VIDEO
what does spiritual maturity look like?
This sermon was given on 9/28/25 at Pax Christian Church.
SPEAKER
Mandy Lucas is one of the Co-Lead Pastors at Pax Christian Church.
SERMON SERIES
This sermon series is “The Letters of John: 1 John, 2 John, 3 John”
NOTES
Find the full notes below on this page, or in the YouVersion Bible App.
NOTES:
If someone were to consider your nature, who would they think you resemble?
And now, dear children, continue in him, so that when he appears we may be confident and unashamed before him at his coming. If you know that he is righteous, you know that everyone who does what is right has been born of him.
See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure. Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness. But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin. No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him. Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. The one who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous. The one who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work. No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God. This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not God’s child, nor is anyone who does not love their brother and sister.
And now, dear children, continue in him, so that when he appears we may be confident and unashamed before him at his coming.
Last week the exhortation was to remain or abide in Christ.
This new section exhorts readers to continue in him in light of his return.
If you know that he is righteous, you know that everyone who does what is right has been born of him.
Here John teaches that if you have been born of him, you will be like him, doing what is right because Jesus is righteous.
Righteous: a state of being right, or right conduct, judged whether by the Divine standards, of what is right. Said of God, it designates the perfect agreement between His nature and His acts (in which He is the standard for all men)”— Vines Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words
When we believe in Christ our lives and our natures are transformed to resemble his righteousness.
See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.
When Christ appears we will be made fully like him.
Until then we continue in him, transformed by his love, becoming more and more like him and less like the world and culture around us.
And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.
It is Jesus who transforms us and makes us righteous.
Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness.But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin.
Jesus was and is without sin.
Jesus died so that our sins could be forgiven and removed from us so that we no longer live by it.
For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God’s sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous.
Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin.
This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentilefor all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
It is Christ‘s righteousness that transforms and purifies us putting us in right relationship with God.
No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him.Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. The one who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous.The one who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work.
To live in Christ is to no longer live in sin.
You will resemble who you follow.
The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debaucheryidolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factionsand envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulnessgentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.
No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God.This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not God’s child, nor is anyone who does not love their brother and sister.
The children resemble their father.
You will resemble your father.
I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.
To continue in Christ is to be transformed by his righteousness as we remain in him.
That means that instead of just trying to do all the right things, we build a right relationship with him.
How is God speaking to you through his word today?
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