1 John 3:8 - He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.
He that commits sin is of the devil; And again, the word commits is the word practicing. It's a Present Participle. He that practices sin is from out of the devil; for the devil is sinning from the beginning.
The bible says that the sinner is Satan. And according to Psalm 51, David said that at the point of conception, we inherit the sin nature that came to the fallen human race through Adam. We inherit a sin nature. As soon as we are born, we're born in sin, and we're born going our own way and doing our own thing.
In Ephesians 2:1-2, in describing the non-believer, Paul says and you has He made alive who were dead in trespasses and sin, wherein time past you walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now works or energizes in the children of the disobedience.
Satan energizes people, as this chapter continues to tell us. Satan energizes people to fulfill the desires of the flesh and of the mind. There are only two groups of people on the earth. And it has nothing to do with religion. There are people who are energized by Satan to live for themselves, and those who are energized by Christ to live for Christ. That's it!
1 John 3:12 - Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous.
So, we should be loving one another, not as Cain (back in Genesis Chapter 4). Not as Cain, who is of the wicked one, and slew, or killed his brother. Literally slaughtered him. In the Greek text, it's the word slaughter. And why did he slaughter? Because his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous. His brother was going down the right road doing what God wanted him to do, and he killed him.
1 John 3:15 - Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.
Whoever hates, and that's a Present Participle. Whoever is hating his brother is a murderer: and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.
1 John 3:16 - Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.
The word ought is the word indebted. In Romans Chapter 13, Paul says to pay taxes to whom taxes are due, give honor to whom honor is due, and respect to whom respect is due. In other words, if the world wants it, give it to them. We only have one debt in life. And that's to love, AGAPE love, God's love. Nothing should be allowed to interfere with God's love in us and through us as a ministry to others.
We are indebted to lay down our lives for the brethren. It's not just a command as we see it. I owe you. Jesus laid down His life for me and said this is love. It's sacrifice. It's giving up yourself for the spiritual good of others, if not your own self.
1 John 3:11 - For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.
A beautiful text, technically absolutely perfect! According to the 1 John Chapter 4, it says God is love. Love is not an action. It's not a human performance. Love is the very nature and quality of who God is. So, I cannot have that AGAPE love for anybody unless the Spirit of God who is love is in me. Having AGAPE love means that we have concern for the spiritual welfare of others.
Actually, the love of God is an interruption in people's lives. We are so horizontal, we've got our jobs, we've got our hobbies, we've got things to do, and places to go, and all of a sudden God's Spirit lays on your heart a concern for a person's spiritual welfare. That's the love of God!
So, he says since we are believers, we should be loving one another. You see, that's not a challenge. He's saying that's the trademark. This should be going on in your life. And if it's not, then you don't belong to Him. It's either all or nothing. The bible says that when a person is saved, they are constantly under the influence of AGAPE love, constantly loving.
It's the same formula, the same principle that the bible teaches. I am in the love of God because God is in me. He's love, He's pure, and He's righteous. He's love; therefore, I continuously am under the influence of God's love. Now in the human I'm not, but in the Spirit I am.
1 John 3:10 - In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.
In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil:
So here we go, summary statement: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, literal translation. Doeth is a Present Participle, doing, or practicing. Whoever is not practicing righteousness is not of God. Why is that? It's because Christ is the righteous one. And if He does not live inside of one, leading them down the path of righteousness, then they're not practicing righteousness.
Neither he that loveth not his brother. A new concept has now slipped in there. Not only does an unsaved person not practice righteousness, he also does not love his brother. Loving is another Participle, constantly, AGAPE. If a person is not saved, if they're not practicing righteousness, then they're not practicing loving their brother.
When a person is saved, that person is literally delivered from the spirit that is energizing them and influencing them in sin, and God's Spirit is born in them. And that person is called a Christian.
So, he's giving sources now. If you practice sin, it's because your source is the devil because he's the one that sins from the beginning. It's Satan sinning through us. We have a partner in this. We have a spirit that lines things up for us and helps us to sin.
But again, the cure for sin:
For this purpose, the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil. The word destroy is the word loosen. Some of you may have heard the doctrine of binding and loosing. It all has to do with sin in Matthew's gospel.
When a person is unsaved, they are called bound to their sins. When a person is saved, they are loosed from their sins. When Jesus came, He came to loosen us from the works of the devil and the devil's influence over our life. That's what He came for.
