Doing is the Test of Being

With the title of today's study, doing is the test of being. Doing is the test of being. I invite you to open your Bibles once again, and let's turn to 1 John 3. 1 John 3, beginning in verse 1. That's 1 John 3, verse 1. It certainly is wonderful to be together, and as we look for God's Word to speak to us and to write upon our hearts on this great and wonderful Holy Day, the last day of unleavened bread. Certainly that is our need every time we open the Bible, and this is of a particular importance as we come to this portion of Scripture which is known for its difficulty.

Not so much for its difficulty in understanding what it says, per se, but rather its difficulty in applying this truth to our lives. It certainly is the case with this passage that we are about to read. Today we're going to deal with the issue of sin, and that issue certainly emerges from these Scriptures quite boldly before us here. So let's read this to establish our study. This is 1 John 3, verses 1 through 10. John writes, Behold, what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us that we should be called the children of God.

Therefore the world does not know us because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are the children of God, and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we will know that when He is revealed we shall be like Him. For we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies Himself just as He is pure. Verse 4, Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness. And you know that He was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin.

Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him. Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous. He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil. Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in Him, and He cannot sin because He has been born of God.

Verse 10, in this, the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest. Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God. And we'll stop there. The second part of verse 10 there, Paul introduces a new topic, which might be for later. Now, as we come to this this afternoon, let's keep in mind the context here, and to whom John is is writing. Many people John would refer to in the first two chapters of his letter here, that he would refer to them as speaking about sin in a certain way.

These individuals would come in, and they would speak and encourage those who were in Christ to believe that sin may actually be a matter of indifference. There were those false teachers in John's day that set forth to encourage Jesus Christ's followers to believe that once you are in Christ, it really doesn't matter too much about sin. Because Christ came, these false teachers would put forth, he came after all, and our sins have been dealt with.

Past, present, and future. So you don't have to worry about sin too much. This is what they would erroneously teach back in John's day. And in a real sense, 1 John chapter 3 here really is parallel to what Paul faced in Romans chapter 6. We won't turn there, but in Romans chapter 6 you'll remember where Paul was speaking of sin and answering the question, well, what should we do then? Shall we just continue to sin that grace may abound? Paul's answer was no.

You must not do that. And John's answer is equally the same here. And as we read these verses, what we see as John establishes undeniably one thing. And it's this, that if Jesus Christ manifested himself to take away our sins, as he says in verse 5, also if he manifested himself to destroy the works of the devil, that's the second part of verse 8, then he says it's inconceivable for those who are in Christ to continue to live in sin.

Okay, that's very important. And John's going to repeat this argument again and again to us in this passage. And it's almost a two-fold argument you'll notice. The first half of his argument occurs in verse 3 through 7, we'll see. Then he repeats the basis of his argument, but slightly in a wrenched-up version in verse 8 through 10. But John begins the first half of his argument here. He begins in verse 3, verse 3 again. And everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure. In other words, those who are hoping for his return, it's absolutely nonsense for an individual who displays that hope, then at the same time to persist in sin, which signifies rebellion against the one they're hoping for. That's what he begins to argue here. He says in verse 3, everyone who hopes for the appearing of Jesus Christ, well then he or she will purify themselves just as Jesus is pure. So understood. So, here you have Joe or Mary.

They are displaying a life, a pattern of life, which is willful and persistently sinful against God, at the same time maintaining the fact that they're hoping for Jesus Christ's return.

John begins their argument to say, those two things don't line up. That can't work that way. Why? Why can't that work that way? Well, he answers that in setting up verse 4 and 5, where he sets up the contrast between the two things. He sets up a contrast between sin and Jesus Christ. He sets up the fact that sin and Jesus Christ, well, they're in opposition of each other. Sin and Jesus Christ, they're contradictory to one another. Verse 4, whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness. Sin is lawlessness. Verse 5, So there's the contrast, he says. He's being very plain spoken. John contrasts those who commit sin with the sinless Jesus Christ, who was made manifest to take away sin.

