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Scripture Reading: 1 John 2:28-29; 3:1-10a
In the Epistle of 1 John there are three main sections: the fellowship of the divine life (1:1—2:11), the teaching of the divine anointing (2:12-27), and the virtues of the divine birth (2:28—5:21). The sequence of these sections indicates that the fellowship of the divine life and the teaching of the divine anointing bring us into the virtues of the divine birth.
In the third section we see how much enjoyment we receive from the divine birth. In particular, this enjoyment is related to the virtues of the divine birth. The divine birth brings in many virtues. Only by the fellowship of the divine life and by the teaching of the divine anointing can we experience and enjoy all the virtues imparted to us through the divine birth. According to 1 John, the first of these virtues is to practice the divine righteousness. Therefore, the title of this message is “The Virtues of the Divine Birth to Practice the Divine Righteousness.”
The practice of the divine righteousness has a basis, and this basis is the divine birth (1 John 2:29; 3:9; 4:7; 5:1, 4, 18). Through this birth we have received the divine life as the divine seed. We may say that this seed is the “capital” for our Christian life. In order to live a Christian life, we need such capital; that is, we need the divine life sown as the divine seed into our being through the divine birth.
The divine birth brings us the divine seed, and through this seed we partake of the divine nature for our growth in the divine life. A certain kind of life will always have a particular nature, and this nature is for growth. Because we have been born of God, we have the divine life. Within this divine life there is the divine nature. Now we are partaking of and enjoying this divine nature (2 Pet. 1:4) for us to grow in the divine life. This is the basis for the practice of the divine righteousness, the divine love (3:10b—5:3), and the overcoming of all negative things (5:4-21).
We have seen that the divine birth is the basis. Now we must go on to see that the divine life is the means. First, the divine life is the means for us to abide in the Triune God. If we did not have the human life, we could not abide in humanity. Likewise, if we did not have the divine life, we could not abide in the Triune God. But because we have the divine life, by this life we can abide in the Triune God.
By the divine life as the means we can also live this life in our human living. This means that we can live a life that practices the divine righteousness, loves the brothers, and overcomes all negative things.
We can practice the divine righteousness through the abiding in the divine fellowship according to the divine anointing (2:27-28). Through this abiding we first enjoy God as light (1:5, 7; 2:10), and then we enjoy Him as love (4:8, 16). Light and love are deeper than truth and grace. Light is the source of truth, and love is the source of grace. Through abiding in the divine fellowship according to the divine anointing, we not only receive truth and grace, but we also enjoy light as the source of truth and love as the source of grace.
With the divine birth as the basis, the divine life as the means, and through the abiding in the divine fellowship according to the divine anointing, we can practice the divine righteousness. Let us now go on to consider the practice of the divine righteousness.
In 2:28 John says, “And now, little children, abide in Him, that if He is manifested, we may have boldness and not be put to shame from Him at His coming.” This word is addressed to the “little children,” that is, to all the believers (2:1). This charge begins (2:28), continues (3:6), and ends (3:24) with “abide in Him.” If we abide in Him, we may have boldness and not be put to shame from Him at His coming, at His parousia. This means that at His coming back we shall not be put to shame from His glory. But if we do not abide in the Triune God, continually living the divine life, then at the Lord’s coming back we shall suffer shame, which will be a kind of discipline exercised upon us. Then we shall be kept away from His glory.
In verse 29 John continues, “If you have known that He is righteous, you know also that everyone who practices righteousness has been begotten of Him.” The first mention of the word “known” in this verse is the translation of the Greek word eidete, from oida, which means perceive with a conscious knowledge, a deeper inward seeing. We need to know in such a way that God is righteous. If we perceive this, then we shall know that everyone who practices righteousness has been begotten of God.
Practicing righteousness is a matter that is habitual and unintentional as a common daily life. Hence, to practice the divine righteousness is to do righteousness habitually and unintentionally as our daily living. However, if we do righteousness intentionally with a purpose, that is not a matter of our common daily life. Rather, it is to behave in a political way. Someone may do righteousness with a purpose of gaining a position or a name for himself. That is to behave in a political way. But we Christians, as children of God, should be saturated with the righteous God so that spontaneously we live a life that practices righteousness habitually and unintentionally. Instead of doing a particular act of righteousness for a certain purpose, we practice righteousness as our common daily life. This is an issue of the fellowship of the divine life and the anointing of the Divine Trinity. Furthermore, this is an expression of the righteous God. Through abiding in the righteous God, we are infused and saturated with Him. Then our living becomes an expression of the righteous God with whom we have been infused and saturated. This righteous God then becomes our righteous living, our daily righteousness. This practice of righteousness is not merely outward behavior, but the manifestation of the inward life. As we have pointed out, this is not an act done for a purpose; it is the flow of life from within the divine nature of which we partake.
