1 John 3:4–10 He Appeared in Order to Take Away Sins

1 John 3:4–10< He Appeared in Order to Take Away Sins

Introduction

Not everyone knows God the Creator as He has fully revealed Himself in the Person of Christ. Many people know about God. They may be familiar with His name, His Word, or even Christian language. But knowing about God is not the same as knowing Him. The Apostle John writes with a confidence that assumes this difference matters, because it shapes how a person lives and what they believe about sin, righteousness, and love.

John’s concern is not to unsettle believers for the sake of fear, but to protect them from deception that robs them of joy and freedom. Throughout his letter, he speaks as a spiritual father, helping his readers understand what it means to belong to God and how that belonging becomes visible in real life. He is careful to remind them that while all people are made in the image of God, not everyone is a child of God. That distinction is not meant to diminish human dignity, but to clarify spiritual reality.

This passage exists to help readers examine whether their confidence rests in Christ Himself or merely in familiarity with religious ideas. John assumes that his audience already knows something essential about God. They know what God has done, how He has acted in history, and why Christ appeared. Because of that shared knowledge, John can speak plainly about sin and righteousness without apology.

As we consider this passage, the question is not whether we have heard about God, but whether we truly know Him as He has made Himself known. Understanding what John knew, and what he expected his readers to already understand, will help us see why he speaks with such clarity and confidence.

Sin, Lawlessness, and Knowing God

John begins this passage by defining sin in a way that removes all ambiguity. He writes that sin is lawlessness (1 John 3:4). Sin is not only a mistake or a failure to meet a standard. It is rebellion against God’s authority. It is a refusal to live under His rule. When God has revealed His will, sin becomes a rejection of what He has made known rather than a lack of information.

John goes further by connecting sin to God’s very nature. Sin is disorder that stands opposed to who God is. God is holy, righteous, and good. Sin works against that order. It disrupts fellowship and creates separation. This is why sin cannot be treated lightly or managed casually. It is not only wrong behavior, it is relational defiance against a holy God.

This helps us understand why John speaks so clearly about the purpose of Christ’s coming. He reminds his readers that Christ appeared in order to take away sins, and that there is no sin in Him (1 John 3:5). Jesus did not come to excuse sin, overlook it, or help people live comfortably alongside it. He came because sin had to be dealt with for fellowship with God to exist. Without the removal of sin, true communion with God would remain impossible.

John then introduces the language of abiding. He says that no one who abides in Christ keeps on sinning (1 John 3:6). To abide in Christ is to live in union with Him. It is to remain where life is found. Union with Christ reshapes desires and direction. This does not mean that believers never struggle or fail. It means that sin no longer feels at home. It no longer defines the pattern of life.

When John says that those who continue in sin have neither seen Christ nor known Him, he is not condemning struggling believers. He is clarifying what true knowledge of God produces. Knowing Christ is not merely recognizing facts about Him. It is relational knowledge that changes the heart. Where Christ has truly been known, sin cannot remain unchallenged or embraced as normal.

This section forces a sober but necessary conclusion. If Christ came to remove sin, then those who belong to Him cannot make peace with it. Grace does not create indifference toward sin. It creates freedom from its rule. Knowing God reshapes how a person lives because fellowship with Him has been restored through the work of Christ.

Christ Revealed in the Story of Redemption

To understand why Christ had to come, John assumes his readers already know something about God’s work in history. From the beginning, God has been actively dealing with sin so that fellowship with Him could exist. This work did not begin with Jesus. It moved steadily toward Him.

When sin first entered the world, humanity did not rush toward God. Adam and Eve hid in shame and fear (Genesis 3:8–11). Sin immediately disrupted fellowship and exposed human inability to fix what had been broken. Yet before judgment fell, God acted in mercy. He clothed them in their nakedness and shame, covering what they could not cover themselves (Genesis 3:21). This moment established a pattern that would continue throughout Scripture. God took responsibility for addressing sin so that relationship could continue.

As history unfolded, God made it clear that sin required more than regret or effort. A sacrifice was necessary. When Abraham was asked about the lamb for the offering, he spoke words that carried far beyond that moment. He said that God Himself would provide the lamb (Genesis 22:7–8). Though a ram was provided that day, the statement pointed forward. A greater sacrifice was always anticipated.