So on the one hand, you have the lawlessness, and on the other hand, you have the perfect law giver and the perfect law person, Jesus Christ, kept the law in perfection. He came to fulfill the law, not destroy it. He came to fulfill it in his life by keeping it.

And he leaves the same responsibility to his followers. So here you have in verse 3, 4, and 5, John has referred to the return of Jesus Christ, the second coming of Jesus Christ, and then he refers to it as the implications to the true believer. And he says, you say you're looking forward to Jesus Christ coming back. Well, everyone will know that, not necessarily by you saying you're looking forward to him coming, but everyone will know that you're hoping for the return of Jesus Christ, but because your life will not display the very thing that he came to take away. That's how they'll know that you're actually hoping for him.

Because your life will not display the very thing he came to take away. To take away. I just realized that rhymes. That's good. That was accidental.

So, Joe, Mary, if you're really looking forward to the return of Jesus Christ, well then let your life tell it. Let your life tell it. Don't say you're hoping for the sinless Savior and then live in persistent sin because those two things don't go together.

Simple argument. Simple but profound, really.

Now, it is to this truth that John addresses himself with great clarity here. The mission of Jesus Christ, plainly stated, he came to take away our sins.

We know that that is a fact that's reiterated to us in Scripture. One such place where that's clearly declared is when John the Baptist looks down the road, sees Jesus Christ coming, and he says, to behold the Lamb of God who comes and who does what? We hold the Lamb of God who does what?

Who takes away the sin of the world.

That's John 1, verse 29. If you want to look that up later, John 1, verse 29. We can't miss this. Can't miss this. Don't say, oh, I know that. Oh, yeah, I know that. Of course, we know that. He appeared that he might take away our sins. Don't miss this because as clear as this is, that fact is actually a stumbling block for many, many of men and women in the world today.

In fact, this fact that he came for this reason, it's actually foolishness to many men and women. I don't know if you realize that. The fact that Jesus Christ came and died in order to take away our sins of the world, it's a great stumbling block. And it's even foolishness to men and women.

Because think about it for a moment. Think about it for a moment. It's not the example of Jesus Christ, which is a stumbling block for many, is it? They can respect his example. He's a good man, they may say. It's not a stumbling block. Nor is it his miracles or his signs. Those things aren't a stumbling block. It's the fact that he came to die because of sin that then confronts men and women with their sin. That's the great stumbling block. That's the offense. Why? Because men and women do not want to stand before Christ's crucifixion. They don't want to do it. They don't want to face that fact.

It's a great stumbling block. And it's foolishness, even. That very thing is pointed out to us. Paul points this out to us in 1 Corinthians 1. Let's turn there, if you will, for just a moment.

1 Corinthians 1 and verse 21-23. Let's see this for a moment. It is the fact that Jesus Christ came to take away sin through his crucifixion. That's what men and women do not want to hear.

Paul tells us this. 1 Corinthians 1. Let's read verses 21-23.

1 Corinthians 1, verse 21-23. Paul writes, For since in the wisdom of God the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. Verse 22, For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom.

But we preach Christ crucified to the Jews a stumbling block to the Greeks' foolishness. Let's stop there. They didn't want to hear this message of Christ crucified. Instead, the Jews, he says, are demanding miraculous signs. The Greeks are looking for wisdom. Paul, how about you put together one of those miracles for us? We like those. We'll accept that. That's wonderful. Or actually, Paul, you're educated. Why don't you pass on some wisdom to us? We would love to hear that. Paul says, forget all that stuff. The Jews demand miracles, miraculous signs. The Greeks demand wisdom. But what do we preach? What do we preach? He says. We preach Christ crucified. Then what happens? It's a stumbling block to the Jews, foolishness to the Gentiles, just as it was true in John's day and Paul's day. True today. So when we come into society and we talk about Passover and his death for our sins, and then we hit him up with, oh, in the days of unleavened bread, that's where we practice putting sin out of our lives for seven days. People say, foolishness. It's foolish. It's nonsense. And then some even say, and really, that's offensive to me. That's an offense to me. Don't speak about that. Talk about his example. I can handle that. Sprinkle in a little bit of his miracles. That's good to hear.

