1 John 2:28-3:10

1 John 2 :28-3:10 Adoption to Righteousness

1 John 2:28-3:10 is one whole unit. Some think 2:28-29 belong with 2:26-27 but this is not the case. 2:28-29 introduce what John is going to say in 3:1-3. What is key to remember about these verses is that 3:1-3 is sandwiched between verses which have a them of righteousness. This is key because 3:1-3 will seem out of place if we do not keep this in mind.

1. Confidence and assurance before the Lord at His second coming. (2:28-29)

John calls believers to abide in Him, Christ, so that when He returns we may have confidence before Him. Those who abide in Him will have no need to shrink from Him in shame at His coming. Confidence here “indicates an assurance derived form a holy life of abiding in Christ.” (MacArthur, 113) What does it mean that He is coming? The Greek conveys the idea of someone returning who is not now physically present (Stott, 121). Christ is coming to take home those who abide in Him.

What does it mean for a believer to abide in Christ? It means they will be bearing spiritual fruit, there will be growth (Jn 15:4). Abiding in Christ means we are obedient to what He teaches, to His commands (Jn 15:10,14). I think John really answers the question for us in verse 29. Those who practice righteousness are those who abide in Him.

Why is this? Because if God is righteous you may be sure that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of Him. This righteousness is evidence that a person is a believer, not the way they are saved (Stott 122).

Here is a good question to ask of this verse. What does it mean to be born of God? Let’s look at two verses from John’s gospel for a clear picture of what it means to be born of God.

• John 1:12-13. Verse 12 says those who believed were given the right to become children of God. The Greek word here for “right” literally means “capability, might or power.” CBDAG, 352). In other words, this was not something that was within them, which gave the right to become children of God, but it was given to them. Notice in verse 13 that those who believed were not born of blood, the will of the flesh, or the will of man, but of God. Their new birth was caused by God and God alone.
• John 3:3,5-6. Jesus here is talking to Nicodemus and in verse 3 says you must be born again, and without being born again no one can see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus did not understand what Jesus was saying. Jesus answered a person must be born of the Spirit. That which is born of flesh is flesh, and that which is born of Spirit is Spirit.

2. Children of God (Adoption) vs. 3:1-2

What comes to your mind when you hear the word ADOPTION? Some have positive thoughts, some negative. What comes to your mind when you hear the Doctrine of Adoption? Some here, no doubt, do not have any clue. Some are thinking I love that doctrine. It is great. In verse 1-3 John bursts forth in praise because of the great love which God has given us. No doubt this happens to any believer as they think of being born of God.

First a definition of the doctrine of adoption: “Explains the nature of God’s relationship to His people.”(NDBT 376). God takes people who are not His children and makes them His children (Boyce 405).

The source of our adoption, v. 1

The source of the believer’s adoption, being made a child of God, is God’s love. God has given us His love so we can be children of God. “Children of God is no mere title; it is a fact.” (Stott, 123). God in His love adopted us. A great love which God has given us (NASB).

The extent of the believer’s adoption, v. 2

We are God’s children now. And we will be God’s adopted children for all eternity. We do not know now what we will be like, but we do know we will be like Him when He appears. We will be children of God forever, if we have been born of Him.

This should bring us assurance as we think on these things. God in His love has made us His children. Why should this bring us assurance? Because the world will not know us because we are children of God. This can and will bring doubt into our lives. We will be made fun of for being a Christian. We will be left out because we are a Christian. But be assured you are a child of God and the reason the world does not know you is it does not know Him.

Righteousness: the life of the child of God vs. 3-10

An adopted child of God will seek to live a certain way. The chief characteristic of the adopted child of God is righteousness. Remember we said at the beginning of the lesson that 3:1-3 was sandwiched in between verses that are DOMINATED by the theme of righteousness.

Let’s go through vs. 3-10 and look at what John says a child of God will look like.

The believer purifies himself as He is pure. The Greek word here (purify) is a present active indicative, which means it is a continuous real action. The word purify here signifies a moral purity (BDAG, 12). The believer will be morally pure as He is pure.

Next in vs. 4-6 we see 3 things.

A definition of sin (v.4). Sin is lawlessness. Those who practice sin practice lawlessness. “Lawlessness is the essence, not result, of sin.” (Stott, 126). In other words, those who practice sin practice disobedience to what God has commanded in His word.

Secondly, Christ appeared to take away sins (v.5). What makes Jesus Christ eligible for this? Because there is no sin in Him. Because Jesus is without sin He can take away sin.

Thirdly, no one who abides in Christ keeps on sinning (v.6). Those who abide in Christ cannot continually sin. The word sinning here is a present active indicative, which represents a real action that is continuous. The believer can continually sin. Why is this? Because of who they abide in. They abide in Christ who came to take away sins so they cannot continue in it. They cannot continue in sin because of whose they are. They are Christ’s and there is no sin in Him, therefore His followers are to be like Him. No one who keeps on sinning knows Jesus Christ; they have not been adopted by God! OUCH! What a warning from John. Anyone who continually lives in sin is not a believer. They have never been saved. Those who have been adopted by God to be His children cannot continue in sin.

Those who practice righteousness, those who obey, are righteous as He is righteous (v.7). Those who obey, those who practice righteousness, which is obedience, are of God. John wants his readers to not be deceived. The Gnostics claimed they knew the righteous one, but they lived unrighteous lives. So John says those who practice righteousness they are of the Father, they are the true believers, they are children of God. The way we live should back up our claims.

In vs. 8-10 John gives a comparison. He says whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil. Those who sin continually are not of God, but the devil. The devil has been sinning from the beginning. Sin has its origin in the devil not God. A reason the child of God cannot continue in sin is Jesus appeared to destroy the works of the devil. The believer cannot be in bondage to sin because Jesus destroyed the works of the devil, sin, for them. In v. 9 John says no one born of God keeps sinning because God’s seed abides in him. What does seed refer to? What does it mean? Colin Kruse says “The Holy Spirit is the most satisfactory option, in light of the fact that the new birth is effected by God through the Spirit, and it is the Spirit who in Johannine theology remains with and in believers.” (Kruse, 125). A believer cannot continually sin because the Holy Spirit abides in them. He, the believer, cannot continually sin because he has been born of God. John ends the section in v. 10 with a negative statement. John says this is how we tell who the children of God are, and who the children of the devil are. Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God. Those who continually live in sin are not children of God.