BORN OF GOD
The First Epistles of John 3:1-24 NKJV
The New Birth of Our Transformation
1 John 3:1-3 NKJV “Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore, the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. 2 Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. 3 And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.”
When we begin to read 1 John 3:1 NKJV, we encounter one of the most incredible verses in Scripture. It unfolds before us the scandal of the Father’s love, a love that is so deep, so high, so wide, and so long.
“Behold what manner of love the father has bestowed on us.”
1 John 3:1 Expounding on Love: It will take us more than an eternity to fathom His love, or perhaps we will never fully comprehend or grasp the depth of God’s love for us. Why does He forgive the multitudes of our sins? And not only does He forgive us, but this forgiveness came at a deep cost: 39 lashes, both hands and feet pierced with long, sharp nails, a crown of thorns, and finally, the spear of Longinus to ensure His death after hanging on the cross. This is unconditional love! While we were still sinners, Jesus Christ laid down His life for us (1 John 3:16). His love was revealed to us through the great pain He endured to pardon our sins.
I appreciate what Karl Barth, the Swiss theologian (1886–1968), once said:
“The love of God is His ‘Yes’ to humanity.”
And because of that eternal “Yes” to humanity, long before you or I was born, God decided that we would exist. Praise God! Thank You, Lord, for life.
And knowing that we would fail, He also knew we would need redemption to satisfy His righteous wrath. For this reason, He gave His own Son, Christ Jesus, because He knew
that He would not only give us life but also “bestow His love upon us.”
He chose you! Now celebrate it! Because you are special. And this should be understood as His sovereign grace, because you did not choose Him; He chose you.
Romans 9:15–16 NKJV teaches us: “For He says to Moses, ‘I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion.’ So, then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy.”
And again, in Ephesians 2:8–9 (NKJV): “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”
After showing us His sovereign grace, God did not stop there. He adopts us into His beautiful family, calling us children of God (1 John 3:1).
In 1 Peter 2:9 (NKJV), we read: “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.”
Your identity has changed! You have a new birth from above. You are born of God, sons and daughters, kings and royal priests. There is a complete, 360- degree shift in our lives. Amen!
This is the New Birth of Transformation
Our Struggle and Our Hope
Yes, we do struggle at times with our old nature and our flesh. There is no doubt we experience spiritual tension and warfare, against our flesh
and against the devil who tempts us. But we can overcome by abiding in Him and resisting the evil of our flesh and of Satan.
One day, when Christ returns, we will be fully glorified, holy and free from the struggle. We will no longer battle our flesh. But until then, we must have some fights in our blood against the flesh and the enemy.
Be gone, Satan! I love this prayer! Say it with me: Be gone, Satan!
At the same time, we do not lose hope. Things become more difficult when we begin to lose hope. Our spiritual formation and our whole being begins to collapse when hope is gone. This is why we need one another. We must love one another and encourage each other in the holy faith. We must read God’s Word. We must stay and fellowship with the saints. We must pray with the Church.
We are on a journey of new life that has been given to us by God’s Sovereign Choice. Now our responsibility is not to take this for granted but to produce fruit with firm hope even in trials, knowing that all difficulties, the struggles of the flesh, and spiritual warfare will come to an end when He returns.
1 John 3:4-9 NKJV “Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness. 5 And you know that He was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin. 6 Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him. 7 Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous. 8 He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose, the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil. 9 Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God.”
Practice Righteousness: Pushing our next gear to verses 4–9, we see a call not to exploit grace, but to use the means of that sovereign grace in walking and becoming more
like Christ. How will this happen? By choosing to practice righteousness, the discipline of purity! Yes, we have been Imputed with Christ’s righteousness, which Justifies us. At the same time, we are now called to actively walk in the light. Let me break it down further:
Practice Integrity over any form of Cheating, Practice Love over Hate, Practice Redeemed Conversations over gossip or slander, Practice pure Relationships, keep marriages pure, keep the Church Pure, Practice Good Work Ethics, and Continue Practicing Care for One Another.
Grace Abounds Even More So That We Become Like Him.
Hyper Grace: Let no one deceive us into thinking we can live recklessly because of “Hyper-Grace.” That is a deception! Because we can’t live without moral responsibility in our Christian life.
We need to reject the idea of Hyper-Grace, a contemporary teaching that claims we are free from accountability because the “hyper” covers everything, regardless of our confession or the need to practice righteousness. That is incorrect!
