The Sin of Sinning — Aaron Dunlop

John’s Analysis of Sin and Righteousness

1 John chapter 3 verses 4 to 10. Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law for sin is the transgression of the law. And you know that he was manifested to take away our sins and in him is no sin.

Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not. Whosoever sinneth hath not seen him neither known him. Little children let no man deceive you he that doeth righteousness is righteous even as he is righteous. He that committeth sin is of the devil for the devil sinneth from the beginning.

For this purpose the son of man was manifested that he might destroy the works of the devil. 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.

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. Amen. We trust the Lord will bless this reading of God's word to our hearts.

Purity Comes From Looking to Christ

We come tonight to look at the subject of the sin of sinning. The sin of sinning. John is making the transition from dealing with the grovication of the saints into the sinfulness of sin and the sin of sinning.

If you go back to chapter 2 verse 28 and you see that John was dealing there with the confidence that we will have when the Lord returns and that led him into dealing with our glorification that led him into dealing with our purification.

Every man that hath this hope in him purifies himself because he is looking to Christ. He is expecting Christ and that expectancy and that continual look will always be a source and a motivation to purity.

And we saw there the phrase even as he is pure is not contrasting us with Christ is not saying let us be pure because he is pure and let's contrast or compare. It's saying let us be pure and where we get our purity is from him.

Therefore let us be pure even as the source of our purity. This is also the same idea that is found in verse 7. Little children let no man deceive you. He that doeth righteousness is righteous. Why. Even as he is righteous that is Christ.

So John here is dealing with the subject of confidence at the Lord's return. And he is elaborating from verse 3 and expands on verse 3 dealing then with the absolute necessity of purity of life the absolute necessity of purity of life.

Christ’s Manifestation to Take Away Sin

That subject of purity of life he approaches from different perspectives this time in verses 4 and following he does not approach it from the perspective of our expectation of Christ. He is not saying be pure because you're expecting Christ to come back be pure because you're looking for him but be pure because of the experience that you have had in Christ.

And then he goes into this experience be pure because he has dealt with sin verse 5 and so he's dealing with this not from the perspective of our expectation of Christ but from the perspective of our experience of Christ's redemption that was the purpose of his coming.

Remember back in chapter 1 verse 1 verse 3 and following the purpose of his manifestation to put away sin and he comes back to this in chapter 3 verse 5 and you know that he was manifested to take away sin.

This idea this concept of his manifestation is one that continually arises and here we have the purpose of his first manifestation his first coming and that was to take away sin now by dealing with this subject again and I say again because John dealt with sin in chapter 1 right off the bat he deals in chapter 1 verse 5 with what God is, God is light and in him is no darkness at all and then he goes into the subject of sin in the life of a believer if you say you have fellowship with him and walk in darkness you lie and do not suppress verse 7, 8, 9 and 10 and into chapter 2 he deals with sin in the life of a believer and he comes to the subject of sin again because there is a great importance in this subject it is a real issue, it is a living issue, it's a continuing issue in our lives tension between sin and righteousness the conflict between God and Satan is continuing this is what John is dealing with in our lives.

Sin’s Fourfold Relationship

The first page there that you have, page 32, just before the tables there is a summary of this section and I want to read that summary of this section of the epistle because this is the heart of what John is dealing with here originating with Satan, practiced by men sin is lawlessness against God, came to take away sin, verse 5 and to destroy the works of the devil verse 8, the logical conclusion of that is whoever is born of God in verse 9 and consequently abides in him which he mentions in verse 6 does not go on sinning and whoever goes on sinning has not seen God and has not known him he is not of God.

I want you to understand what John is saying here I want you to see the logical conclusion that John comes to sin originating with Satan verse 8 and practiced by men, verses 4 6 to 10, sin is a lawlessness against God, it is rebellion against God, verse 4 Christ came to take away sin, verse 5 and to destroy the works of the devil, verse 8 that's what Christ came, that's why he was manifested the logical conclusion of that is whoever is born of God does not go on sinning and whoever goes on sinning has not been born of God, those are not my words those are the words of John.

