It is Obvious to Whom We Belong
Christians sin, yes, and this is so unfortunate that they do. Some would say they cannot help themselves because they remain in a perishable condition, an earthly body. Yet, to say this and to not be concerned about this nature of sinfulness is what should prompt those who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ’s work on the cross and resurrection from the grave—to not desire to remain in a state of sinfulness. To see the truth of this, let us turn to the Bible.
“No one who abides in Him sins; no one who sins has seen Him or knows Him.
(The 1st Letter of John 3: 6-10 NASB)
Little children, make sure no one deceives you;
the one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous;
the one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning.
The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil.
No one who is born of God practices sin, because His seed abides in him;
[His seed—the indwelling Holy Spirit of God]
and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.
By this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious:
anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God,
nor the one who does not love his brother.”
Those who believe cannot, must not, nor should not want to remain in sin.
- Cannot continue to sin—The Holy Spirit convicts the child of God who continues in sin because “His seed abides in him.”
- Must not sin—The child of God must seek after His righteousness, knowing how “the one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning”
- Should not want to remain in sin—It is obvious who a person belongs to: God or to the devil. People will see how the person’s daily walk reveals whether the person of God produces the Fruit of the Spirit, for “anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor the one who does not love his brother.”
We come to this point, and we may ask: Why should this matter? If I am concerned about my salvation & you are concerned about your salvation, then: Why should all this talk about sinning or not sinning matter?
On the Day of Pentecost, the people of God (the early believers in Jesus) were meeting together.
“And suddenly there came from heaven a noise like a violent rushing wind,
(The Acts of the Apostles 2: 2-4 NASB)
and it filled the whole house where they were sitting.
And there appeared to them tongues as of fire distributing themselves,
and they rested on each one of them.
And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit
and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance.”
This was the Day of Pentecost—the day when the church of God was born. Fifty days after Resurrection Sunday, the Helper Jesus Christ promised came to those who believed. Since that day, those who have placed their faith in Jesus have been walking along a canyon’s edge. This edge is not one that a person runs toward but walks alongside. The prophet Joel spoke of this same analogy. Each day, we walk next to those who are doubting their salvation, those who are secure and awaiting their eternity, and those who are walking near the edge of the canyon, ready (at any moment of God’s providential timing) to plummet to their death, to hell, to their chosen, eternal destination.
WE MUST BE COGNIZANT OF OUR WALK WITH GOD—EVERY MOMENT OF EVERY DAY!
To the watching world, it is Obvious to Whom We Belong!
- Believers in Jesus are to not continue in sin.
- Followers of Christ should sense the conviction of God’s Holy Spirit when they sin.
Christians must seek forgiveness for their sins they commit and for their times when they walk in disobedience to God’s will for their lives.
Why should all this talk about sinning or not sinning matter?
To discover the answer, let us turn to the Bible.
“Jude, a bond-servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James,
To those who are the called, beloved in God the Father, and kept for Jesus Christ;
. . .
But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting anxiously for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life.
And have mercy on some, who are doubting;
save others, snatching them out of the fire;
and on some have mercy with fear, hating even the garment polluted by the flesh.” (The Letter of Jude 1: 1 & 20-23 NASB)