No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him.

1 John 3

No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him. 1 John 3:6

I continue my study of 1,2,3 John using the Christ-Centered Exposition commentary series volume for these books.  This morning, my focus is a unassisted review of 1 John 3:4-10. Here, John continues his discussion on being prepared for Christ's second coming (see yesterday's post), by focusing on how if we abide in Him, we become more like Him (sanctification), thus living lives in obedience to Him and free from the bondage of sin.  There is no implication here that believers will be perfected while living in their earthly bodies (vs our manifestation in Heaven after glorification) - as no earthly being will live a sinless live as Jesus did during His time as the Incarnate Son.  Yet, we will avoid conscious, deliberate, willful patterns of sin if we truly abide in Him.  V6 is core to this discussion - as John writes how a life of sin is a marker that we don't know Him.  If we DO know Him, we will become more like Him.  V5 is also core as John shares WHY Jesus came - to "take away sins" - this means not just forgiveness but also sanctification.  What encouragement - that God frees us from our sinful life!

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are SO good - I have seen with my own eyes how You have freed me from the bondage of sin.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such love and blessing.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

“Do not be afraid,” Samuel replied. “You have done all this evil; yet do not turn away from the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart. Do not turn away after useless idols. They can do you no good, nor can they rescue you, because they are useless. For the sake of his great name the Lord will not reject his people, because the Lord was pleased to make you his own. As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by failing to pray for you. And I will teach you the way that is good and right. But be sure to fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things he has done for you. Yet if you persist in doing evil, both you and your king will perish.”

1 Samuel 8-12

 “Do not be afraid,” Samuel replied. “You have done all this evil; yet do not turn away from the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart. Do not turn away after useless idols. They can do you no good, nor can they rescue you, because they are useless. For the sake of his great name the Lord will not reject his people, because the Lord was pleased to make you his own. As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by failing to pray for you. And I will teach you the way that is good and right. But be sure to fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things he has done for you. Yet if you persist in doing evil, both you and your king will perish.” 1 Samuel 12:20-25

Day 85 of my chronological study of the Bible with The Daily Bible® - In Chronological Order (NIV®) (available by purchase through Amazon - author F. LaGard Smith) focuses on Samuel's anointing of Saul as king over Israel.

A key theme and message throughout these chapters is how the Israelites rejected God as their leader and sought an earthly leader or King instead.  See 1 Samuel 8:4-7, 19-21, 10:19, 12:12, 17, and 19).  Similarly, although the OT is clear and it is prophesied many times that God will send the Messiah, when Jesus does arrive, it is the Jewish leaders and elders who also rejected God.  What is amazing is that God allows us to make such unwise and sinful decisions yet He does not reject us should we repent and turn to Him. Assuming we fear the Lord and serve Him faithfully (1 Samuel 12:24) and that we don't persist in doing evil (1 Samuel 12:25), we will remain His people and He will not reject us.

A couple of verses come to mind:

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8

If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God. Hebrews 10:26-27

  
My Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for giving me the power to overcome sin and temptation in my life - I am grateful.  I know there is work to do but I am grateful for You in my life!  I am not deserving of such love.  I continue to sin.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others. Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

“Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”

Luke 22
Surgical Strike

“Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.” v31-32

I know that there are areas of my where sin persists..."dark corners" of my life as the devotional puts it.  I do try and rationalize my sin and I also know that God knows when I sin...that nothing is hidden and there are times when I knowingly sin AS I am sinning...I deserve death (Romans 6)...not just for my recent sin but for ALL of the sin I have committed in my life.  Yet God knows all about my sin, He came for me, then suffered and died for me...me specifically.  He blesses me beyond what I deserve.  

Please forgive me and welcome me back to Your arms Jesus!  Help me defeat sin in my life.  Help strengthen my faith.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus You are an amazing God that You walked as a man, experienced temptation and difficulty just as I do...yet You never sinned and then You beat both sin and death, rising from the grave!  You are full of compassion and love for me...even though I am not deserving.  Jesus please forgive me!  Thank You for all of the blessings You pour out for me but please forgive me for my lust and sin.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, mind and strength.  Help me love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give me strength.  Give Lisa strength.  Please heal and cure her of this cancer.  Help me lead and serve Lisa, Zach, and Dustin.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message today and every day. 

If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God.

Hebrews 10

If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God. v26-27

I know that I have received the knowledge of the truth and I know that I sin and I know there are sins for me that are very tempting - yet as this verse indicates I must be careful not to deliberately sin with such knowledge.  Please help me Jesus!

My Prayer: Jesus, You are a great God that has not only beat sin but also death.  You know and have experienced everything that I have experienced including temptation - yet You on earth were pure, holy and blameless.  How awesome a God are You - that You would suffer and die for even though You were undeserving of such punishment.  Thank You Jesus for doing this for me!  I am not worth such a gift because there are times when I deliberately sin...knowing truth.  Please forgive me Jesus!  Help me beat temptation and help me turn from such sin and towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, mind, and strength.  Help me love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give me strength.  Give Lisa comfort, energy, and strength - please heal her of this cancer and help her today heal.  Please help me lead and serve Lisa, Zach and Dustin.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.