The apostle John saw clearly.
He told it as it is. Are you ready to see as he did? Blurred lines between truth and error is the only thing that prevents us from seeing clearly. Oh, I know we are growing as children of God and “we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known. But now faith, hope and love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is Love.” (1 Corinthians 13:11-13) The clarity of vision John had is received by believing that he told the unadulterated truth.
Truth that is not to be watered down. We do that when its absoluteness makes us uncomfortable or goes against our sense of morality. We blur the lines between truth and error. Here are some highlights of 1 John 3.
“We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is. And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.” (Vs. 2-3) The only way I know how to do this is to acknowledge the sin that God reveals in me. It’s called confession. He forgives and changes us when we do admit to the truth.
“Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness. You know that He appeared in order to take away sins; and in Him is no sin. No one who abides in Him sins; no one who sins has seen Him or knows Him.” (Vs. 4-6) Remember. To see as the apostle John sees we cannot blur this line no matter how uncomfortable our old self becomes.
“Little children, make sure no one deceives you; the one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous; the one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil.” (Vs. 7-8) Talk about contrast! We are either righteous or of the devil.
“No one who is born of God practices sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.” (Vs. 9) Doctors practice medicine, lawyers practice law and the children of God practice righteousness because the word of God abides in our heart.
“By this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious: anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor the one who does not love his brother.” (Vs. 10)
John saw clearly. What is practiced reveals to whom we belong. “Don’t be surprised, brethren, if the world hates you. (Vs. 13) They are like their father, the devil.
His Family Table 