DIGGING DEEP NO. 866 – JANUARY 19, 2021 Sin and the child of God

The true child of God purifies himself because of the hope of seeing Jesus one day 1John 3:2-3 In discussing “purity”, the subject of sin naturally arises which may be why John moves right into a discussion of Sin And The Child of God. How shall the true child of God regard sin? Is it something to be taken lightly?

THE DEFINITION OF SIN (v4) Sin is a violation of human relationships that can be easily resolved by correcting relationship problems. While some sins may be a violation of human relationships, the true meaning of sin goes much further than that. The literal meaning of the word sin is “to miss the mark”, for example as when an archer fails to hit the center of the target. So, sin is some kind of action (or lack of it) in which one fails to meet the goal intended by God Romans 3:23. As defined by John sin is “lawlessness” (NKJV), or “transgression of the law” (KJV) The word for lawlessness is
a violation of law or to break or violate a law, such as the law of God. For example, to steal when the law says “Thou shalt not steal”. So, sin occurs when you DO WHAT IS FORBIDDEN commonly called a sin of commission.
James describes another kind of sin James 4:17 So sin is also committed when you fail to do what is good or commanded often called a sin of omission. For example, failing to love your brother or sister. While you may not do ill toward your brother, failure to do good is just as much a sin.
In both of these definitions of sin one has failed to meet a certain standard (they have “missed the mark”) In this case, the standard is the law of God which, when carefully noted, is designed to help us in our relationships with God, other people, and even self. Every command of God affects these relationships in one way or the other. Failure to understand the true
nature of sin is one reason why there is so much apathy toward it today. But every time we sin, we adversely affect our relationship with either God, others, or our own selves.

THE ORIGIN OF SIN (v8a) Sin is of the Devil. “He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning.” This statement of John is reminiscent of one made by Jesus in John 8:44 From the beginning the devil has been the “father” or origin of sin (“he is a liar and the father of it”) Those who sin are of the Devil. Since he is the “father” of sin, those who practice sin are his children. So, when we miss the mark by either doing what is forbidden or failing to do what is commanded we demonstrate the influences of the devil in our lives. If sin can make one be “the children of the devil”, that ought to tell us something about the terribleness of sin.

THE DEFEAT OF SIN (5a, 8b) This was the purpose of Christ’s coming. He was manifested to take away our sins 1John 3:5a For this purpose the Jesus was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.1John 3:8b As John the Baptist declared: “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” John 1:29 To continue to walk in sin, therefore, is to undermine the purpose of our Lord’s coming. We must consider what it cost Jesus to accomplish this purpose. Nothing less than His precious blood and his death. Acts 20:28; 1Peter 1:18-19;1Corinthians 15:3 This tells us something about the terribleness of sin. When we properly understand what sin is, and how terrible it must be in God’s sight, then for the child of God there can only be one goal.

REFRAINING FROM SIN (v6-7, 9) Whoever abides in him does not sin (v6) The phrase “does not sin” is in the present tense suggesting a practice of not sinning. John has already affirmed that Christians sin 1John 1: 8,10 To say we have no sin is to lie, and to make God a liar so John is talking about one who does not continuously practice sin. Such is true of those who abide in Him. Those who abide in Jesus do not continuously engage in sin and that is because they let that which they hear abide in them. That is the words of Jesus 1John 2:24. They also strive to walk even as Jesus walked 1John 2:6 But the person who continuously practices sin has neither seen Jesus nor known him despite any claims to the contrary.

WHOEVER “HAS BEEN BORN OF GOD” DOES NOT SIN (v9) Again, John uses the present tense when he says “does not sin” He is not suggesting that one “born of God” never sins but that one truly “born of God” does not continuously practice sin and this is because the seed of Jesus, that is, the word of God remains in such a person. That seed is that life-giving principle that makes one a child of God which clearly involves the Word of God James 1:18; 1 Peter 1:22-23. As long as one allows the Word of God to remain in him, he is born of God. As such he does not continuously practice sin nor can he continuously practice sin, if the seed is remaining in him instead, he continuously practices righteousness 1John 3:7

CONCLUSION
As children of God, obedience to God’s Word helps us to avoid sin. By letting that seed remain in us continuously we
avoid sinning and tend towards practicing those things that are righteous.”.