We are called to practice righteousness, confess our sins, and actively put on the work of the kingdom. The error of Hyper-Grace can lead to antinomianism, the belief that we are not bound to God’s moral law, which is completely contrary to the Word of God.
Works of the Enemy: Moving further, we can see that Jesus came in the flesh (verse 8) to destroy the works of the Enemy.
The works of the devil include torment through demons, spiritual oppression, sickness that carries demonic influence, full demonic possession, physical and emotional pain, hatred that leads to murder, and constant temptation. These are the destructive activities of Satan that attack the mind, soul, and relationships. But the Son of God appeared to destroy all these works, Jesus brings deliverance from torment, freedom from oppression, healing from demonic affliction, release from possession, restoration from pain, transformation of hatred into love, and power to overcome every temptation.
Does not sin or cannot sin: In the following verses, John is using a generic sense when he says, “he cannot sin.” This does not mean that Christians become sinless; instead, he is stressing that those who truly abide in Christ are so rooted in Him that they practice righteousness and sprint away from sin. The Greek verbs for “does not sin” and “cannot sin” are in the present tense, which in Koine Greek denotes continuous, habitual action.
When we interpret these phrases through their semantic value (the meaning each word carries), semantic range (how the verb functions within the sentence), and the literary
context, it becomes clear that John is not denying that Christians can sin. In fact, he has already said, “If anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father” (1 John 2:1). His message is simply this: abide in Christ, walk in the light, and stop playing the spiritual game of stepping in and out of fellowship with God. Though all sins can be forgiven, Scripture shows that consequences can come quickly.
The Separation that Defines us
In this section, we will explore the theology of the reprobate, double predestination, and human free will.
Reprobate – Those who are morally corrupt or rejected by God due to persistent sin and unbelief.
Double Predestination – The doctrine that God sovereignly elects some for salvation and others for condemnation.
Human Free Will – The capacity of humans to make genuine moral choices, responsible for their actions before God.
Who is the wicked? One chosen? One who is responsible?
The Bible provides classic examples of the flow from warning to choice to consequence.
Cain (Gen. 4:6–7) was warned, “If you do well...” but chose to murder Abel, resulting in a curse and life as a wanderer, illustrating human responsibility rather than predestination.
Pharaoh (Ex. 7–14), repeatedly warned through Moses, stubbornly resisted God, leading to the hardening of his heart and divine judgment, showing the interplay of human stubbornness and God’s sovereign action (Rom. 9:17–18).
Judas (John 17:12; Acts 1) faced implicit warnings yet chose to betray Jesus, ultimately facing destruction, highlighting the reality of human choice within prophetic necessity.
Finally, Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5:1–11) were confronted by Peter about their deceit concerning a donation, but they lied to the Spirit, resulting in immediate death and God’s judgment, emphasizing human responsibility and the severe consequences of disobedience. Together, these cases illustrate how God’s warnings are given, the critical choices humans make, and the serious consequences that follow.
The Obedience that Assures us! Now let’s investigate verse 16-24
Now let’s look at verses 16–24. This passage emphasizes our need to obey the commandment of love. Obedience to love is the evidence that God is in us, not just in words, but in deeds and actions. We don’t need to make a public announcement of our love; let it all be done quietly, holistically, and in the name of Jesus, in holiness. God knows our intentions and whether we harbor discord or hate. If our hearts are misaligned, we lose boldness in prayer. Yet God is good and quick to free us from wrong thinking and sin.
Key Takeaways:
Love in Action: True love is shown through deeds, not just words. Sacrifice and care demonstrate God’s presence in us.
Holiness Matters: Express love respectfully, gently, and in alignment with God’s will. Avoid discord, pride, or intrusion.
Follow Christ’s Example: Be loving, gracious, truthful, humble, and selfless, like Jesus. Avoid being annoying, mean, or reckless.
Practical Expressions: Ask, “How can I pray for you?” Or share simple acts like coffee, meals, or conversation. Serve others with sincerity.
Boundaries and Respect: Love must never enable abuse or allow others to take advantage of it. Balance care with wisdom.
Guided by the Spirit: The Holy Spirit convicts, guides, and helps us live rightly with one another. Abide in Him daily.
Encourage and Build Up: Strengthen brothers and sisters in faith. Pray, support, and walk in holiness together.
