The Truth Saves Lives

1 John 3:4-10 ESV

“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.”

The book of 1 John is a necessary teaching for us, for it helps us to understand what it really means to believe in Jesus Christ and to be a follower of Jesus Christ. And it dispels the false “gospel” message, which is largely being taught today across America, which so many people are now buying into. But lest you think that what this is teaching is somehow different from what the other New Testament books are teaching, think again. Paul taught the same things, and so did Jesus Christ.

When we believe in Jesus Christ with God-given faith (Ephesians 2:8-10), we are crucified and buried with Christ in death to sin, and we are raised with Christ to walk in newness of life in him, no longer living as slaves to sin, but now as slaves to God and to his righteousness (Romans 6:1-23). And so we are to honor God with our lives (1 Corinthians 6:19-20), and we are to live for the Lord and no longer for ourselves (2 Corinthians 5:15), for Jesus died that we might die to sin and live to his righteousness (1 Peter 2:24).

So, when Jesus Christ died on that cross, he put our sins to death with him in order that we would die with him to sin and live to him and to his righteousness, and so that we will honor God with our bodies, and so that our lives will be surrendered to him to do his will. He did not die merely to forgive us our sins and to promise us heaven when we die. For he said if anyone would come after him he must deny self, take up his cross daily (die daily to sin and to self) and follow him in obedience (see Luke 9:23-26).

So, if we claim to know Jesus, but we continue in deliberate and habitual sin against our Lord, and we don’t walk in obedience to his commands (New Covenant), in practice, then the Scriptures teach that we do not know the Lord, and we are not in fellowship with him, and we do not have eternal life in him. For if we make sin our practice, then we practice lawlessness. And Jesus said that not everyone who says to him, “Lord, Lord,” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one DOING the will of God. And to the lawless he will say, “Depart from me, I never knew you” (Matthew 7:21-23).

So, if we profess faith in Jesus Christ, but then we continue living in deliberate and habitual sin, as our practice, and if righteousness and obedience to our Lord are not what we practice, then we don’t know the Lord. For it is whoever practices righteousness who is righteous in the sight of God. And whoever makes sin his practice is of the devil, not of God, not born of God, regardless of what one professes with his lips. And if we do not love our fellow Christians as God loves us, then we are not of God, either.

So, please take this teaching to heart, for it is what the Scriptures teach all throughout the New Testament. Yet not many people today here in America are teaching this truth. Many are avoiding it, in fact, or they are writing it off as not applying to us, which is ridiculous! For Jesus taught it and Paul taught it, and so did Peter and John, and yet many people who call themselves Christians and pastors of churches today are ignoring this teaching, and/or they are teaching the opposite of what this teaches, which is so sad.

And so many people today who claim Jesus as their Savior are thus not crucified with Christ in death to sin, for they are still living in sin, and so they are not walking in newness of life in him, either, as those who have been freed from their slavery to sin, and as those who are now slaves to God and to his righteousness. Yet they are being promised that Jesus is their Savior and Lord, and that all their sins are forgiven, and that heaven is their eternal destiny, regardless of how they live their lives on this earth. So, I weep!

So, please tell people the truth of the gospel, even if it costs you your reputations or friendships or your lives. For Jesus said that if we follow him with our lives that we are going to be treated as he was. We will be hated and misunderstood and falsely accused of wrong we did not commit. And we will be ostracized, and cast out, and snubbed, and forgotten, and ridiculed, and mocked, and thought crazy or strange, and we won’t have lots of friends. But it will be worth it all knowing that the truth saves lives.

[Matt 7:21-23; Matt 24:9-14; Lu 9:23-26; Rom 1:18-32; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14,24; Rom 12:1-2; Rom 13:11; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; 1 Co 1:18; 1 Co 15:1-2; 2 Tim 1:8-9; Heb 9:28; 1 Pet 1:5; Gal 5:16-21; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-32; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:5-17; 1 Pet 2:24; Tit 2:11-14; 1 Jn 1:5-9; 1 Jn 2:3-6,24-25; 1 Jn 3:4-10; Heb 3:6,14-15; Heb 10:23-31; Heb 12:1-2; Rev 21:8,27; Rev 22:14-15] 

Songs in the Night  

An Original Work / December 18, 2013

“About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.” Acts 16:25 NIV ‘84

Lord, I praise You forevermore.

You, my Savior, I now adore.

Hope in heaven awaiting me,

Because You died at Calvary.

I have been forgiven,

And I’m bound for heaven.

Jesus set me free from

All my sin, I say.

I will praise Him always!

Lord, I love You for all You’ve done:

Overcame death, my vict’ry won!

Jesus saved me, and now I’m free!

I rejoice in His love for me.

I will walk in vict’ry!

My sin is but hist’ry!

I am free to please Him

With my life today.

I will love Him always!

Lord, I thank You for giving me

A new life bought at Calvary.

Loving Jesus, I meet with Him.

Tender mercies now flow within.

Lord, I am so thankful;

Through my Lord, I’m able

To sit at His table;

Fellowship with Him.

I will thank Him always!

https://vimeo.com/379484387