Formulated in this expression whoever, this word, two words in the original pass whole, John lays out this very comprehensively and thoroughly, look at sin, first one he says whoever commits sin is lawless, that's what he's saying in verse 4 that's what we're going to look at tonight, whosoever commits sin is lawless, and then in a series of negative and positive, he says positively whoever abides in him, that is Christ does not go on sinning, verse 6 and in verse 9 he says whoever is born of God does not go on doing sin, and negatively he says whoever continues in sin has not seen him nor has known him, and again negatively in verse 10 whoever does not do righteousness is not of God, now it might seem as we read verses 4 to 10 a little repetitious but there you have it laid out in positive and negative, what John is saying here, the two sides of the issue, he is dealing with sin in a very comprehensive manner we saw in verse 2 how he deals with glorification and he packed into verse 2 and 3 he packed so much into the verse concerning the subject of glorification that it took us 4 or 5 weeks to deal with that in one phrase, John packed so much into it and he does the same here, look at the sin that he deals with here and what it is related to, he deals with sin as it is related to itself in verse 4b, sin is the transgression of the law sin is lawlessness, it is rebellion, the rebellion of sin he deals in verse 5 with sin as it relates to Christ and ye know that he was manifested to take away our sin and in him is no sin, he deals with sin as it is relating to ourselves, as it relates to man, whosoever commits sin transgresseth also the law, then verse 6 and following and he deals lastly with sin as it relates to Satan, verse 8, he that comitteth 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.

There is John's analysis of sin in a four square perspective, in relation to itself, in relation to Christ, in relation to man and in relation to Satan, we are going to look at sin tonight in relation to itself and deal with the subject of the sin of sinning the sin of sinning, the first thing I want us to notice tonight is that sin is problematic, sin is problematic, I think we will all recognize this if we have any ounce of grace, of the grace of God in us, we will recognize that sin in our lives is problematic if there's not a night goes by that we put our heads on the pillow, that we don't think, or we're not convicted or we're not repentant of some we have said brought out of place of some attitude that we've had out of place there's not a day goes by, there's not a moment goes by that you sin not, we are sinning daily in thought, word and deed, and John would have us to know beloved, that sin is problematic now the problem that it raises for us is very serious, we want to see that, but here I want us to notice in general what this problem is, it is natural that John comes from the subject of glorification to deal with sin and that is very interesting it's very significant he is dealt with glorification in chapter 3 verse 2 and he comes in then to purity of life in verse 3 and he comes in then to a full on analysis of sin after immediately after the subject of glorification because those who hope to be like Christ in glory John is saying they ought to be like him on earth.

The Danger of Deceived Profession

Those who hope to be holy and like Christ in heaven when he appears ought to endeavor to be like him now and John is not blind to the idea of men being deceived. He says this in verse 7, little children let no man deceive you now I want us to understand here who John is speaking to he is speaking to believers, that is that's fundamental, he's speaking to believers he is saying in verse 3 every man that has this hope in him purifies himself even as he is pure and he goes in to deal with the subject of sin in the life of a believer because he says in verse 7 little children he is speaking to the church of believers with the understanding that there are in that church those who have a mere profession.

He is speaking to those who have a profession of faith, those who have the concept of salvation, those who have the life of salvation, the profession of salvation and knowing that within that number there are those who are deceived, this is what we saw back in chapter 1 when we analyzed who John is speaking to in chapter 1 verse 6 because he makes some very poignant statements verse 6, the latter part of verse 6 if we say we fellowship with him and walk in darkness we lie and do not the truth it is possible, we saw this way back when we looked at this verse, it is possible for the Christian to do not the truth, it is possible for the Christian in verse 8 for the truth not to be in him at some level, it is possible, verse 10, for the Christian to make him a liar and his word not to be in us, chapter 1 verse 10, there is a scourge of sin, possible that there are those in this meeting tonight and this is what John is saying.

