Peter Barnes | 1 John 3:4-10
SERMON NOTES
THE CHRISTIAN AND CONTINUING SIN
Deuteronomy 4:1-14; 1 John 3:1-10
– like Romans 6 in that there is a definite break with sin.
1. The nature of sin.
(a) it is ‘without law’ (3:4); Shorter Catechism no.14
(b) it comes from the devil (3:8); we are responsible (James 1:13-15) but Satan is at work (John 8:44).
2. The person and work of Christ.
(a) He is sinless (3:5). We are sinful (1:8, 10) but Christ is divine (note Luke 18:19).
(b) He came to take away our sins (3:5; note John 1:29; Heb.9:26) and to destroy the works (not the NIV’s work) of the devil
3. Christian are to live without sinning.
– 3:6, 9 in the NIV and ESV – we do not keep on sinning.
– John Wesley, Charles Finney, and Charles Trumbull all taught some kind of Christian perfectionism. Not so the Shorter Catechism no.82.
– the seed (3:9) could be God’s Word (1 Pet.1:23) but more likely the Holy Spirit (1 John 2:27). Christ changes us.