We pick up at verse 6 of Chapter 3 as we continue our walk through the Epistle, 1 John. Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, The Apostle John continues his discussion of ‘God’s children and sin’. He writes:
“No one who lives in Him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen Him or known Him. Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. The one who does what is right is righteous, just as He is righteous. The one who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work.” 1 John 3: 6-8
The commentator from the ‘Life Application Study Bible’ wrote, :We all have areas where temptation is strong and habits are hard to conquer. These weaknesses give the devil a foothold, so we must deal with our areas of vulnerability. If we are struggling with a particular sin, however, these verses are not directed at us, even if for the time we seem to keep on sinning. John is not talking about people whose victories are still incomplete; he is talking about people who
make a practice of sinning and look for ways to justify it.”
A child of God does not want to sin – it hurts our heart when we do. It saddens us when we see it. However, sometimes it takes someone else to point it out to us because we have become blind to it. We may think that ‘one more drink’ will not hurt us, yet it may cause us to think and act in a way that can bring hurt to ourselves or others. We may not think playing a little game of chance for money is wrong, yet it can lead to losing money that is needed for other things if we fail to set a limit. We may not realize being overly friendly, and using terms of endearment to every one can lead to harm and hurt if a limit of correctness is not set on these acts. These and many other things we can all name can become habits that are wrong, and harmful, yet may be blind to us until the Lord shows them to us in some way. If it is wrong, it is sin – intentional or not. As children of God, we do not want that which is wrong in our lives.
Paul said, “Be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” (Ephesians 6: 10, 12) We struggle against temptation and habits that hurt us, but power to overcome them is ours in Christ. “He appeared to destroy the devil’s work.” This He did. And He gives us the power to do the same in Him.
“For we are not given a spirit of timidity or fear, we are given a spirit of power, and love, and self control.” (2 Timothy 1:7)
The commentator wrote, “Three steps are necessary to find victory over prevailing sin: 1. Seek the power of the Holy Spirit and God’s Word. 2. Stay away from tempting situations; and 3. Seek the help of the body of Christ – be open to their willingness to hold you accountable and to pray for you.”
Let us be free of the habits that are wrong because of what they can bring. We have been given the power, through and by Christ our Lord, to walk away from them when we see them and admit to them, and make a conscious decision to turn away from them. May it be so for each of us. It is the right thing to do. He who does what is right is righteous in Him.
Blessings, and the love of our Father, our Lord Christ Jesus, and the Holy Spirit be upon you, God’s Beloveds.
Poppa B.
Abundant Life Christian Fellowship, On Line