Simple Answers From Biblical Truths
Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness; indeed, sin is lawlessness. The beloved apostle brings his epistle to its apex by identifying what differentiates the children of God from the children of the Devil and confronting the gnostic dichotomy between “sin” and “lawlessness” that many believed made it possible to “be righteous” while living in …
1 John 3:14 (CSB) — 14 We know that we have passed from death to life because we love our brothers and sisters. The one who does not love remains in death. James 2:14–17 (CSB) — 14 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but does not have …
Continue reading "“Why’s My Faith So Dead?” – 1st John 3:14 & James 2:14-17"
Verse 3: Hope Purifies And everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself just as he is pure. John’s conclusion to these verses (2:28– 3:2) is that our hope in Christ must compel us to live our lives on this earth in utmost purity as we await his glorious return! “Everyone who has this …
Verse 2: Our Resurrected Bodies Dear friends, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet been revealed. We know that when he appears, we will be like him because we will see him as he is. The joy of being God’s children raises the question about both our nature and …
Verse 1c: The World Does Not Know Us See what great love the Father has given us that we should be called God’s children—and we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it didn’t know him. One of the realities of our adoption and regeneration as the children of God is …
Verse 1b: God’s Children See what great love the Father has given us that we should be called God’s children—and we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it didn’t know him. This clear vision of God’s love completely regenerates and renews his children and changes them from the inside-out the …
Chapter 3: The Children of God The third chapter and center of John’s epistle brings us to the source of our gospel: the love of God. This epistle unfolds the word of life and illuminates the fellowship that believers have with their heavenly Father through the body of Christ in the promised Holy Spirit with …
If you know that he is righteous, you know this as well: Everyone who does what is right has been born of him. An important break in thought occurs as John introduces a new topic – “the tests for knowing the children of God” – and brings his attention away from the false teachers and …
So now, little children, remain in him so that when he appears we may have confidence and not be ashamed before him at his coming. This verse makes the transition from concern about false teachers that has dominated the previous chapter to concern for the children of God, which will dominate the remaining chapters. “Remain …
1st John 2:18–27 (CSB) Children, it is the last hour. And as you have heard that antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come. By this we know that it is the last hour. 19 They went out from us, but they did not belong to us; for if they had belonged to us, …
