Pastor Lowell Nelson teaches about 1 John 3:5-6 "Christ's Purity & Our Victory Over Sin" on 12/20/2009 for our Sunday service.
1 John 3
5 And you know that He was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin. 6 Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him.
Pastor Lowell highlights that Jesus Christ was "manifested" – He appeared – specifically "to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin" (1 John 3:5). He explains Jesus' dual nature, as Isaiah 9:6 foretold: "unto us a child is born" (His humanity) and "unto us a son is given" (His eternal deity). God, the Creator, humbly took on human form, a greater humiliation than man becoming an amoeba, to relate to us, counsel us, and ultimately live a sinless life. Jesus, whose very name (Yeshua/Joshua) means "Yahweh is salvation," is the Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace who takes full responsibility for His kingdom. His kingdom grows one heart at a time, and we, as His ambassadors, are privileged to share this message.
The heart of this season's message is that salvation is a free gift, not earned by works, where God removes our "robe of sin" and clothes us in His own righteousness. This is why Christmas morning is truly a celebration of the cross—His gift that takes away our sins.
The sermon also directly addresses 1 John 3:6: "Whoever abides in him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen him nor known him". Pastor Lowell clarifies that sinning comes from walking away from God, not from abiding in Him. Abiding means continually falling in love with Jesus, walking with Him, experiencing, knowing, and following Him. Our lives, therefore, should be a response of profound thanksgiving for this cleansing and transformation, striving for purity and righteousness. We are reminded that one soul is more valuable to God than all the world, empowering us to boldly proclaim this message of hope and life, knowing that all of heaven rejoices when one person receives salvation.