First John 3:1 says, “See what manner of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and we are. Because of this the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.” This verse is included in the passage which goes from 2:28 through 3:3. This passage is one paragraph on the righteous living of God’s children.
In 3:1 John refers to the divine birth and to the begetting Father. Of the Triune God implied in 2:29, the Father is particularly mentioned. He is the source of the divine life, the One of whom we have been born with this life. The love of God is manifested by sending His Son to die for us so that we may have His life and thus become His children (4:9; John 3:16; 1:12-13). The sending of His Son is for begetting us. Hence, the love of God is a begetting love, particularly in the Father.
The word “children” in 3:1 corresponds to “begotten of Him” in 2:29. We have been begotten of the Father, the source of life, to be the children of God, the Owner of the children. We partake of the Father’s life to express the Triune God.
In 3:1 John says, “Because of this the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.” The Greek word rendered “because” may also be translated on this account or for this reason. For the reason that we are the children of God by a mysterious birth with the divine life, the world does not know us. The world is ignorant of our regeneration by God; it does not know us, because it did not know God Himself. It was ignorant of God, so it is also ignorant of our divine birth.
In 3:2 John goes on to say, “Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not yet been manifested what we shall be. We know that if He is manifested, we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him even as He is.” Since we are the children of God, we shall be like Him in the maturity of life when He is manifested. To be like Him is “what we shall be.” This has not yet been manifested. This indicates that the children of God have a great future with a more splendid blessing. We shall not only have the divine nature, but shall also bear the divine likeness. To partake of the divine nature is already a great blessing and enjoyment; yet to be like God, bearing His likeness, will be a greater blessing and enjoyment.
The pronoun “He” in 3:2 refers to God and denotes Christ, who is to be manifested. This not only indicates that Christ is God, but also implies the Divine Trinity. When Christ is manifested, the Triune God will be manifested. When we see Him, we shall see the Triune God; and when we are like Him, we shall be like the Triune God.
In verse 2 John says, “We shall be like Him, because we shall see Him even as He is.” This means that by seeing Him we shall reflect His likeness (2 Cor. 3:18). This will cause us to be as He is.
Verse 2 indicates that the children of God have a great future. However, I have heard some saints say that they do not have a future. These saints need to realize that they have a great future with splendid blessings. Our future is indicated by the word “it has not yet been manifested what we shall be.” What we shall be is a divine mystery. Because it is such a mystery, it must be something great. We are not able to imagine what our future will be. The fact that our future has not yet been manifested indicates that it will be wonderful. Although it has not been manifested what we shall be, we know that when the Son is manifested, we shall be like the Triune God.
In 3:3 John continues, “And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, even as that One is pure.” The hope spoken of here is the hope of being like the Lord, the hope of bearing the likeness of the Triune God. Our expectation is that we shall be like Him.
Verse 3 says that because we have this hope, we purify ourselves. According to the context of this section, from 2:28 through 3:24, to purify ourselves is to practice righteousness (3:7; 2:29), to live a righteous life that is the expression of the righteous God (1:9), the righteous One (2:1). This is to be pure without any stain of unrighteousness, even as that One is perfectly pure. This also describes the life that abides in the Lord.
In 3:4 John says, “Everyone who practices sin practices also lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness.” To practice sin is not merely to commit sin as occasional acts, but to live in sin (Rom. 6:2), to live a life which is not under the ruling principle of God over man.
No one who is a child of God practices sin habitually. We may sin occasionally, but we do not practice sin habitually. For instance, if someone has the practice of lying continually, this is a sign that he probably has not been born of God. Someone who has the divine life in him as a seed cannot lie habitually. However, due to weakness a child of God may lie in a particular circumstance. But because he is a child of God, he will not lie habitually. Instead of practicing sin, those who are children of God practice righteousness habitually.
