LEARNING DAILY

 

1 John 3:9, Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in Him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God.

 

The New Living Translation might make this verse a little easier to read. “Those who have been born into God’s family do not sin, because God’s life is in them. So they can’t keep on sinning, because they have been born of God.” I have had difficulty with that verse for a long time because I look at my life and each day and I need to ask for forgiveness for so many different things that God considers sinful. So, if you have difficulty understanding this and look at your life and see it does not match this verse, keep reading.

 

Verse 8 tells us that “people who embrace sin are not just misguided; they are tools of the devil who uses them to sow destruction in the world. But Christ intervened to not only stop the devil’s work but to save people, making them members of His family.” (DJSB). It is important to know and remember that you are saved and a part of God’s family. You and I are in the process of being cleansed of unrighteousness in order to live eternity in His kingdom. We are made new as a result of our salvation through Jesus Christ. It is a process that will continue until He takes us home. Again, the process on the narrow way is a difficult one because the devil hates us and does all he can to get us off the narrow way.

 

How can John write that God’s children do not and cannot sin? We are imperfect beings who yield to temptations easily – even as Christians! Right!? “This means that no one who is born of God ‘continues to sin,’ ‘practices sin,’ or ‘keeps sinning.’ The verb ‘to sin’ (Greek hamartanto) is a present active infinitive, implying continual action.” (from the notes in LSSB). In other words, John is saying that you and I, as Christians cannot make sin a way of life. This is because God cannot exist in those who continue to practice sinful behavior. It is a contradiction to have the new life through the saving grace of Jesus Christ and to go on sinning. Yes, you and I have fallen from God’s high standard occasionally but have not continued to sin as a deliberate lifestyle. The Holy Spirit comes to live within the one who makes a true confession that Jesus Christ is their Savior; the Holy Spirit helps those who do all they can to remain faithful to God’s standard as found in His Word. “By faith the indwelling Christ, the power of the Holy Spirit, and the written Word, all Believers can live moment by moment free from the entangling power of sin.” (LSSB).

 

I am going to end this with what I hope is encouragement for those who read this and think you are not a Christian because you are struggling with some sinful behavior that just seems to come out of nowhere and you fail to overcome it again. Those sinful thoughts or actions or words come into mind out of nowhere, unexpected. You do or say what you have said you were not going to do again. You know it is sinful, but you do it. Yes, I have been there; still struggle far too often. And every time the devil is right there condemning you and telling the Father to look at what you did. When you do whatever, confess it immediately and ask the Lord Jesus Christ to forgive you. This is not a license to sin or to continue in sin. The Lord Jesus came to forgive you of every sin you commit when you give your life to Him. He knows you and I are weak and fail. But I write again from 1 John 1:8-9, “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”  That simply means that when the devil accuses you of your failure, the Lord Jesus Christ. our defender in heaven, looks at the Father and says, “When (your name) believed in Me, he/she was forgiven of all sins.”  And God the Father responds with your forgiveness.

 

You and I must always be aware that the flesh or our sinful nature is a constant threat in our lives and that we must always be putting to death the evil deeds it wants us to commit. We do that by the power of the Holy Spirit and being committed to God’s Word.

 

From now on DJSB will be used to note information or quotes from the David Jeremiah Study Bible and LSSB will refer to information and quotes from the Life in the Spirit Study Bible