Okay, in 1 John 3, verses 6-10,
we're going to read and then consider some thoughts there.
And we're going to call this today, His Seed in Us. His Seed in Us. And I'd like
to start by reading those verses, verses 6-10. It says, Whosoever
abideth in Him sinneth not. Whosoever sinneth hath not seen
Him, neither known Him. Little children, let no man deceive
you. He that doeth righteousness is
righteous as he is righteous. He that committeth sin is of
the devil, for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this
purpose the Son of God was manifested. that he might destroy the works
of the devil. Whosoever is born of God doth
not commit sin, for his seed remaineth in him, and he cannot
sin because he is born of God. In this is the children of God
manifest, and the children of the devil. Whosoever doeth not
righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his
brother." And, Nathan? I'd like to read that verse 9
one more time and then address some thoughts on it. Whosoever
is born of God doth not commit sin, for his seed remaineth in
him. And he cannot sin, because he
is born of God. And we know a couple things from
earlier looking at this passage and others that we'll refer to
again, that we know we sin. We have the sinful nature in
us, and that is a... plague us and part of us all
of our natural life. And what is referring here, and
we'll see that, is that those who are in Christ Jesus, that
is, are born again, born of the Spirit, born indeed from above,
do not have sin as the practice and direction of God, even though
in the flesh and of our life. That's not where we're headed.
We're not headed that way, even though we are in that and we
live in that. It's a burden to God's people. And as Paul said,
and we read that and quoted that many times and looked in that,
and he says that I know that in my flesh there dwells no good
thing. And also, who's going to save
me from the body of this death? And he says, I thank God through
Jesus Christ, our Lord, that we are delivered from this. And
like I say, it's a burden to God's people. And we know that
we sin more than we desire to and more often, that we would desire to,
and we know that even as we saw in Leviticus, that offering that
was for unwitting sins, we sin that we don't even realize just
by the nature that we have, that we have that. But in Christ Jesus, His Spirit
dwelt in us. And we're going to look at that,
and it says, as we see in verse 9 here, His seed remaineth in
him, and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. And I think
that that is inferring that His spirit bears witness with our
spirit, as the scripture says, that we are sons of God. And
also that it bears witness to, as he says, I have not lost none. He's not going to lose any of
the sheep that were given to him. And the sin that we commit
and are by nature and do, it's not to unbelief and it's not
to damnation. If we are his sheep and those
that are his are his and are kept. And we're going to look
at some verses that talk about what the new birth causes and
does indeed in God's people and what that should bring about. While you're in 1 John, if you're
there, but turn to 1 John, the first chapter, And I'd like to
read a couple of verses here. Clear back when we first started
this, looking in 1 John, that we read these. And I would like
to read, starting with verse 5. It speaks about them having been
with the Lord. But verse five says, then this
is the message which we have heard of him and declare unto
you that God is light and in him is no darkness at all. If
we say that we have fellowship with him and walk in darkness,
we lie and do not the truth. But or since we walk in the light
as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another and
the blood of Jesus Christ, his son cleanses us from all sin.
If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth
is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is
faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us
from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned,
we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us. And this, the contrast
of what we are by nature and what we have in Him, and what
He has done and does for His people, as it says here, the
blood of Jesus Christ, His Son, cleanseth us from all sin. And yet it says, if we say we
have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. And
it's not a contradiction there. In the flesh, we cannot please
God. In the spirit, we are That's
the key to it. And his faith that he causes
to be in, and the belief that he causes to be in there and
to have in us. And that it's not of ourselves,
it's of his doing. And of ourselves, we are sinful,
but it's been dealt with in him. Turn to Romans, if you would,
please, the third chapter of Romans. Romans chapter 3. I think some
other light on this. Romans chapter 3, and let me
get to the right spot. Up above here in Romans 3, we're
going to read from verse 20 and following a bit, but up above
in here, it's speaking about what we are by nature and that
sinful man cannot be just before God of his own self and that
we only stand in his. And verse 20 and following it
says, Therefore, by the deeds of the law, there shall no flesh
be justified in his sight. For by the law is the knowledge
of sin. But now the righteousness of
God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and
the prophets. even the righteousness of God, which is by faith of
Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe, for there
is no difference. For all have sinned and come
short of the glory of God, being justified freely by his grace
through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God hath
set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to
declare His righteousness for the remission of sins that are
passed through the forbearance of God, to declare, I say at
this time, His righteousness, that He might be just and the
justifier of him which believeth in Jesus." And we were recently
through this passage with Brother Lorne about the two covenants
and about the law and grace. and God's righteousness that
he supplies us by that and in that manner. that here, again,
we've all sinned, and we all do sin, but we are justified,