In 3:4 John says that sin is lawlessness. Lawlessness is to have no law, to be without law. This does not mean to be without the Mosaic law (see Rom. 5:13), because sin was already in the world before the Mosaic law was given. Without law here denotes without, or not under, the ruling principle of God over man. To practice lawlessness is to live a life outside of and not under God’s ruling principle over man. Hence, lawlessness is sin, or reciprocally, sin is lawlessness.
Verse 5 says, “And you know that that One was manifested that He might take away sins; and sin is not in Him.” The Greek word for “take away” here is the same as that used in John 1:29. There Christ as the Lamb of God takes away the sin of the world, the sin which came into the world through Adam (Rom. 5:12). Here He takes away sins, which are committed by all men. John 1 and Romans 5 deal with sin itself that dwells in men (Rom. 7:17-18). This chapter deals with the fruits of sin, that is, the committing of sins in men’s daily life. Both are taken away by Christ.
In that One who takes away both sin and sins, there is no sin. Hence, He did not know sin (2 Cor. 5:21), He did no sin (1 Pet. 2:22), and He was without sin (Heb. 4:15). This qualified Him to take away both the indwelling sin and the sins committed in men’s daily life.
In verse 6 John continues, “Everyone who abides in Him does not sin; everyone who sins has not seen Him nor known Him.” To abide in Him is to remain in the fellowship of the divine life and to walk in the divine light (1:2-3, 6-7).
The words “does not sin” mean not to sin habitually. This is also a condition of the life that abides in the Lord. It does not mean that the children of God do not commit sin at all; they may commit sin occasionally. It means that the regenerated believers who have the divine life and live by it do not practice sin. Their character and habit is not to sin, but to abide in the Lord.
Abiding in the Lord is a believer’s living; sinning is a sinner’s life. In this verse John says that everyone who practices sin, living a sinful life, has not seen Him or known Him. Not to have seen or known the Lord is not to have received any vision of Him or to have any realization of Him. This is the condition of an unbeliever. But if we have experienced the Lord, then we have seen Him and known Him. To see and know the Lord is to experience Him.
In verse 7 John says, “Little children, let no one lead you astray; he who practices righteousness is righteous, even as that One is righteous.” To practice righteousness is to live a righteous life, living uprightly under God’s ruling principle. This, according to the following verse, means not to practice sin, and, according to verse 4, not to practice lawlessness.
According to the context, “righteous” here equals “pure” in verse 3. To be righteous is to be pure, without any stain of sin, lawlessness, and unrighteousness, even as Christ is pure. The emphasis of the apostle John is that as long as we are children of God having the divine life and the divine nature, we certainly will habitually live a life of righteousness.
In verse 8 John goes on to say, “He who practices sin is of the Devil, because the Devil sins from the beginning. For this the Son of God was manifested, that He might undo the works of the Devil.” This verse indicates that “practices sin” (v. 4) and “sins” in this book are synonymous, denoting to live in sin, to commit sin habitually. Such a life is of the Devil, whose life is one of sin and who sins habitually from the beginning. Sin is his nature, and sinning is his character.
In verse 8 the preposition “from” is used in the absolute sense, that is, from the time when the Devil began to rebel against God, attempting to overthrow God’s rule.
In this verse John says that the Son of God was manifested for the purpose of undoing the works of the Devil. The Greek word translated “for this” literally means unto this, that is, to this end, for this purpose. The Devil sins continually from ancient times and begets sinners to practice sin with him. Hence, for this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might undo and destroy his sinful deeds — that is, condemn, through death on the cross in the flesh (Rom. 8:3), sin initiated by him, the evil one; destroy the power of sin, the sinful nature of the Devil (Heb. 2:14); and take away both sin and sins. On the cross Christ condemned sin, took away sin and sins, and destroyed the power of the Devil.
Verse 9 says, “Everyone who has been begotten of God does not practice sin, because His seed abides in him, and he cannot sin, because he has been begotten of God.” To not practice sin does not mean that we do not commit sin in occasional acts; it means that we do not live in sin. A child of God may sin occasionally, but he does not practice sin habitually.
The reason a child of God does not practice sin is that “His seed abides in him, and he cannot sin, because he has been begotten of God.” The seed here denotes God’s life, which we received of Him when we were begotten of Him. This life, as the divine seed, abides in every regenerated believer. Hence, such a one does not practice sin and cannot sin. The words “cannot sin” in this verse mean cannot live in sin habitually. A regenerated believer may fall into sin occasionally, but the divine life as the divine seed in his regenerated nature will not allow him to live in sin. This is similar to a sheep who may fall into the mud, but whose clean life will not allow it to remain and wallow in the mud as a swine does.
