Wednesday, November 9, 2011

I John 3:4


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Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness.

THE STUDY:

This verse is translated so many different ways:

NASB: “Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness”
NKJV: “Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness”
NRSV: “Everyone who commits sin is guilty of lawlessness”
TEV: “Whoever sins is guilty of breaking God’s law”

             Two senses may be present in this verse. First, sin is a breaking of the law. People create a performance record of violations; they break the law in an ongoing way.
Second, people may have a spirit hostile to the laws of God—sin is a lawless spirit. Sin may be understood especially as a lawless attitude toward God. Thus, sin is a condition from which believers must be set free. Paul writes similarly of sin as an inner compulsion that combats his better, spiritual judgment (see Rom 7:23).
Foundationally, John appears to believe that people sin because they are first sinners. They have an anti-God attitude that manifests itself in opposition to the purposes of God. Thus, the most fundamental need for everyone is to find correction for the core character problem, an answer that will turn the heart’s affections strongly godward. Such a solution would make it as natural to do the right, the holy, as formerly it was “natural” to do the wrong, the sinful.[1]

WHAT WE CAN WALK AWAY WITH ….

  • We walk away this morning understanding that we are naturally “bent toward sin!” This all can be changed by the one who dwells inside of us: Jesus! We cannot change our nature but the Holy Spirit that dwells inside of us can. This is what Paul meant when he talked about dying to the old self! Death and life are eternal but they each have different results: one is the result of (death), the other is the surrender of (life).

CONCLUSION:

What is sin?
 Man calls it an accident; God calls it an abomination.
 Man calls it a blunder; God calls it blindness.
 Man calls it a defect; God calls it a disease.
 Man calls it a chance; God calls it a choice.
 Man calls it an error; God calls it an enmity.
 Man calls it a fascination; God calls it a fatality.
 Man calls it an infirmity; God calls it an iniquity.
 Man calls it a luxury; God calls it a leprosy.
 Man calls it a liberty; God calls it lawlessness.
 Man calls it a trifle; God calls it a tragedy.
 Man calls it a mistake; God calls it a madness.
 Man calls it a weakness; God calls it willfulness. [2]

Today, let the Spirit that lives inside you point you toward a life that is filled with His glory and not a life of sin that will lead to death!

Blessings my friends
Pastor Rod



[1] Williamson, R. (2010). 1, 2, & 3 John: A Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition. New Beacon Bible Commentary (114). Kansas City, MO: Beacon Hill Press.
[2] Tan, P. L. (1996). Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations: Signs of the Times. Garland, TX: Bible Communications, Inc.

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