It is possible that there are those in this meeting tonight who have this mere profession who are as verse 7 says deceived. Those who profess the hope of his coming but do not dwell in purity. Those who profess to have a salvation that has changed their heart but it hasn't yet changed their life.

It is possible that that salvation you claim to have has not yet changed your heart. John says who so commit a sin transgresseth the law for sin is a transgression of the law. And he goes on to elaborate on that.

And as we saw in our opening statements that whoever does go on sinning has not seen God and does not know God. There are very serious matters here in this problem of sin go on continually lawless and rebellious against God.

Confidence at Christ’s Return

A serious problem. There's evidence from the epistles epistle in chapter 2 verse 28 and verse 3 of chapter 3 and also in the epistles of Paul that the early disciples lived a life commensurate with an expectation of the coming of Christ they lived expecting Christ.

John says in verse 3 that those who expect to see him will aim to be like him. Those who expect to see him and to be like him then will aim to be like him. And the hope spoken of in verse 3 however raises a natural and biblical concern.

And this is a concern. This is a tonight. This hope. This hope of seeing him when he comes through the clouds. This hope of being like him when he comes through the clouds this hope of having confidence before him when we stand before him at the last day this hope that we have raises a natural and a biblical concern.

The concern that the hope we hold may not be real concern that the hope we hold of spending eternity with Christ may be unfounded. The hope of Christ and glory that you have may not be. John says goes on sinning sin is problematic problematic.

We need to know. We need to know and you need to know tonight. Christ comes through the clouds and you see him in the clouds. That you will be like him. That's the issue you need to know tonight that when Christ comes through the clouds that you will have confidence before him at that time and as you stand before the judgment seat of Christ that Christ will be with you abiding with you.

That Christ will be standing for you because his righteousness is. Chapter 229 says stands for you. And that Christ will be in you being revealed in you the hope of his glory that will be revealed in us as Paul says in Romans 8 18.

That's what you need to know. That that confidence will not be turned into confusion. And this is a biblical perspective. This is a biblical warning if you look at the text in the in the notes you have Peter says in 2nd Peter chapter 1 verse 10.

Wherefore the rabbi brethren give diligence to make your calling and election sure this continual diligence we need to have to make our calling and election sure. Why. Because it is possible that this that satan has deceived you.

It is possible that you've deceived yourself. He says more specifically in 2nd Peter chapter 3 verse 14. Wherefore beloved seeing that ye look for such things in the Elysian context here look for such things.

Be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace without spot and blameless. That you may be found without spot and blameless and peaceful of him through him. In Matthew chapter 25 verse 13 the Lord says.

Watch therefore for you know neither the day nor the hour wherein the son of man cometh beloved. Sin is problematic is problematic. And there is a possibility that we have the confidence that we think we will have on that day will be turned into confusion.

The Warning of the Wedding Garment

Like the parable of the individual coming into the wedding feast without the garment. He's sitting there peaceful in the wedding feast. And the master comes in and says how came this man in without having a wedding wedding garment on and casts him out.

And the bible says he was speechless which is the opposite to what we read in chapter 2 verse 28. And now little children abide in him that when he shall appear ye may have confidence. Is that ability that boldness to be able to speak on that day confidence will be in Christ's sin beloved profession we cannot presume.

And John here is not giving this. This is not a polemic. This is not a polemic for or against sin. This is an exhortation to John's beloved children. You see there he uses a little phrase again little children.

This is an exhortation in love in love that these people that to whom he is writing and to you tonight might be aware of the problem of sin in the life and the danger of recurring sin and the danger of continued sin in the life.

Sin as Lawlessness

Sin is problematic. Secondly is lawlessness. It is lawlessness. See this in verse four. Whosoever commit a sin transgresseth also the law for sin is the transgression of the law. There are a number of words in the new testament used to speak of sin.

There is the word paraptoma which means to deviate from truth or to fall outside the bounds of something. You'll see the word outside there. In the word para uh paraptoma it is used. It is translated to transgress in ephesians 2 1 and it is translated sins in ephesians 2 5.

