Down an Unfamiliar Road

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PROLONGED TRIALS

Why do we rebel against our trials lasting longer than we think they should? Because of self-pride, and it is that very self-pride that God purposes to destroy. He cannot complete His work as long as we cling to “self-pride.”

What are we complaining about? Was our excessive attachment to the world and, above all, to self, something we treasured? God orders a series of events that first of all detaches us gradually from the world, and finally from the self also. The operation is painful, but our corruption nukes it necessary. If the flesh were healthy, the surgeon would not need to make an incision. He uses his surgical tools only in proportion to the depth of the disease and the extent of its infection. If the operation is painful, it is because the disease is active. Is it cruelty that makes the surgeon dig deep? No, quite otherwise – it is skill and kindness; he would do the same with his only child.

It is the same way God treats us. He never willingly puts us through any pain. His fatherly heart does not desire to grieve us, but the Lord spares nothing so that He may remove the tumors of self-pride from our spiritual being. He must tear from us what we love wrongly, unreasonably, or excessively, the thing that hinders His love. In so doing, He causes us to cry out like a child from whom one takes away a pair of scissors with which it could injure itself. We cry loudly in our despair and murmur against God, just as the irritable child complains against its mother. But He lets us cry while He’s saving us!

God afflicts us only for our correction. Even when He seems to overwhelm us, it is for our good to spare us the greater evil we would do to ourselves. The things for which we weep would have caused us eternal distress; what we count as forfeiture was actually lost when we imagined that it belonged to us. God has stored it away to return it to us in eternity. He only deprives us of the things we prize because He wants to teach us to love them purely, honestly, and correctly to enjoy them forever in His presence and because He wants to do things a hundred times better than we can or even desire for ourselves.

Nothing can happen in the world except by God’s permissive will. He does everything, arranges everything, makes everything to be as it is. The Almighty counts the hairs on every head, the leaves of every tree, every grain of sand on the seashore, and the drops of water in the mighty ocean. When He made the world, His wisdom weighed and measured every atom He constructed. Every moment He renews and sustains the breath of life. He knows the number of our days; He holds the strings of life or death. So, what seems most valuable is nothing in God’s eyes or a little longer or shorter life matters nothing to Him? So what does it matter whether this frail vessel, this poor clump of clay, will be thrown aside a little sooner or later? How shortsighted and blundering, we are in believing this!

We are stunned at the death of someone in the blossoming age of their life. “What a sad loss!” we cry out. But to whom is the loss? What does the person who died loose? – a few years of self-importance, delusion, and risks. God calls that person away from evil and saves them from their weakness and the world’s wickedness. What do those lose who love God? – danger of earthly happiness, a treacherous delight, a snare that caused them to forget God and their welfare. But in truth, they gain the blessing of detachment through the cross. That same blow by which someone dies saves them; it leaves those behind to find salvation in hope. Surely, then, it is true that God is very good, very loving, very full of compassion concerning our real needs, even when He seems to overwhelm us, and we are tempted to think of Him as hardhearted.

The sensitiveness of self-love makes us keenly alive to our condition. The sick person who cannot sleep thinks the night is endless, yet it is no longer than any other night. In our cowardice, we exaggerate all we suffer. Our pain may be severe, but we make it worse by shrinking under it. The natural way to get relief is to give ourselves up heartily to God, to accept suffering because God sends it to purify us and make us better servants for Him.

The world;y lifestyle smiled at you and was like a poison to your soul. Would you wish to go on, right up to the hour of death, in ease and pleasure, in the pride of life and soul-destroying luxury, clinging to the world – which is Christ’s enemy, and rejecting the cross – which alone can make you holy? The world will turn away and forget, despise, and ignore you. Are you surprised at that since the world is unjust, deceitful, and treacherous? Yet, you are not ashamed to love this world, from which the Messiah came to snatch you to deliver you from its bondage and set you free.

You’d complain if God took you too soon. You are your worse enemy when you are so alive to the world’s meaninglessness, and you cannot endure what is for your real good. In fact, you deeply regret losing touch with what is fatal to you. It is the source of all your grief and pain.

Written over 450 years ago

by François Fénelon

Vocabulary redacted by Dr. Robert R Seyda

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NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

By Dr. Robert R Seyda

FIRST EPISTLE OF JOHN

CHAPTER THREE (Lesson XXVIII) 08/20/21

^3:5 And you know that he became a man 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.

COMMENTARY

English pastor George Fisk (1833-1910) addresses John’s claim about those called “children of the devil.” He says that the unregenerate sinner, living with the habitual practice of sinning, is under Satanic control because they want to harmonize with what the devil wants them to do. Therefore, it follows that all the powers and abilities they possess, influential as they are upon their associates, become instrumental to the working out of the dictates of Satan’s will rather than God’s will. Such people may be members of a free society, but their heart, intellect, and body are united in being submissive to Satan. They must, if unclaimed by sovereign grace, share in Satan’s final destiny. If they are of the devil in sinning, they must join the devil in suffering.^[1]

In Dwight L. Moody’s (1837-1899) writings, he mentions that we should know a number of things. First, it was the Apostle John who wrote this first epistle. The second is what John says here in verse five: “You know that the Son of God became a man 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.” So, it’s not what WE have done, but what HE has done. Has He failed in His mission? Can He not do what He came to do? Did any heaven-sent messenger ever fail? And could God’s own Son fail? No! That’s why He came in the first place, to take away our faults and failures.^[2]

Eric Haupt (1841-1926) comments on what John says here about how our Lord Jesus dealt with immorality. Haupt writes that “take away our sins” has three meanings: either that the Anointed One now carries our misdeeds, that He took them upon Himself, or that He has removed them completely. It is plain to see that these three interpretations are substantially very similar. If Jesus took our transgressions upon Himself, that could be only in order to carry them; and if He did this, it was, however, for the sake of taking them away. On the other hand, if the term signifies that He transported them away, other Scriptures offer ample reasons that He accomplished this by removing them. Nevertheless, the decision on this point is not a matter of insignificance, for John must have had expressly stated these elements one way or the other. Therefore, we must give up on making the word “carrying” so important. Moreover, John never elsewhere uses the Greek airo (“to lift and carry along or away” [to transport]) in this way. Consequently, it would be necessary to resort to it only if the ordinary meaning was not sufficient.^[3] It is not so much that He took our misdeeds upon Himself as it is that He took it upon Himself to carry our guilt to the cross.[4]

William Sinclair (1850-1917) also focuses on the words “To take away.”[5] (For the use of the phrase “‘take away,” compare John 11:48; 15:2; 17:15; 19:31, 38.) The idea of sacrificial substitution was very significant back in verse two. But here, it is “sanctification.” Yet, the other meaning is still valid. The two are always connected in the Apostle John’s mind.[6] The purpose of the Anointed One’s coming was not to teach a new doctrine, but to produce a new life; the first idea was the means to the second.^[7]

G. Campbell Morgan (1863-1945), in his writing on the purpose of the incarnation, references verse five here and says that in this context, we get nearer to an understanding of the purpose of the Incarnation as it touches our human need. First, the all-inclusive and straightforward theme suggests that the purpose of the Incarnation was to take away sins. Secondly, the process of accomplishment is that of the Incarnation.[8]

Daniel Snaddon (1915-2009) says that this fifth verse tells us why the Anointed One came into this world “to take away our sin.” For a Christian to continue indulging in sin would be a denial of the purpose for which the Anointed One came. Furthermore, Christians cannot live in sin because it would deny the one whose name they bear because “In Him was no sin.” The Apostle Peter tells us that “He did no sin.”[9] And the Apostle Paul states, “He knew no sin.”[10] Our Lord was sinless. And similar to when God sent manna to the Israelites who were in the Sinai desert, it came down on the dew.[11] So, for anyone to call themselves a believer without sanctification and continue in the same old ways of sinful living is just dew drops with no manna.[12]

Robert W. Yarbrough (1948) feels that what the Apostle John wants his readers to “know,” that the revealing of the Anointed One “had already taken place.” This epistle has the seventh of nine occurrences of the Greek verb phaneroō (“to appear”).[13] It can mean simply to be evident or manifest, as in 2:19.[14] However, most often, it suggests the activity of divine revelation. Without that, the truth would not be relevant in redemption and perhaps not even seen. Things “revealed” in this Epistle include eternal life, [15] God’s Love in His Son, [16] and to speak of the incarnation.[17]

Readers not only know that but why the Anointed One came, says Yarbrough: they also see that purity marked His character. Jesus asked His detractors, “Can any of you prove me guilty of sin?”[18] The unspoken answer is “No,” at least from John’s point of view. In contrast to humans, who will “die in their sins . . . if they do not believe that” the Anointed One is who He claimed to be.[19] Jesus lived without sin so that He could destroy it. To put this in modern terms, Jesus was a disinfectant for sin’s contamination. This same conviction of Jesus’s purposeful sinlessness underlies what the Apostle John says here in verse five, “there is no sin in Him.”[20] As the sacrificial lamb must be unblemished, so must the Lamb of God be as well. Sinlessness was the necessary precondition of His atonement’s effectiveness. A prophecy of Isaiah hints at this in speaking of the Suffering Servant as one who “He never did anything wrong and had never deceived anyone.”[21] [22]