Don't talk about that stuff. I don't want to hear that he came for the purpose to take away my sins.

I don't want to hear that. I don't want to be confronted by that fact.

In the world's pulpits, they fall right in line. That's why you hear the world's pulpits. They talk about sin in deluded. It's a deluded version of sin. They talk about sin in terms like it's just an absence of self-esteem. If you listen to Christian radio for any bit of time, it's almost like sin is just the absence of self-esteem. Or that sin simply means you don't feel good about yourself. And then they say, well, here's a gospel so that you can feel good about yourself. The world says, that message is great. I want to feel good about myself.

I want to hear that message. It helps me to feel good. But the message of the true gospel is not that. The message of the true gospel is Christ crucified. That's the true message. Because the true message of the gospel, when it talks about sin, it says sin destroys everything. That's what it says. And you're going to have to turn from it. You have to turn from it before you ever feel good. You're ever going to feel good about yourself. And God commands us to come together every year to turn our focus on to sin. And to turn our focus onto that which Christ came to die to take away. So, therefore, here's the logic that follows that is difficult for the world's pulpits to preach. But here's the logic. John's very logical here. The logic follows. The one who appeared to take away sins must obviously stand in opposition to it. The one who appeared to take away sins must obviously stand in opposition to it. If Jesus Christ came to take away sin, if Jesus Christ came to take away sin, then inevitably He's against it. He's in opposition to it. It's contradictory to Him. They don't want to hear it. It's a stumbling block. It's foolishness. They discounted His foolishness. But it's the truth that John is expounding here. They might not get it, but we must. We must get this. We have to get this. Let's go back to John's letter, back to 1 John 3 verse 5 again, because there's a big question that emerges from this verse for us.

It's a huge question. It's a question we must ask on this wonderful last day of Unleavened Bread. In 1 John 3 verse 5, there is a huge question that emerges from this for us. Verse 5 again, And you know that He was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin. So the big question that emerges from verse 5, is, if Jesus Christ came to take away sin, the question is, has He then taken away my sin?

That's the question. If this is what He came to do, has He then taken away your sin?

Only you can answer that this afternoon. Has He taken away your sin? Do you know the wonder of how Jesus Christ could deal with your sins?

Do you know that you don't have to go through life defeated by sin, constantly defeated? Is that a reality in your life, or are you living continually defeated? He can take it away. He can take it away. Has He taken sin away from your life?

Now you may ask, how will I know? How will I know if He has? Well, look at verse 6. Verse 6 holds the answer to that question. Have my sins been taken away by Jesus Christ? The answer to that question is found in verse 6. It's a logical deduction here. Again, John's very logical. Verse 6, whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him. So the first part of verse 6 again, whoever abides in Him does not sin. So the question, have my sins been taken away from Jesus Christ by Jesus Christ? The answer is found in the evidence of our daily actions and activity.

You see what He's saying? Whoever abides in Him does not sin. So it is in my present habitual behavior that I reveal whether I am in Christ or not. It is in my present habitual behavior that I reveal whether I see Him or know Him. The one who continues to sin has neither seen Jesus Christ nor knows Him nor is in Him. John's very clear. So let's take the full force of this. Let's take the full force of this here, His words. If a sinless Jesus Christ came to expressly take away sins, how can sin be cherished by anyone who is really living in Christ?

If He came to eradicate sin, how can an individual say, I am in Christ at the same time cherishing sinful behavior?

Fellowship with a sinless Savior while fostering a sinful life?

It's contradictory to one another.

You see, this that John is putting forth, this is the gospel. This is Christ crucified. There's no soft peddling this.

So we take verse 6 here and we hold that up to our persistent habitual sin.

He who lives in Him, no one who lives in Him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen Him or known Him. We take our then our persistent habitual sin and you hold it up to verse 6.

The implications of John's words here are chilling, absolutely chilling.