The second word is aditya and it means unrighteousness. You see the the a prefix there is a negative of righteousness and it negatives the righteousness the righteousness it is used in romans 1 18. The third word that is used to speak of sin in the new testament is hamartia.

This word means simply to miss the mark to fall short uh somewhat like uh the arrow would miss the target or fall short of the target. And the final word is anomia or anomia. And you'll see there the word the a prefix negatives the word nomia which is the word nomos law without law.

That's what it means literally without law. Now that's what it means literally but semantically in use. That's what the as a transparent word that's what it is the two pieces of the word without law. But semantically it means more than not being not having the law it means without subjection to the law.

In other words lawlessness lawlessness. And john here uses the two words hamartia and anomia to speak of sin. In verse 4 he that commits hamartia transgresses also the law. If i could give it a literal translation.

Who commits hamartia commits anomia. Because hamartia is anomia that's what he's saying it is between them signifies is equivalent to. John is not saying here that lawlessness is a subcategory of sin.

That's not what he's saying. He's not saying here sin. And there's a little subcategory here that law of lawlessness he is saying sin is lawlessness. Sin is rebellion against god. It's rebellion against god.

The two words are coextensive and equivalent synonyms that can be interchanged. And the definition of sin that john gives here is the most profound i believe of all the new testament definitions. And i've given you their three definitions in the new testament romans 14 23 james 4 17 and first john 5 17.

Sin as Rebellion Against God

But here's one that gets to the essence. Here's one that gets to the heart of what sin actually is. It is rebellion against god. Sin is anyone of conformity to the law of god. Isms says. We are not only falling short.

We are not only falling short of the target. We're not only falling short of glory of god of the law of god. We have rebelled against it. We have rebelled against it. Talk today about what law is. It's of society.

And the laws of a country change and are always in a constant continual state of flux depending on which government is in depends on which law is in. We see recently laws that have been changed in the united in the united states concerning homosexuality concerning abortion concerning stem cell research.

Because laws the laws of men are always changing they're in a continual state of flux. No one really knows what is legal and what is not legal. God by contrast god by contrast is absolute. The law of god by contrast is unchangeable.

And the law of god by contrast is universal. Universal is this idea of universality is brought out in the word whosoever. You'll see here in this formulating expression that we have used we have picked up on before in verse four whosoever or whoever commits sin.

Verse six whoever whosoever abideth in him. And then again in verse six whosoever stilleth not. Verse nine whosoever. And verse 10 then whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of god. That phrase that word means simply if any man if any man regardless of your race regardless of your nationality regardless of your skin color regardless of your creed.

If any man sin commits sin he transgresses the law. Because sin is a transgression of the law that my friend damns all of humanity as lawless against god damns all of humanity outside of christ who has kept the law.

Because the same word that god that john uses and the spirit of god and the inspiration of scripture uses the same word to say that all are sinners. The same word that john uses to say that all have transgressed the law of god is the very same word.

The very very same phrase that he uses to give the invitation of the gospel in john chapter 3 verse 16. For god so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth on him should not perish but have everlasting life.

Universal sinfulness of man. God has given a free offer of the gospel to whoever has sinned and whoever believes whosoever believeth shall not perish but have everlasting life. Sin my friend is lawlessness.

The Law of Christ and the Believer

Now we must ask what law john is speaking about here. And as i said john here is speaking to believers but he is he is shifting. He is shifting from believers to those who might be unbelievers and is finally nuanced here throughout this passage because he is dealing here with those who profess in general but those who may be deceived.

There are seven. And verse eight speaks of those who continue sin sinning and are not of god. And so there's a there's a fine line here between whom john is speaking about but fundamentally he's speaking to believers.

So what law is john speaking of here. In verse four whosoever commits sin transgresseth also the law. What law is he speaking of. Is he speaking of the mosaic law. Is he speaking of the judicial law the ceremonial law or the moral law as it is found in the in the two tables of the law.