Colin G. Kruse (1950) notes that the Apostle John shifts his attention from the one who commits violations of God’s law and the One who came to erase them. John uses “sins” in the plural, indicating that he is thinking of the Anointed One’s appearance to deal with the consequences of the sinful acts of all people. For John, it is always Jesus the Anointed One, God’s Son, who dealt with human errors by His appearance and death. God sent Him to be the atoning sacrifice for our evil deeds, [23] and it is His “blood” that cleanses us from all sin.[24] To “take away sins” is understood here as making forgiveness available by offering Himself to pay the penalty for those offenses. Thus, John can say that God, in the light of Jesus’ shedding His blood, is faithful and just when He forgives our transgressions.[25] Therefore, our wrongdoings are forgiven “in the name of Jesus our Savior.”[26] John can also say to his readers that “you know” these things because they stand at the heart of the Gospel message you heard from the beginning.[27]

Bruce B. Barton (1954) says that sin is rebellion against God. Therefore, Christians should not sin because Jesus came to take sin away. To know of His martyrdom and then keep sinning denigrates His unselfish surrender. Under the First Covenant sacrifice system, Jews offered a lamb without any imperfection as a sacrifice for sin. Jesus is “the spotless Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.”[28] Because Jesus lived a perfect life and sacrificed Himself to pay the penalty for sin, people who confess and repent receive complete forgiveness.[29] He suffered for their sake, bearing their sins to make them acceptable to God. Only He could bridge the gap between the sinless God and sinful people. Jesus died on the cross on our behalf, taking all our wrongdoing upon Himself, saving us from the ultimate consequences of our sin – eternal separation from God.[30]

Daniel L. Akin (1957) observes a universal truth the Apostle John sets before us: “Everyone who sins also breaks the law.” Sin is lawlessness, rebellion, a defiant disregard, and rejection of God’s rightful rule as Lord over our lives. In our sinful practices, we rebel against our rightful King as a way of saying, “I hate Your law.” Sin is nothing less than personal treason against the Sovereign of the universe. And sin is not a one-time offense. It is the habitual and settled disposition of our heart and life that makes us what we are. As we have mentioned before, “an outlaw against God.”

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[1] Fisk, George: Biblical Illustrator, First Epistle of John, op. cit., p.20

[2] Moody, Dwight L. Way to God, Ch. 8, p. 83

[3] See 1 Peter 2:24; cf. Isaiah 53:4

[4] Haupt, E., The First Epistle of St. John, op. cit., p. 175

[5] See John 1:29

[6] Cf. 1 John 1:7; 4:9, 10, 11

[7] Sinclair, William: First Epistle of John, op. cit., p. 483

[8] The Fundamentals: R. A. Torrey, Editor, Vol. 3, Ch. 25, p. 291

[9] 1 Peter 2:22

[10] 2 Corinthians 5:21

[11] Numbers 11:9

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

[13] Cf. 1 John 1:2, 19, 28; 3:2, 5, 8; 4:9

[14] Cf. John 3:21; 7:4

[15] 1 John 1:2

[16] Ibid. 4:9

[17] Ibid. 3:5, 8

[18] John 8:46

[19] Ibid. 8:24

[20] See Matthew 3:14; Acts of the Apostles 2:27; 3:14; 4:30; 7:52; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Hebrews 4:15; 7:26; 1 Peter 1:19; 2:22

[21] Isaiah 53:9

[22] Yarbrough, Robert W., 1-3 John (Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament), op. cit., pp. 185-186)

[23] 1 John 2:2; 4:10

[24] Ibid.  1:7

[25] Ibid. 1:9

[26] Ibid. 2:12

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

[28] John 1:29

[29] 1 John 2:2

[30] Barton, Bruce B.,1, 2, & 3 John (Life Application Bible Commentary), op. cit., pp. 65-66

• 

Clement of Alexandria (150-215 AD) states that by the Apostle John saying here that “God is light,” He does not express God’s divine essence but declares God’s majesty. It is because he has implied Holiness, which is the most excellent attribute in the view of mankind. It’s the same when the Apostle Paul speaks of “light inaccessible.”[1] But John also in this same Epistle says, “God is love:” pointing out the excellencies of God, that He is kind and merciful; and because He is light, makes people righteous, according to the advancement of the soul, through charity. God, then, who is overwhelming respecting His substance, which is Light.

And that is because, says Clement, “in Him is no darkness at all,”[2] — that is, no immoral passions, no thoughts of evil against anyone. On the contrary, He destroys no one but gives salvation to all. Moreover, Light signifies either the principles of the Law, faith, or doctrine. Darkness is the opposite of these things. Not as if there were another way, since there is only one way according to God’s Word. For the work of God is unity. Double-mindedness and all else that exists, except unity, arises from stubbornness on its own.^[3]

In his message on salvation by faith, John Wesley (1703-1791) made it clear that all of God’s grace, bounty, and favor are altogether underserved. That’s because no person has the means to atone for their sins, not even through works. Becoming right before God is the only way for any person to secure justification and redemption. But it only comes through God’s grace and mercy. And that becomes a reality once a person puts their faith in Jesus the Anointed One and His work on Calvary.

Again, says Wesley, they are saved from the power and guilt of sin through this faith. So, the Apostle John declares, “You know that the Anointed One appeared in order to take away sins, and that sin does not exist in Him. So, everyone who lives in union with the Anointed One does not go on sinning. But if they do, it means they never met Him and know nothing about Him. Don’t let anyone betray you, my children! In God’s eyes, every person who lives upright is right, just as the Anointed One is righteous. Those who continue to sin belong to the Devil because the Devil sinned from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this very reason, to destroy what the Devil had done.  Those who are God’s children do not continue to sin, for God’s very nature is in them, and because God is their Father, they cannot continue to sin.[4] Let me say that again, none of God’s loyal children keeps on sinning, for the Son of God keeps them safe, and the Evil One cannot harm them.[5] [6]

James Macknight (1721-1800) points out that the term “take away sins” signifies to procure the pardon of sin under the First Covenant.^[7] But here, in this fifth verse, the Apostle John seems to attach a broader meaning to the phrase, “take away our sins.” It certainly applies to the substance that our sins, like a heavy load, are lifted off the one crushed beneath it. By the manner in which John introduces it here, it seems apparent that it implies that the Anointed One was purposely manifested in the flesh and died in the flesh to take away the power and the punishment of sin.^[8] Therefore, says Macknight, assured hope of a pardon made possible by the atonement made for sin by the death of the Anointed One should be a strong encouragement for sinners to repent in order to escape everlasting punishment and receive eternal life.^[9]

William E. Jelf (1811-1875) has quite a bit to say about verse five. For him, this does not mean that it is impossible for one who is in union with the Anointed One to sin. We cannot limit the Greek word hamartia to willful sin. Such random limitations lead us from the real sense of the passage and are founded on a principle of interpretation that destroys Revelation. We find the key to the whole narrative in the Greek verb ménein, which means “to stay or abide.” The solution, says Jelf, is provided by Augustine, “in quantum in Christo manet, in tantum non peccat” (“in so far as he remains in Christ, in that proportion does not sin”). In this way, the Greek noun hamartia (“errors, mistakes, missing the mark”) has a natural sense of continuous sinning.

It means that even after a person has become a Christian by being made a new creature by the indwelling of the Anointed One and the presence of His Spirit, they can allow an inward desire to develop itself into actual sin. It results from encouraging instead of resisting the urge or being comfortable while tolerating the passion. Secretly, they may be wishing that they might sin without offending God, or in some such way let go their fellowship with the Anointed One, despite the Spirit of Grace. They might have resisted and stifled the desire through such grace before it developed into an act. And in proportion to the seriousness of the sin, they must have departed, severed their union with the Anointed One, ceasing to be a spiritually motivated Christian.

