No One Born of God

“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” (1 John 3:4-10 ESV).

Now, this could not be more clear. And this is part of the message of the gospel of our salvation. It is not a complete gospel message without this. For the gospel is not just that Jesus died on that cross so that we can be forgiven our sins and escape hell and go to heaven when we die. The gospel message is that Jesus died that we might die to sin and live to righteousness, that we might live for him and no longer for ourselves, and that he shed his blood to buy us back for God (to redeem us) out of our lives of living in sin so that we will now honor (obey) God with our lives.

[1 Peter 2:24; 2 Corinthians 5:15; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20; Romans 6:1-23]

But it doesn’t stop there. For it teaches us that if we obey sin, and if sin is our practice, and if righteousness, godliness, moral purity, uprightness, honesty, faithfulness, and obedience to our Lord are not what we practice, that we will not inherit eternal life with God. For 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 the Father who is in heaven. For many claiming him as Lord will hear him say, “I never knew you. Depart from me you workers of lawlessness,” for they would not obey the Lord, in practice.

[Matt 7:21-23; Lu 9:23-26; Jn 6:35-58; Jn 15:1-11; Rom 1:18-32; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; Gal 5:16-21; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-24; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:5-11; Titus 2:11-14; 1 Jn 1:5-10; 1 Jn 2:3-6; 1 Jn 3:4-10; Heb 10:23-31; 1 Co 10:1-22; Heb 3:1-19; Heb 4:1-13; Rev 21:8,27; Rev 22:14-15]

So none of us are saved from our sins and on our way to heaven based on giving lip service only to our Lord. For the righteous requirement of the law will be fulfilled in us who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit (see Romans 8:1-14). And it is those who obey obedience to our Lord and who do not obey sin, in practice, who have the hope of eternal life with God (Romans 6:1-23). And it is those who deny self, die daily to sin, and who follow Jesus in obedience, and who do not deny the Lord Jesus, who will go to be with our Lord on the day Jesus comes for his bride (Luke 9:23-26).

So, this says here that if we keep on sinning, i.e. if sin is what we practice (habitually and deliberately), and not obedience to our Lord, that we don’t know God, even if we claim to know him and to be in fellowship with him (see 1 John 1:5-10; 1 John 2:3-6). And then get this! It is whoever practices righteousness who is righteous in the sight of God. And this is the righteousness of God, not of the flesh of man, not of our own doing. This comes from God and is empowered by God and can only take place in our lives as our lives are surrendered to the Lord to do his will.

Thus, no one born of God makes a practice of sinning. Now this is not saying that a Christian will never sin or that a truly born again believer in Christ can never stray, for a time. For we do have biblical examples of that. But if we make a profession of faith in Christ, and then we keep right on in deliberate and habitual sin, we do not know God, and we do not have eternal life with God. And the same is true if we do follow him with our lives, for a time, and then we turn away from him and go back to our vomit, but never repent, and never turn back to following the Lord, we do not have eternal life.

For we are all going to be judged by our works (deeds). 

[Rom 2:6-8; Gal 6:7-8; Gal 5:16-21; 1 Co 6:9-10; 2 Co 5:10; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:5-11; Heb 10:26-31; Rev 21:8,27; Rev 22:14-15, etc.]

Broken Cord

An Original Work / August 29, 2018

Your bond is broken with your Lord and Savior

And your testimony is separate from Him.

Your words not matching your actions today.

Repent of your sin and bow down and pray.

Live what you testify in truth always.

Purity’s lacking in your life and witness,

For you profess one thing, but other you do.

Not moral, spiritual. Still of the flesh.

Not living in truth to what you confess.

Lying about it puts you in a mess.

Living a lie is your practice, ‘tis true of you.

Masquerade righteousness – none of it true.

Your heart is not given to your Lord God.

Because of how you live, you are a fraud.

Turn from your sin and give your life to God.

https://vimeo.com/287303934