Is he speaking of the law of conscience. I believe he's speaking of something much more inclusive than all of them. He is speaking of them all put together. And i believe he is speaking of the law of christ.

He is speaking of the law of christ. I say that because he is speaking here to believers and the use of his words the use of the and the distinction between sin and lawlessness. One commentator argued that it cannot.

It cannot be speaking of the moral law as it is written in the two tables of the law because there are things that were sin but would not necessarily have been lawlessness if you're following the two tables of the law such as polygamy in the old testament while it is sinful if you're following rigorously the written tables of the law it is not lawlessness against that.

And yet it is sin. And so one commentator distinguishes it that way. But i think it is speaking more of the law of christ more because of whom john is speaking to here. And what he is seeking to exert these people to.

He is speaking here to christians because he is seeking to strengthen their confidence in christ. He is seeking to enhance their purity in christ. And so therefore he is speaking of the law as it is revealed by god in whatever form and applied by christ.

You might think well the law doesn't really have anything to do with me as a christian. What is john saying here. But my friend the lord does have something to do with you as a christian because the bible tells us that the law is our schoolmaster to bring us to christ.

The Law as Schoolmaster

The law was given an exodus in the in the at mount sinai. The law was given because men had so polluted their minds and the law that was written on their heart had become so diminished that god in his mercy in the covenant of grace wrote the law down so that men would have it to look at to handle and to read that law what demanded total obedience death.

Israel realized that they could not keep. And if you're going to follow the ten commandments if you're going to follow the law of god rigorously as a system of salvation you will soon discover that you cannot keep it.

That it is impossible for you to keep the law of god. That is impossible for you to exactly replicate the mind of god in your life it is impossible. We sin dearly in thought word and deed. If any man looks upon a woman to lust after he is committed adultery in his heart it does not speak necessarily of physical adultery.

It is the sword of the heart. It's in the mind. The law then is our schoolmaster. The law is for us to root that to realize that we cannot keep it. And it drives us to christ who has kept it for us. Christ as paul says in romans is the end of the law for righteousness having come to christ what does the law have to do with me having come to christ.

It's our schoolmaster that bring us to christ. But christ returns us back to the law. He sends us right back to the law with a new heart with the new motivation with a new ability to keep that not out of a legal but out of an obedience to him.

The law sends us to christ for one who has kept it for us christ sends us back to the lord to keep it for him in obedience. John says whosoever commits sin rebels against law. Let me put it this way to you.

If the spirit of god is dwelling in you as a christian the spirit of god is leading you into all truth as a christian and you rebel against that truth. So are you rebelling against the law of christ as it is kept by christ and applied to you the law as it is given to you by christ in a new hope.

If you don't keep that as a christian as a professing christian you are rebelling against god because sin is. And if your hope of this confidence on the day of judgment if your hope of living with christ and only turn for all eternity is ill-founded you are rebelling against the moral law of god as it is revealed in your heart in your conscience.

You were not rebelling against the moral law of god as it is revealed in scripture. You are a rebel against god's law whatever profession you may make. And john says here he that committeth sin is of the devil.

For the devil sinneth from the beginning he who continually commits sin. And we're going to see as we go on here the difference here between the sinning and committing sin. And that leads us to look at the seriousness of sin.

The Seriousness of Sin

Sin is problematic. Sin is lawlessness. But sin my friend is serious. Sin is serious. In john's approach here to the subject there are four ways in which he emphasizes the seriousness of sin. I want us to see these briefly as we close.

Contrasting Sin With Righteousness

Firstly by contrasting sin with righteousness. Look at chapter 2 verse 29. For he for you know that he is righteous. You know that everyone that do with righteousness is born of him contrasted with righteousness.

Whosoever committed sin transgresseth also the law. For sin is transgression of the law of the poor. If we're going to contrast sin with righteousness if we're going to look at the righteousness of christ.

If we're going to look into the perfect law of liberty we're going to see the seriousness of sin. You want a vision of your sinfulness as we saw on wednesday night at the prayer meeting. You want an idea of how sinful you are.

