1 John 2:28 to 3:10 Bible Study Notes

Bible Study Notes - 1 John 2:28 – 3:10

We continue our study in 1 John which primarily teaches disciples how to live, individually and collectively, in the “beloved community” which the “Church” personifies.  The author, the Apostle John, “the Beloved Disciple” who also wrote the Gospel of John as well as the other two epistles and the book of Revelation, instructs believers on the practicality of living in fellowship with God through a relationship with Jesus Christ (the Logos and the Life) within a community of fellow believers.  In this week’s passage, we explore it means to claim an inheritance as “Children of God.”  John comforts his fellow believers with encouraging words explaining their manifold blessings as adopted sons and daughters of Almighty God.  Addressing his audience as “Dear children,” the venerable apostle details God’s unfathomable love, eternal inheritance, necessity of forsaking sin, Christ’s atoning work, obligation to brothers and sisters and surety of full acceptance as a son or daughter of God.

Consider the following ideas and questions as you study the passage.

Children of God – 1 John 2:28 – 3:10

• In the twenty-eighth verse, John advances the necessity of persevering in their relationships with the Lord Jesus Christ.  The eventual outcome of continuing with Christ gives disciples confidence when they see Him face to face.  Moreover, disciples will be “unashamed” because they have assurance which emerge s from a vibrant.
• As disciples mature spiritually, they more greatly appreciate God’s unquestionable faithfulness, unfailing love and unending grace.  These divine attributes culminate in the gift of eternal life.  Disciples rest in God’s limitless love.  As a consequence, they need not fear the appearance of the Lord dreading a furious judgment.  Rightly relating to our Lord in the context of mutually beneficial and interdependent relationship annihilates ant fear of punishment or pain.  In essence, it enables a continuation of this rapport throughout eternity.
• In the next verse, John assures his fellow believers they share in Christ’s righteousness.  As they more greatly grasp His righteousness, they emulate His character, mind and heart.  In fact, their willingness to strive for righteousness is the surest evidence they have been born of Him. 
• As John begins the third chapter of this Letter, he extols the breath and width and length and depth of God’s love!  In fact, John depicts Almighty God as lavishing His love upon us “that we should be called children of God.”  Allude to John 3:16-17, 1 John 4:18, Luke 7:36-50, Ephesians 3:18-21 and Psalm 51:4.  Has God wasted His love on humankind?
• Yet, John encourages his fellow believers to rejoice in the irreversible and indescribable gift of God’s love which adopts us as His children although we naturally inherited the fallen nature of our forbears.  God’s infinite love exceeds the totality of human sin, individually and collectively.  See 1 Peter 4:18 which offers assurance that love covers a multitude of sin. 
• God’s adopts as His children anyone who believes in Jesus Christ as God’s One and Only Begotten Son in whom Almighty God offers abundant and eternal life.  See John 1:12, Romans 8:15, Romans 11:11-24, 2 Corinthians 6:8, and Galatians 4:5-6.
• John tells the beloved community to rejoice in this eternal inheritance.  “And that is what we are!”
• Let’s discuss adopted children versus “real” children.  How should the Church respond to all of the children who need homes in the United States?  Let’s discuss the foster care situation in the 37206, 37207 and 37208 zip codes of Nashville, TN.  Further, let’s discuss the demographical situation relating to adoption in the United States and the right to life and freedom of choice debate.
• John notes the world’s inability to appreciate and respect the children of God because the world does not recognize or appreciate the Lord.  See John 3:16-21.  In the gospel, the evangelist says Light enters the world in Christ but humankind loves darkness more than the light.  Essentially, children of God cannot expect commendations from the world.  The values of Christ and culture fundamentally and inevitably collide.  Because Christian principles challenge core beliefs of secular, humanistic thinking about social relationships and structures, distribution of resources and use of political power, disciples should expect ridicule and persecution.
• John then offers an even greater assurance to his fellow believers.  Beyond the present certainty of being children of God, disciples exult in the future expectation of transformation into the image of Christ.  Although human minds cannot conceive what transliteration into a non-corporeal body means, believers know they will be like Christ when He appears.  What is more, disciples will see Him as He is!
• Persons possessing such hope have an obligation to purge themselves of sin and any impediments that prevent them from progressing in sanctification.  As Christ is pure, His followers must also emulate His purity.
• Simply stated, “Sin is lawlessness.”  However, John advocates the new law of love which possesses a higher standard of obedience than the black letters of the Torah.
• As the perfect Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, Christ came to redeem us from sin and the excruciating burden of the Law.  Christ pays the entire debt of human sin.
• Willful persistence in sin negates any confession of knowing and relating to our Lord.  In the gospel of John (chapters 14, 15 and 16), the evangelist says love of Christ is most evident in obedience to His commands which are not burdensome.
• Genuine disciples have a clear and unequivocal choice.  Will they persevere in the process of sanctification as God mysteriously and majestically conforms them into the heart, mind and character of Christ?  Will they continue to seek satisfaction of carnal desires and physical instincts although they have tasted of the Lord’s goodness?  Not surprisingly, the apostle argues in favor of “the perseverance of the saints” on earth until they directly join the Lord as His appearing.
• In the seventh verse, John warns the beloved community against uncritical acceptance of any Christian teachers.  Again, we test the spirits to determine whether any religious or spiritual teaching coheres with the Word of God.
• John recommends examining the example and character of teachers to determine the worth of their perspectives.  The person who behaves righteously does so because of a right relationship with the very Personification of righteousness Himself.  Righteous actions indicate knowledge of Christ which in turn lends integrity to teachings about Him.
• Not surprisingly, the converse is true.  Perpetual sin demonstrates ignorance of Christ and knowledge of the devil.
• Nonetheless, Christ appears to annihilate the work of the devil.  See Colossians 2:9-15.
• In the ninth verse, John states affirmatively genuine disciples do not continue to sin as they have been born of Almighty God.  Our Heavenly Father replaces the Adamic seed with the seed of Christ (1 Corinthians 15:22).  The presence of divine seed within the human heart produces fruit of righteousness instead of sin and rebellion against Almighty God.  Actually, it prevents human desire to sin.  As disciples progress to sanctification and holiness, they have a decreasing desire to satiate their self-seeking motives and preferences.  Instead, they mature as God’s servants.
• In the tenth and final verse of this passage, John differentiates between the children of God and the devil.  Interestingly, he defines a child of God from a negative perspective by stating what he or she fails to do.  The person who neglects to do what is right and does not love his or her brother cannot characterize himself or herself as a child of God.