(Photo by D.K Ta on Unsplash. Berean Standard Bible.)
Welcome to the Hope Bible School verse-by-verse Bible study of 1 John. This is Jeff M Newman. Get a new lesson every other week on Mondays at 12:00 PM Pacific.
In Lesson 85, we are going to study the second part of 1 John 3:6.
Let’s read the verse.
1 John 3:6 …No one who continues to sin has seen Him or known Him.
Let’s go over the definitions of the words.
No (3756. ou, ouk, ouch) one (3956. pas) who (3588. ho, hé, to) — means “no one” or “not a single person,” expressing a strong and comprehensive negation.
Continues to sin (264. hamartanó) — means an ongoing, habitual pattern of missing the mark of God’s standard.
Has seen (3708. horaó) Him (846. autos) — means to see, perceive, or recognize Christ, emphasizing awareness and recognition of Him as He truly is.
Or (3761. oude) — means “nor” or “and not,” continuing the strong negation and linking both statements into one unified denial.
Known (1097. ginóskó) Him (846. autos) — means to know, come to know, or have relational and experiential knowledge of Jesus.
In other words, no one who lives in an ongoing, habitual pattern of missing the mark of God’s standard has truly seen or recognized Christ, nor have they come to know Him in a relational or experiential sense.
In Lesson 84, the previous lesson, we learned that when someone continues in, stays in, or abides in Christ they do not continue to practice sin.
In this part of the verse, John says, “no one who continues to sin.” He is speaking about a person whose life is characterized by an ongoing pattern of sin. This is not describing a Christian who has occasional failures, but someone who lives in a continual, unrepentant lifestyle of sin.
This person is in bondage to sin rather than being transformed through a relationship with Christ that comes from abiding in Him.
If someone is living in habitual sin, it reveals their true spiritual condition. According to John, this person does not have a genuine relationship with God.
John says this person has not “seen Him.” This means they have not truly perceived or recognized Christ for who He is.
John also says that a person who continues in sin does not “know Him.” This is not simply a lack of information about Jesus, but a lack of personal, relational knowledge of Him.
To know Christ means to walk with Him, to trust Him, and to follow Him in a life marked by repentance and obedience. It is an ongoing relationship, not just an intellectual awareness.
So when someone lives in a continual pattern of sin, it reveals that they have neither truly seen Christ nor come to know Him in a saving way.
Let’s take a look at some verses that support the teaching of 1 John 3:6 which says, “No one who continues to sin has seen Him or known Him.“
In Matthew 7:21-23, we see that a person can have outwardly religious behavior and still live a life of lawlessness. Not everyone who calls Him “Lord” truly belongs to Him, but only those who do the will of the Father. When someone continues in this kind of lifestyle, it shows they do not truly know the Lord. Jesus will say to them that He never knew them, regardless of their outward appearances.
Matthew 7:21-23 Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the person who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you workers of lawlessness!’
In John 3:19-20, we see that there are people who love darkness rather than the Light. They do not come into the Light because their lives are marked by sin, and they do not want their deeds to be exposed. This reveals that they have not truly seen Him or known Him.
John 3:19-20 And this is the verdict: The Light has come into the world, but people loved the darkness rather than the Light because their deeds were evil. 20 Everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come into the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.
In Ephesians 4:17-19, we see that those who do not walk with Jesus are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God. Because of the hardness of their hearts, they give themselves over to sensuality and practice every kind of impurity. Their lives are marked by ongoing sin, which shows that they do not have a true relationship with God.
Ephesians 4:17-19 So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. 18 They are darkened in their understanding and alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardness of their hearts. 19 Having lost all sense of shame, they have given themselves over to sensuality for the practice of every kind of impurity, with a craving for more.
In conclusion, no one who lives in a habitual pattern of sin has truly seen God through the eyes of faith or come to know Him through a genuine walk with Him.
Let’s review the key takeaways, from the cross references we studied.
Even though a person may have the outward appearance of spiritual behavior, if their life is characterized by lawlessness, it shows they do not truly know God, and Jesus will say that He never knew them. (Matthew 7:21-23)
People love darkness rather than the Light and do not come into the Light because their lives are marked by habitual sin. (John 3:19-20)
People who do not walk with Jesus are darkened in their understanding and are alienated from the life of God. (Ephesians 4:17-19)
Be encouraged. God loves you and is inviting you into an authentic relationship with Him through Jesus Christ. As you abide in Christ, drawing near to Him in faith and obedience, you will come to know God intimately and see Him more clearly. He will faithfully transform your life day by day to reflect His righteousness and His character more and more.
Here is a prayer to help you respond to today’s lesson:
Father, thank You for Your Word that leads me into truth and brings me into the light of Jesus Christ. Search my heart, draw me away from sin, and help me to truly know You, love You, and obey You as I abide in Christ each day. I thank You that You invite all people into relationship with You through Jesus, and I ask that You transform me and empower me by Your Spirit to reflect Your righteousness. Amen.
Let’s read our verse, one more time.
1 John 3:6 …No one who continues to sin has seen Him or known Him.
If you’ve been blessed by Hope Bible School, please share it with others.
Listen to these lessons over and over again.
Meditate on God’s Word throughout the day. Pray continually. Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.
If you have any prayer requests, please share them in the comments.
Thank you and God bless you.
Jeff M Newman
