1 John 3 reminds me of the GOAT. The greatest player of all time. The player everyone loves to hate because they have been the best for so long. Is it jealousy? Or maybe we secretly believe no one can be that good without cheating. Today’s lesson is about bowing to greatness. John begins: “See what great love the Father has lavished on us… we are called children of God!” That means we are heirs to all the promises, intimacy, and privileges of natural born children. We are not yet what we will be: “when Christ appears, we shall be like Him.” A transformation of the body, mind and spirit. That hope inspires us to imitate Him now: “All who have this hope in Him purify themselves, just as He is pure.” How many of us imitated a batting stance, or wore a certain sneaker as kids? John continues: “Everyone who sins breaks the law”, but “in Him is no sin.” Just because we wear His jersey does not mean we are perfect. We will all fall short, but John adds: “No one who lives in Him keeps on sinning.” Perhaps you are not a super sports fan, but inside the stadium while the game is being played, it is easy to stay focused and excited. John is saying, stick close to the action.
He continues: “Do not let anyone lead you astray… No one who is born of God will continue to sin.” Once we acknowledge Jesus as our Savior, and believe He sacrificed Himself for us; we have a new standard. We have a new motivation. We have support and accountability. We are part of the team! He writes: “Anyone who does not do what is right is not God’s child.” Every time the Bible mentions the people ignoring God’s authority by doing what is right in their own eyes, chaos follows. Great leaders have a way of unifying their team in victory. John also says that we can see “anyone who does not love their brother and sister” is also not honoring God. Some things done in the name of love are uncaringly cruel.
John closes the chapter with some clear direction on love and hate. First, he says: “Do not be like Cain, who… murdered his brother.” John tells us that Cain killed his brother because his actions “were evil” while his brother Abel’s “were righteous.” Righteousness exposes unrighteousness. John adds: “Do not be surprised… if the world hates you.” I believe he is saying the world is full of corruption and is suspicious of everyone unwilling to participate. The chapter closes with a discussion on love. The world uses that word to manipulate. John says: “we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.” Love involves putting others before ourselves. He continues: “let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.” The pressure to conform is powerful and few will take a stand against lies that seem to be dominant. God looks at the individual heart, not the group. Believers are to compare ourselves to the perfect righteousness of Christ. Recognizing we have fallen short, we see our need for a Savior. Rather than looking for affirmation from social media: “This is how we know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence.” So many search for peace, but find relief only in escape. Dulling the senses offers an excuse for failing. John says that as forgiven believers: “we have confidence before God.” I often begin my prayers with thanks to God because, in Christ, I am given access to His very presence. He adds that the more often we spend time in His presence, the more “we keep his commands and do what pleases Him.” And finally, what is the thing that pleases God? “This is His command: to believe in the name of His Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as He commanded us.” The greatest of all time spends no time worrying what people think, the GOAT just does what is right over and over. My friend, who are you imitating?