A Nugget from New Life Network
(by Chris Musgrove of Future Now)
Scripture for the Day – June 17, 2019
Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure. (1 John 3:1-9)
If you have believed on and confessed Jesus as your Lord according to Romans 10:9-10, then Colossians 1:13 says you have been rescued or delivered from the kingdom of darkness and transferred or brought into the kingdom of His beloved Son. You are a child of God and a joint heir with Jesus Christ His Son. (1 John 3:2 and Romans 8:17)
You are not a sinner saved by grace. You were a sinner and now you are saved by grace. Let’s keep reading 1 John 3:
Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness. And you know that He was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin. Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him. Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous. He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil. 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.
I know this sounds like John is teaching sinless perfection, but the Greek verb “commit sin” or “sin” in verse 9 implies continuous action. It could well be translated, “No one born of God is content to keep sinning, for God’s seed abides in him, and he cannot be content to keep on sinning because he is born of God.” One translation of verse 8 says, “He that practices sin is of the devil.” You don’t accidentally slip up and practice anything. Practice shows premeditation. Practicing means continuous action.
The most obvious reason we know John isn’t teaching sinless perfection is what he says in 1 John 1:8 and 10, “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us . . . if we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.” So John goes so far as to tell Christians that it is a sin to say you are sinless.
1 John 1:7 gives a lot of help here. “If we walk in the light as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.” And 1 John 1:9 is a clear parallel to verse 7 and teaches this. “If we confess our sins (that corresponds to ‘if we walk in the light’), he is faithful and just and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness (that corresponds to ‘the blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin)”.
Galatians 4:4-7 says, But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!” Therefore you are no
longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.
God is your Father and you are His child if you have accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior. And you need to know this. Your Father God is good and He is good all the time!!!!
