in previous statements, the Apostle John says that Christians “do sin.”[20] These contrasting statements are challenging to resolve no matter what doctrinal position one holds. Verses six and eight seem to contradict each other. Some people believe that the phrase “does not sin” refers to sin as a habit.  The Greek present tense does not support this interpretation without backing from other words that may convey that meaning.  John’s point is simply that sin and God are incompatible.  The believer who “abides in Him” is a Christian in fellowship or filled with the Spirit. The phrases “whoever commits sin” and “whoever abides in Him” are in sharp contrast. Nevertheless, there is a clear difference between these opposites. Some are morally indifferent, and those who recognize the impact of sin on their fellowship with the Lord. So, the basic principle here is, the believer cannot sin while under the Holy Spirit’s control.

How, then, do we apply this to our everyday Christian living? As long as the Holy Spirit controls us, we cannot sin.  The only way we can sin is to grab the reigns of our lives away from the Holy Spirit. We chose to go independent from God somewhere along the line because relying on the Holy Spirit is codependency on God.

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[1] John 1:29

[2] Akin, Dr. Daniel L., Exalting Jesus in 1,2,3 John (Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary), op. cit., Kindle Edition.

[3] Guzik, David – Enduring Word, op. cit., p. 52

[4] 1 Peter 1:19-20; Revelation 13:8

[5] John 1:29

[6] Legge, David: Preach the Word, 1,2,3 John, op. cit., Part 9

[7] 1 John 1:5

[8] Ibid. 3:8 then in 4:15; 5:5, 10, 12, 13, 20

[9] Ibid. 3:5

[10] Ibid. 2:29

[11] Ibid. 3:3

[12] Ibid. 3:5

[13] O’Donnell, Douglas Sean, 1–3 John (Reformed Expository Commentaries), op. cit. Kindle Edition.

[14] John 15:4-7

[15] Isaiah 44:18; 2 Corinthians 3:14

[16] 2 Corinthians 3:18

[17] Ibid. 4:6

[18] 1 John 2:19

[19] Matthew 9:21

[20]See 1 John 1:6, 8, 10; 2:1, 2