1John 2:3
Big Idea: In propitiation, God the Father pours out His wrath for sin upon His Son on the cross. This work makes reconciliation possible. We can now be restored to God because that which stood between us and God has been dealt with. We no longer enemies we are His children. This restored relationship is seen in our every day obedience. In essence, we obey because we love.
Our ______________________ is Sourced in our ____________________
1 John 2:3 (ESV) 3 And by this we know (present tense) that we have come to know him (perfect tense), if we keep his commandments.
What we are now, and what we do, is sourced in who we have become in Jesus.
The love that we have for God the Father, is the very love that Jesus, the Son has for the Father, which has been given to us through the work of Christ on the cross and in the resurrection, and our inclusion in that work.
Romans 5:12–19 (ESV)
12 Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned— 13 for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law. 14 Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come.
15 But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man’s trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many. 16 And the free gift is not like the result of that one man’s sin. For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brought justification. 17 For if, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.
18 Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. 19 For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous.
2 Misconceptions concerning this truth;
Our ____________________ is not based on our ________________.
Matt. 7:15-23
Matthew 23:25–28 (ESV) 25 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. 26 You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and the plate, that the outside also may be clean. 27 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness. 28 So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.
Our good works do not make us Christians, our good works are a fruit of the life-changing power of Jesus that transforms us down to the very core of who we are.
Our ________________ must be interpreted by our _______________.
1 John 5:13 (ESV) 13 I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life.
We have a tendency to make our subjective knowledge absolute and God’s objective truth experiential.
Our relationship to God is based on what Jesus has done for us and who we are in Him. And our obedience flows from this reality.
Questions to Consider:
What is this text teaching us about our obedience to God’s commands?
Why is it important to maintain the proper order of our relationship to God?
When are you tempted to reverse this order? What might be some scripture that you could memorize that would remind you of your position in Christ?