It is in perfect harmony with the rest of the Gospel scheme. Self-experience establishes what the Apostle John says: that the Christians’ external behavior is a sure and accurate index of their internal state, expressed in verse seven. In the past, some people taught that outward conduct is no evidence of the inward conditions; God’s chosen may break the law without any fear for decreased assurance of their state of grace. Some conclude that a loyal Christian does not sin on purpose, but instead makes mistakes because they misinterpret the same teaching. It is true that the Christian’s will is against sin and still does wrong despite their Christian nature. But still, it is the person who sins. God will judge each individual for breaking His Law. The question is whether the Christian element of faith, the Christian principle of remaining in union with the Anointed One, is the strongest and most natural in them, and their practical acts decide this.[10]

Richard Tuck (1817-1868) mentions that in the Apostle John’s day, there were so-called disciples of the Anointed One who so emphasized personal refinement and meticulousness that they thought it was impossible for anything of a spiritual nature to inhabit a human. They could not believe that anything divine could be housed in sinful human flesh. What makes this so ironic is that these very same individuals who claimed to be so highly spiritual were, in fact, living the most immoral and depraved lives. That’s why they refused to accept that the Son of God became a son of man. However, here is John, the most spiritual of all the original Apostles, insisting on the human nature of our Lord. However, His incarnation was nothing to be ashamed of because there is very little for a person to be ashamed of except sin. But, on the other hand, there is nothing nobler than a sanctified human nature.^[11]

John Stock (1817-1884) shares his view that the holiness of our Lord proves His deity, more so than do His miracles. Humanity since the fall was never holy.  Only Jesus rightly claimed equality with God. No one could convince Him of sin, in so doing, though for such a clean life, dirty hands crucified Him.^[12] Our Lord indeed had the “semblance of a sinner; was made in the likeness of sinful flesh; and for sin, God condemned sin in His flesh:”^[13] “He did not take on Him the nature of angels, but He took on Him the seed of Abraham,”^[14] “and made like us, His brothers and sisters, in every way.”[15] He had all our sinful infirmities, knew our human necessities, and was capable of death, but yet, He was in His birth a holy thing, and sin was ever at an immeasurable distance from Him. Satan had no power over Him,^[16] and though a friend of publicans and sinners, He was no patron of their acts; but came to save His people from their sins, saying, “I desire mercy, not sacrifice.”^[17] Oh! How pure is the Anointed One! How great is His glory in this, as in all things! So great is the honor is to be His follower and, in any way, be conformed to the image of God’s only Son.^[18] He is the firstborn among many brethren; and who gave Himself for us, to rescue us from constant falling into sin and make us His very own people, with cleansed hearts and genuine enthusiasm for doing kind things for others.^{[19] [20]}

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[1] 2 Corinthians 4:4

[2] 1 John 1:5

[3] Fragments of Clemens Alexandrinus, Comments on the First Epistle of John, p. 1160

[4] 1 John 3:5-9

[5] 1 John 5:18

[6] Works of John Wesley: Vol. 5, Sermon 1, p. 69

[7] See John 1:29; 1 Peter 2:24

[8] See Titus 2:14

[9] James Macknight: First Epistle of John, op. cit., p. 68

[10] Jelf, W. E., Commentary on the First Epistle of St. John, op. cit., pp. 42-43

[11] Tuck, Richard: A Preacher’s Complete Homiletical Commentary, op. cit., p. 295

[12] Acts of the Apostles 2:23

[13] Romans 8:3

[14] Hebrews 2:16

[15] Ibid. 2:17

[16] John 14:30

[17] Matthew 1:21; 9:13

[18] Romans 8:29

[19] Titus 2:14

[20] Stock, John: An Exposition of the First Epistle General of St. John, op. cit., pp. 252-253

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NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

By Dr. Robert R Seyda

FIRST EPISTLE OF JOHN

CHAPTER THREE (Lesson XXVI) 08/18/21

^3:4 But those who keep on sinning are against God, for every sin is contrary to God’s will.

Fr. Lawrence R. Farley (1958) asks, “Have you ever seen someone who is having trouble fixing something, mending something, hooking up something, and they seem frustrated, so you asked them, ‘Do you know what you are doing?’” Farley tells us that before we ask such a question, it is helpful to look carefully at the Apostle John’s words. He sometimes uses the Greek, verb amartano (“to sin”), but also the Greek phrase amartian (“doing the sin”).[1] This phrase is parallel to other terms such as “doing the truth,”[2] “doing the righteousness,”[3] “doing the lawlessness,”[4] “doing the things pleasing before Him.”[5] In his Gospel, John speaks of “doing the truth,”[6] which seems to be paired with its opposite, “practicing evil things;” (Greek prasson phaula). By using the word “doing” (Greek poieo), John seems to have in mind something habitual, parallel with “practicing” (Greek prasso).[7] It confirms John’s statement: Christians do not live sinful lives, as worldlings do because it is contrary to their new nature in union with the Anointed One and His presence in them. However, it does not mean that they cannot sin on occasions. Throughout this chapter, John is contrasting the lifestyles of the Christian Church with worldly society.[8]

David Legge (1969) sees the flow of the Apostle John’s argument this way: to live a sinful life is to live lawlessly. To pursue a life filled with sin is anarchy. John makes that clear in verse four, all who indulge in sinful living are outlaws, for sin is a significant departure from God’s ordinances. The King James Version says, “sin transgresseth also the law.” It would be better translated as “sin is lawlessness.” The Apostle John says that to live a sinful lifestyle is the behavior of an outlaw. Of course, he’s taking us back to Exodus chapter twenty, where God’s law, the ten commandments, were given, and God was showing mankind the standard that He required of them. But don’t fall into making the mistake that many do in our world today, even religious people, thinking that God gave the ten commandments as a ladder of rules up which we must climb to reach heaven by ethical and moral standards.

^3:5 You know that the Anointed One came to take away people’s sins. There is no sin in the Anointed One.

EXPOSITION

Almost without notice, the Apostle John inserts an essential factor in understanding what he says here. Twice, we see a reference to the Anointed One. He did this, perhaps because when speaking of Jesus, the audience might be thinking of Him as a man. And to say that He was sinless, how impossible that sounds. But John is not talking about just anyone; he’s referring to the Son of God. Once they realize that, then it makes more sense.

The Apostle Peter had no problem with that. When Jesus asked who the disciples thought He was, Peter immediately said, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”[9] Also, when the Apostle Philip told the Ethiopian he was riding, he would baptize him if he believed with all his heart what Philip told him about Jesus. The Ethiopian replied, “I believe that Jesus the Anointed One is the Son of God.” [10]

It seemed to be a typical response before baptizing anyone. The Apostle Paul used a similar phrase in his letter to the Roman believers, “If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”[11]  Paul did this to remind them that to be saved, you must believe in your heart that you are made right with God and openly declare it as your faith.

And then the Apostle James points out the reason for this, in that it was a happy day for God when He gave us our new lives through the truth of His Word, and we became, as it were, the first children in His new spiritual family.[12]

And the Apostle Peter preached the same message. He told his readers that all honor belongs to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus the Anointed One, for it is His boundless mercy that gave us the privilege of being born again so that we are now members of God’s family. Now we live in the hope of eternal life because the Anointed One rose again from the dead.[13] Peter goes on to say that we make ourselves pure by obeying the truth. Now we can have a genuine love for our brothers and sisters. So, love each other deeply – with all your heart. You have been born again. This new life did not come from something that dies. It came from something that cannot die. You were born again through God’s life-giving message that lasts forever.[14]

There are two additional reasons for the absolute separation of the children of God from sin. (1) They knew well that the Son of God was manifested in the flesh to take away the sins of the world.^[15] But some say not for occasional “sins,” one here and one there, but the “sins,” meaning whatever sins existed. However, though strongly supported, it is probably not genuine. The Greek verb airō in itself does imply that the Anointed One took them upon Himself, but He “took them away.” That expresses the elimination rather than the manner of removal. It is similar to the Hebrew word sûr, which combines the two meanings.^[16] (2) The Son of God was separated from sin.

There were two reasons for the Anointed One to come into this world. To take away sins[17] and to destroy the works of the devil.[18] Undoubtedly John’s readers knew something about the purpose of the Anointed One’s coming; they did not assume it.  The Greek verb eidō implies that they came to “a settled knowledge of this.” There is no room for speculation about the subject of salvation. John appeals to something that his readers understood – the historical fact of the incarnation. The phrase “He was manifested” refers to the arrival of Jesus into the world from eternity. Jesus’ coming assumes His preexistence. He came from the glory He had with the Father.[19]

The principle involved is that any sin Christians commit is unwarranted because of the wonderful work of the Anointed One on the cross. So, how do we apply this to our lives? Many Christians do not appreciate the price Jesus paid for their sin. The commission and mission of the Anointed One were for the removal of our sin.  He paid the price of death as a sinless sacrifice on the cross, so we could have a personal relationship with God. By the Anointed One’s work on Mt. Calvary, He saved us from the penalty of sin.  Later, by His work as the ascended and seated Son of God on the Throne in heaven, He saves us from the power of sin.[20]  Finally, by His return, He will save us from the very presence of sin. Any exercise of sin by the Christian is unwarranted in light of the great price that Jesus paid. Our lives should correspond to the purpose of His work and manifest in our character. It’s because of the magnitude of His wonderful work on Golgotha.[21]

Furthermore, the motive behind all this is that His mission in coming was to remove any power sin had over us. The words “take away” mean to lift, carry, take up or away, eradicate. Jesus paid the price for our guilt. He took away the penalty for our sins – which is spiritual death. Thus, His coming into the world has a purpose. Jesus came into the world manifested as a man with the commission to eliminate sinful passions as a threat to our spiritual lives.[22]

What qualified Him to do that? It was because there were no sinful tendencies in Him. Jesus the Anointed One is our sinless Redeemer. He did not possess a sinful nature. Sin is incompatible with a relationship with Him. He and He alone was able to pay for our sins due to His sinless life. No one ever found one speck of evil in the Son of God. He is a sinless, spotless, stainless Savior.[23] The driving force behind His assault on sin and its power is that He never intended to sin. Thus, the same can be true of a Christian. Sin brings guilt. So, He not only takes away the sin that held us in its power, but our guilt as well.