And I suggest to you that 1 John 3 verse 6 presents as chilling of a challenge to our spiritual lives as any verse in the Bible. So let's allow it to say what it says. No one, either you or me or anyone who lives in Him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin sees Him, knows Him, or is in Him. So where are you in your habitual sinful activity? That brings us to verse 7.

Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as he is righteous. In other words, he who does right is righteous, just as Jesus Christ is righteous. And only one who does right will truly see Him, truly know Him, and truly be in Him. So let me give you the summary here of John's first part of his argument verses 3 through 7. Here's the summary thus far. It's really the summary throughout. The summary is this. It's the title of our message. Doing is the test of being.

Doing is the test of being. No one who says, I am, and yet that does not do... If you say, I am, and yet you do not do, calls into question the very profession that you're making.

Okay. All right. Now we come to verse 8, and John is going to expand the same argument over again. He's going to expand the same argument just as he did in verses 3 through 7. He's not going to do it in verses 8 through 10. He's going to do what verse 4 said. He's going to begin to describe the seriousness of sin. He's going to explain the reason why Jesus Christ came to us once again, and then he's going to reinforce the necessity of righteous living.

And he'll conclude with verse 10 by affirming the fact that it'll be by our doing which will indicate our belonging, who we belong to. So John is going to reiterate his argument here beginning again in verse 8, but he's actually here in verse 8 of all things. He's going to ratchet it up on us. He's going to turn the screws a little bit tighter on us. You thought the screws were already tight. I think they're tight already, but he's about to do it a little bit more. John's not done yet. Look what he says in verse 8. Verse 8. It's quite a dramatic statement here. Verse 8. In fact, verse 8, he who sins is of the devil. For the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose, the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. So we'll stop there. So John gives a description of the devil. Here, it's a brief description. It's not comprehensive. Nevertheless, it gives us insight now with this connection between the devil and sin. John says, with no uncertain terms, he who sins is of the devil. It's quite a statement. He who sins is of the devil. Now, you may think that John's branching out a little bit on his own here, but in fact, he's simply echoing that of his teacher. He's just echoing the words of his teacher. Let's see this. Let's... we're going to stay with John, but we're going to turn to the gospel of John. Turn with me to the gospel of John. Not first John, but the gospel of John in chapter 8 for a moment. Let's see where John gets those harsh words there. He who sins is of the devil. John chapter 8. You know, we have a scene here in John chapter 8 that was no doubt etched into the mind of John as he wrote those words in 1 John. The one who first etched those words into John's mind?

Jesus Christ himself. John chapter 8. Let's begin reading in verse 31. Jesus is going to be speaking to the Jews that believed in him here. So here's the foundation of John's words. It's the same tact that his master, Jesus Christ, had taken. John 8 beginning in verse 31. Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed him, if you abide in my word, you are my disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. They answered him, we are Abraham's descendants, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How can you say that? You will be made free. Jesus answered them, most assuredly I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave to sin, and a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. Therefore, if the son makes you free, you shall be free indeed. I know that you are Abraham's descendants, but you seek to kill me, because my word has no place in you. So once again, this is the stumbling block that John was speaking about, and Paul was speaking about, excuse me. The fact that Jesus Christ came, died, so that they could be freed from the bondage, its foolishness, it had no place in them, these words. Christ crucified. They had no room for that message. Verse 38, I speak what I've seen with my father, and you do what you have seen with your father. Now he's leading up to something. He's drawing them out. Verse 39, they answered and said to him, Abraham is our father. They probably held onto their robes, adjusted their phylacteries on their forehead here. Jesus is about, though, to blow them away here. Jesus said to him, if you are Abraham's children, you would do the works of Abraham. But now you seek to kill me, a man who has told you the truth, which I heard from God. Abraham did not do this. You do the deeds of your father. And they said to him, we were not born of fornication. We have one father, God. Jesus said to them, if God were your father, you would love me, for I proceeded forth and came from God. Nor have I come of myself, but he sent me. Why don't you understand my speech? Because you are not able to listen to my word. And then here's the killer punch. Verse 44, you are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do.

He was a murderer from the beginning. He does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources. For he is a liar and the father of it. But because I tell you the truth, you do not believe me. Let's stop there. Harsh words.

