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THE NORTHERN KENTUCKY SEARCHER VOLUME 6, NUMBER 4, JANUARY 29, 2006 CONDUCT MATTERS Part Two As we continue our study in 1 John 3:3-12, we pick up the exegesis in verse 8. John’s next point is that in reality, the one who claims to be a child of God and yet continues to live in sin is in fact a member of an entirely different family. He belongs to Satan and is of his family, so to speak. This is so reminiscent of the statement that Jesus made in John 8:44-47. “Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not. Which of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me? He that is of God heareth God’s words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God.” Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil, so how can a child of God live in them? The individual who is a child of God does not continue to sin on a habitual basis; it is not such an individual’s manner of life, because the Word of God abides in him. Obviously, the seed that John writes of is the Word. As always, the scriptures are their own best interpreter, and while there are many theories advanced concerning what this seed is, Jesus said in Luke 8:11, “Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God.” The idea is that the Word of God has a home in the heart of a child of God. Think about Colossians 3:16, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.” Brethren, the idea is that a child of God cannot continue to live a life that is characterized by sin because the word of God, the seed, forbids it. Remember the words of David from Psalm 119:11, “Thy word have I laid up in my heart, that I might not sin against thee.” Even the Lord in dealing with the temptations presented to Him by Satan in the wilderness always responded with, “it is written,” and then the appropriate passage of scripture. A life of sin is absolutely incompatible with the Word and absolutely incompatible with God our Father. John’s next point, found in verses 10 – 12, is that it should be obvious who belongs to whom. A life of continuous sin justifies the conclusion that such a person is a child of the devil – even if they claim to be a child of God. That also involves the way they deal with each other. One who claims to be a child of God, yet demonstrates by his conduct that he does not love his brethren, is a child of the devil. Indeed, from the very beginning of their instruction in Christianity, they had been taught the foundation of love, that they were to love one another. Remember the words of Jesus found in John 13:34 – 35. Jesus said, “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.” They also had an example of how they were not to conduct themselves in the story of Cain and Abel. Cain, by his conduct, clearly demonstrated whose spiritual family he was in. It is interesting as well that he slew Abel because Abel’s works were according to God’s instructions and Cain’s were not. Those works involved worshipping God in the manner He asks for. Abel did – Cain did not. One was of God. One was of Satan. CONDUCT MATTERS! Greg Litmer CAUSE FOR REJOICING The love of the
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