So, what does that mean to us today? Jesus took our sins so far away that we will never face them again. Jesus removed all the findings of guilt from us. All liability is gone. Our record is spotless before God. Sins should never haunt us or hound us again.[24] 

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[1] 1 John 3:4, 8, 9

[2] Ibid. 1:6

[3] Ibid. 2:29; 3:7, 10

[4] Ibid. 3:4

[5] Ibid. 3:22

[6] John 3:21

[7] Ibid. 3:20

[8] Farley, Lawrence R., Universal Truth: The Catholic Epistles of James, Peter, Jude, and John, op. cit., (Kindle Locations 2706-2713)

[9] Matthew 16:16

[10] Acts of the Apostles, 8:37

[11] Romans 10:9

[12] James 1:18

[13] 1 Peter 1:3

[14] Ibid. 1:22-23

[15] John 1:29

[16] See Leviticus 10:17; 24:15; Isaiah 53:12

[17] 1 John 3:4-6

[18] Ibid. 3:7-8

[19] John 3:17; cf. 5:37; 8:18; 1 John 4:10

[20] Hebrews 7:24

[21] 2 Timothy 1:10; Hebrews 9:26

[22] John 1:29; Hebrews 10:12

[23] John 8:46-47; 2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Peter 1:19; 2:22

[24] Psalm 103:12; Isaiah 44:22; Micah 7:19; Acts of the Apostles 13:38-39; Galatians 1:3-5; Ephesians 1:7; Hebrews 1:3; 10:17; 9:27-28; 1 Peter 2:24

• 

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

By Dr. Robert R Seyda

FIRST EPISTLE OF JOHN

CHAPTER THREE (Lesson XXV) 08/17/21

^3:4 But those who keep on sinning are against God, for every sin is contrary to God’s will.

Henry Sawtelle (1868-1934) points out that in contrast with the person seeking purity is the one still wallowing in pollution. This individual’s nature and character are just like a rotten tree that produced bad fruit. They live in the sphere of sin. When they go against the law, they are lawless. The sinning of the heart, or the body, can be of any sort, small or significant. It is more than something terrible in itself; it is also in every instance a transgressing of God’s law, a violation of His will, an affront to God. A person may plead that they are only insignificant sinners; that although they fail God, He removes any conviction from their conscience. But John will not let a person be a peace with this. He declares that any sin is breaking the law, a criminal in God’s eyes. We are under the divine government, and it is a universal law. Thus, a sinner is a rebel against it. Both the offense and the condemnation are punishable.[1]

Taiwanese preacher and hymn writer Witness Lee (1905-1997) asks, “Now that we are born again, do we still have sinful tendencies active in us?” Regarding this, there has been much debate among Bible teachers. Years ago, there was widespread teaching that claimed sin had been eradicated from believers. Those teaching this use certain verses from First John as their basis, [2] saying that these verses prove that sin has been rooted out of our being.[3]

Daniel Snaddon (1915-2009) gives what he feels is a better translation of verse four: “Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness because that is what sin is.” It is a clear picture of an unbeliever. However, it is the opposite of what was taught by the Apostle John.

D. Edmond Hiebert (1928-1995) explains why the Anointed One came to “take away sins.” The Greek verb airō means either “to lift and bear” or “to take away.” The latter is the meaning here. That this involved His redeeming sacrifice on the cross is certain, but that is not the point here. In view is the effect of the atonement on human character and living. The stated purpose here is parallel to the definition in verse eight, “that He might destroy the works of the devil.”^[4] How clear that makes the fact that He helps conquer the sinful tendencies in sinners. We are not to cleanse ourselves once or twice a year through rites, rituals, or ceremonies, but constantly through active sanctification. It also helps us understand what John said about the devil, in verse eight, about having sinned from the beginning through Adam and Eve.

Current scholar John W. (Jack) Carter (1947) instructs us that as we venture into these verses, it may be instructive to be reminded that the Greek New Testament manuscripts contain at least eight different words that are rendered “sin” in the English versions. The variety of meanings is essential in our understanding of this passage.  If the same word is applied throughout, we can develop doctrines contrary to the overall biblical narrative. The original Greek New Testament manuscripts include:

• Hamartia – missing the mark. The idea is that one desires to be obedient, but fails in the attempt. (Romans 4:7 “sins”) [KJV, NIV]

• Hettema – Diminishing that which should have been given full measure. (Romans 11:12 “diminishing” [KJV]; “loss” [NIV]; 1 Corinthians 6:7 “fault”) [KJV]; “completely defeated” [NIV]

• Paraptoma – Falling when one should have stood. (Romans 5:15 “offense”) [KJV]; “trespass” [NIV]

• Agnoema – Ignorance when one should have known. (Hebrews 9:7 “errors”) [KJV]; “sins” [NIV]

• Parakoe – To refuse to hear and heed God’s Word. (Romans 5:19 “disobedience”) [KJV, NIV]

• Parabasis – To intentionally cross the line. (Galatians 3:19 “transgressions”) [KJV, NIV]

• Anomia – Willfully breaking the laws that have been set down. (Romans 4:7 “iniquities” [KJV], “transgressions” [NIV].

• Paranomia – Purposefully breaking the law. (2 Peter 2:16 “iniquity”) [KJV]; “wrongdoing” [NIV]

Just as there are different words for sin, Greek grammar has different shades of meaning. For example, hamartia can range from a simple mistake to a continual lifestyle.  Both ends of this spectrum of meanings is utilized in the following verses.[5] This is why all serious Bible scholars should obtain a Concordance to help them see how words are used in any given context.

Colin G. Kruse (1950) notes that the Apostle John returns to his treatment of the central theme – the fundamental connection between knowing God and doing what God says.[6] It was only interrupted by an appeal to consider the greatness of God’s Love, the immense privilege of being His children, and the hope of being made like the Anointed One at His appearing.[7] In contrast to those who do what is right[8] and purify themselves, [9] John now turns his attention to those who continue in sin: Everyone who sins breaks the law. In fact, sin is lawless living. The Greek noun anomia, translated as (“transgression of the law” – KJV), is found only in verse four. It does not carry the idea of breaking the law, for the whole law question is absent from this letter. We do not find the Greek noun nomos (“law”) at all in First John.[10]

Contemporary Chinese pastor, theologian Vincent Cheung (1952) points out that the Bible defines sin as violating God’s moral law. Thus, a person sins when they fail to do what God commands them to do or not to do. Since sin breaks God’s moral law, a particular action must be defined by its relation to this law, that is, in order to determine whether a violation indeed occurred.[11]

Gary M. Burge (1952) states that the Final Covenant contains many descriptions of sin, its character, and compulsions.[12] But few passages are as clear as verses four to ten. The Apostle John’s firm condemnation of evil suggests that he has in mind the secessionists, who claimed to be sinless.[13] Paul confronted the same problem in the Roman congregation, where some believers viewed sinfulness as an opportunity to exercise the grace of God more fully.[14] John is not only affirming the universality of sin once more but is describing its inner character. Sinners break the law. John uses the term lawlessness in verse four (anomia) in two ways. First, he may be referring to the moral quality of sin as breaking some divine command. Indeed, this is true. To sin is to offend a rule or word given by God. Many read the verse in this light and believe that John is describing the essence of sin. John’s heretics were viewing immorality with indifference, and he writes to confront them. In this sense, lawlessness and sinfulness are virtually synonymous and interchangeable.[15]

Since God’s law addresses all areas of human life either by declaration or inference, our thoughts and actions are never morally neutral.^[16] It sets up the next principle of deciding whether breaking God’s law is worthy of death. We can look at it this way: God has established moral laws to govern what the Apostle Paul defined as “works of the flesh.”^[17] These can be forgiven because we have an advocate as a mediator. But there are spiritual laws that oversee our retention in the kingdom of God and our gift of eternal life. These cannot be forgiven because they involve the rejection of the Advocate as a Savior and Redeemer.

Bruce B. Burton (1954) states that after the Apostle John describes purity, he then defines sin by presenting negatively the same truth he expressed positively.[18] Since being born of God demands self-purification, then a life of sin, or a continual lack of moral cleanliness, demonstrates that one cannot be God’s child. Sin cannot coexist with the new nature derived from the new birth. Sin as lawlessness provides a basic definition of sin. The Greek word for “sin” (hamartia) means “missing the mark,” and God’s law gives people this mark or standard. If God does not tell his people what they should be like, they would never realize how sinful they are. One can see how crooked a line is by putting it next to a straight edge. The Greek expression behind “lawlessness” means “opposes the law of God.” Lawlessness means more than an absence of law; it conveys an active rebellion against the rules. Those who keep on sinning are active rebels against God.[19]

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[1] Sawtelle, Henry. A., Commentary on the Epistles of John, op. cit., p. 36

[2] 1 John 3:9; 5:18

[3] Witness Lee. Life-Study of the Epistles of John and Jude (Life-Study of the Bible) (Kindle Locations 1831-

[4] Bultmann, Rudolf: The Johannine Epistles, p. 51

[5] Carter, Dr. John W. (Jack). 1,2,3, John & Jude, op. cit., pp. 75-76

[6] 1 John 2:29-3:10

[7] 1 John 3:1-3

[8] Ibid. 2:29

[9] Ibid. 3:3

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

[11] Cheung, Vincent. Systematic Theology, op. cit., (Kindle Locations 3378-3382)

[12] Romans. 1:18–3:20; James 4:17; 1 John 5:17; etc.