and we stand justified and righteous in God's sight because of Him
and in Him. And this speaks to the seed remaining
in us. It is not something that is fleeting
or passing if the new birth comes to one of God's sheep, it is
not here again and then lost and gone. If it's the new birth
from above, it remains in God's people and remains there. And our hope is not in what we
see or what we act like, or the sin we fall in, that's not, our
hope is not in what we cannot do or do for righteousness, because
we know that we are empty, there's nothing there. The only righteousness
that we can possibly ever have is of God's doing. And when that
is done, that is done, and that stays with God's people. There's one verse I'm going to
look at, too, just a minute here. We'll come back to that in a
minute. In the Lord, he is faithful and
just to cleanse us from all unrighteousness, as it said. He's faithful to
do that and just to do that. And turn to Romans chapter eight,
if you would. Romans chapter eight. We find ourself here in 1 John
in Romans quite a bit and other parts of scripture, but I think
it bears heavy on what we're looking at here. In chapter 8, starting with the first verse,
and it says, There is therefore now no condemnation to them which
are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after
the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of
life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and
death. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through
the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful
flesh, and for sin condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteousness
of the law might be fulfilled in us who walk not after the
flesh, but after the Spirit. for they that are after the flesh
do mind the things of the flesh, but they that are after the Spirit,
the things of the Spirit." So that, as it says here, the righteousness
because of Him that the righteousness of the
law might be fulfilled in us. We can't do it. We can't fulfill
that righteousness. And anything that we do of ourself,
we can't get there. And if his spirit does not abide
and stay with us, we can't claim these things, if that's not so.
And then verse 10, and I'll let you read the rest of
what Paul has written here at your own leisure. But starting
with the verse, actually verse 9, it says, You are not in the
flesh, but in the Spirit. If so be that the Spirit of God
dwell in you. Now, if any man have not the
Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. And if Christ be in you,
the body is dead because of sin, but the spirit is life because
of righteousness. But if the spirit of him that
raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised
up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies
by his spirit that dwelleth in you. And at verse 12, therefore,
brethren, we are debtors not to the flesh to live after the
flesh. And those desires are going to
be there to be what we need to be and to live as it says there
we saw earlier in 1 John, a different place, that be holy as he is
holy. That's a pretty tough row to
hoe if you have the same realization that Paul says, I can't. I can't
do what I would desire to do, and I sure do enough that I don't
desire to do. And if it is not in the Lord,
we're not delivered from it. We can't be delivered from it.
And since He does, we have those desires to do that. And we're
told we're going to see further on in 1 John as we continue,
Lord willing, in that book. it speaks an awful lot about
loving God, loving the Lord Christ, Jesus Christ, loving your neighbor,
and loving the brethren. And there's some things that
if it's not of His doing that we're going to come up short. And if He doesn't put those desires
and things in us, it's not going to be there. But since we are
His, as it says, since we are in Him, these things will be
so. And He's faithful and just to see that they're so. And then
in verse 12, a couple of more verses here
in Romans 8. It says, for as many as are led by the
Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For you have not received
the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you have received the
spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit
itself beareth witness with our spirit that we are the children
of God. And if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint
heirs with Christ, if so be we suffer with him that we may be
glorified together." But he is the people that we've heard of,
and I think believers, when they look at themselves and what they
are capable of, There are doubts at times, but they are short-lived
because of the Spirit that witnesses that we are sons of God. And
those things come to us. causes us to look beyond ourself,
and that by Him that we are quickened, as it says. And it says, we have
not received the spirit of bondage again to fear, but have received
the spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. And we
saw there in the beginning of chapter 3 of 1 John, Beloved,
behold what love God has shown to us, that He has called us
the sons of God, and not only called us the sons of God, but
made us the sons of God and daughters, children of God. And it turns
us again constantly to Him. And as a man that was here many
years ago and preached, I mentioned this before, that he talked about
getting yourself out of your belly button, not at yourself,
but looking at who the Lord is, and not inward, but inward to
us, but inward to Him. Again, He's faithful and just
to do those things. And back to the book of 1 John,
I want to refer again to some verses that we looked at in lessons
past, but in 1 John, in the second chapter, 1 John, the second chapter, and
the first couple of verses of it say, My little children, these
things write I unto you that you sin not. And if any man sin,
we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous,
and He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only,
but also for the sins of the whole world. Hereby we do know
that we know Him if we keep His commandments." And then drop
down in the same chapter, if you would please, chapter 2,
verses 12, 13, 14, it says, John says, I write unto you little
children because your sins are forgiven you for His namesake.
