1 John 3:8
There are two purposes for which Jesus was manifested according to the 3rd chapter of 1 John: “to take away our sins” (verse 5), and “to destroy the works of the devil” (verse 8). These two things are the backbone of the Christian faith, and they are the principles of redemption upon which we hang our faith in God. Jesus has taken away the sins of the world, and He has destroyed all of Satan’s works.
That begs the question, “If Jesus took sins away and destroyed Satan’s works, then why do we still see sin in the world and see Satan working his works?” It is a valid question, and one that has caused some to stumble away from trusting the Bible as the inspired, infallible Word of God. The answer is found, of course, at the finished work of the cross.
Jesus took away the sin issue when he bore all of our sins in His body on the tree. The great gulf that separated man from God had been caused by sin, and Jesus spanned that gulf with His sacrifice, reconciling God back to man (2 Corinthians 5:19). All sin has been removed as an offence to God, and now man goes to hell not because of his sinful deeds, but because of his rejection of Jesus as his Savior (John 3:17, 18).
The second purpose for manifestation was to destroy the works of the devil. Satan is obviously still stirring about on the earth, in fact, Peter told us that our adversary the devil was “as a roaring lion”, walking about, “seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8). Notice that there is no mention of Satan’s actual attack, just a lot of roaming and noise, intended to scare his prey.
Paul mentions the “wiles of the devil” (Ephesians 6:11). “Wiles” are “tricks”, again, a form of smoke and mirrors presented by Satan to try and cause the believer to stumble. These tricks are necessary because Satan possesses no true power anymore, because of Christ’s finished work of the cross. Jesus said, “All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth” (Matthew 28:18). If Jesus has all of the power, how can Satan have any?
Jesus’ death at Calvary destroyed Satan’s ability to trap men in sin. When a person places their faith in Christ, they are made into a new creature and then righteousness comes out of them naturally, independent of efforts. This is why John says, “He that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous” (1 John 3:7). In other words, a man lives righteously because he is righteous inside. Take it further, “He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning” (verse 7). Just as a righteous man will commit righteous acts without effort, because he is righteous; a sinner will commit sin without effort, because he is a sinner. A work of the devil is to keep men in that cycle of sin, but a righteous man will not be caught in that cycle again, thus Satan’s work has been destroyed.
This does not guarantee that a Christian will never fall into sin again; it is simply a way of identifying those who are saved and those who are lost. If you never see righteousness come out of a person then you know that they are not the righteousness of God (1 John 3:10). The same is said for someone that does not love the brethren of the Lord (verse 10). Righteousness is coming out of you for you are His righteousness, having asked for Jesus to come into your heart. The love for your fellow believers has naturally followed. You are living proof of why Jesus was manifested.
There are two purposes for which Jesus was manifested according to the 3rd chapter of 1 John: “to take away our sins” (verse 5), and “to destroy the works of the devil” (verse 8). These two things are the backbone of the Christian faith, and they are the principles of redemption upon which we hang our faith in God. Jesus has taken away the sins of the world, and He has destroyed all of Satan’s works.
That begs the question, “If Jesus took sins away and destroyed Satan’s works, then why do we still see sin in the world and see Satan working his works?” It is a valid question, and one that has caused some to stumble away from trusting the Bible as the inspired, infallible Word of God. The answer is found, of course, at the finished work of the cross.
Jesus took away the sin issue when he bore all of our sins in His body on the tree. The great gulf that separated man from God had been caused by sin, and Jesus spanned that gulf with His sacrifice, reconciling God back to man (2 Corinthians 5:19). All sin has been removed as an offence to God, and now man goes to hell not because of his sinful deeds, but because of his rejection of Jesus as his Savior (John 3:17, 18).
The second purpose for manifestation was to destroy the works of the devil. Satan is obviously still stirring about on the earth, in fact, Peter told us that our adversary the devil was “as a roaring lion”, walking about, “seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8). Notice that there is no mention of Satan’s actual attack, just a lot of roaming and noise, intended to scare his prey.
Paul mentions the “wiles of the devil” (Ephesians 6:11). “Wiles” are “tricks”, again, a form of smoke and mirrors presented by Satan to try and cause the believer to stumble. These tricks are necessary because Satan possesses no true power anymore, because of Christ’s finished work of the cross. Jesus said, “All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth” (Matthew 28:18). If Jesus has all of the power, how can Satan have any?
Jesus’ death at Calvary destroyed Satan’s ability to trap men in sin. When a person places their faith in Christ, they are made into a new creature and then righteousness comes out of them naturally, independent of efforts. This is why John says, “He that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous” (1 John 3:7). In other words, a man lives righteously because he is righteous inside. Take it further, “He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning” (verse 7). Just as a righteous man will commit righteous acts without effort, because he is righteous; a sinner will commit sin without effort, because he is a sinner. A work of the devil is to keep men in that cycle of sin, but a righteous man will not be caught in that cycle again, thus Satan’s work has been destroyed.
This does not guarantee that a Christian will never fall into sin again; it is simply a way of identifying those who are saved and those who are lost. If you never see righteousness come out of a person then you know that they are not the righteousness of God (1 John 3:10). The same is said for someone that does not love the brethren of the Lord (verse 10). Righteousness is coming out of you for you are His righteousness, having asked for Jesus to come into your heart. The love for your fellow believers has naturally followed. You are living proof of why Jesus was manifested.
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