[13] See 1 John 1:8-10

[14] Romans 6:1

[15] Burge, Gary M., The Letters of John (The NIV Application Commentary), op. cit., p. 148

[16] See 1 Corinthians 10: 31

[17] Galatians 5:19-21

[18] 1 John 3:1-3

[19] Barton, Bruce B., 1, 2, & 3 John (Life Application Bible Commentary), op. cit., p. 65

• 

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

By Dr. Robert R Seyda

FIRST EPISTLE OF JOHN

CHAPTER THREE (Lesson XXIV) 08/16/21

^3:4 But those who keep on sinning are against God, for every sin is contrary to God’s will.

William Burkitt (1650-1703) says there’s one thing we can learn from this: nothing can be more unreasonable and absurd than to expect salvation from God in heaven by a sinless Savior here on earth if we allow ourselves to continue sinning; nothing could be more contrary to the purpose of the Anointed One’s death, which was not only to deliver us from the danger but from the dominion of our sinful tendencies; not only to provide compensation for our sins but to make us sinless like Himself.^[1]

James Morgan (1799-1873) explains how denouncing sin is a transgression of the Law. What else but the Law could give us a more significant warning? It teaches us what lawlessness is. The very fact that a law exists to govern our conduct should be enough to get our attention. Did not God tell Adam and Eve, “The moment you eat from that tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you’re as good as dead?”[2] We can liken such warnings to those given by tall lighthouses to warn against possible shipwreck or the low lights that guide a ship into a safe and peaceful harbor.

However, says Morgan, it is essential to know that we must obey laws, but the responsibility increases with God’s Law. He is the Lawgiver. He knows what we need to live holy lives and has the authority to enforce it. It is the copy of what’s in His mind, and to disobey it means rebelling against Him. God’s Law is perfect and worthy of His endorsement. He gave it for us to follow because it serves the best interests of those subject to it. It is holy – distinguishing between right and wrong, good and evil. It is fair – never claiming anything beyond what God is justified to require of people instructed to live by it. And it is good – securing the best advantages to all who obey it.^[3]

Sir Robert Anderson (1841-1918), in his commentary on sin and the coming judgment, notes that natural humanity is sinful, not because of what they do but because of what they are. We must be careful to interpret this well-known conclusion as a theological statement of doctrine. An examination of the Greek noun hamartia (translated as “sin” – KJV) the Apostle John uses in verse four must be seen in a far broader scope than “missing the mark.” Hamartia is used throughout the Final Covenant as a generic term for “sin.”[4] But it is much more than simply not obeying the law. It also implies an offense, a violation of the divine law in thought or act. Therefore, it’s used the same way we employ the word “anarchy” for mankind’s laws when we utilize it concerning God’s law. As such, sin is a revolt against God’s Word and Will.[5]

Albert Barnes (1798-1870) helps us understand what “sin” means in verse four. It goes beyond making a mistake; the law of God was given to mankind as a rule of life. The Apostle John aims to urge his readers to live holy and discourage them from sinning. No doubt he still had in mind what he said in the previous verse about everyone who has the hope of heaven will aim to be holy like the Savior. To confirm this, John shows them that, as a matter of fact, those born of God commit themselves to live obedient lives, and this he introduces by exposing sin’s nature.

According to Barnes, that among those things that dampen our thirst for indulging in sin we should consider the following: (a) all sin is a violation of God’s law.[6] (b) the very object of the coming of the Anointed One was to deliver mankind from evil.[7] (c) those who are true Christians do not habitually sin.[8] (d) those who sin cannot be true Christians but are of the devil.[9] And (e) those born of God have a seed or principle of true holiness in them and cannot sin.[10] It seems evident that the Apostle John is combating an opinion that people might sin and yet be true Christians.[11] He worried that this opinion would become prevalent in the Church.^[12]

William E Jelf (1811-1875) notes that it seems as if the Apostle John was arguing against some mistaken views on the subject of Christian duty. It is implied in the phrase “let no one deceive you,”[13] as John insists on the moral identity between hamartia (“missing the mark”) and anomia (“Lawlessness”). It would seem, says Jelf, as if those against whom he is arguing tried to distinguish between them. We may observe further that brotherly love and inward purity, on which John had spoken, might misinterpret by some as not required since it was already part of human law.

Furthermore, notes Jelf, some claim that law violations are only misdemeanors due to a person’s failure, such as hamartia: (“missing the mark, falling short”). But should not be considered violations of society’s requirements as embodied in the Jewish law system, in which case the offender would be a Jew or an outlaw under the heathen moral code. In either case, they may have converted from Judaism or heathenism, but not realizing the spiritual and internal morality, may have argued that as the sins opposite to these graces insisted on by John concerned only oneself, and not the well-being of society; thus, they were not necessary. The Apostle John certainly counters this by stating that the foundation upon which they based these distinctions does not exist. Any act of breaking God’s law is one of lawlessness.[14]

Brooke Westcott (1825-1901) points out that the Apostle John tells us to purify ourselves so that we are not contaminated by sin because that is lawless living. No, that doesn’t mean such a person is an outlaw as far as the legal standards of this world are concerned, but lawless by the fact that they ignore God’s laws for righteous and holy living.^[15] Some of God’s laws are in the same category as speed limits, trespassing, jaywalking, shoplifting, misbehaving, etc., which we often call “misdemeanors.” In addition, we might include such things as “hating our neighbor, wishing ill or bad luck on someone, of not going the second mile, or not forgiving someone seventy times seven.^[16] However, our Lord made it clear that all sins will be forgiven, including the bad things they say about God. But if anyone blasphemes the Holy Spirit, they will never be forgiven. They are guilty of a sin that lasts forever.^[17] Here on earth, this same judgment is pronounced on those who commit premeditated murder. Only in the case of God’s law, it is a person’s way of committing spiritual suicide.

Robert Law (1860-1919) points out that it is noticeable that this verse corresponds in thought and effect to what the Apostle John said earlier in this Epistle.[18] There, right living was exhibited as the “keeping of God’s commandments.” So here, sin is defined as “repudiation of the whole authority and aim of God’s moral government.” It is expressed with precision. Sin is essentially lawlessness, whatever action or law may be involved.  It is to set up, as the rule of life, whether by one’s will instead of the perfect will of God. But this argument against being uninterested in the role of morals – that every act of sin is the assertion of a lawless will and in defiance of moral authority – while it is a truth that lies at the basis of Christianity, is not the specifically Christian expression of that truth. John will give that next. Indifference to sin, in whatever degree, on whatever pretext, is the direct negation of the whole purpose of the Anointed One’s mission and the full significance of the Anointed One’s character.[19]

Arno C. Gaebelein (1861-1945) concludes that the Apostle John teaches that the sinner, then, sins, which shows itself in their spiritual state, and the moral root of their nature as a sinner – being lawless. But the one born of God is in a different position. They know the Anointed One revealed Himself to take away our sins because in Him there was no sin. If the believer sins, they have lost sight of the Anointed One and do not perform in the new life they received. Another thing that seizes the place of the Anointed One is one’s self-will that exposes them to the devil’s tricks, who uses their old nature to lead them back into the world. If a person lives habitually in sin, they have not met the Anointed One nor gotten to know Him. A child of God may commit sin, but they are no longer living in sin; if a professing believer constantly lives in immorality, it is evident they never knew Him at all. Some false teachers tried to deceive them. Their instructions included a denial of holiness and that there was no need for right living. But the demand is for righteousness. Those who live habitually in sin are of the devil. No true believer lives that way, for they know the One whose life they possess came into their lives that He might destroy the devil’s schemes.^[20]

---

[1] Burkitt, Robert: First Epistle of John, op. cit., p. 767

[2] Genesis 2:17

[3] Morgan, James: Biblical Illustrator, First Epistle of John, op. cit., pp. 115-116

[4] According to Strong’s Concordance, equivalent to 264 times.