I write unto you fathers because you have known Him that is from
the beginning. I write unto you young men because
you have overcome the wicked one. I write unto you little
children, because you have known the Father. I have written unto
you fathers, because you have known Him that is from the beginning.
I have written unto you young men, because you are strong,
and the word of God abide in you, and you have overcome the
wicked one." And all these here that he's written to the to the
fathers, the children, and the young men, it says here, because
they have known Him. Because it says, your sins are
forgiven for His name's sake. And you have known Him, that
is, from the beginning. These are things that are not
taught or learn things. These are things that God has
to reveal and does reveal to his people that this is how we
stand and who we stand in, and that he has done this. There's
no occasion that we've added anything to the mix. It's all
been given and done for us and done to us. And then in chapter
5 of 1 John, 1 John chapter 5. Verse 10 says, He that believeth
on the Son of God hath the witness in himself. He that believeth
not God hath made him a liar, because he believeth not the
record that God gave of His Son. And this is the record, this
is the record that God hath given to us eternal life, and this
life is in His Son. He that hath the Son hath life,
and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. And this
here, set up here in verse 10, he that believeth on the Son
of God hath the witness in himself. He that believeth not, God hath
made him a liar. But he that hath the witness
in himself. And that's not the witness that
we've come to the conclusion of this. This is a witness that
the Spirit bears with His people. It's the assurance of our faith
is from Him. It's not the assurance of our
faith isn't from what we have learned, fact-wise, or those
type of things. The scriptures are valuable to
everything that we need and have and need to be in Him, but it's
the Spirit that is that witness of those things. It makes that
Brother Loren talked about the two covenants, and the bond woman
and the free. Those things are, they're a great
illustration of those things, but if the Spirit doesn't reveal
what they're talking about, it's just an illustration of we don't
know what. But the difference between faith
that God has given, grace and faith and mercy, or works, and
the two are not compatible. And the seed that stays in us,
his seed or his spirit that remains in us, is not of our doing. It's
not of our working or doing anything of
that. And then verse 20 of chapter five, while we're here, It says,
And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an
understanding that we may know Him that is true. And we are
in Him that is true, even His Son, Jesus Christ. This is the
true God and eternal life, and that hath given us an understanding
that we may know. And this is, again, not deducted
by us in our wisdom, but has given us this understanding.
God has given us this understanding. I would like to look to the book of Philippians for just
a couple places. The book of Philippians and letter to the Philippians speaks
to these same things, of God's...not only God's seed or Spirit abiding
with us, but that that is the cause and the first motive of
anything that we do that that is correct and right of His righteousness that we
have. And those things that we do are because of that Spirit
that dwells with us. And in Philippians chapter 1, speaking to the saints, it says,
in Christ Jesus, which are at Philippi, verse 6, verse 1. Let's start with verse
1. It says, Paul and Timotheus, the servants of Jesus Christ,
to all the saints in Christ Jesus, which are at Philippi, with the
bishops and deacons. Grace be unto you and peace from
God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ. I thank my God
upon every remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine
for you all, making requests with joy. For your fellowship
in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident
of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you
will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ." And then verse
9, It says, And this, I pray, that your love may abound yet
more and more in knowledge and in all judgment, that you may
approve things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without
offense to the day of Christ, being filled being filled with the fruits
of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ unto the glory and
praise of God." That the only way that we approve of things
that are excellent or that we may be sincere and have the fruits
of righteousness is His righteousness and His doing. And that is not
something that's worked up. It is, all caused and done by God. In
chapter 2, before we leave that thought, chapter 2 in Philippians,
in verse 12 and 13, it says, Wherefore, my beloved, as ye
have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much
more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear
and trembling. For it is God which worketh in
you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. and anything
that comes about along those lines to will or to do of His
good pleasure is of His causing, and He's the first cause of those.
It's not us working up good thoughts and that we might will and do. And
I think this goes hand in glove with what Paul said about his
ability and inability to do that which is right, and the answer
and our salvation from that is in him. And here it says, I think
this fits very well with it, for it is God which worketh in
you, both to will and do of his good pleasure. When Paul says,
it's not me, and I can't do that, so here, God is the one that
causes that. He says, I can't do it. He says,
I fail whenever that comes about. I've just come up short, but
here it says, it is him that worketh in us to do and to both
to will and to do of His good pleasure. So the desires that
we have to be like Him, as it says, be holy like Him in our
life, and those things that we do outwardly, The desire even
to be that is put in there by God, not just the ability, the
desire. We wouldn't have those desires
without Him. He is the first cause of all
those. In Colossians, just the next
book over, the second chapter, the second chapter of Colossians, chapter 2. And just before here
in chapter 1, he's delivered us from the power
of darkness and translated us into-let me read it before I
misquote it. translated us into the kingdom
of His dear Son, in whom we have redemption through His blood,
even the forgiveness of sins. He hath delivered us from that.
