SONS OF GOD AND CHILDREN OF THE DEVIL
Text: 1 John 2:28 – 3:10
Introduction:
· Wear the same shirt as my daughter and three other people in congregation
· Look same on the outside, but doesn’t mean we are related
· My daughter shares DNA, common traits, and common characteristics with me
· Two groups of people: Sons of God and children of the devil
· Just like my daughter is made in “my image” and shares my characteristics, sons of God exemplify the traits of the Father, and the children of the devil exemplify the traits of Satan
I. A description of the children of the devil.
A. They do not accept Christ or understand His followers. (v. 1)
· Prayer out of schools, nativity scenes illegal, remove “in God we trust” and “one nation under God,” “Merry Christmas” replaced with “Happy Holidays”
· “Always do right. This will gratify most people and astound the rest.” – Mark Twain
B. They do not have a personal relationship with Christ. (v. 6)
· We live in a country with almost unlimited information about Christ; books, speakers, tapes, videos, internet
· Many know about Him; not many know Him personally
· Some claim to know Him when they really don’t
· Going to church, carrying a Bible, putting money in offering not enough
· Matthew 7:21 – 23
C. They are in bondage to Satan. (v. 10)
· They are a slave to their sinful natures
· John 8:34 – “Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.”
· Romans 6:16 – “Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?”
· “Good men avoid sin from the love of virtue; wicked men avoid sin from a fear of punishment.” – John Wesley
· The only thing that can free you from this bondage is Christ.
D. They live in a state of continuous sin and rebellion against God. (v. 4)
· Greek for “sin” – “to miss the mark”
· God’s standard is perfection
· Romans 3:10, 23
· Isaiah 64:6 – “But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags;”
· You can’t change yourself enough to meet God’s standard
· When you refuse to obey God, you are rebelling against Him
E. They are deceived by Satan. (v. 7)
· They are told that God is not real; all that really matters is that you are more good than bad; you can get saved tomorrow
· 2 Corinthians 4:3, 4 – “But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.”
· Don’t listen to the lies of the devil.
F. They will be ashamed at Christ’s return. (v. 28)
· Adam and Eve hid in the bushes after they had sinned
· Avoiding mom and dad when I did something that was wrong
· Standing in judgment, there will not be anything to hide behind, no excuses given, everything will be made public, and you will be condemned
· Revelation 20:11 – 15: 21:8
II. A description of the sons of God.
A. They have a personal relationship with God. (vv. 1, 2)
· Not just knowing about Him; knowing Him personally
· You can know a lot about George W. Bush, but you don’t know him personally unless you have been introduced to him, spend time with him, talk with him, and listen to what he has to say
· The God of the universe wants to know you personally
· You can be introduced to Him right now
· Spend time with Him in prayer, Bible study, and meditation
B. They continue in the faith. (v. 28)
· “Abide” = “continue with”
· People who make a profession and never follow through, in and out of church, no commitment – probably not saved to begin with
· 1 Corinthians 15:57, 58 – “But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.”
C. They live in a state of constant spiritual growth. (v. 3)
· Salvation is not an event; it is a process
· Justified (declared not guilty) at the moment one confesses and repents; Sanctified (set apart and made like Christ) throughout life
· Church is a good place to learn about how to be more Christlike; we encourage one another and draw strength from one another’s experiences
D. Their lives are characterized by good works. (vv. 29, 7)
· We don’t do works to be saved, we want to do works because we are saved
· Missionary lost at sea, washed up on edge of a remote native village; half dead from exposure, starvation, and sea water, the natives nursed him back to health; lived with them 20 years; never made a confession of faith, no songs, no sermons, no scripture; but attended the sick long into the night, gave food to the hungry, visited the lonely, taught the uneducated, took the side of those that had been wronged; after the 20 years, missionaries come and preach about a man named Jesus; “He’s lived among us for many years; come and we will show you”; took the missionaries to the hut of the lost missionary
· Matthew 5:14 – 16
E. They do not continue in a lifestyle characterized by sin. (vv. 6, 9)
· Greek verb means “to continue in sin”
· We spend an entire lifetime allowing God to destroy the influence of sin in our lives; through obedience to Him, we learn to be victorious over sin
· Churches today have compromised and are allowing sinful practices to take place in the name of Christianity
· A person who lives in a state of willful continuing sin is not a Christian
· There are no Christian serial killers, no Christian adulterers, no Christian homosexuals, no Christian alcoholics
F. They will be perfect one day. (v. 2)
· Salvation = justification, sanctification, glorification
· Romans 8:29, 30 – “For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.”
· 1 Corinthians 15:51 – 53
G. They expect the Christ to return soon. (v. 3)
· Revelation 22:20 – “Surely I come quickly.”
· What should we be doing in the meantime? Working and telling others.
· What if He came today? Are you ready?
H. They will have confidence before God. (v. 28)
· Friend of mine was guilty but not worried about speeding ticket because her brother worked on the police department and he would take care of the charges
· Not afraid to die; I am guilty but I have an Older Brother that has taken care of my punishment for me
Conclusion:
· Are you a son of God or a child of the devil?
· Just like the other three people, people may “look” like Christians, but may not share the characteristics of the Father on the inside
· How do you become a son of God? Must be born into the family. (John 3:3 – 8)