1 John 3:8 - He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.
He that commits sin is of the devil; And again, the word commits is the word practicing. It's a Present Participle. He that practices sin is from out of the devil; for the devil is sinning from the beginning.
The bible says that the sinner is Satan. And according to Psalm 51, David said that at the point of conception, we inherit the sin nature that came to the fallen human race through Adam. We inherit a sin nature. As soon as we are born, we're born in sin, and we're born going our own way and doing our own thing.
In Ephesians 2:1-2, in describing the non-believer, Paul says and you has He made alive who were dead in trespasses and sin, wherein time past you walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now works or energizes in the children of the disobedience.
Satan energizes people, as this chapter continues to tell us. Satan energizes people to fulfill the desires of the flesh and of the mind. There are only two groups of people on the earth. And it has nothing to do with religion. There are people who are energized by Satan to live for themselves, and those who are energized by Christ to live for Christ. That's it!
1 John 3:12 - Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous.
So, we should be loving one another, not as Cain (back in Genesis Chapter 4). Not as Cain, who is of the wicked one, and slew, or killed his brother. Literally slaughtered him. In the Greek text, it's the word slaughter. And why did he slaughter? Because his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous. His brother was going down the right road doing what God wanted him to do, and he killed him.
1 John 3:15 - Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.
Whoever hates, and that's a Present Participle. Whoever is hating his brother is a murderer: and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.
1 John 3:16 - Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.
The word ought is the word indebted. In Romans Chapter 13, Paul says to pay taxes to whom taxes are due, give honor to whom honor is due, and respect to whom respect is due. In other words, if the world wants it, give it to them. We only have one debt in life. And that's to love, AGAPE love, God's love. Nothing should be allowed to interfere with God's love in us and through us as a ministry to others.
We are indebted to lay down our lives for the brethren. It's not just a command as we see it. I owe you. Jesus laid down His life for me and said this is love. It's sacrifice. It's giving up yourself for the spiritual good of others, if not your own self.
1 John 3:11 - For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.
A beautiful text, technically absolutely perfect! According to the 1 John Chapter 4, it says God is love. Love is not an action. It's not a human performance. Love is the very nature and quality of who God is. So, I cannot have that AGAPE love for anybody unless the Spirit of God who is love is in me. Having AGAPE love means that we have concern for the spiritual welfare of others.
Actually, the love of God is an interruption in people's lives. We are so horizontal, we've got our jobs, we've got our hobbies, we've got things to do, and places to go, and all of a sudden God's Spirit lays on your heart a concern for a person's spiritual welfare. That's the love of God!
So, he says since we are believers, we should be loving one another. You see, that's not a challenge. He's saying that's the trademark. This should be going on in your life. And if it's not, then you don't belong to Him. It's either all or nothing. The bible says that when a person is saved, they are constantly under the influence of AGAPE love, constantly loving.
It's the same formula, the same principle that the bible teaches. I am in the love of God because God is in me. He's love, He's pure, and He's righteous. He's love; therefore, I continuously am under the influence of God's love. Now in the human I'm not, but in the Spirit I am.
1 John 3:10 - In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.
In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil:
So here we go, summary statement: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, literal translation. Doeth is a Present Participle, doing, or practicing. Whoever is not practicing righteousness is not of God. Why is that? It's because Christ is the righteous one. And if He does not live inside of one, leading them down the path of righteousness, then they're not practicing righteousness.
Neither he that loveth not his brother. A new concept has now slipped in there. Not only does an unsaved person not practice righteousness, he also does not love his brother. Loving is another Participle, constantly, AGAPE. If a person is not saved, if they're not practicing righteousness, then they're not practicing loving their brother.
1 John 3:8 Continued
When a person is saved, that person is literally delivered from the spirit that is energizing them and influencing them in sin, and God's Spirit is born in them. And that person is called a Christian.
So, he's giving sources now. If you practice sin, it's because your source is the devil because he's the one that sins from the beginning. It's Satan sinning through us. We have a partner in this. We have a spirit that lines things up for us and helps us to sin.
But again, the cure for sin:
For this purpose, the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil. The word destroy is the word loosen. Some of you may have heard the doctrine of binding and loosing. It all has to do with sin in Matthew's gospel.
When a person is unsaved, they are called bound to their sins. When a person is saved, they are loosed from their sins. When Jesus came, He came to loosen us from the works of the devil and the devil's influence over our life. That's what He came for.
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