[5] Anderson, Sir Robert: The Fundamentals, R. A. Torrey (Ed.), op. cit., Vol. 3, Ch. 3, pp. 36-37

[6] 1 John 3:4

[7] Ibid. 3:5

[8] Ibid. 3:6

[9] Ibid. 3:8

[10] Ibid. 3:9

[11] Ibid. 3:7

[12] Barnes, Albert: New Testament Notes, op. cit., pp. 4839-4840

[13] 1 John 3:7

[14] Jelf, W. E., A Commentary on the First Epistle of St. John, op. cit., p. 41

[15] Westcott, Brooke: Epistles of John, op. cit., pp. 101-102

[16] See Matthew 18:21-22

[17] Mark 3:28-29

[18] 1 John 2:3-4

[19] Law, Robert: The Tests of Life: A Study of the First Epistle of St. John, op. cit., pp. 216-217

[20] Gaebelein, Arno, C: The Annotated Bible, op. cit., loc. cit.

• 

THE RIGHT USE OF TRIALS

François Fénelon found it hard to believe that people would think that, out of loving-kindness, God piles crosses on those He loves. “Why should He take pleasure in causing us to suffer?” they ask. “Could He not make us good without making us so miserable?” Yes, doubtless God could do so, for to Him, all things are possible. His all-powerful hands hold the human heart and turns it as He pleases, just as people who have a garden hose turn the stream in whatever direction they desire. But though God could save us without crosses, He chose not to do so, just as it’s His will that people grow up through the weakness and troubles of childhood instead of being born fully developed. He is the Master; we can only be silent and adore His infinite wisdom without understanding it. Thus, we see that Christians cannot become excellent except by becoming humble, unselfish, and in all things turning from self to God.

But as grace operates, it cannot (except through a miracle), do otherwise. God does not perform continuous wonders in applying kindness, any more than in the order of nature. It would be as great a phenomenon to see a self-centered person die suddenly to thoughts of self-consciousness and self-interest as it would be to see a three-year-old child go to bed and wake up the next morning thirty years old! So, God hides His work beneath a series of invisible events, both in grace and nature and in this way, He subjects us to the mysteries of faith. While we are waiting, He is working. God accomplishes His work gradually, but does it by the simplest and most ordinary means so that its success appears natural. Otherwise, all that God does would be like perpetual supernatural marvels, and this would cancel the life of faith by which He wants us to exist.

Such a life of faith is necessary, not only to mold us by causing us to sacrifice for our benefit in a world of darkness, but also to blind those whose presumption misleads them. Such people see God’s works without comprehending them, and take them to be simply natural. Thus, they are without proper understanding, since knowledge is given only to those who mistrust their judgment and the proud wisdom of humanity.

Therefore, it is to ensure that the operation of grace may remain a mystery that God permits to be slow, painful, but sure. He uses our inconsistency, ingratitude, disappointments, and failures that come with prosperity to detach us from the created world and its good things. He opens our eyes by letting us realize our weakness and evil through countless falls. All this seems to part of natural occurrences, and this series of apparently natural causes bakes us like a slow fire. We would much rather be consumed at once by the flames of pure love, but so speedy a process would cost us nothing. It is utter selfishness that we desire to attain perfection so cheaply and so quickly.

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 XXVII) 08/13/21

^3:4 But those who keep on sinning are against God, for every sin is contrary to God’s will.

Can you imagine the astonishment on the faces of those standing around watching John the Baptizer baptized those who came in repentance for their sins, when John suddenly looked up and saw Jesus coming toward him and cried out, “Look! There’s the Lamb of God who will take away the sins of the world!”^[1] This truth about the Anointed One was undoubtedly etched in the Apostle Paul’s mind when he told the Roman believers that God sent the Anointed One Jesus to take the punishment for our sins and to end all God’s anger against us. He used the Anointed One’s blood and our faith as the means of saving us from His wrath.^[2] And Paul confessed that he was one of the worst sinners God ever compassionately pardoned.^[3]

So, how was this possible? The Anointed One not only died a merciless death on the cross, but He died as a result of God’s punishment for our sins by dying in our place. That was the only way God would accept us a being right with Him and issue us a free writ of pardon that we could be free from the penalty of eternal death.^[4] The Apostle Peter found this so amazing that God would send His Son to carry the load of our sins to the cross personally and put Himself through such misery and pain just to help us quit sinning.^[5] But that wasn’t all; God then had Jesus sit down beside Him so that any further sins we may commit and repent for could be forgiven through grace, love, and mercy.^[6] And when John saw Jesus the Anointed One in his revelation, he identified Him as the One who loved us and made us free from our sins by pouring out His lifeblood on our behalf.^[7]

COMMENTARY

Theophylact of Ohrid (1050-1108) said that sin stays away from good, whereas immorality is a transgression of the law. The first is a rejection of holiness as a general principle; the second is a particular violation of law and order. Therefore, the sinner is someone who goes against nature, and it is the nature of human beings to live rationally. Consequently, sin is something we must regard as being out of line with God’s will.[8]

In verse four, Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274) is questioned whether justification involves the remission of sins? It would seem to some that the justification of the ungodly is not the remission of sins. For sin is opposed not only to justice, but to all the other virtues. Now, justification signifies a particular movement towards justice. Therefore, not even remission of sin is justification, since the action is from one contrary to the other. Furthermore, according to Greek philosopher Aristotle, “in everything the essence is identical with the ground of its being.”[9] Now the remission of sins is brought about chiefly by faith, [10] and according to King Solomon, “Love covers all sins.”[11] Therefore, the remission of sins ought to be named after faith or love rather than justice.^[12] [13] Thus, while the work of the Anointed One provides the basis for justification, it does not forgive all of mankind’s sins. They must acknowledge their sin, confess their sin, and receive the promise of their sins being washed away.

In line with what John says here in verse four, Thomas Aquinas was also asked if it is an act of love when correcting one’s spiritual brother or sister for an offense against you? Again, it would seem that it is not an act of agape-love. When Jesus said, if your brother or sister in God’s family does something wrong, go and tell them what they did wrong. Do this when you are alone with them.[14] As the Prophet stated, “These are the things you are to do: Speak the truth to each other; in your courts, administer justice that is true and conducive to peace.”[15] Also, in the collections of Rabbi sayings by a Messianic Rabbi, we read: “The sages observe, If your friend wrongs you, scold him privately; if he listens to you, your goal is attained; if not, reprimand him before one or two; should he remain deaf to your advice, treat him as a hindrance.”[16] As such, they say, justice is a distinct virtue from love. Therefore, fraternal correction is an act, not of charity, but of justice.

Aquinas responds: To correct the wrongdoer is a spiritual act of charity. In that case, restoring a fellow brother or sister to fellowship is an act of lovingkindness. The discipline of the wrongdoer is a remedy we should use in dealing with anyone’s wrongdoing. A person’s sin may be considered in two ways, first as being harmful to the guilty individual. Secondly, it may result in the spiritual harm of others by hurting or embarrassing them or damaging to the good of God’s family.

James Arminius (1560-1609) made several propositions to which other Reformers gave answers. In one such recommendation, Arminius says that because Adam was the first human, everyone who followed was created in a state of supernatural grace. Therefore, no one could be considered just another animal. First, it’s because we were all fashioned in Adam after the image and likeness of God; but that is supernatural grace. Secondly, God’s instructions to Adam were for all who followed, which is evident in that all sinned in Adam and became guilty of transgressing the Law. 

To this, fellow Reformer Franciscus Junius (1545-1602) answered Arminius: Your projection, namely, “Adam, and all those in him, were created in a state of supernatural grace,” is very unclear. You say, namely, that what was natural to Adam became the rule for everyone. All God said was that Adam should not eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. According to Junius, it is not credible that this law should be valid for everyone who followed Adam. Neither is it reliable to say that if all had remained unfallen, they would have to come to Eden’s Garden to eat the fruit of that tree to test their obedience.

But Arminius will not let this go. He tells Junius, I’ve concluded that God in predestination would not have left anyone out because they were nothing more than animals. I based my first argument on humanity’s divine nature.[17] I founded my other argument on the fact God imposed His law on the first human – from which all humanity came. Therefore, God already knew about His supernatural grace. Moreover, since sin is the transgression of the law, [18] the law cannot be transgressed by those for whom it was not enacted. Hence, Adam disobeyed before Eve conceived her firstborn son, Cain. As such, it is inherent in human nature. Therefore, no one comes into the world born-again. Adam sinned against no other law, and, indeed, we are all guilty of breaking the law. Thus, the law was compulsory for all Adam’s descendants.[19]

As we can see, the arguments concerning the “original sin” question started early in the Protestant movement. Many argued over this today. The most heard objection is this: Why should I be guilty of a sin I didn’t commit? That would be like someone saying, “Why should I have red hair, or green eyes, or come with black, white, or brown skin? That would not have been my choice.” It happened because such features are genetic; they came in the sperm and egg we all came from in our mother’s womb. You can’t go back and change it. That’s why Jesus told Nicodemus, what is born of the flesh and the Spirit is different.[20]

John Bunyan, writing on the doctrine of the Law and Grace, states that there are still some in Gospel times who are still under the Torah. He notes that the Apostle Paul stated that there could be no transgression of the law if there is no law.^[21] Yet, although sin is not imputed when there is no law; nevertheless, death reigned from Adam to Moses.^[22] But if there had been no law, then no transgression would have occurred. So, how could death follow as the wages of sin?^[23] Sin is the breaking of the law. It includes any personal wrongdoing, as well as any public misconduct, as John says here in verse four.[24] Death was pronounced on the sin of Adam and Eve, not after Torah was given to Moses. Had God not taken action, there would have been no Law to show us what sinning really is and no Savior to rescue us from the death penalty.

