(Photo by Ankit Choudhary 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 90, we are going to study the first part of 1 John 3:9.
Let’s read this part of the verse:
1 John 3:9 Anyone born of God refuses to practice sin…
Let’s go over the definitions of the words.
Anyone (3956. pas) — means all, every, or anyone without exception.
born (1080. gennaó) — means to be born or brought forth. Here it refers to a completed act with continuing results.
of (1537. ek or ex) — means out of, from, or originating from.
God (2316. theos) — means the one true and supreme God.
refuses to practice (4160. poieó) — means to do, make, or practice.
sin (266. hamartia) — means to miss the mark or fall short of God's perfect standard. At its core, sin is choosing your own way instead of God's way and living independently of Him rather than in dependence on Him.
In other words, all people, without exception, who have been born of the one true and supreme God do not continually choose their own way instead of God’s way as a pattern of life.
Life begins with a physical birth. But because Adam sinned in the Garden of Eden, sin entered the world, and death spread to all people. As a result, every person is born with a sinful nature and is subject to both physical and spiritual death.
The good news is that Jesus paid the penalty for your sins by dying on the cross and rising from the dead. When you put your faith in Jesus Christ, you are spiritually born into God’s family. You are born again and become a new creation in Christ. This new birth is a permanent work of God with eternal and lasting results.
When you are born again, God changes your heart, your nature, and your desires. This is a work of His grace. There is nothing you have done to deserve His free gift of salvation. Instead of living for sin, you now have a new desire to please God and obey Him.
Although believers still struggle with the flesh and are tempted to sin, sin no longer rules their lives. God gives believers strength and power through His Spirit to refuse a lifestyle of sin.
The word practice refers to a continual habit or pattern of life. Practicing sin means living in ongoing, deliberate, and unrepentant sin. Before Christ, sin controlled your life. After being born of God, sin is no longer the believer’s way of life.
Because we still battle the flesh, we will sometimes fall into sin. However, we do not have to remain in it. When we sin, we should confess it to God, repent, and seek His strength to obey Him. We are called to refuse a lifestyle of sin.
The pattern of your life reveals who you belong to. A life marked by continual, habitual, and unrepentant sin gives evidence that a person has not been born again. On the other hand, a life that increasingly turns from sin and refuses a habitual lifestyle of sin shows evidence of being born of God.
It is important to understand that John is not teaching sinless perfection. Believers will still sin (1 John 1:8–9). The issue is whether sin is the settled pattern of your life. Are you living in continual, unrepentant sin, or are you confessing your sins, depending on God, and growing in obedience to Him? Those who are born of God will not continue to practice sin as their way of life. Instead, by God’s grace, they refuse to make sin their habitual lifestyle.
Let’s review a couple of verses that support this.
In Romans 6:6-7, we learn that our old self was crucified with Christ so that our body of sin might be rendered powerless, and that we would no longer be slaves to sin. Because of Christ’s work on the cross, believers are set free from sin’s ruling power. This is why a believer is no longer bound to live under sin’s dominion and can refuse a lifestyle of sin.
Romans 6:6-7 We know that our old self was crucified with Him so that the body of sin might be rendered powerless, that we should no longer be slaves to sin. 7 For anyone who has died has been freed from sin.
In Ezekiel 36:26-27, we see God’s promise through the prophet Ezekiel to give His people a new heart and put a new spirit within them. This points forward to the reality of being born of God, an inward transformation that changes who we are. God also promises to put His Spirit within His people and cause them to walk in His statutes. This means that those who are truly changed by God are empowered by His Spirit to live in obedience, rather than continuing in a habitual lifestyle of sin.
Ezekiel 36:26-27 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will remove your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. 27 And I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes and to carefully observe My ordinances.
In conclusion, when you put your faith in Jesus Christ, you are born again. You become a new creation in Christ. You are no longer a slave to sin, and God puts His Spirit within you. Through His Spirit, He gives you the power to walk in His ways and enjoy an abiding relationship with Him.
Be encouraged. God is with you through every struggle. Keep an open line of communication with Him throughout your day. When you are tempted, bring it to Him and ask for strength to persevere. He is faithful to help you. He is always with you, and He loves you. Trust that, as a child of God, He will give you the strength to refuse a habitual lifestyle of sin and to grow in obedience to Him.
Here’s a prayer to help you to respond to today’s lesson:
Heavenly Father, Thank You for saving me and making me Your child. Thank You for giving me a new heart and Your Holy Spirit. Help me to refuse a lifestyle of sin and to walk in obedience to You each day. When I fail, help me to confess my sin, trust in Your forgiveness, and follow You more faithfully. Thank You for Your grace and for the new life I have in Christ. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Let’s read this part of the verse one more time:
1 John 3:9 Anyone born of God refuses to practice sin…
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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.
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Thank you and God bless you.
Jeff M Newman
