“This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.”
1 John 4:10

Sunday, July 5, 2009
1 John 5:18-20
Born of God, Done with Sin
The seemingly simple equation of verse eight seems to be that those born of God will never sin again. However, we know from the broader context of Scripture (including the other writings of John), that this cannot truly be the case. The continued presence of sin and our struggle against it are assumed to be realities for the believer until he or she leaves this life. We are told that because of the power of the Holy Spirit, we do not have to give in to temptation in any given situation, but we are also assured that absolute perfection will not be attained by anyone in this life except Jesus himself. The message of John here seems to be more about habitual, continuous trafficking in the same patterns one was following before meeting Christ – an unchanged, unrepentant lifestyle. So we can with confidence say two things as a result: 1) a person who has seen no change in their heart and life, especially in regard to sin, needs to examine closely whether they have truly met Jesus Christ, “the true God and eternal life”; and 2) As those who are children of God, we do have a deliverance from bondage to sin, and we cannot be eternally harmed by the enemy of our souls, the evil one. Praise God for this reality today, and allow him to strengthen and protect you as you continue to walk away from sin.

Prayer Starter:
Lord, THANK YOU that being “born of God” means I am no longer a slave to sin. Help me to walk this out, not in my own strength, but in the strength of your Son, him who is true, the true God, and eternal life, Jesus.