George Swinnock (1627-1673) states that sin crosses the line of God’s Law, a violation of His command, a contradiction of His will. Listen to what the Apostle John says: “These are the ones who are not God’s children: those who don’t do what is right and those who do not love their brothers and sisters in God’s family.”^[25] It means we do not value our obedience or disobedience according to how important or unimportant the law was that we broke, nor how much harm it caused to us or others. Instead, we judge its seriousness based on the person’s authority who gave the law that forbids such action.^[26]

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[1] John 1:29

[2] Romans 3:25

[3] 1 Timothy 1:15

[4] Titus 2:14

[5] 1 Peter 2:24

[6] Hebrews 1:3; See 9:28

[7] Revelation 1:5

[8] Theophylact of Ohrid: Bray, G. (Ed.), James, 1-2 Peter, 1-3 John, Jude, p. 197

[9] De Anima: On the Soul by Aristotle, Bk. II, Part 5

[10] Acts of the Apostles 15:9

[11] Proverbs 10:12

[12] Mark 2:10

[13] Thomas Aquinas: Summa Theologica, Vol. 2, P(2a)-Q(113)-A(1) p.1368-1369

[14] Matthew 18:15

[15] Zechariah 8:16

[16] Rabbi Solomon ibn Gabirol: Mivchar-HaPninim (“The Choice Pearls”) #269

[17] Genesis 1:26

[18] 1 John 3:4

[19] Arminius, James, Works of: Reply of Arminius to the Answer of Junius to the Fourteenth Proposition, Vol. 3, pp. 148-149, 157-158

[20] John 3:5

[21] Romans 4:15

[22] Ibid. 5:13-14

[23] Ibid. 6:23

[24] Bunyan’s Practical Works: Vol. 7, The Doctrine of the Law and Grace Folded, Ch. 1 p. 181

[25] 1 John 3:4

[26] Swinnock, George, The Works of: Vol. 4, Ch. 18, p. 457

• 

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

By Dr. Robert R Seyda

FIRST EPISTLE OF JOHN

CHAPTER THREE (Lesson XXIII) 08/12/21

^3:4 But those who keep on sinning are against God, for every sin is contrary to God’s will.

Every sin involves two issues: the will and the act. Confession of wrongdoing involves two subjects as well: identification and repentance. Identification is the process of knowing what misdeed violated the will of God. Repentance is the attitude that wants to do God’s instructions. A Christian in name only remains in a state of lawlessness until they acknowledge their offense. That means they are outside the “law of the Spirit of life in the Anointed One, Jesus” that freed them from the law of Moses. They are beyond the boundaries of the spiritual law.[1]  Sins such as jealousy, hatred, bitterness, and envy bar them from fellowship. As long as these sins remain unconfessed, they are in a state of lawlessness. The Holy Spirit no longer controls their life.

Imagine a backslidden follower of the Anointed One who removed themselves from the law of spirituality by their loose living. In that case, they can do nothing to get it back except throw themselves beneath the Cross and beg forgiveness. They did something to put out the fire in their spirit, but they can do nothing to get it burning again. It does not help the situation agonizing alone in grief, do good works as a way of repenting, or become overemotional to get it back. That violates the provision of God’s grace in the Anointed One and the power of the Holy Spirit.

Spirituality and immorality are mutually exclusive, just as light and darkness. Darkness is entirely incompatible with God’s light. There is no such thing as being partially spiritual because of the absoluteness of God’s character. Committing one sin is a revolt against the God of Light, in whom there is no darkness whatever.[2]

We must be willing to acknowledge what the Apostle Paul confessed: The moment I decide to do good, my sinful tendencies are there to trip me up. I truly delight in God’s commands, but it’s pretty apparent that not all of me joins in that delight. Parts of me secretly rebel, and just when I least expect it, they take charge. I’ve tried everything, and nothing helps. I’m at the end of my rope. Is there no one who can do anything for me? Isn’t that the real question? The answer, thank God, is that Jesus the Anointed One can and does. He acted to set things right in this life of contradictions where I want to serve God with all my heart and mind, but when pulled by the influence of sin, I do something entirely different.[3]

Instead, Paul clarifies for us in Galatians that the law of God was a schoolteacher to bring us to the Anointed One. God’s law was to instruct us, but only the Anointed One could save us, and so the law teaches us that we need a Savior and points us to the Anointed One. Now, if the law could save us in and of itself, keeping the Dos and Don’ts of the Final Covenant, why would it need to direct us to the Anointed One? It has to point us to the Anointed One because He is the only answer. God gave the law to show us our inherent sinfulness, to demonstrate to us that we couldn’t keep it, to illustrate how far short we fall from the glory of God, and to make us feel our need for a Savior. It’s like a magnifying glass that shows us more clearly our sinfulness.^[4]

Matthew saw this from another view. He said that when the Angel spoke to Mary, he told her this son she was going to give birth to “should be named Yeshua, [which means ‘Adonai saves,’] because He will save His people from their sins.”^[5] So, it makes sense that only a person without sin can save another who is dying in sin.

And the Apostle Paul saw a parallel between what John the Apostle says here and the Anointed One’s relation to the Church. He wrote, “Husbands, love your wives the same as the Anointed One loved the Church and gave His life for it. The Holy One died to make the Church holy. He used the Good News to make the Church clean. Furthermore, He died to give the Church to Himself like a bride in all her beauty. Finally, He died so that the Church could be holy and without fault, with no evil or sin or any other thing wrong in it.”^[6]

So, it was important for the Church always to seek forgiveness of any sin that might stain its holy garments. But, the writer of Hebrews laments that it would then be necessary for Him to die again and again. No! He came once and for all to cancel the power of sin forever by sacrificing Himself on our behalf.^[7]

Even the confessing thief on the cross beside Jesus told the other one, “We deserve to die for our crimes, but this man hasn’t done anything wrong.”^[8] And when the captain of the Roman military unit handling the executions saw what had happened, he too was stricken with awe before God and said, “Surely this man was innocent.”^[9]

We must remember that earlier during Jesus’ ministry; He challenged His critics to prove that He was guilty of sin. “If I tell the truth, why don’t you believe me, He asked them?”^[10] That’s why Jesus could tell His disciples, “I don’t have much more time to talk to you, for the evil prince of this world approaches. But he has no power over me.”^[11] The devil only influences those whose sinful tendencies are active and uncontrolled.

It gave the Apostle Paul all the evidence he needed to tell the Corinthians, “God took the sinless Anointed One and poured into Himself our sins. Then, in exchange, the Anointed One poured God’s goodness into us!”^[12]

Some may think that Jesus was popular in Galilee. But when we read the record, we find out that not even His older brothers did not accept Him as anything else but a visionary with big ideas.^[13] And none of the disciples would have met and followed Him had He not called them. Even His second cousin, John the Baptizer, confessed that he didn’t know his cousin was the Messiah.^[14]

The author of Hebrews puts it this way: “Jesus, our high priest, is able to understand our weaknesses. When He lived on earth, He was tempted in every way. He was tried in the same ways we are tempted, but He never sinned once.^[15] The Apostle Peter emphasized this point in his first letter.^[16] He died once for the sins of all us guilty sinners, although He was innocent of any sin at any time, that He might bring us safely home to God. But though His body died, His spirit lives on in us.^[17]

So, Jesus is the kind of high priest we need. The Anointed One is holy, has no sin in Him. He is pure and not influenced by sinful temptations. And He is exalted in the heavens.^[18] The writer then follows this up with these words, “So, the Anointed One was offered as a sacrifice one time to take away the sins of many people. And He will come a second time, but not to offer Himself for sin. He will come the second time to complete salvation for those who are waiting for Him.”^[19]

Therefore, when the Apostle Paul wrote to Timothy, he let him know that it may take some time before he would be able to come see him; yet he still trusted Timothy to know those in leadership should conduct themselves in the house of God. And even though it is true that the correct way to live a godly life is not an easy matter, all they have to do is look to the Anointed One to find the most outstanding example.^[20] So, it is not a question of “What would Jesus have done,” but “Do what Jesus did.” And our Lord’s life was not accidentally holy; it was planned before the world was formed.^[21] Otherwise, there would have been no reason for Him to come to take away our tendency to sin.