You want an idea of the heinousness of sin. You want some conception of the sinfulness of the plague of sin in your life. There's only one way to get that and that's to look to christ and to see the righteousness of christ.

To see the purity of christ. And john emphasizes here the seriousness of sin by contrasting it with righteousness. The light of right of the lord's righteousness shines on sin and shows it up for what it is and never.

You wonder why you can't get over sin. Perhaps you wonder why there is this particular sin in your life that you can't get over this besetting sin as the hebrew says. And you wonder why you can't deal with it.

You wonder why it's recurring. You wonder why it keeps coming up. Perhaps you have never really looked at it as in the light of the gospel. Perhaps you've never really looked at it in the heinousness for what it is.

Perhaps you've never really seen it as it is contrasted to the righteousness of god. Because you've never gone to scripture to analyze your life. To analyze your sin in the light of scripture that my friend is how we deal with sin in the life by going to christ by drawing from him.

As we see in verse three every man hath this hope in him purifies himself even as our source is pure. And verse seven little children let no man deceive you. He that doeth righteousness is righteous even as our source is righteous.

You get a look at christ. You will see your sins differently. You get a look at the purity and righteousness of christ. You will see your sin for the hatefulness and heinousness what they really are that's my friend is what we need to do as god's people analyze our sin in the light of scripture.

Analyze our lives in the light of scripture. Go to scripture continually seeking god's face that he would search me. Oh god i know my heart as the psalmist cried psalm 139. Try me and know my ways. See if there be a wicked way in me.

Lead me in the way everlasting. That's what the psalmist prayed. That's what we must pray. Because sin is serious. Sin is serious. God takes it serious. The second thing that john uses here in his manner and his approach to the subject of sin is he compares it with other words used for sin.

Sin as Missing the Mark and Rebellion

He compares hamartia with anomia. He says this is sin. This is a missing of the mark. But the other side of that coin is that it's a rebellion against god. It is not merely a missing of the mark. It is a rebellion against god.

And if we would take their independent meanings we would see two sides of the one coin. The missing of the mark like the arrow missing the target or falling short of the target. John in this verse when he says when he clarifies this he says he that committed sin transgresseth the law.

This missing of the mark. And i want us to pick up on this specifically because this missing of mark this idea of sin is a missing of the mark. This idea of sin as a as a falling short has the idea the the concept of some infirmity.

And is this not what the world says. Is this not what we hear bombarded in our ears continually regarding sin. Oh this is the way god made me. It's not my fault. This is the way i am. It is not me. Someone tripped me up.

Someone put this in my way. Someone put that in my way. It's not me. There's this infirmity. You have to feel sorry for me because of sin. Now there is a sense in which we must as galatians chapter 6 verse 1 says if any man fall or be overtaken in a fault neither spiritual.

But we're speaking here of someone who is continually as the word committed committed we're going to get to that in due course. But this continual idea of sinning there is this continual continuity in sin.

And it is not merely because of infirmity it is not merely because of helplessness. John says it is rebellion against god. And in that comparing of the two words he emphasizes the seriousness of sin. The third way in which he emphasizes the seriousness of sin is by complementing it with the auxiliary verb doing sin and sinning.

The Continuity of Sinning

Doing sin and sinning. This distinction between sinning in chapter 3 verse 6 whoso abideth in him sins not and committing sin. Chapter 3 verse 9 whoso is born of god doth not commit sin. And verse ever committed sin.

The contrast the difference here is between that which is and that which is carried out definitely consciously and to completeness. There is this doing of sin and there is sinning. The one is general the other is specific that is as the doing of righteousness.

In verse 29 of chapter 2 if he know that he is righteous he know that everyone that doeth righteousness that does righteousness that carries it through specifically definitely deliberately consciously is born of him.

Contrasting that with sin he says whosoever does sin consciously definitely deliberately continually law is lawless. Here's how john emphasizes the seriousness of sin idea emphasizing the fourth way john emphasizes the seriousness of sin is by using the continuous tense or the content emphasizing the continuity of sin.