Koinonia 

Part Five: Don’t practice sin October 5, 2025 

In the third part of his first message in his first epistle, the Apostle John tells Christians not to love this world, nor the things it offers, because if you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you (1 John 2:15).  The world John is referring to is the evil world system Satan has developed to control people living on Earth.  The Bible says Satan is the god of this world (2 Cor. 4:4) who tempts us to sin (1 Thess. 3:5).  According to 1 John 2:16, Satan tempts us with physical pleasures, material possessions, and prideful achievements (Genesis 3; Matthew 4:1-11).  His goal is to get us to love people, places, things, and activities so much that we have no time or energy to love God. 

John tells Christians to remain faithful to what they have been taught and not listen to those who want to lead them astray with lies.  Christians who remain faithful to the truths found in the Word of God fully know God and fellowship with Him (John 17:1-3; 1 John 2:18-27).    

After encouraging Christians to remain faithful to what they have been taught… 

John gives three more truths in the fourth part of his first message: 

1st - John says Christians who remain in fellowship with Christ will not be ashamed when he returns. 

“And now, dear children, remain in fellowship with Christ so that when he returns, you will be full of courage and not shrink back from him in shame.” (1 John 2:28, NLT)  

John instructs Christians to remain in fellowship (koinonia) with Christ, so they will have the confidence to speak to Him when He returns to take them to Heaven (John 14:1-3).  Christians living like Christ will be excited when they see Jesus; Christians living in sin will be ashamed when Christ returns.  

2nd – John says all who live like Christ are children of God. 

“Since we know that Christ is righteous, we also know that all who do what is right are God’s children.” (1 John 2:29, NLT)  

Again, John’s statement in Vs. 29 is to Christians.  He is telling his Christian readers that when they see someone living for Christ, they can be sure that the person is a child of God.  Yes, Christians do sin sometimes (1:6, 8; 2:1), but Christians do not love sin and want to dwell in darkness. 

“See how very much our Father loves us, for He calls us his children, and that is what we are!  But the people who belong to this world don’t recognize that we are God’s children because they don’t know Him.  Dear friends, we are already God’s children, but He has not yet shown us what we will be like when Christ appears.  But we do know that we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is.  And all who have this eager expectation will keep themselves pure, just as he is pure.  Everyone who sins is breaking God’s law, for all sin is contrary to the law of God.  And you know that Jesus came to take away our sins, and there is no sin in him.” (1 John 3:1–5, NLT)  

John gives Christians five fast facts in 3:1-5: 

1.  We know God loves us, for He calls us His children. 

2.  Non-Christians do not recognize Christians as God’s children because they do not know God. 

3.  Christians will not fully look like God’s children until they have been glorified. 

4.  Christians who want to be holy like Jesus will strive to keep themselves pure. 

5.  God takes sin seriously, so Christians should too.  

Christ came into the world and died on the cross to free humanity from the penalty and power of sin.  Those who receive Jesus as their Lord and Savior are forgiven of their sins and born again in the family of God.  Believers are indwelt and empowered by the Holy Spirit and have resurrection power to defeat sin (Romans 6).  Sin should be abnormal and feel unnatural for children of God. 

3rd – John says all who live like the devil are children of the devil. 

“Anyone who continues to live in him (Christ) will not sin.  But anyone who keeps on sinning does not know him or understand who he is.  Dear children, don’t let anyone deceive you about this: When people do what is right, it shows that they are righteous, even as Christ is righteous.  But when people keep on sinning, it shows that they belong to the devil, who has been sinning since the beginning.  But the Son of God came to destroy the works of the devil.  Those who have been born into God’s family do not make a practice of sinning, because God’s life is in them.  So they can’t keep on sinning, because they are children of God.  So now we can tell who are children of God and who are children of the devil.  Anyone who does not live righteously and does not love other believers does not belong to God.”  (1 John 3:6–10, NLT)  

False teachers (antichrists 2:18-22) were telling Christians that they could sin with their bodies and remain righteous before God.  John rebuked this evil notion (1 John 1:9; 2:1, 29).  Righteousness comes from a righteous person who knows and loves God, and sin comes from a sinful person who does not know or love God (1 john 3:6).  The devil’s children display their fallen nature through sin, and the children of God display their spiritual nature through right living.  The devil’s children sin because they obey the devil (Ephesians 2:1-3), but Christians live right because they have overcome “the evil one” (1 John 2:13-14).   

Takeaway… 

If you are a Christian, you are a child of God and should strive to live a righteous life.  Remember, sin originated with Satan and is his constant practice.  To take part in sin is to partner with the devil.  Even the smallest sin is satanic in nature and opposes Jesus, who came to take away your sins (1 John 3:5; Hebrews 9:28).