Verse 9 speaks of the habitual living of the children of God. As God’s children, we have the divine life, a life that does not sin. Therefore, when we live by this life, we do not practice sin. But why do we sometimes still sin? The answer to this question is that we commit sin occasionally because our body is still in the old creation. Our body is not only the body created by God, but also the body that has become the flesh because it has been poisoned and corrupted by the Devil through sin. We still have sin in our flesh. If we live by the spirit, that is, if we live by the divine life in our spirit, we shall not sin. But if instead of living in the spirit we live in the flesh or do things according to the flesh, we are likely to commit sin.
We have two natures within us: the fallen nature in the flesh and the new nature of the divine life in our spirit. If we are on the alert, fellowshipping with the Lord and living in our spirit by the divine life, we shall not sin. But if we are careless and move and act in the flesh, there will be much opportunity for us to sin, because the sinful nature is still in us.
Some may argue and say, “Doesn’t the Bible tell us that he who has been begotten of God does not sin? How, then, can you say that those who have been begotten of God may still commit sin?” You may want to answer such a question this way: “Yes, I have been begotten of God. But I have been begotten of Him in my spirit, not in my body, not in my flesh. This means that if we live in the flesh and walk according to the flesh, we can still commit sin. But one day our body will receive the full sonship. That will be the redemption of the body.”
We may use the word “sonized” to denote the full sonship, that is, the redemption of our body. We have been born of God, regenerated, in our spirit, but our body has not yet been sonized. When the Lord Jesus comes back, our body will be sonized. Then, according to Romans 8:23, we shall receive the full sonship, the redemption of our body. We need to realize that we have not yet been redeemed in our body. Our body has not been regenerated; it has not been born of God.
In 3:10a John says, “In this the children of God and the children of the Devil are manifest.” To practice sin or not, that is, to live in sin or not, is not a matter of behavior. It is a matter of whose children we are — the children of God or the children of the Devil. Hence, it is a matter of life and nature. Men, as the fallen descendants of Adam, are born children of the Devil, the evil one (John 8:44), possessing his life, partaking of his nature, and living in sin automatically and habitually. Practicing sin is their life. But the believers, who are redeemed from their fallen state and reborn in their spirit, are the children of God, possessing His life, partaking of His nature, and not living in sin. Practicing righteousness is their life. Whether one is a child of God or a child of the Devil is manifested by what he practices, righteousness or sin. A reborn believer may commit sin, and an unsaved man may do righteousness. Both are their outward behavior, not their outward living, thus not manifesting what they are in their inward life and nature.
If we would enjoy the divine life, we need to remain in the fellowship of the divine life. In order to remain in this fellowship, we need to abide in the Lord, who is the Triune God. Furthermore, if we would abide in the Triune God, we need to abide in Him according to the teaching of the divine anointing. If we do not care for the anointing, we shall lose the fellowship.
Because many Christians do not care for the anointing, they do not remain in the fellowship of the divine life. Some do not even understand what the fellowship of the divine life is. Instead of caring for the anointing, the chrisma, in their spirit, they care for doctrines and theology. Because they do not care for the chrisma in their spirit, they are not in the fellowship of the divine life and therefore do not have the enjoyment of the divine life. But in the Lord’s recovery we care for the anointing, the chrisma. Through this anointing we enjoy the virtues of the divine life.
We have seen that the first virtue of the divine life we enjoy through the anointing is the practice of righteousness or the living of a righteous life. We have a righteous nature within us, a nature that is not something of our natural man. This righteous nature, which is the nature of the divine life, is of our new man. As we take care of the inner anointing, the moving of the Triune God, we shall live habitually according to this righteous nature.
The anointing is the moving of the Triune God within us. This means that our God has become subjective to us. The Triune God — the Father, the Son, and the Spirit — is within our spirit. Day by day this processed Triune God as the anointing leads us into the virtues of the divine life, the virtues we have received through the divine birth. These virtues include living a righteous life, loving the brothers, and overcoming all negative things. To live a righteous life is to have a life that is right with God and with man. Righteousness is a matter of being right with both God and man. Therefore, to practice righteousness is to have a life that is right with God and man.