And even that was not easy. The prophet Isaiah made that clear when he described the pain and passion our Lord would endure just to die on the cross in our place.^[22] But, as the prophet Hosea stated, it made it possible for any believer dealing with these sinful tendencies to come to the Lord and ask Him to take their desire to sin away. And don’t be worried; God will not greet you with an angry frown, but with grace and mercy. That will certainly give every believer a reason to praise Him.^[23]

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[1] Romans 8:2-4

[2] 1 John 1:5; See Psalm 119:34-35, 77

[3] Romans 7:22-25

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

[5] Matthew 1:21 – The Complete Jewish Bible

[6] Ephesians 5:25-27

[7] Hebrews 9:26

[8] Luke 23:41

[9] Ibid. 23:47

[10] John 8:46

[11] Ibid. 14:30

[12] 2 Corinthians 5:21

[13] Ibid. 7:5

[14] Ibid. 1:31

[15] Hebrews 4:15 – Easy to read Version

[16] 1 Peter 2:22

[17] Ibid. 3:18

[18] Hebrews 7:26

[19] Ibid. 9:28

[20] 1 Timothy 3:15-16

[21] 1 Peter 1:20

[22] Isaiah 53:4-12

[23] Hosea 14:2

• 

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

By Dr. Robert R Seyda

FIRST EPISTLE OF JOHN

CHAPTER THREE (Lesson XXII) 08/11/21

^3:4 But those who keep on sinning are against God, for every sin is contrary to God’s will.

Before I knew anything about the law, Paul says, I was living great. But when I heard the law’s command, my sinful tendencies came alive, and my spiritually died of thirst. God ordered these restrictions to bring spiritual life, but for me, it brought spiritual death. Sin found a way to fool me by using the command to kill me spiritually. I believe the law is sacred, and the rules are holy and right and good. So, does this mean something designed to help me ended up ruining me spiritually? No, my sinful tendencies used these excellent commands to bring my innocence to an end. It shows how terrible sin is. It can use an excellent guideline to produce a result that shows sin at its worst.[1]

Remember, the second sin ever recorded was committed in the Garden of Eden; we should not be surprised that God used Moses to speak to the children of Israel about this continued penalty for going against God’s Word. The first sin was Satan’s rebellion against God, which cause him to be ejected from heaven, just as Adam and Eve were kicked out of Eden’s Garden.^[2] At least king Saul summoned the courage to confess one of his sins to the prophet Samuel.^[3] So, it should have been no surprise that the Holy Spirit came upon Zechariah and gave him a message for the people of Israel that they were disobeying God’s will. The last words in his proclamation must have sent chills down the people’s spine: “Because you have left the Lord, He has left you.”^[4] You would have thought the people of Judah learned their lesson about forsaking God’s Word and Worship. Yet, such unfaithfulness and idolatry led to living in a foreign land under the rule of a pagan king who worshiped a false god.^[5]

Therefore, the Apostle Paul found himself dealing with the same issues with the Christians in Rome, even though they knew that refusing to obey God’s will lead to sin.^[6] But what about strictly following all of God’s law? That won’t work either, says Paul because that is only done to try and make oneself look good in God’s eyes and earn mercy from Him. The problem is that no matter how many you keep, there will always be some you break, and then you lose everything and must start all over.^[7] The Apostle James said it the same way in his letter.^[8]

Once more, the Apostle John turns from the positive to the negative. Having shown what the new birth involves, he goes on to show what it excludes. “Anyone who breaks God’s law sins.” Thus, violations of the Law are the same as living contrary to God’s will. It seems to be the same kind of balance we find in verse three: “All who have this eager expectation will keep themselves pure.” Since doing wrong is the opposite of doing right, it leads to rebellion, and that is anarchy. All misdeeds are contrary to the law, and all lawlessness is sin. Not following the rules expresses ignoring the Law rather than being ignorant of it. The Law “means the moral law of God in the fullest sense, not the Mosaic Law.” In short, we define ungodliness as the transgression of God’s will, for God’s will is His Law.

The Apostle John alerts us to the fact that sin is incompatible with spiritual birth.[9]  It is contrary to our born-again nature.  Doing wrong stands in opposition to the purity of the previous verse. Therefore, we must not take our faults lightly because it is a revolt against God. Furthermore, rebelliousness is out of line with being regenerated. It is out of harmony with the will of God. A believer in fellowship with the Lord and fellow Christians wants to do God’s will, not theirs. Being filled with the Spirit produces God’s character and Christian living according to God’s standards.

On the other hand, unbelievers think they can please the Lord by doing things their way.  They imagine that pretend spirituality will make God happy. They are convinced that self-denial, emotionalism, or having a delighted experience glorifies the Lord.  It is righteousness by works and not by the power of the Spirit.  It’s all ungodliness on the outside and nothing godly on the inside. They do nothing but turn their lives loose to commit lawlessness when they allow their sinful tendencies the freedom to control them. Being lawless means paying no attention to God’s law of love and holds contempt for it.  The Final Covenant renders this word “iniquity.”  It is more than disobeying God’s law; it also conveys the idea of rebellion against Him. Lawlessness is the rejection of law rather than merely the absence of any regulations. Immorality and violation of God’s law are identical concepts. When we break God’s commandments, we declare war against Him.

In addition, being irresponsible is more than the mere violation of the laws of mankind – the laws of society.  Rejecting authority is not simply stealing; it is robbing oneself of God’s character.  It is defiance against God. We know that hatred abuses God’s law of love because it results in anarchy, acts of violence, and the next-generation following the same pattern. People who do not believe in God’s restraint of their instincts participate in lawlessness. That is why we must understand that God’s law is an expression of His character. We declare rebellion against God when we break the laws of His divine nature. Sin both defiles God’s goodness and defies God’s respectability. The more sincere we are and the more serious we are about pleasing God, the more alarm we have about the issue of immorality in our lives. God’s law is an expression of God’s character. If we step over that line, we insult the righteousness of God.[10]

Note that this passage does not say, “Where there is no law, there is no sin.”  Being defiant comes in different sizes and shapes. We cannot step over a line where no line exists. We cannot violate God’s character if there is no restriction or probation against doing what we do.[11] Sin did not take on the flavor of misbehavior until the law came. There was no express law forbidding something. Instead, the law became a warning sign. The moment we fly in the face of an explicit restriction against something, we enter into the domain of rebellion. We willfully disobey the revealed will of God.

Sin is incompatible with God’s divine nature expressed in His Law and Word.  Evil is parallel with lawlessness.[12]  Immorality is by its very nature lawless. Wrongdoing is anything contrary to the character of God.  Transgressions are more than just breaking the Ten Commandments because it involves lawlessness.  It mocks the moral essence, divine nature, and authority of God.  Misdeeds are essentially being insubordinate to God; it defies and violates God’s standards of right living, whether incorporated in the Mosaic Law or not. We cannot please God except by a new nature because of the absolute character of a perfect God.

Keep in mind, doing evil is a rejection of God’s expressed will. No human can please God without a reborn nature. If people attempt to keep the law without the mindset to do so, they will fail. The only thing that can bridle the unbeliever’s sinful tendencies is a change of heart. The fundamental cause of all our faults and all law-breaking is a heart issue. Education will not change the heart. We can have the finest schools and teachers with the most outstanding facility, but if there is no change in the student’s behavior, they will fail because they cannot get to the root of the issue. Psychology does not change the heart. It can change behavior patterns and some attitudes but not the fundamentals in a person’s heart. Governmental laws and police enforcement cannot change the heart. New gun legislation cannot stop the person who wants to murder. Anarchy mounts, and we get nowhere. People are not disobedient because they commit offenses; they violate God’s Law and Will because they are sinners.[13] Our outward shortcomings are an index of our inner nature.  Only by the new birth do we get a recreated attitude.

The reason for all this is that only a person with a spiritual nature can please God and do His will. For instance, compare Romans 6:6 with Colossians 3:10; Galatians 5:24 with 5:17; and 1 Peter 1:23 with 1 John 3:9. Any way you look at it, a crime is breaking God’s law of love. In fact, “lawlessness” is a more impactful term than “sin” because it includes the idea of a determined disregard for the law.  Being error-prone is more than a failure to measure up; it is a stubborn refusal to conform to God’s standards.  The operating principle of wickedness is equivalent to a refutation, an assertion against God’s will. Thus, the active focus of evil is rebellion against the nature of God.

Therefore, sin has an authority problem. At heart, we are rebels. “We want our way no matter what anyone thinks about it.  We don’t care how God feels about it.”  It is spiritual anarchy.^[14] It liberates everyone to do things their way; The only valid will in the universe is God’s, yet we set up our faulty intentions in opposition. Since God is absolute, we must come to God on God’s terms. And coming to Him on our terms is out of the question. Neither can we bargain nor make deals with God. God does not have a changing character. He does not adjust His divine nature to accommodate mankind because His integrity is infinite and absolute. God will not trade His standards away.

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[1] Romans 7:7-13

[2] Numbers 15:31

[3] 1 Samuel 15:24

[4] 2 Chronicles 24:20

[5] Daniel 9:11

[6] Romans 3:20

[7] Ibid. 4:15

[8] James 2:9-10; cf. Romans 7:7-13

[9] 1 John 3:1-3

[10] Romans 4:15

[11] Ibid. 5:13-14

[12] Ibid. 2:29

[13] 1 John 3:8

[14] Isaiah 53:6