Categorical words. Black and white words. You know, verse 31, you don't abide in my word. Leading up to verse 44, you are of your father the devil. So it's no surprise that John is as categorical in his statements as he is in his first John. Let's go back to 1 John 3, if you will. 1 John 3 verse 8 again. 1 John 3 verse 8. You know, those who Jesus faced there are the same ones that John faced in his letter. It was just a false message going around. There was hypocrisy. There was heresy. He says, listen. He who does what is sinful is of the devil. Very straightforward terms. Jesus said it. John repeats it. So we can't miss this in passing. So going back to 1 John 3 verse 8. If we begin to think about this world and the message that is going out, much of the message is that if someone is religious, they would say, puts forth some religiosity about them, certain religious, there's something religion about them, even though they're a little defiant in some way, they must be fine.

Jesus Christ never had any notion of one of such thing. And he taught his disciples to give it as it is. That's what John's doing. As straightforward as you can. If God is not your father, the devil is your father. And he was telling the Jews there, Jesus Christ was. It doesn't matter what your historical lineage is. It doesn't matter. You reveal the actuality of who you are by the activity and actions you participate in. So back here in 1 John 3 verse 8, simply stated, it is a characteristic of the work of the devil to sin. And all those who habitually are sinful declare themselves to belong to the devil's family. You can't assess an individual as being in Christ by what they say, by what they profess. What John is saying, the real test is the lifestyle and the actions they display as to will determine the family you belong. It is our behavior. That is the evidence of our family allegiance. That's where that's found. So we sit under these words, harsh words, as they fall upon us. And we think about our lives. That's what we're to do in these days. And often when we think about our lives and look at our lives, we see a pattern of habitual, sinful activity. And we look at a verse like this, he who is sinful is of the devil. And we start asking ourselves, who do I actually belong to?

Do I belong to God? Do I belong to the devil? It's an incredible and dreadful question, isn't it? But it's categorical. It's a categorical statement. I told you that this passage and these words are very difficult. Some of the most difficult in all of Scripture here.

Now, also notice here, we want to notice something else here about verse 8 before we move on from it. John digs a little bit deeper and he points to the evil activity of the devil. He says that sin, it can all be traced back to him. He who sins, verse 8, is of the devil. For the devil has sinned from the beginning. So we know that in his pride and in his rebellion, the devil fell from his physician. He was cast out. He then went out to wage war on men and women. And as we read from John's Gospel a little bit ago, he's a murderer. He is the father of lies. So when you think about the sin in your lives, and I think about the sin in my life, don't trace it back to the different things that we try to trace it back to. Don't trace it back to, oh, that was the environment I was in, the environmental factors. I was born into this family. I had this challenge growing up. I trace all of my sin back to that moment in my life, or that moment. No. What John is saying is, trace it back to where it belongs.

Trace it back to the original originator of sin. That's where all of our sin originates from, is him, the devil. The dominion he sinned from the beginning, and his dominion is from the beginning. It's extensive. So we're wanting to grab on to a real essence of what we're participating in when we sin. The dominion is extensive. The whole world is under the control of the evil one, we're told. The devil is targeted. He's very focused. He's targeted. We won't turn there, but John 13, we read these scriptures during the Passover. The devil is even able to put things in the hearts of men and women, as we saw in the final meal shared by Jesus and the disciples. After supper ended, the devil hadn't already put into the heart of Judas Iscariot to betray Jesus.

Same chapter. The devil is able to enter into men themselves. Jesus dipped the bread, gave it to Judas Iscariot. We're told after the piece of bread, Satan entered into him. That's Judas. Extensive. So again, John is telling us in verse 8 that we have a being here, the devil, who is the originator of all that we're participating in when we sin. Comes from him. Sins from the beginning. He embodies sin, the originator of it. The originator of that in which we practice. And you look at all these verses and you specifically look at verse 8 and you think, man, this is hopeless. What are we to do here? Well, John wants us to know. That's why he repeats it twice. He's setting the seriousness of sin to us, to his readers. But then he says, now remember. Remember something. I'll say it again. I said it before in the first half of the argument. I'll say it again. Remember why Jesus Christ came. Remember why he came. Second part of verse 8. For this purpose, all the devil's activity, all of that, for this purpose, the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy these works of the devil.

There you have it. Jesus Christ was manifested so that he might destroy the works of the devil in you and in me. That's why he was manifested, to destroy these things, to take away sin.

And so therefore, therefore, verse 9, verse 9, Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for his seed remains in him, and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God. So, you see, John introduces the devil to us in verse 8, and quickly we realize that all this activity, it's really superhuman. It's supernatural. We're dealing with spiritual things here, supernatural forces here, and we realize that all that John's been speaking of and all these challenges, it's going to demand a power that's bigger than us. It's greater than the power we have.

And I want you to know something here in verse 9. John is not proposing that sinlessness will ever be achievable in this physical life for you and I. Only Jesus Christ could ever and would ever achieve that.

So he's not proposing that you and I will ever achieve sinlessness. But John wants us to never diminish the level of righteousness to which a child of God can and must achieve.

That's what John's painting. He's painting in black and white. He wants us to never diminish the level of righteousness to which a child of God can and must achieve. We are called to a higher level of righteousness. Higher level. Higher than we could even imagine. We have to, as the sermonette spoke about, we have to grow this year. Grow in righteousness. Grow out of sin. Greater than we ever have before. The process of becoming sinless begins now. The process of becoming sinless begins now.

And here in verse 9, John wants us to know that we have access to the power of the one who's already overcome that original sinner. We have access to that same power. His seed, meaning the power of the Holy Spirit. His seed. His power. It's available to us. And as chilling and seemingly defeating us as verse 8 is, we must realize that verse 9 introduces us to a victory that's already been achieved. Staying here in 1 John, let's turn over to 1 John 5, if you will. 1 John chapter 5 in verse 18 through 20. John's going to explain this very thing to us. It's the very same thing, reiterated with more emphasis and more detail. 1 John 5, verse 18 through 20. He writes, We know that whoever is born of God does not sin, but he who has been born of God keeps himself.

God keeps himself, and the wicked one does not touch him. 2 John 5, verse 20. We know that we are of God, and that the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one. But what do we also know? Verse 20. And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding that we may know him who is true and that we are in him who is true. In his Son, Jesus Christ, this is the true God in eternal life. So let's stop there. So we read earlier, you can't know him when you're in that habitual, sinful activity. You don't know him. You're not in him. But verse 20 says, But we know the Son of God has come and has given you, has given me, understanding that we may know him who is true, that we are in him who is true. Who? Verse 20. Such a powerful verse there. And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding that we may know him, that we are in him who is true. Now, we know, we know, that flesh and blood cannot enter into the kingdom of God. And our ultimate birth, our ultimate birth will happen at Jesus Christ's return when we become part of his spiritual family, when we put off this corruption and put on an incorruption. That's the ultimate birth we know. When we become part of his family, we look forward to that, of course. But John wants us to realize that with the imparting of God's seed now, his Holy Spirit, now at this moment we can be kept from the evil one, from the wicked one. We can be kept from participating in this sin to great lengths, to great degrees, to a higher level of righteousness than maybe we ever imagined in ourselves. We have that power. Again, the process of becoming sinless begins now. We're not sinless. We won't ever be sinless in this life. We know that. But there's a process this beginning now.

The second part of verse 18, it's wonderful, but he who has been born of God, God keeps himself, and the wicked one does not touch him. I love that. Wonderful truth. With God's Holy Spirit residing in us now, if we're in him, Satan can't touch us. We have that power to reject him and reject his influence. Great comfort and security. We need this because of just all the overwhelming, all the other overwhelming words of John. You can get very heavy very quickly. That's why I'm glad John puts these insets in there. Let me remind you, though. He paints the seriousness of sin, and he says, let me remind you why Jesus Christ came.