But in chapter 2 of Colossians here, verse 13, it says, and you being dead in your sins
and uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with
him, having forgiven you all trespasses, blotting out the
handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary
to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross,
and having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a show of
them openly, triumphing over them. And all those things that
we lacked and where we could not stand before God, He has
taken those out of the way in His, as it says here, nailed
them to the cross. But He had blotted out that which
was against us. And He had, in verse 13, He had
quickened us together with Him. If that be the case, then these
things are so. If God is not quick in this,
if we've been told by someone else that we are fine without
the new birth as God describes it, then we can't say these things
are so. We can't say these things are
so unless He has indeed done that. The book of Ephesians addressed
the same things in several places of standing in hymn. And I'd
like to turn to 1 Peter. If you would, 1 Peter. 1 Peter 1, down towards the end
of the chapter. It says, It speaks about the above here,
the same thing that we saw in the other passage, that we are
redeemed by the blood of Christ and being born of that. And verse
23 says, Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible,
by the word of God which liveth and abideth forever. For all
flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of
grass. The grass withereth, and the
flower fadeth away, thereof falleth away. But the word of the Lord
endureth forever, and this is the word which by the gospel
is preached unto you." But up above here, where it says, in
verse 23 particularly, being born again, not of corruptible
seed, but of incorruptible seed, by the word of God, which liveth
and bideth forever. In that picture of that incorruptible
seed that's in us, contrary to the corruptible seed by nature,
that seed is going to produce. And if that is spiritual seed
of God, it will come to fruit, and it's
going to accomplish that which has been sent there. And being born again of this
speaks again to their Nicodemus, when the Lord was speaking to
him of what being born again was. And that it was not a physical,
it was a spiritual, and it was from above, born from above,
and not from the will of man or the will of the flesh, but
of God. And that, as it says here, and
that is the seed that remains in His people. It's not a fleeting
thing. It's not a doctrinal thing, teaching
as such. It is God's Spirit in His people. And then in chapter 2 of 1 Peter, Verse 9, chapter 2 of 1 Peter
says, But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, and holy
nation, a peculiar people, that you should show forth the praises
of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous
light. In time past were not a people,
but are now the people of God, which had not obtained mercy,
but now have obtained mercy. up here. These are all actions
of God, of the everlasting covenant of
God's people that were in that covenant from the beginning.
Chosen generation, royal priesthood, holy nation, a peculiar people
that you should show forth the praises of Him who hath called
you out of darkness into His marvelous light." And that's
going to be the outworking, it's going to be there. We're sinful
people in the flesh, but the outworking is going to be there.
And that light is going to be seen where He said, if we claim
to be children of God and walk in darkness, then that shows
that we are not. And we walk as He purposes and wills
and causes us to, but it's in Him that we move and stand and
live and have our being. Turn to Ezekiel. We got just
a couple more little spots we're going to look at. Book of Ezekiel,
chapter 36. In fact, this will probably disconnect
it at this point. But Ezekiel, chapter 36. much spoken about in Ezekiel
in several places about God and spiritual life and being the
sole cause of that, and what He does in His people. But Ezekiel
36, Let's start with verse 25. It
says He's going to take His people out from among all people, but
verse 25, Ezekiel 36 and following a little bit, it says, Then will
I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean. From all
your filthiness and from all your idols I will cleanse you.
A new heart will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within
you, and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh,
and I will give you a heart of flesh, and will put my spirit
within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and you
shall keep my judgments and do them. And ye shall dwell in the
land that I gave to your fathers, and ye shall be my people, and
I will be your God. I will also save you from all
your uncleannesses, and I will call for the corn, and will increase
it, and lay no famine upon you." But here in Genesis, where it says, I will clean you. I will clean you from your filthiness
and I will cleanse you. A new heart will I give you.
A new spirit will I put within you and take away the stony heart
and give you a heart of flesh. And that is something that no
one can do. God alone can change the heart.
And no matter how we teach, argue, fuss over or whatever, we cannot
change a man's heart. And God's people alone can testify to that, that
it's not of work that we have done, but of Him. And then we'll pick this up a little later,
but here that verse 9 again, whoever is born of God doth not
commit sin, for his seed remaineth in him, and he cannot sin because
he is born of God. And not only his spirit remaineth
in him, but we're kept of God. We can't. We're kept of God and
that in the new birth, it is a. It's just in God's hands and
it and it from start to finish and. I guess we'll we'll stop for
now. We'll pick this up again at a later date and be free. Come on.