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"In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest..."

Text: 1 John 3:10

A SHARP CONTRAST

An obvious and sharp contrast may be made between true believers and false believers. John describes this clearly and succinctly.

“In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest:
Whoever does not practise righteousness is not of God,
nor is he who does not love his brother.”
1 John 3:10

1. “In this”

a) John offers a litmus test.

b) He applies this test to distinguish true believers and pretenders.

2. “The children of God”

a) They have received regeneration from the Holy Spirit.

b) They are born again and they have the seed of God in them.

c) They do not serve sin or Satan.

3. “The children of the devil”

a) These may call themselves “children of God”.

b) But their lifestyle would betray them as the children of the devil.

4. “Are manifest”

a) Their way of life would be distinctly different.

b) Their lives would manifest the reality of their profession of faith in God.

5. “Whoever does not practise righteousness”

a) The children of God would naturally desire to practise righteousness.

b) Having received imputed righteousness from God they cannot but practise it in their life.

c) But if they do not practise righteousness then they are not of God.

d) Their unrighteous lifestyle would mark them as children of the devil instead.

6. “Nor is he who does not love his brother”

a) God is love.

b) The person who says he is a believer must have experienced the love of God.

c) In turn he learns to love others.

d) If his life does not express love but hate instead, then he is not of God.