1 John 3:9 [9] Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. Every time I read this verse, I think of the beloved evangelist who preached a revival at our church on our position verses our condition. We know that John is not teaching sinless perfection, because in chapter one and verse nine, he tells us what a Christian is to do when they sin. John understands that our position cannot change, but our condition is always changing. Our position depends upon Christ, …
“Jesus vs Satan”
1 John 3:8 [8] He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. I’m reminded of the old song, “Who is on the Lord’s side?” Before salvation, we were not on his side. We were on the wrong side. The side of sin, Satan, death and destruction. We were lost without God, and without hope. Just like our verse declares, we committed sin and were of the devil. Those who are still in sin, and live …
“A Belief That Behaves”
1 John 3:7 [7] Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. Children can sometimes be easily deceived because of their lack of knowledge. The same is true about those who are spiritually young in the Lord. John is going to establish a truth that every believer must get a hold of to prevent them from being deceived by false teachers. He wants young believers to realize that we have a belief that behaves. Find out what someone believes, then you will know how they will behave. There are many …
“The Difference Between the Two”
1 John 3:6 [6] Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him. We should carefully consider this verse. John is not saying that when someone gets saved, they reach sinless perfection. He is not teaching that once you put your faith in Christ, you will never sin again. I have met people who believed this false doctrine, but they did not get it from the Bible. John writes in chapters one and two telling Christians how to deal with their sins. He clearly warns us, in chapter one, of the dangers of saying …