This expectation became woven into the life of God’s people. Before Israel was freed from slavery, before the law was given, and before their journey toward the Promised Land began, a lamb was sacrificed and its blood applied so that death would pass over them (Exodus 12:21–24). Freedom followed atonement, not effort. God was teaching His people that deliverance and life required sin to be addressed on His terms.

Alongside sacrifice, God also revealed His presence. When He descended on Mount Sinai, His holiness made it clear that sinful people could not approach Him casually (Exodus 19:17–18). Through the tabernacle, God established a way for His presence to dwell among His people while preserving His holiness (Exodus 40:33–34). Later, the temple stood as a permanent reminder that God was near, yet access remained ordered and mediated (2 Chronicles 7:1).

Even with sacrifice and structure in place, humanity continued to struggle. The prophets spoke of something greater still to come. God promised a lasting dwelling with His people and a covenant that would not fail (Ezekiel 37:25–27). The story was always moving forward. Revelation was not standing still. It was moving toward clarity.

All of this work explains why Christ had to come. The sacrifices pointed forward. The structures prepared the way. The presence of God anticipated something more personal. God’s work throughout history was not fragmented or uncertain. It was purposeful, leading to the moment when He would fully reveal Himself and finally deal with sin in a way that restored lasting fellowship.

Fulfillment in the Person of Christ

Everything God had been revealing through sacrifice, presence, and promise comes into clear focus in the Person of Christ. What had been anticipated and partially seen is now fully revealed. Jesus does not simply continue the story. He brings clarity to it. In Him, what was hidden is made known.

John the Baptist captured this moment when he saw Jesus and declared Him to be the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29). This statement gathers the entire story of sacrifice into a single Person. Jesus is not one lamb among many. He is the Lamb God Himself provides. Sin is not ignored, postponed, or redefined. It is removed. The purpose of Christ’s coming was decisive atonement.

Jesus also revealed that the place where God meets His people would no longer be defined by a structure. When He spoke of destroying the temple and raising it in three days, He was speaking about His own body (John 2:19–21). The tabernacle and the temple had fulfilled their purpose. God’s presence was no longer tied to a location. It was now personal. God would dwell with His people through Christ.

The cross stands at the center of this fulfillment. Jesus was condemned and put to death, even though no guilt was found in Him (Acts 13:26–29). His death was not an accident or a failure. It fulfilled everything written beforehand. When God raised Him from the dead, it confirmed that the sacrifice had been accepted (Acts 13:30). Death was defeated. Christ’s work was complete. God’s promise had been kept.

This fulfillment does not end with the resurrection. It moves forward to worship. In the vision given to John, the Lamb who was slain stands alive and is declared worthy to receive honor and authority (Revelation 5:6–10). Worship reveals allegiance. The One who removed sin is the One who reigns. He alone is worthy to govern the lives of those He has redeemed.

The story that began with God covering shame in the garden finds its completion in God dwelling with His people forever. In the final vision, God’s dwelling place is with humanity, and He lives with them as their God (Revelation 21:2–3). What was promised has been fulfilled. God has made Himself known fully and personally in Christ.

Destroying the Works of the Devil

After establishing who Christ is and what He has accomplished, John turns his attention to a real and present danger. He warns his readers not to be deceived (1 John 3:7). This warning is not aimed at the world outside the church, but at confusion and distortion that can arise within it. The deception John confronts is subtle. It separates belief from behavior. It allows someone to claim faith while dismissing transformation.

John is clear that righteousness is not something a person performs to earn standing with God. It is the fruit that grows from union with Christ. Whoever practices righteousness reflects the character of the One to whom they belong. Righteousness flows from relationship, not effort. Where Christ is truly known, His life begins to shape the life of the believer.

In contrast, John says that whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil (1 John 3:8). This language is strong, but its purpose is protective. John is not condemning those who struggle. He is exposing the false security of those who make peace with sin. The devil’s work has always involved distortion, deception, and rebellion. To separate belief from obedience is to echo that same pattern.

John then anchors this warning in the mission of Christ. The Son of God appeared to destroy the works of the devil (1 John 3:8). This means that sin no longer rules God’s children. Its authority has been broken. Temptation may remain, but domination does not. Christ did not come simply to forgive sin, but to free His people from its power.

