Who Is Your Father? A Spiritual Paternity Test

First John 3:4-10 gives a blunt paternity test. John puts two fathers in front of the room, God and the devil, and says there is no third option. The question is not just what someone claims, but whose family resemblance is showing up in that life.

John starts with two hopes. The bad hope is self satisfaction, the kind that turns away from Jesus and runs after sin because sin looks good and feels right in the moment. Sin is lawlessness. Sin takes God’s boundaries off the game and turns the whole thing into chaos. The text says sin kills, sin does not satisfy, and sin always begins with the words, “I know best.” That is pride, and pride is not harmless. It is lawlessness even when it is killing the person doing it.

John then gives the good hope. Jesus was revealed to take away sins, and there is no sin in him. Christ comes from outside the stuck situation, like the only one who can answer the 911 call when everybody else is trapped in the same flood. Sinners cannot save sinners out of sin. Jesus can, because Jesus is sinless, and he came to put a stop to sin. The believer’s past forgiveness, present fellowship, and future forever hope make running to sin impossible while remaining in Christ.

John also sets two natures against each other. Righteousness and lawlessness do not mix in the same jar. Righteous actions only come from a righteous nature, and that righteous nature only comes from Jesus. The false voices say that love is love, that nobody can say another person is wrong, and that God accepts everybody as they are. John says the opposite with black and white clarity. Real righteousness requires Christ’s nature in a person and working through that person.

John finally gives two dads. The devil has sinned from the beginning, and sin comes from that nature. But the Son of God was revealed to destroy the devil’s works, to rob Satan of his power, and to bring abused children out from under an evil father. Adoption comes through grace and faith in Christ, and once God adopts, that status is not lost. Still, the test remains obvious: God’s children practice righteousness and love the church family. The real question is simple and serious: who is the father?

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Key Takeaways

• 1. Sin always says, “I know best.” Sin is not merely a mistake or a weak moment. John calls sin lawlessness, which means the sinner removes God’s boundaries and tries to make a new set of rules. That desire may feel natural, but feelings do not equal good, and self satisfaction always ends up breaking what God meant to protect. [54:24]
• 2. Jesus comes from outside sin. Sinners cannot pull other sinners out of the same stuck car. Christ saves because he is not trapped in the flood with everyone else, and there is no sin in him. His purity is not a small detail, but the very reason he can take away sins instead of merely sympathizing with them. [56:53]
• 3. Fellowship and sin cannot coexist. John does not soften the language by limiting it to “big sins” or “habitual sins.” Remaining in Jesus means walking in agreement and alignment with God, and sin is the opposite of that fellowship. A Christian still confesses sin quickly, but cannot call rebellion communion with Christ. [60:04]
• 4. Righteousness needs Christ’s nature. Righteous actions do not grow out of an unrighteous root. John’s contrast is sharp because righteousness is not a personality trait, a church habit, or a moral mood. Christ’s nature must be in a person and working through that person, or the appearance of goodness never becomes true righteousness before God. [63:47]
• 5. The family resemblance becomes obvious. A child bears the makeup of the father. John says God’s children and the devil’s children become obvious through righteousness and love, especially love for brothers and sisters in the church. Claims may be loud, but the life eventually shows whose genetics are there.
  
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Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [45:27] - Father’s Day and First John
• [45:59] - Reading First John 3:4-10
• [48:06] - The Paternity Test Question
• [49:25] - Two Hopes: Self or God
• [50:33] - Sin as Lawlessness
• [55:20] - Jesus Revealed to Take Away Sin
• [58:01] - Remaining in Christ
• [60:04] - Clarifying John’s Strong Words
• [61:29] - Two Natures: Righteousness or Lawlessness
• [64:32] - The Devil’s Sinful Nature
• [67:15] - Christ Destroys the Devil’s Works
• [68:26] - Two Dads: God or the Devil
• [70:37] - The Obvious Family Markers
• [72:28] - Real Christianity Requires Righteousness

1. According to 1 John 3:4, how does the passage define sin, and what does this imply about the nature of sin?
2. What two contrasting "hopes" are presented in the sermon, and how do they shape a person’s actions? [49:25]
3. What specific purpose does the sermon highlight for Jesus’ coming, as stated in 1 John 3:8?
4. What two markers does John use to distinguish God’s children from the devil’s children in 1 John 3:10?

1. The passage says, “No one born of God makes a practice of sinning” (1 John 3:9). How does this align with the reality that believers still struggle with sin, as mentioned in the sermon? [59:37]
2. Why is it significant that Jesus had to come “from outside” humanity’s sinful condition to save us, according to the sermon’s analogy of the flood rescue? [56:53]
3. The sermon emphasizes that “righteousness requires Christ’s nature.” How does this truth challenge common cultural ideas about “being a good person” or “following your heart”? [01:03:47]
4. How does loving fellow believers specifically demonstrate a person’s “family resemblance” to God, as opposed to general kindness?

1. Sin often begins with the attitude, “I know best.” What area of your life currently feels like a battleground for this mindset, and how can you actively surrender it to God’s wisdom? [54:24]
2. The sermon states that fellowship with Christ and sin cannot coexist. What practical step can you take this week to “abide in Him” more intentionally when temptation arises? [58:01]
3. Loving the church family is a key marker of being God’s child. Is there a relationship in your church where you’ve struggled to show love? How can you pursue reconciliation or service in that situation? [01:10:37]
4. Reflect on a recent decision you made. How might someone observing your actions discern whether they flowed from a “righteous nature” or self-directed motives?
5. The sermon warns against downplaying sin as “just a mistake.” What habit or attitude have you been rationalizing that needs honest confession and repentance? [01:00:04]
6. If “genetics” from your spiritual father will show in your life, what specific trait of God’s character (e.g., patience, truthfulness, mercy) do you most need to cultivate this month?
7. How can you encourage someone in your small group this week by pointing out where you see God’s “family resemblance” in their actions or attitudes?