1 John 3:4-10

Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness.  You know that he appeared in order to take away sins, and in him there is no sin.  No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him.  Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous.  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.  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.

Authentic faith in Christ makes a radical change in our lives.  We become members of God’s family, receive the Holy Spirit and are set free from the power of sin over our lives.  When that takes place in our lives we will no longer be enslaved to the practice of sin, but we will walk in righteousness.  These are the facts about true believers.

TRUE BELIEVERS ABIDE IN CHRIST: The practice of sin is not compatible with abiding in Christ.  True believers will sin, but they will not live in a constant state of practicing sin. The idea that the sacrifice of Christ set us free from the Law does not mean that we have a license to live in lawlessness.  Christ has come to set us free from sin as well as pay the price for sin.  He is sinless and abiding in Him means that we will be like Him.  We are in the process of sanctification with the promise that we will live with Him in eternity completely free of sin and all its consequences.  If that is truly our hope, it will certainly impact the way that we are living right now.

TRUE BELIVERS RESIT THE DEVIL: God calls us to a life of righteousness.  The devil strives to tempt all mankind to a life of practicing sin.  Those who have truly come to faith in Christ will resist the devil’s schemes and temptations.  Sin and Satan are synonymous.  Christ is completely and perfectly righteous.  The contrast between Jesus and the devil could not be starker.  We demonstrate which of the two we are following by the practice of sin or the practice of righteousness.  

TRUE BELIEVERS ARE BORN OF GOD: It is appropriate for true believers to refer to their conversion as being “born again.”  When we come to Christ, we are regenerated because we receive a new nature.  The Holy Spirit indwells the life of every believer and our faith in the work of Christ introduces us into the family of God.  Birth is the means by which we enter our physical family.  Rebirth is the means by which we enter our spiritual family.  We bear resemblance to the family into which we are born.  That is just as true in the spiritual world as it is in the physical.  The family characteristic of those who have been born again into the family of God is the practice of righteousness and the love of one another.

APPLICATION: Identify the areas of our lives where we struggle with sin the most, repent of that sin, and seek for God’s grace and strength to overcome that sin.  Resist temptation and seek to grow in obedience to our Father.  Identify an area of our lives that we will depend on the Spirit to help us grow in conformity to Christ.

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