Series: 1 John
Title: Doing Righteousness
Text: 1 John 2: 29; 3: 4-10
Date: November 1, 2018
Place: SGBC, NJ
1 John
2: 29: If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth
righteousness is born of him.
Our
subject: Doing Righteousness
Some think “doing righteousness” means he
practices righteousness. God’s saints
delight in the law of God after the inward man.
His grace does bring forth a new walk by making us servants of
righteousness.
But in 1 John 3, John says the believer does
not “commit sin.” Is there anyone here
who does not commit sin? Some say he
means habitual sin, he does not make it his common practice. Again, believers should endeavor to “sin
not”! But all those things a child of
the devil can imitate and John is declaring what is the manifest difference
between a child of God and a child of the devil.
We must interpret scripture in its
context. From chapter 2 verse 18 to
chapter 3 verse 24, John is dealing with the same subject: he declares the
manifest difference between those who are of God and those who are of the
devil.
1) John begins by identifying antichrists,
telling us what he means by “committing
sin”: 1 John 2: 18: Little children,
it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now
are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time. 19: They went out from us, but they were not
of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us:
but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of
us…22: Who is a liar but he that
denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and
the Son. 23: Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father:…
That is what John means when he speaks of
“committing sin”. This is the opposite of “doing righteousness”—“committing
sin” is denying Christ, abiding not in Christ alone to the end; mixing man’s
works so that it ceases to be by grace alone. “Committing sin” is going
out from God’s saints, not continuing under the preaching of the gospel with
Christ’s people, forsaking the assembling together with us under the preaching
of the gospel of Christ—which is to hate brethren rather than love them
2) Then John identifies Christ’s people and
what it is to “do righteousness”—1 John
2: 20: But ye have an unction
from the Holy One, and ye know all things.
21: I have not written
unto you because ye know not the truth, but because ye know it, and that no lie
is of the truth…24: Let that
therefore abide in you, which ye have heard from the beginning. If that which ye have heard from the
beginning shall remain in you, ye also shall continue in the Son, and in the
Father. 25: And this is the promise that he hath promised us, even
eternal life. 26: These things have I written unto you concerning them
that seduce you. 27: But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in
you, and ye need not that any man teach you : but as the same anointing
teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath
taught you, ye shall abide in him. 28: And now, little children, abide in
him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed
before him at his coming.
This is what John means by “doing
righteousness”, it is the opposite of “committing sin”—by “doing righteousness”
he means we, believe on Christ, we abide in Christ in truth unto the end, not
mixing the lie of will-works with God’s grace. “Doing righteousness”
includes loving our brethren by continuing to assemble together with them under
the gospel unto the end and doing all things involved in order to love them and
continue together.
So be sure to understand: by “committing sin” John means denying
Christ, mixing works with Christ, denying the truth, apostatizing from the
gospel, forsaking assembling together with Christ’s people. By “doing
righteousness” John means abiding in Christ, abiding in the truth, loving
our brethren assembling with them unto the end under the gospel.
3) Now,
seeing what John means by “committing sin” and what he means by “doing
righteousness,” in chapter 3, he
continues the same subject, declaring the manifest difference between the children
of God and the children of the devil and why this difference exists—1 John 3: 4: Whosoever committeth sin
transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law. 5: And ye
know that [Christ] was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin.
6: Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him,
neither known him. 7: Little
children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous,
even as he is righteous. 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. 9: Whosoever is born of God doth not
commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is
born of God. 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…23: And
this is his commandment, That we should
believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave
us commandment. 24: And he that
keepeth his commandments dwelleth in [Christ], and [Christ] in him. And hereby
we know that [Christ] abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.
By “doing righteousness” John means
believing on Christ in truth, persevering in faith, abiding in Christ in truth,
not mixing law and grace, not apostatizing from the truth; included is loving
our brethren by assembling with them under the gospel and all things required
to continue doing so. By “committing
sin” John means the opposite: it is to apostatize from the faith, to deny
Christ, to deny the truth, to forsake assembling together with Christ’s people
Our text says—1 John 2: 29: If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one
that doeth righteousness is born of him.
Here is a question, how does “knowing
Christ is righteous” assure us that everyone that believes on Christ and
continues abiding in Christ is born of him?
Proposition: Knowing Christ is
righteous, we know Christ makes his people abide in him alone because this is
righteous and Christ only does that which is righteous. So the sinner who abides in Christ is born of
him.
CHRIST PUT AWAY OUR SINS
1 John 3: 4: Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is
the transgression of the law. 5: And ye
know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin. 6:
Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him,
neither known him.
“Whosoever committeth sin”—whosoever abides not in Christ by
faith alone, whosoever apostatizes from faith in Christ—"transgresseth also the law.” If
a man does not abide in Christ, does not believe on Christ, he sins against God
because God commands us to believe on Christ his Son. God said, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased, hear ye him.” (Mt
17: 5) And Christ taught us the work of God is to believe on Christ.
John 6: 29: Jesus
answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him
whom he hath sent.
By not believing on
Christ, a man transgresses the whole law because the law is fulfilled in
Christ. He is left in his sins and
condemned. Christ said,
John 3: 18: He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is
condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only
begotten Son of God. 19: And
this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved
darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20: For every one that doeth evil
hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be
reproved.
By committing the sin of not believing on
Christ a man "transgresseth also the
law: for sin is the transgression of the law.”
It is because Christ is the fulfillment of the law for his
people. To reject Christ is to abide
under the curse and condemnation of the law.
Christ said, “this is the
condemnation”—this is the sin that condemns him—"that light is come into the
world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light,
lest his deeds should be reproved.”
