1John 3:5-7 And you know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin. Whosoever abides in him sins not: whosoever sins has not seen him, neither known him. Little children, let no man deceive you: he that does righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.
‘He was manifested’ Jesus came as a man – a lowly servant of all to set the right example of how men can be like God. He came and lived as God would live among men so that men could learn to live like God. He literally “emptied Himself” (Php. 2:9) and took the form of a servant instead of the form of a sovereign. He humbled Himself from deity to humanity and from humanity to infamy, taking on Him the sins of the world and redeeming fallen man to His original dominion.
‘To take away our sins’ Christ came to take away our sins; if we still have them, it is proof we have not truly repented of them.
‘Whosoever abides in him sins not: whosoever sins has not seen him, neither known him’ this is a true description of saints and sinners.
‘Little children’ a term used nine times in this epistle (2:1, 12, 13, 18, 28; 3:7, 18; 4:4, 21). It is used elsewhere only in John 13:33 and Galatians 4:19. There are four stages of Christian experience: infants; newborn (1Jn. 2:12); little children; those able to walk and talk (1Jn. 2:13); young men; those grown to the prime of life and no longer tossed about like children by fallacies (1Jn. 2:13-14); fathers; those who are matured in the Lord (1Jn. 2:13-14).
‘Let no man deceive you; he that does righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous’ seven plain gospel facts are given here: Jesus was manifested to take away our sins (3:5; Tit. 2:12) and one cannot be in Christ and continue to sin (3:5-6; 2Cor. 5:17). Man can be as righteous as Christ in this life (3:7; 4:17; Tit. 2:12). Every man who sins is of the devil (3:8; John 8:44) and therefore Christ came to destroy the works of the devil (3:8; Matt. 8:17; Acts 10:38; John 10:10). One cannot sin as long as the Word of God remains in him (3:9; Rom. 6:14-23; 8:1-13) and all people are not children of God (3:10).
Living the Word 