Take Away My Sins

We are in a moment that, if you can imagine, we're turning our time and attention to preparation for the upcoming sacred days. The Passover, of course, and the Days of Unleavened Bread. So we are at that point to turn our attention, and we want to turn our attention today in preparation of that with today's study.

The title of today's main message is, Take Away My Sin. I invite you to open your Bibles with me. Let's turn to 1 John 3, if you will. 1 John 3, beginning in verse 1.

It certainly is wonderful to come together and have God's Word speak to us to ride upon our hearts as we do prepare for the upcoming Spring Holy Days. Certainly, we need God's revelation in these matters. That may be of particular importance today as we turn to this portion of Scripture in 1 John 3, which is known for its difficulty. Not so much difficulty in understanding, but rather the difficulty lies in applying its truth to our lives. Today, we are going to deal with this issue of sin. The issue of sin will be emerging directly to us from these Scriptures here. Let's read to establish ourselves this morning. 1 John 3, in verse 1, we'll read through verse 10. John writes, 1 John 3, in verse 4, 2 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 made 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. In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest. Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God. Let's stop there. The second half of verse 10, there, Paul introduces his next topic, maybe for a later time.

Now, we come to this scripture here, this portion of scripture this morning. It's important for us to remind ourselves the context to whom John was riding to at this time. John was being confronted at this time with individuals who were coming into the Church of God, and into those who were in Christ, and they were coming to encourage those to believe that sin was actually a matter of indifference to God. This may sound familiar to today's context. There were those coming in, these false teachers who set forth to encourage the followers of Jesus Christ to believe, that once you are in Christ, it really doesn't matter too much about sin. These false teachers would say that our sins have been dealt with, past, present, and future. This is an erroneous teaching, of course.

In a real sense, who John was riding to, here in 1 John, particularly in chapter 3 here, it really is a parallel to those to whom Paul wrote to, especially in Romans chapter 6. We won't turn there, but if you remember in Romans chapter 6, Paul is speaking of sin, and he's answering directly the question when they ask, well, what should we do then? Shall we continue in sin so that grace may abound? You remember that question? Paul's answer was no, of course, a categorical no. And John's answer here in verse 3 is equally the same. And as we read these verses, he establishes undeniably this fact, that if Jesus Christ manifested himself to take away our sins, as it says there in verse 5, and if he manifests himself to destroy the works of the devil, that's the second part of verse 8. This is why he manifests himself, these two things. And in these verses, he says then, if that's true, then it's inconceivable for those in Christ to continue to live in sin, or to treat sin as a matter of indifference. Okay, so this is very, very important, and John's going to repeat that argument again and again throughout this passage. Again, it's the argument that if you know why he manifests himself, the fact that he manifests himself to take away sin, take away our sin, and to destroy the works of the devil, then again, it's inconceivable for those in Christ to continue to live in sin. And we're going to see in a way, in this passage, there's almost a two-fold argument here. The first half of the argument is in verses 3-7, and then he repeats the same basis of the argument, but in a slightly rinsed-up way, if you will, in verses 8-10. So we have this two-fold argument that we're going to look at here. So, John begins with the first half of his argument here. He begins here in verse 3. He says, "...and anyone who has this hope in him, hope in Jesus Christ, purifies himself just as he is pure." In other words, with those who are hoping for his return, you and I, we're hoping for his return, then it's absolutely nonsense for an individual who displays that hope to, at the same time, persist in sin, which signifies rebellion against the one that they're hoping for. You see? Very logical argument here. That's what he begins the argument with.

He says again, verse 3, "...everyone who hopes in him the appearing of Jesus Christ will then purify himself even as Jesus is pure." Okay, we understand this. So, here's Joe, here's Mary. No one here, of course, these are generic terms. They're displaying a life, a pattern of life which is willful, or habitually, or persistently against God. They're displaying that pattern, at the same time maintaining that they're hoping for the return of Jesus Christ. And John begins the argument to say that it just, that doesn't work. It doesn't line up. Why? Why doesn't that line up? Well, verse 5 and 6 set up the contrast between sin and Jesus Christ. It sets up the fact that sin and Jesus Christ are in opposition to one another. And that sin and Jesus Christ are contradictory to one another. You'll notice again, verse 4. Look at this contrast.

Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness. Verse 5. And you know that he was manifested to take away this lawlessness. He manifested himself to take away our sins. In him there is no sin.

So John contrasts those who commit sin with those who, with the sin in that which Jesus Christ was made manifest to take away. So on the one hand you have lawlessness, on the other hand you have Jesus Christ. On the one hand you have the one who kept the law in his perfection. He came to fulfill the law. He told the Pharisees, I didn't come to destroy it. He fulfilled it by keeping it in its perfection. And he leaves this responsibility to his followers. So here in verse 3, John is referred to the return of Jesus Christ, the coming of Jesus Christ in terms of its implications. On the true believer. And he says, if you're looking forward to Jesus Christ coming back, everyone will know that you're looking forward to him coming back, not by what you say, not by what you say, by the things in which you display. And they'll know that you're looking forward to his return, because your life will not display the very thing that he came to take away. Very logical. Very logical. I love John's words here. So, Joe, Mary, if you're really looking forward to the return of Jesus Christ, let your life show it. Let your life tell it. Don't say you're hoping for a sinless Savior and then live in persistent sin. The clarity from John is profound, I believe.

Now, it is to that truth which John applies himself, addresses himself with great clarity. The mission of Jesus Christ is plain. He came. He manifested himself that he might take away our sins. And you'll remember that it is that purpose to which Jesus Christ also declared. It was declared of Jesus Christ. You'll remember when John the Baptist looks down the road, he sees Jesus Christ coming. He says, Behold the Lamb of God who does what? John the Baptist said this. Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. That's John 1.29, if you want to look that up later. John 1.29. So don't miss that. You know, as I was doing this study, it's easy to say, Ah, yeah, I get that. You know, I know that. Of course I know that. He appeared, that he might take away our sins. Got it.

Well, hold on. Because as clear as that is, we should recognize that that fact, the fact that it came for this purpose, to take away our sins, it's a stumbling block for many men and women. And it's even foolishness. That fact is even foolishness for so many men and women.

I don't know if you knew that. The fact that Jesus Christ came, he died, in order to take away our sins, it's a great stumbling block. And it's foolishness to so many. Think about it for a moment.

It's not the example of Jesus Christ that's a stumbling block to the world. He gave us a good example. He's a good man.

It's not even the miracles of Jesus Christ which are a stumbling block to the world. Rather, it's the fact that Jesus Christ had to come and die because of sin that confronts men and women. That's the stumbling block. That's the offense, the fact that he came and died to take away our sins.

Man does not want to stand before a crucifixion, a crucified Christ. It's foolishness. It's a stumbling block. That fact was pointed out in a letter to the Corinthians. We may come back to this, but let's turn over to...keep your marker here in 1 John 3.

Let's turn over to 1 Corinthians 1, if you will, for just a moment. We'll come back to 1 John. 1 Corinthians 1, let's read verses 21-23 to see that it's a fact that Jesus Christ came to take away sins by his crucifixion. That fact is what men and women do not want to hear in our humanity. Let's see this. 1 Corinthians 1, let's read verses 21-23. Look at this. 1 Corinthians 1, beginning in verse 21, says, For sins 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. For the Jews request a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom. But, Paul says, but we preach Christ crucified.

To the Jews a stumbling block, and to the Greeks, foolishness. Let's stop there. They didn't want to hear the message, Christ crucified. Instead, the Jews were fine and looking for miraculous signs. The Greeks were looking for wisdom. So, the Jews would say, hey Paul, how about a few miracles? We'd love to see that. Greeks would say, you're a bright man, Paul, why don't you give us some of that logic? Wow us with your intellect. Wow us with some wisdom. Paul says, forget all that stuff. The Jews demand a miraculous science. The Greeks demand wisdom. But he says, what do we preach? I'm going to preach to you. He says, Christ crucified. And it becomes a stumbling block to the Jews, foolishness to the Gentiles. It's the same way today. Go up to someone and say to them, and you begin to speak of the upcoming observances. Maybe you'll experience this in the school system, at your work. Talk to them and say, and begin to speak to them about Passover and how his death for our sins. And then speak about the days of unleavened bread. And our response to the sin is to put it out of our lives. And often the look or the word you'll get is, ah, that's foolish. What foolishness is that all about? And in fact, it's not just foolishness. It's offensive to me. Don't speak about that here. Talk about Jesus' example. I'm good with that. Talk about his love. Even talk about his miracles. I don't mind that. Tell me those things, but don't come here and tell me that it came to take away my sin. I don't want to be confronted with the fact. I don't want that to convict me in any way. So much of the world's pulpits are preaching a message that's deluded. They have deluded sin. If you listen to it just for a little bit, they deluded sin to something akin to low self-esteem. Or a message simply just to feel good about yourselves. Here's the gospel, they say, for something that you feel good about yourselves. The world says, great, I want to feel good about myself. But the message of the gospel is not that. The true message of the gospel is what? Christ crucified. The message of the gospel is that sin has destroyed everything. And you're going to have to turn from sin before you're ever going to feel good about yourself.

God commands us to come together every year, doing these upcoming days, and to turn our focus on that which Jesus Christ came and died in order to take away. So therefore, therefore, John says in verse John 3, the one who appeared to take away sins must obviously stand in opposition to it. Okay. Again, if Jesus Christ came to take away sin, inevitably He stands in opposition to it. That's what man cannot face. It's a stumbling block to them. They discount it as foolish. But this is the truth which John is expounding, and many of the other writers as well. So let's go back to 1 John 3, if you will. 1 John 3 and verse 5, and let's continue here. There's a lot packed in this, really this response of John, to those who were spreading the heresies regarding why Jesus Christ came and how the effect it should have on their behavior. Go back in 1 John 3, verse 5, again. You'll see that there's a big question that emerges for us from verse 5. It's a big question that emerges for us here today. It's found in verse 5. 1 John 3, verse 5 again. It says, And you know that He was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin.

The big question that emerges from verse 5 here is this.

If Jesus Christ came to take away sin, the question is, has He taken away my sin? Has He taken away your sin?

Only you can answer that this morning. Has He? Has He taken away your sin?

Do you know the wonder of how Jesus Christ can deal with your sins? Truly know it.

Do you know that you don't have to go through life defeated by the particular sin in your life that's had a hold on you?

You don't have to go through life that way. Is that a reality in your life? Or are you continually feeling defeated? This Passover is coming up and you're looking at the same sins, the same missing the targets as last year.

Has He taken sin from your life or not?

And then, if He hasn't, then look at what He says in verse 6 here. Here's the logical deduction then.

Verse 6 again, the logical deduction, whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him. That's a big Scripture. Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor knows Him. So the question, again, have my sins been taken away by Jesus Christ? Do I know Him in this way?

Well, the answer is found in the evidence of our daily thoughts, actions, and activity.

See what He's saying here is whoever abides in Him does not sin. So it's in my present habitual behavior that I reveal whether to be in Christ or not. It's in my present habitual behavior that I reveal whether I know Him or not.

Whether I'm abiding with Him or not.

And then John says, the one who continues in sin is neither seen Jesus Christ, neither know Him nor the day that they live in Him.

So let's take the full force of these words. Let's just let it land on us. Let's take it, these words.

If a sinless Jesus Christ came expressly to take away sins, how can I cherish, much less tolerate, my sin that I've been living with?

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

Fellowship with the sinless Savior while fostering a sinful life.

It's mutually contradictory toward one another.

This is what John's putting forth. This is the Gospel. This is preaching Christ crucified. There's no soft-pedaling this, is there? John's not allowing us to soft-pedal it. So you take 1 John 3 verse 6. Hold that up to your present, habitual sin.

Hold that up here that no one lives as in Him, keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has seen Him or knows Him. Hold that up. 1 John 3, 6. And the implications here? It's chilling.

It's chilling. And I suggest to you that 1 John 3, 6 presents as chilling of a challenge in our spiritual life as any verse in the Bible.

So let it say what it says.

No one, either you or me or anyone else who lives in Him, keeps on sinning. No one continues to sin as neither seen or knows Him. That's what it says. So where are you in your habitual, sinful activity? That brings us to verse 7. Little children, verse 7. Let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous. In other words, it is the one who is right and is righteous, just as Jesus is righteous. He is right. He will know God, truly be in Him.

So let me give you a summary of John's argument here in verse 3 through 7. So far, what's he saying? Well, really, it's the doing is the test of being.

The doing is the test of being. If someone says, I am, but yet doesn't do, calls into question the very profession that they've made.

Okay. Now, we come to verse 8, and we see that John here in verse 8 through 10 is going to expound his argument all over again, just as he did. We're going to see, just as he did with verses 3 through 7, he's going to describe the seriousness of sin. He's going to expand it as the reason why Jesus Christ comes, and then he's going to put forth the necessity of righteous living.

So it's his argument 2.0, really.

And we'll conclude with verse 10 with the fact that it is our doing as an indication of our being.

So, John is going to begin to reiterate his argument here, but you're going to see here, if you can imagine, in the second part of his argument, he's going to ratchet it up even more. If you thought it was ratcheted up already, John's about to turn the screws a little bit more upon his readers, if you will.

Verse 8. Look at this dramatic statement. Look at this. John says in verse 8, He who sins is of the devil.

For the devil I sinned from the beginning.

For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.

So this is the devil's work.

Here, this is the devil's activity. He who sins is of the devil. It's quite a statement. There.

And John's not... You may think that John's branching out a little bit, you know? John, that's a little bit harsh, you know? But he's only echoing his teacher, the great teacher, Jesus Christ himself. Again, keep your marker here, if you will. And let's turn over to the Gospel of John, John chapter 8.

And we're going to stay with John, but now his Gospel. So John chapter 8, we'll come back to 1 John 3. This particular scene that we're about to read, it may have been etched in the mind of John as he wrote 1 John. John chapter 8, we have this scene here that no doubt was maybe in the mind of John as he wrote those words, you know, he who sins is of the devil.

So who was the one that first etched those words in John's mind? Jesus Christ himself, we will see. So John 8, let's begin reading. In verse 31, Jesus is speaking to the Jews, who were professing belief in them. Here's the foundation of John's words. John 8 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 I have never been in bondage to anyone. How can you say you will be made free? Jesus answered them, Most assuredly I say to you, Whoever commits sin is a slave to sin.

Verse 35, 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 this was the stumbling block for them. That Jesus came to take away sin, freed them from the bondage. It was foolishness to them. It had this word, this gospel, this truth, had no place in them. Verse 38, I speak what I have seen with my father, and you do what you have seen with your father.

So he's leading up to here. He's drawing him out here. Verse 39, They answered and said to him, Abraham's our father. So they straightened their robes a little bit, structured their phylacteries, sticking to their foreheads.

Now, Jesus is about to blow them away here. Jesus says to them, 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, but I have proceeded forth and came from God. Nor have I come for myself, but he sent me.

Why don't you understand my speech? Because you're not able to listen to my word. Here's the killer punch here, 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 for truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources. He's the liar and the father of it.

Because I tell you the truth, you do not believe me. Let's stop there. Harsh words, very black and white. For they weren't following Jesus's words, his commands, his way of life. Very black and white here. Jesus Christ is not pulling any punches, is he? So, it's no surprise then, when we turn back to 1 John 3, of how black and white John is speaking, how categorical he is. Those whom Jesus faced, John's facing the same men and women. Same attitudes. As John writes his letter to a society that is full of hypocrisy, heresy, he says, listen, if you do what is sinful, it's of the devil.

Just as Jesus did, said. Very straightforward. We can't miss this in passing. And as I think of myself, and I am convicted of myself, as I prepare for the Passover and the Days of Unleavened Bread, I want this year to be different. You know, in so many ways, and I think this is a way with all of us, perhaps. We look at ourselves, and I have a form of religious practices and a form of speech.

I want this year to be different. I want to look in my heart and see, and ask God, God mercifully show me my sin. Show me. And then first, give me the desire to overcome it. Now, we can be so cozy with sin for so long that there is no desire to truly overcome it. I have that sin. Maybe you do, too. It's just been with us for so long. Deep down inside, I don't want it gone. It supplies a comfort to me. Maybe I had a pain point in my past, reaching out to that sin to help soothe that pain point.

But so you have to ask for the desire first, sometimes. Give me the desire. And then, Father, this is an important one. The next thing you ask for is the ability. Show me first. Give me the desire. And then give me the ability to overcome it. Because I can't do it on my own. It's been with me for so long. Jesus never had a notion that he never excused sin. He never dismissed it. He always gave it as straight as he could. Here, it's being given to us straight. It stings a little bit, but it's a good sting.

It's a sting to be productive. If God is not your father, then the devil is your father. And they would come back to him and say, What about my historical lineage? We have a historic lineage. Abraham's our father. And he's saying, It doesn't matter. It doesn't matter. I grew up in the church. I had this historical lineage, if you will. My dad was an elder. You know, and I just... You move right into these beliefs. Is it just a belief? Am I just comfortable with this way of life? Am I comfortable? But he hasn't truly convicted me, and I'm not truly changing each year, becoming more like Jesus Christ?

Am I taking these words to heart? Let's go back to 1 John 3, verse 8. Again, sin simply stated, It's a characteristic of the work of the devil. Every time I sin, I think, Man, I just pleased Satan. I don't want to please Satan. You know, that's a conviction in my heart. I want to please God. And all those whose lives are eventually sinful, in those moments, we're declaring ourselves who we belong to. So, we cannot add a new meaning to that. We cannot assess an individual simply that they're in Christ by their words.

There's a real test here. It's a lifestyle. It's change. It's progress. Which will determine whose family we're working to become a part of. God's family. And here's an individual that's been brought up in a Christian lifestyle, and they've looked at their lives. Maybe we're perhaps doing this today. What do we see? Sometimes we see habitual, sinful activity. And we look at a verse like this, He who's sinful is of the devil, and we ask ourselves, who do we actually belong to?

It's a dreadful question. It's a categorical statement. Again, this passage of Scripture is one of the most difficult in all of the Bible, in its application. Now also notice verse 8, John points out that the evil activity of the devil can be traced back to the beginning.

This is the origin of our sin. Verse 8, there, He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. So we know Satan and his pride and his rebellion. He fell from his condition to that which he was created. He's waged war on men and women. We're told in Scripture, that he's a murderer, the father of the lives. So I do this. When I look at my sin, often I trace it back to somewhere else.

I had a pretty tough life, childhood. My mom left early, had some things happen to me as a child, and knocked me off my feet a little bit. And then when I went into adulthood, I was able to see consequences of those things. That carried with me gaps in my heart. I'll just tell you one such gap. My mom left when I was eight years old. And it was pretty difficult. She just left maybe a phone call a year. That's about it. And so I grew up in life where I had a longing for affection and attention from women. I didn't get it from my mom.

And you can see that was going to be a problem as I entered into my marriage. For so many years, I would go back to that moment, I would say, that's the problem, that's the real problem, that's where it originated. And I would start there, and I never made any progress. I needed to start here. What you have to do is call sin sin. Know where it's originated from. Don't go back to environment. Don't go back to upbringing. Don't go back to these things that have happened in all of our lives and try to justify or smooth it over.

Now, just call it sin. Call it for what it is. And that's where you can make progress. Call it for what it is. Because then you all have all these promises that come to light. Once you call sin what it is, then these promises start to come.

Oh, I have a promise that in every temptation God makes a way of escape. I'll start there. Help me, Father. I've seen His work in my life. I've seen His grace. I've seen improvement in my life. I never could achieve from my own, but it starts with going to God, asking for Him to show you, asking for desire. Let Him see you where really their origination comes from. Then ask for the ability to overcome.

God's wonderful. He gives us these admonitions, these higher level of righteousness admonitions, but then He gives us the ability on top of it. He's a wonderful Father. He gives us these admonitions, and He says, I'm even going to help you with the ability to achieve them. It's awesome. It's awesome. Because Satan's work is extensive. The whole world is under the control of the evil one. The demanding of the devil is targeted in our lives. We're able to see in some scriptures that we're going to read in the Passover that's upcoming. John 13, we're able to see the power of Satan has.

We won't turn there, but John 13, Satan has the ability to put things in men and women's hearts. We see in the final meal that Jesus shared with His disciples, supper being ended, the devil having already put it in the heart of Judas Iscariot to betray Jesus. Not only that, the devil is able to enter into men and women. Jesus had dipped the bread. He gave it to Judas Iscariot, and we're told after the piece of bread, Satan entered him. John is telling us that sin is a big deal.

Know where it comes from. The originator is Satan the devil from the beginning. He embodies sin. And here in 1 John 3, John is putting forth this gravity of all this. But I love verse 8, the second half of verse 8. Yes, all of that. Yes, all of that. But in the second part of verse 8, 1 John 3, verse 8, second part. But for this purpose, the Son of God was manifested that He might destroy these works of the devil. So therefore, 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.

This is the higher level of righteousness that we're called to. We're not called to par. We're not called to par. Anybody can achieve par. We're called to a higher level of righteousness. John introduces the reader to the devil. We quickly realize we're involved with supernatural powers and evil influences with the devil. Our battles are spiritual in the spiritual realm.

We quickly realize this. We have to realize that with that, John's speaking of all this demands of power beyond our own. Doesn't it? John's not proposing that sinlessness is ever going to be achieved in this lifetime.

We know that. Sinlessness will never be achieved in this physical life. Of course, it's ultimately achieved when we're born into God's family. After his return, only Jesus could ever achieve perfection in this physical life. But John is wanting to never diminish the level of righteousness that a child of God is called to. That's the point of this passage.

And here in verse 9, John wants us to know that we have access to the power, a higher level of power. To achieve a higher level of righteousness, we have a higher level of power. Because we have access to the power of the one who's already destroyed the works of the devil. That's an awesome thing. We have access to that power from God the Father through Jesus Christ.

And John refers to it as a seed here, meaning the Holy Spirit. That seed is available to us. So as chilling and as defeating as verse 8 seems, we must realize that verse 9 were introduced to victory. Staying here in 1 John, let's just turn over to 1 John 5 for a moment. Just a few chapters. 1 John, you'll see this throughout his letters here. 1 John 5 verse 18 through 20. 1 John 5 verse 18 through 20. John's going to explain this very thing. What this seed, what the Holy Spirit gives us. 1 John 5 verse 18. We know that whoever is born of God does not sin, but he who has been born of God keeps himself, and the wicked one does not touch him. This is quite a power. We know, verse 19, that we are of God and the whole world lives under the sway of the wicked one.

And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding that we may know him who is true. And we are in him who is true. And in his Son Jesus Christ, this is the true God in eternal life. Stop there. So we know flesh and blood cannot enter the kingdom. Ultimate spiritual birth comes. That transformation comes. In his return, the kingdom of God will be part of that spiritual family. We look forward to that ultimate birth. John wants us to realize that by the imparting of the Holy Spirit now, that seed, we can be kept now from participating in evil works. We can make progress. Significant progress. I'm not talking about just a little progress. Significant progress. The wonderful truth. God's Spirit residing in us now. If you've been baptized and asked for that Spirit to come, even if you're not baptized and you're working toward it, the Holy Spirit will work with you now in preparation of the time of your baptism. With his seed, Satan can't touch us. We have the power to reject Satan and his evil influence, his great comfort, and security. So going back to 1 John 3 verse 9 again, you see this fact. The power that's available to us is why John can speak in black and white terms. 1 John 3 verse 9 again, Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for his seed remains in him, and he cannot sin because he's been born of God. How can John be so unequivocal and say this? How can he paint in black and white? John's not gray in any of this, is he? How can he do that? The key to it all is this seed. We have the power available to us, the Holy Spirit, of the One who's already defeated the Devil. Through his death and his resurrection, he dethroned Satan the Devil. Satan the Devil has been mortally wounded. He's taken an arrow to the heart, if you will, and he's stumbling around on the battlefield.

He's roaming around, he's trying to thwart and accuse, but he's aware of the final knockout punch, which is coming. Satan is not an atheist. He understands the Bible's conclusion. He understands he took a first punch with Christ's death and resurrection, and a final one is coming. He's not going to get up from that one.

That same power that defeated Satan again is available to you and I today. With that power, Satan cannot influence us with that which he originated. How can an individual's life become radically transformed and moved from simple activity? The answer is God's seed remains in him. The Holy Spirit, God's nature, abides in him. The implanting of the nature of God within the life of a sinful man and woman, breaks the power of sin and allows them to have the opportunity to true victory.

To the man and woman that has said, I've tried, I've tried, it's all still the same. I can't overcome this. You're right. You can't. You can't. But maybe this Passover season you truly go to God for the first time in a true way, and have him ask for an extra measure of the power to help you overcome.

God's a loving father. If you're a father or a mother, you know what you would do for your children. You do anything for them, especially if they come and they have this longing. Help me, Father. Help me, Mom.

We can't do it on our own. So, bring your sin to God tonight. Let's prepare for these days. Pray and acknowledge that you're helpless.

Sometimes we can scramble around and try to dull the edges. John won't let us do that today. The Bible speaks in categorical terms. Life and death, truth and error, broad and narrow, dead alive, slave free. There's no gray in that.

And here in verse 10 is a simplicity. As we begin to conclude here, 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.

We're either the children of the devil or the children of God. If you're wondering why you are the way you are, maybe God is calling you to true repentance. True repentance and faith in His Son. If John were here today, he would tell us not to live with the inconsistencies in our life that we do. He would say, let me remind you that the devil doesn't have to have a hold on you. He's a defeated foe. You have the power to defeat him.

A simple yet powerful message from John. If Jesus Christ came to destroy and take away sin, how can those who profess to know Him and to love Him mess around with the devil's work? So again, go to God on your knees tonight. That's the place we need to start. Otherwise, John's words will be overwhelming. But when we bow to God in full desire for Him to take away the sin, the reason why He was manifest, His Son, we turn to the one who's already defeated, the originator of it. And the promises to begin to see Satan's work destroyed in your life will begin. It's a promise. So let's all go to the Father and pray these words. And let's all fill in me the purpose to which your Son came. Take away my sin.