SCRIPTURE

Studied: 1 John 3 

OBSERVATION (What is God saying here?)

1 John 3:2-6 ~ …. we do know that when Christ returns, we will be like him, because we will see him as he truly is. This hope makes us keep ourselves holy, just as Christ is holy. Everyone who sins breaks God’s law, because sin is the same as breaking God’s law. You know that Christ came to take away sins. He isn’t sinful, and people who stay one in their hearts with him won’t keep on sinning. If they do keep on sinning, they don’t know Christ, and they have never seen him. (CEV)

APPLICATION (How Can I apply what God is saying here to my circumstances today?)

I often hear Christians acknowledge that they have sinned, but then they go on to say something like: “but God will forgive me”, or something like: “well as long as I remain on this earth I know that I will sin, so why be concerned about it”. However, this passage brought a whole new meaning to this for me this morning, as I was reminded of two things that John teaches in verse 6 that address the two responses above:

1. If we stay one with Christ in our hearts (if we live and remain in communion with, and obedience to, God) we will not, deliberately, knowingly and habitually keep on sinning;
   
2. If we keep on sinning then we have either: not seen, recognized, perceived or understood Him, or we have not had an experiential acquaintance with Him.
   

Friends, the positive spin on this is that as we accept Jesus as our Savior, and as we commit our lives to Him – learn His Word and all that it tells us about how Jesus wants us to live, then as we aspire to live like Him, the Word says in verse 6 that “Anyone who continues to live in Him will not sin”.

PRAYER (With God’s help, what am I going to do differently today because He said it?)

Father You know how challenging it is for us to live in this life of temptation, stress and continuous opposition to You and Your teachings. Thank You for this reminder today that I must put these temporal things aside and keep my mind focused on You and the relationship that I have with You as my Lord and Savior. Your Word declares that as I stay one with You in my heart, I will not sin. It doesn’t say that I will no longer be tempted or challenged by those around me. Therefore, please help me daily to keep my relationship with You in check so that I will not sin – despite the things and people that may also be tugging away at me. I want to be an overcomer, and always victorious over sin so that my relationship with You may never be affected.