16 November, 2010

That You May Not Sin

"My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world" ~1John 2:1-2, NIV 

First, notice yet another purpose for the writing of 1John: so that we may not sin. We have learned that God wants us to have perfect fellowship with Him and His Son, Jesus; as well as, the completion of our joy.  Now we have another point to strive for: stop sinning. Religion teaches us that we are so bound to our previous sinful nature that it is impossible to go without sinning each day. However, that would be calling God a liar. We have already seen in 1John 1:7, that God keeps us from unrighteousness in all its forms. So here it is reiterated to us: do not sin. God does not call us to do anything that we cannot do, for He has given us His Spirit and His mindset. Philippians 4:13 says, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me” (KJV). Christ is not Jesus last name. Christ means the Anointed One and His Anointing. That is why the King James Version rightly puts it "which strengtheneth," not "who strengtheneth." God’s anointing on our lives is what gives us the strength to do anything He wants us to – such as living a life free from sin. Again, as we saw in the last verses of chapter 1, change your mindset on the sinful nature. It can and should be conquered. Jesus said, “Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed” (John 8:36, NKJV). Let us begin to learn to walk out our freedom. Confess your freedom, even when it may look or feel like you are not free. Jesus said you are free, and as one preacher I have heard puts it, “red words win.”

Reading 1John up to this point can be very discouraging for many of us. It certainly has been at times for me. For many Christians, it is not so simple to just “stop sinning.” We have been bound up in our lifestyles for many years. Our thinking is set in its ways; our habits are fixed; our selfish, lustful, proud, evil hearts are running on all cylinders. It does not help that we do not often hear about just how powerful the saving blood and grace of Jesus are. We are often bombarded by Christian teaching that over-emphasizes the sinful state of the believer. Even when we do find a balanced teaching on the powerlessness of sin, John has already pointed out that we will still fall at times, and that it would be foolish to deny that. So, if we are to walk in the light of God, yet we still sin, what do we do? John quickly calms those concerns here. Look at the completion of verse 1 from the Amplified bible: “But if anyone should sin, we have an Advocate (One Who will intercede for us) with the Father – [it is] Jesus Christ [the all] righteous [upright, just, who conforms to the Father’s will in every purpose, thought, and action].”  Look at that: Jesus is praying for you. He is praying on our behalf, that we may not fall into sin. He is always keeping watch over us, so that we will not fall back into our old ways of thinking and acting. Look at 1Corinthians 10:13,

No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it ~NIV

Now that we are believer’s, now that Jesus is has been made Lord over our lives, we have and Advocate Who is faithful to always provide a way of escape against whatever the devil may throw our way. If we slip, He will pray for us. If we confess we have slipped, He is faithful and just to forgive us, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness that comes as a result of our slip. Do not be discouraged when you fall, but be like the prophet Micah, who said, “Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy: when I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the LORD shall be a light unto me” (Micah 7:8, KJV). If the enemy knocks you down, don’t lay there and wallow in your sinfulness, get up!

We need to stop magnifying the sinful nature we are in. We must remember where we came from; but we must also make acknowledgment that we were that. When I hear pastors or teachers talk about how sinful we are, I want to walk out of the room. I am tired of going to church and being told what I can’t do.  Our sin is not too great for God. Jesus took on the sins of the entire world. He has shed blood to eradicate every sinful thought and deed from the entire human race. Yet, most Christians continue to wallow in their sinfulness. We are just imperfect, unholy, unrighteous sinners… Well, we got the imperfect part right, but that was it. We will not be perfect until heaven, but we can be perfect in a moment. We can live holy lives. We are the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus (2Corinthians 5:21). We have put to death the sinful nature with Him. As Paul said, “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me” (Galatians 2:20, NASB). If Christ lives in you, and He has already died for the entire world’s sins, and you belong in Him, and “those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires” (Galatians 5:24), then why do we place such a strong emphasis on how sinful we currently are? Again, we do not deny our sinfulness; but we need to stop claiming it as part of our current identity. Jesus died to eradicate it; we have put it to death. That does not mean that urges will go away. The devil is still going to fight you. Look at this passage in James:

Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him. When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death. ~James 1:12-15, NASB

The devil is still going to tempt you. The fight is on. James gives us a warning about how we can slide down the slippery slope back into our old sinful habits and nature. Our own evil desires must be put to death on a daily basis, so that we no longer leave a foothold for the devil to drag us back into sin and death. Crucify the flesh daily, not just on Sundays. Get up in the morning and begin to confess these scriptures over your life. Confession is a huge key to walking out a life free from sin. Jesus wants us to confess our sins so that they may be forgiven. Then we must confess that our sins are forgiven and that we are the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. Please do not operate under the assumption that God cannot handle your sin. Jesus took on the sins of the whole world. Your sins are no longer a focal point in His mind. Now they need to stop being one in yours.

No comments: