1 John | Bible Study | Part 26 | Tom Calvin Stephen

Devotional

Day 1: The Nature of Sin as a Practice

Sin is not merely an isolated action but a habitual, intentional practice. It encompasses both outward actions and the inner life of our thoughts and attitudes. This practice of sinning reflects a heart that is not surrendered to God. It is a pattern of life that stands in opposition to a life abiding in Christ. The call is to examine the patterns of our lives, not just our individual missteps. [02:24]

“Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.” (1 John 3:8 ESV)

Reflection: What is one recurring thought pattern or attitude in your life that might be considered a ‘practice of sinning,’ and how can you begin to bring it into the light before God today?

Day 2: The Necessity of Being Born Again

A fundamental change of heart is required to enter God’s kingdom, a change we cannot accomplish on our own. This new birth is a work of God’s Spirit, cleansing us and giving us a new nature. It is not based on human effort or heritage but on God’s sovereign grace. This spiritual rebirth is the essential starting point for a transformed life. [09:31]

“Jesus answered, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.’” (John 3:5-6 ESV)

Reflection: In what ways have you perhaps relied on your own heritage or moral efforts, rather than on the finished work of Christ, for your standing before God?

Day 3: The Work of the Spirit in the New Birth

The Holy Spirit’s work in salvation is mysterious and sovereign, like the wind moving where it wishes. We cannot control it, but we can see its effects in a changed life. This work is God’s initiative, not our own, bringing about a transformation we could never achieve. Our role is to respond in faith to the gospel message. [28:42]

“The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” (John 3:8 ESV)

Reflection: Where have you seen the evidence of the Spirit’s work in your own life, perhaps in a growing love for God or a new distaste for the sin you once enjoyed?

Day 4: The Imperishable Seed of God’s Word

God uses His living and abiding Word to bring about the new birth in a person’s heart. This Word, the gospel, is the imperishable seed that the Spirit uses to create new life. It is this seed planted within a believer that begins to grow and produce God’s character. Our spiritual life is rooted in the truth and power of this Word. [43:33]

“Since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God” (1 Peter 1:23 ESV)

Reflection: How are you actively engaging with God’s Word this week to allow the seed of His truth to take deeper root and grow in your heart?

Day 5: The Evidence of God’s New Life Within

Those who are born of God possess a new nature, a spiritual DNA that comes from their Heavenly Father. This new nature produces a discernable change, making a life characterized by the practice of sin both unnatural and impossible. The genuine believer will struggle with sin but will not live in comfortable, unrepentant rebellion. God’s seed within them ensures this. [47:19]

“No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God.” (1 John 3:9 ESV)

Reflection: As you look at your life over the past month, what is one specific way you have seen your ‘new nature’ winning ground over an old pattern of sin?

Sermon Summary

John's letters confront the reality that committed, habitual sin marks a life aligned with lawlessness rather than with God. The argument begins with a stark division: people either belong to God or to the devil. Persistent, unrepentant sin manifests a spiritual allegiance; by contrast, a true new birth produces a changed orientation so that continuing in sin becomes increasingly incompatible with the life God gives. The Greek term for practice conveys deliberate, ongoing action—something shaped and produced—so the warning targets patterns, not momentary failures.

The conversation about being born of God turns to Jesus' exchange with Nicodemus in John 3. New birth appears as a sovereign work: “born of water and the Spirit” evokes Ezekiel 36’s promise that God will cleanse and place his Spirit within his people. That double action—cleansing and indwelling—shows God initiates the change. The Spirit works like wind: unseen, uncontrollable, yet unmistakable in its effects. Because the Spirit operates invisibly, believers must rely on internal evidence rather than external spectacles to discern genuine conversion.

Scripture frames new birth as the implantation of God’s seed. That seed language points to the living, abiding word of the gospel that the Spirit uses to generate spiritual life. Hearing the gospel matters, and missions matter, because the Spirit commonly employs God’s word to awaken faith. Baptism functions as a public sign of an inward reality; it does not itself create spiritual life.

Practical discernment follows. If God’s imperishable seed truly abides in someone, that person will begin to bear the Father’s DNA: a growing distaste for sin, a desire for righteousness, and concrete love for brothers and sisters. Struggle with sin remains part of the pilgrim life, but struggle differs from settled practice. The test is not perfection but trajectory: does life move toward repentance, obedience, and love? Believers thus are called to examine themselves, to test whether the inward work of the Spirit and the outward evidence of transformed living correspond. The teaching closes by directing attention toward deeper study of Romans 6–8 to unpack how believers live with both the reality of ongoing temptation and the power of the risen Christ.

Key Takeaways

1. No neutral spiritual ground John’s theology insists that spiritual identity is binary: continual, unrepentant sin signals allegiance to the devil, while a heart renewed by God rejects habitual lawlessness. This is not a demand for flawless behavior but a call to recognize patterns that reveal whose life one lives. The point sharpens pastoral discernment: evaluate direction more than isolated failures. [02:50]
2. Born of water and Spirit Being “born again” names a divine act where cleansing and indwelling occur together; Ezekiel’s prophecy links sprinkled water and the Spirit to a renewed heart. The Spirit’s work initiates trust and enables obedience, so faith is both a response and a gift. This removes any notion that new birth is merely human achievement. [11:56]
3. God’s seed changes the heart The image of God’s seed depicts the gospel as living, imperishable seed that implants divine life and reshapes desires and actions. The Spirit normally uses the spoken and read word to germinate faith, which explains the centrality of proclamation and mission. Transformation shows itself as new patterns, not instant perfection. [41:42]
4. Love, not ritual, reveals life Public rites like baptism signify inward reality, but authentic spiritual life most clearly appears in love for others and hatred of habitual sin. The hallmark of new birth is relational: a reoriented heart that seeks the good of siblings in Christ. This reframes assurance around moral and relational fruit rather than mere religious participation. [48:09]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[02:24] - Practice of Sin Defined
[05:08] - No One Born of God Practices Sin
[11:56] - Nicodemus and New Birth
[15:20] - Born of Water and Spirit Explained
[16:52] - Ezekiel 36: Promise of Renewal
[23:03] - Sovereignty of the Holy Spirit
[41:42] - God’s Seed and the Gospel
[48:09] - Love as Evidence of Life
[58:20] - Struggle with Sin and Hope
[60:59] - Closing and Homework

Bible Study Guide

Bible reading:
1 John 3:9-10 (ESV) - No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God's seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God. By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother.

Observation questions:

According to the passage, what is the specific reason given for why a person born of God "cannot keep on sinning"? [41:42]
What two groups of people are presented in verse 10, and what are the two identifying marks that distinguish them? [48:09]
The sermon mentioned that the Greek word for "practice" implies a deliberate, ongoing action. What does this tell us about the type of sin being discussed, as opposed to a momentary failure? [02:24]

Interpretation questions:

The text says God's "seed" abides in a believer. Based on the sermon, what is this seed and how does it function to change a person's spiritual DNA? [46:47]
The sermon explained that being "born again" is a divine act, not a human achievement. How does this understanding, drawn from Jesus' conversation with Nicodemus, change the way we view our own salvation and the salvation of others? [11:56]
The passage presents a binary view of spiritual identity—one is either a child of God or a child of the devil. How does this stark division challenge modern, more neutral views of spirituality? [04:03]

Application questions:

Spiritual identity is not neutral; our patterns of life reveal our true allegiance. What is one area of your life (thoughts or actions) where you have been "practicing" something that is not of God, and what would repentance look like this week? [03:44]
The evidence of new birth is seen in a growing distaste for sin and a love for others. When you examine your own life, which of these two evidences (hatred of sin or love for brothers/sisters) is more clearly visible? [48:09]
Since the Holy Spirit's work is often internal and unseen, like the wind, how can we rely on the "internal evidence" of His work rather than seeking external, dramatic signs to assure our hearts? [30:40]
The gospel message is the "seed" the Spirit uses to bring about new birth. Who is one person in your life you can prayerfully share this living and abiding word with? [44:23]
Struggle with sin is part of the Christian life, but it is different from a "settled practice" of sin. How can you tell the difference between a struggle you are fighting by God's power and a sin you have become comfortable with? [58:20]

Sermon Clips

35s

#HolySpiritSovereignty

“But then there's God's sovereignty at work where the Holy Spirit moves on whoever he chooses to move, and he causes them to be born again. Right? Following? So then it's very important for us, going back to the first John, to say, I don't know. I can't see the wind. And if I can't see the wind, I should be very careful to make sure I hear the wind. And John's point is, if you make a practice of sinning, you've never been born again.”

29s

#BornWithGodsDNA

“but that's natural. Like, in other words, he is being he is acting like his dad. I mean, so that's the same way because he's got Daniel's DNA in him. And the same thing is, like, when you are born again, God's seed abides in you, and that means you're gonna have God's DNA. And this is where John's arguing that if you are so, you can never be practicing sinning because your father has nothing to do with sin. Right?”

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1 John | Bible Study | Part 26 | Tom Calvin Stephen | April 08, 2026