You see, he paints in black and white terms. Let's go back to 1 John 3, verse 9. Such a categorical statement. How can he say this? 1 John 3, verse 9. How can he say this? Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for his seed remains in him, for his seed remains in him, and he cannot sin, because he's been born of God. How can John unequivocally say that? Notice he points in black and white. Never gray.

How can he say that? Notice the key in it all. We have the seed, the power, the Holy Spirit.

We have the power of the One who's already defeated the devil. This is what we need to understand. This is how we approach the sin in our lives. It's seemingly too hard to overcome.

We need to understand that in Christ's death and resurrection, Jesus Christ has already had a victory over him. We need to understand that at that moment that Jesus Christ was risen, Satan was mortally wounded. He took an arrow to the heart, if you will. He's been stumbling around on the battlefield and doing all he can to thwart and to accuse, but he's in the full awareness that the final knockout punch is coming. Satan is not an atheist. He knows that Jesus Christ will return. He knows the conclusion of the Bible, and he knows enough to realize the first punch that he took from Jesus Christ's death and resurrection the next time he takes a punch, it's going to be it for him. And the same power that defeated Satan the Devil is available to us now. Satan cannot touch us if we don't allow him. To don't allow him.

With the power, Satan cannot influence with that which he originated.

How can an individual's life become radically transformed and move away from sinful activity? The answer is, God's seed remains in him. So, if you and I are involved in blatant sinful activity, the first thing to pray is that God not take that spirit from you. You need it. You need that power because of what we're battling. And if you think about it, isn't that what David prayed? When he was in this blatant sinful activity, drowning in it, what did he pray? Don't take the spirit from me, Father. We need to pray that first and foremost. God's nature needs to abide in us.

It's the implanting of his nature within a sinful man or woman. That's what breaks sin's power. It enables us to seek after him. It enables us to have significant progress over sin. But to the man or the woman who says, I've tried, I just can't do it. This stronghold has been on me too long. I can't do it. Well, you're right. You can't. By yourself. Oven by yourself, you can't. But you have implanted in you the power that makes it all possible.

Why did Jesus Christ come?

He can't even take away your sin.

We can't do this on our own. Bring your sins to God tonight here at the conclusion of these days of Unleavened Bread. Acknowledge that you're helpless and come boldly to that throne of grace. Not boldly demanding forgiveness, but boldly coming for the answers, boldly coming to seek and meditate. How can I overcome this? I need your help, Father. Boldly coming with a new commitment. You can overcome.

Well, what an incredible passage John has blessed us with here.

Despite the fact that we live in a world where man likes to blend the distinctions, the Bible's unashamed. Always unashamed. It speaks in categorical terms, black and white, in its proclamation. Sometimes we try to dull down the edges.

Well, John won't let us here. We don't need to be scrambling to dull down the edges.

The Bible talks in terms of life and death, truth and error, broad and narrow, dead or alive, slave or free, father God or father of the devil. And here in verse 10, the first part of verse 10, John lays it out for us in the conclusion that we'll finish with.

Verse 10, in this, the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest.

Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God. So we'll stop there. We can either be children of the devil or children of God. If you're wondering why you are the way you are in this process this week, it may be that God's calling you to true repentance for the first time, maybe. And this might be a calling for you to repent truly for the first time, deeply, truly desiring to finally get over those things, those strongholds. And I believe if you come to Him with that desire, He will fulfill this in your life. He will take that sin from your life. That's why He was manifested.

If John were here today, he would tell us we need not live in the inconsistencies created by our habitual sinful behavior. He would remind us that the devil doesn't have to have a hold on you. He's a defeated foe, and you have the power to defeat him. If Jesus Christ came to take away sin and to destroy the devil's work, then if you're truly going to profess your love for Him, stop messing around with the devil's work and run from Him. He's a roaring lion.

Come to your knees tonight. That's the place we need to start. When John's words become overwhelming for us, bow to God. Bow to God, and turn to the one who's already defeated the originator of all these things, all this evil. And I believe you'll begin to see Satan's work to be undone in your life. Tell God you want to pass this test of being in Christ. And always remember, always remember, the test of being is doing.