Let No One Deceive You

“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)

Faith in Jesus Christ, if it is genuine God-given and God-persuaded faith in the Lord, will submit to Christ as Lord (Owner-Master). And the believer will surrender his life to the will of God for his life, and he will deny self, die with Christ to sin, not just once, but daily, and walk in obedience to our Lord and to his commands. This is not saying that the believer will be absolutely perfect in every respect but that surrender to Christ and the forsaking of his sins, and walking in obedience to the Lord, will be his practice, and not sin.

For when Jesus Christ died on that cross it was so that we would die to sin and live to his righteousness (1 Peter 2:24). And it was so that we would live for him and no longer for self (2 Corinthians 5:15). And in his death on that cross he shed his blood for us to buy us back for God (to redeem us) out of our lives of slavery to sin so that we will now honor God with our bodies (1 Corinthians 6:19-20), and so that we will now obey the Lord and his commands and not sin (Romans 6:1-23; Titus 2:11-14; Ephesians 4:17-24).

So, faith in Jesus Christ is not just a confession of faith or praying a prayer to receive Christ, but it is a walk of faith in the Lord in obedience to his commands in holy living and in surrender to the will of God for our lives. So when we believe in him we are crucified with Christ in death to sin, and we are raised with Christ to walk in newness of life in him, no longer to live as slaves to sin, but now as slaves to God and to his righteousness. For if sin is what we obey, and not obedience, it will lead to death, not to life eternal.

So, we have now read (in 1 John 1:5-10) that if we claim to be in fellowship with the Lord, but while we are walking (in conduct, in practice) in sin, we are liars who do not practice the truth. And we read (in 1 John 2:3-6) that if we say that we know God/Christ, but we do not keep (obey) his commandments (New Covenant), in practice, that we are liars, and the truth is not in us. And now we read (in 1 John 3:4-10) that no one who abides in Christ keeps on sinning (in practice). If we do, we do not know God/Christ.

So, we are not to allow ourselves to be deceived on this issue, for Paul taught clearly all throughout his writings that we must obey our Lord and we must forsake making sin our practice, or else we will not inherit eternal life with God, even if we profess faith in Jesus Christ. And Jesus said that not everyone who says to him, “Lord, Lord,” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one DOING the will of God the Father who is in heaven (Matthew 7:21-23). So, please take this seriously, because it is the truth of the gospel.

Therefore, whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, for whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as Christ/God is righteous. And if we are those who practice righteousness, we are those who are living in moral purity, uprightness, faithfulness, honesty, and godliness. And we are not those who are living in immorality, lying, cheating, stealing, hating, abusing, deceiving, slandering, and taking advantage of those who are vulnerable, in practice. For we are to love other people.

[Matthew 7:21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 1:12-13; John 6:44; Romans 2:6-8; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; Romans 12:1-2; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10,19-20; 2 Corinthians 5:15; Galatians 5:16-21; Galatians 6:7-8; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-6; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 10:23-31; Hebrews 12:1-2; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 Jn 1:5-10; 1 Jn 2:3-6; 1 Jn 3:4-10]   

Draw Me Close To You  

Donnie McClurkin

Draw me close to You

Never let me go

I lay it all down again

To hear You say that I'm Your friend

You are my desire

And no one else will do

'Cause nothing else can take Your place

To feel the warmth of Your embrace

Help me find a way

Bring me back to You

Bring me back, oh Jesus

You're all I want

You're all I've ever needed

You're all I want

Help me know You are near

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UAnwBixzuNo 

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