John began 1 John by speaking of light and darkness—light is believing
on Christ in truth, darkness is rejecting Christ for the works of the
flesh. Christ said when the Holy Spirit
comes he will convince men “of sin,
because they believe not on me.” (Jn 16: 9)
The sin John is speaking of committing is the sin of not believing
on Christ.
But Christ put away the sin of his people on
the cross. Now, the justice of God
demands that Christ must take away our sin of unbelief by giving us faith in
him.
John says, “And ye know
that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin.” Since Christ put away our sins on the
cross, Christ sends the Holy Spirit through the gospel and puts away our sin of
unbelief, giving us faith in him. “Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not.” Abiding in Christ is believing on
Christ. And by abiding in Christ by
faith, we sin not. Christ took away all the sin of his people by
being made sin for us and making us the righteousness of God in him. So John says, “and in him is no sin.”
Hebrews 1: 3…when he had by himself purged
our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;
Therefore, Christ takes away the sin of
unbelief in those he redeemed by creating each of his redeemed anew and making
us know him and see him and giving us faith to believe on him. This is how he
brings us to abide in him, to believe on him and keeps us believing
on him. Therefore, John says, “whosoever sinneth”—whosoever abides not
in Christ by faith—"hath not seen
him, neither known him.
John 3: 3: Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto
thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
But when we are
born of Christ, Christ reveals himself, making us see him. We known him.
The result is what Christ said, “they
follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish,
neither shall any man pluck
them out of my hand.” (Jn 10: 27-28)
So we asked the
question, how does knowing Christ is righteous make us know that everyone that
believes is born of him? It is because
all who believe are given faith because Christ put away our sin on the cross
and he puts away our sin of unbelief. He
brings us to rest in Christ by faith as our only righteousness. So those who believe on Christ and continue
abiding Christ do so because they been made righteous by Christ and born again.
AS RIGHTEOUS AS CHRIST
1 John 3: 7: Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth
righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.
Remember, “doing righteousness” is believing
on Christ. It is the same as what Christ called “doing truth.” Christ said,
John 3: 21: But he that doeth truth cometh to the Light, that his deeds may be
made manifest, that they are wrought in God.
Believing on Christ
is called “doing righteousness” because through faith Christ’s doing of
righteousness is freely imputed to us because his doing, as our Head, is the
doing of his believing people.
Romans 9: 30: What shall we say then? That the
Gentiles, which followed not after righteousness, have attained to
righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith. 31: But Israel, which followed after
the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness. 32: Wherefore? Because they sought
it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled
at that stumblingstone; 33: As
it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and
whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.
When Christ reveals himself we are no longer “ignorant of God’s righteousness, and [no
longer] going about to establish [our] own righteousness, [but] have…submitted
[ourselves] unto the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that
believeth.” (Rom 10: 3-4) Paul said, “the
word of faith, which we preach” is this “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt
believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be
saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth
confession is made unto salvation.” (Rom 10: 8-10) Believing on Christ is what John is calling
“doing righteousness” because it is through faith in Christ that the believer
establishes the whole law in righteousness.
Not because we established it but because Christ did for us. (Rom 3: 31)
So if we know Christ is righteous then we
know he that does righteousness—believing on Christ—is born of him and is
righteous even as Christ is Righteous.
WE
CANNOT “NOT” BELIEVE
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. 9: Whosoever is born of God doth not
commit sin; for [Christ’s] seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he
is born of God. 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.
Since Christ was manifest to destroy the
works of the devil, “whosoever is born of
God doth not commit sin”—those born of faith cannot stop believing on
Christ. We cannot cease looking to
Christ and begin looking to our works for salvation. We cannot apostatize from the faith nor can
we cease loving our brethren. Why?
It is because we are born of Christ’s incorruptible seed and his seed
remains in us and we cannot sin the sin of stopping believing on Christ because
we are born of God. In the new man that
Christ creates is no sin. But in our
flesh is only sin. Yet, faith in Christ
is the one sin that those born of God cannot commit because Christ will not
allow it by his incorruptible seed remaining in us.
1 Peter 1: 21: Who by [Christ] do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead,
and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God. 22:
Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto
unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure
heart fervently: 23: Being born
again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which
liveth and abideth for ever. 24:
For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of
grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: 25: But the word of the Lord endureth
for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.
The gospel comes in power when Christ speaks
and implants the seed, the word, within his child. A new man is created after Christ’s image. By
God’s grace we “put on the new man, which
after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.” (Eph 4:24) We are continually “renewed in knowledge after the image of Christ who created us” (Col
3:10)
The result is “[Christ’s] seed remaineth in him: and he
cannot sin”—he cannot NOT believe on Christ—"because he is born of God.”
John says by Christ’s incorruptible seed we
do righteousness and love our brethren.
It is because the word comes in power making us irresistibly heed God’s
command which John gives again in verses 23-24.
Here he tells us clearly what doing righteousness and loving our
brethren is, “And this is his
commandment, That we should BELIEVE ON THE NAME OF HIS SON JESUS CHRIST, and
love one another, as he gave us commandment. And he that keepeth his
commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth
in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.
Do
you delight to do his will? Christ’s
yoke is light and easy to his people. We
believe on Christ, abide in him and cannot do otherwise, nor do we want
to. We love our brethren by continuing
under the gospel together. The Spirit
which he has given us makes us willing and we cannot do otherwise. “In
this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever
doeth not righteousness”—whosoever believes not Christ or departs from the
faith—"is not of God, neither he
that loveth not his brother.”
Amen!