1 John 3 Set Apart 1000 Days Of Searching The Scriptures Pastor Chidi Okorie 2023-04-06-#596

The book of 1 John is a letter written by the Apostle John to a group of Christians who were facing both internal and external challenges to their faith. Throughout the book, John encourages these believers to hold fast to their faith in Christ and to demonstrate their love for God and for one another by living righteous lives. The third chapter of 1 John is a particularly important chapter that focuses on the topic of love and its relationship to our identity as children of God.<br /><br /> At the start of 1 John 3, John reminds the reader that believers are children of God and that this identity is what sets them apart from the world. He emphasizes that the world does not know or recognize them because they are not of the world. This statement serves as a reminder that being a Christian is not about fitting in with the world but about being set apart by God for a special purpose.<br /><br /> John then goes on to make an important statement about the nature of sin. He says that sin is lawlessness, and that we know that Jesus came to take away sins and that in Him there is no sin. This statement reminds us that Jesus came to fulfill the law and to take away the penalty of sin. It also reminds us that sin is not just a mistake or accident; it is a deliberate breaking of God's laws and an act of rebellion against His authority.<br /><br /> The heart of 1 John 3 is a call to love. John says that we should imitate God's love for us by loving one another. He reminds us that love is not just a feeling or emotion but an action. He says, "let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth." In other words, our love for others should be demonstrated in our actions and in the truth of our character. John also points out that love involves sacrifice. He writes, "By this we know love, because He [Jesus Christ] laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren."<br /><br /> The chapter ends with a reminder of the importance of faith. John says that faith in God's Son gives us conf