This section reminds readers that grace never partners with darkness. Christ’s victory has real consequences. To live as though sin still reigns is to deny what He has accomplished. John’s warning is meant to guard believers from teaching and thinking that undermines the freedom Christ has secured for them.

Children of God and Family Resemblance

John now brings the focus back to identity. He explains that those who are born of God receive more than forgiveness. They receive a new identity. To be born of God is to belong to Him as a child. This identity is secured by God’s work, not human effort. It is not earned through obedience, but it does shape how obedience looks in the life of the believer.

John says that God’s seed abides in those who are born of Him (1 John 3:9). This language points to God’s ongoing work within His children. Change is not sustained by willpower or discipline alone. It is sustained by God Himself. Growth may be uneven and progress may feel slow, but direction becomes clear. God’s life within His children produces a different pattern over time.

When John says that a person born of God cannot keep on sinning, he is not describing moral perfection or sinless living. He is describing moral incompatibility. Sin no longer fits with who the believer has become. It no longer defines the direction of life. While believers may still struggle, sin does not feel at home or unchallenged. The new identity reshapes desires and responses.

John then gives a visible way to discern this new identity. He says that it is evident who are the children of God and who are the children of the devil (1 John 3:10). The distinction is not hidden or mystical. It becomes visible through practice and love. Those who belong to God practice righteousness, not to prove themselves, but because they share in God’s life.

Love for fellow believers plays a central role in this distinction. Love is not presented as an optional virtue or emotional preference. It is evidence of true faith. Those who share the same Father begin to reflect His love toward one another. This love flows naturally from shared life, not from obligation.

This section reassures believers that their confidence does not rest in flawless obedience. It rests in God’s work that has given them a new identity. At the same time, it encourages them by showing that God’s work within them is real and visible. Belonging to God leaves a mark. Family resemblance appears over time.

Call to Repent and Believe

This passage is not given to unsettle those who belong to Christ, but to strengthen their confidence in Him. John’s words are meant to guide believers back to what is solid and sure. Confidence does not come from measuring personal progress or comparing struggles. It comes from remembering what God has done and how He has made Himself known.

For those who are discouraged by ongoing struggle, this passage offers clarity rather than condemnation. Struggle itself is not the evidence John is addressing. The presence of conflict with sin often points to God’s work within a person, not the absence of it. John’s concern is not weakness, but indifference. He is reminding his readers that Christ came to remove sin so that fellowship with God could exist, and that this work has already been accomplished.

Because God has made Himself known in Christ, repentance is not a return to fear but a return to truth. To repent is to turn back toward the One who has already acted in mercy. To believe is to rest again in what Christ has completed. Confidence grows not by denying struggle, but by trusting the faithfulness of God who finishes what He begins.

This passage ultimately invites readers to place their assurance where it belongs. God has revealed Himself. He has dealt with sin. He has secured a new identity for His children. Those truths provide a firm foundation for confidence, even in seasons of weakness. Repentance and belief are not signs of failure, but of life, drawing God’s children back to the clarity and hope found in Christ.

Scripture References

1 John 3:4–10
Defines sin as lawlessness, explains Christ’s purpose in removing sin, and distinguishes the children of God through righteousness and love.

Genesis 3:8–11
Shows the immediate relational rupture caused by sin, marked by fear, shame, and separation from God.

Genesis 3:21
Reveals God’s mercy in covering human shame, establishing His initiative to address sin.

Genesis 22:7–8
Foreshadows God’s promise to provide His own sacrifice.

Exodus 12:21–24
Teaches that deliverance comes through sacrificial blood, showing that freedom follows atonement.

Exodus 19:17–18
Displays God’s holiness and the inability of sinful people to approach Him casually.

Exodus 40:33–34
Shows God dwelling with His people through the tabernacle by ordered access.

2 Chronicles 7:1
Records God’s glory filling the temple, confirming His holy presence among His people.

Ezekiel 37:25–27
Promises a lasting covenant where God will dwell with His people forever.

John 1:29
Identifies Jesus as the Lamb of God who removes sin.

John 2:19–21
Reveals Jesus as the true temple where God meets His people.

Acts 13:26–30
Affirms Christ’s death and resurrection as the fulfillment of God’s redemptive plan.

Revelation 5:6–10
Shows the risen Lamb receiving worship as Redeemer and King.

Revelation 21:2–3
Promises God’s final dwelling with His people, completing redemption.