Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Sin, Love, and destroying the Devil’s work

I read this passage of scripture yesterday.

1 John 3:1 – 8

1Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. 2 Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. 3 And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.
4 Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness. 5 And you know that He was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin. 6 Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him.
7 Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous. 8 He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.


Let me start with verse 8. God came in the flesh, in Christ to destroy the work of the enemy. He didn’t destroy the enemy but his work. What was the devil’s work? He deceived Adam and Eve to walk into lawlessness and away from relationship with the Lord. Satan is the author of broken relationships. Those who continue in broken relationship are called “children of the devil”. The enemy has an appointed time in which he will be destroyed. John saw it when he received his revelation on the Isle of Patmos. God always has a plan and He always fulfills his plan.

Because we have allowed God to heal our relationship, we have come into relationship with Him and are called, “Children of God”. We are joint heirs to the kingdom with Jesus. He loves us as a Father loves His children. We have an open heaven to our God for His wisdom, guidance, and help. Our relationship with Him should cause our love to grow where we no longer want to sin. Our longing should be for relationship.

Right relationship leads to right living or “righteousness”. Broken relationship leads to broken living or “unrighteousness” called lawlessness. Righteousness is not necessarily and outward expression as it is an inner work of the heart. Jesus said, “out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks” (Matthew 12:34; 15:18) We must live the joy, love, and peace of the Lord in our hearts and as a result people will see it in us.

Being a Christian is not about outward acts of righteousness driven by a need to be righteous. Instead it is an inner work of God’s love that leads to outward acts of righteousness motivated by our security in God’s love and our love of people.

You are a child of God. Know and live His love for you. His love will cause you to live righteously based on love, which is a healthy relationship rather than a self- determined righteousness driven by broken relationship. The enemy’s work is crushed by a real love from God but thrives in an environment fueled by self- determined righteousness.

Every person is either living a life of righteousness based on God’s love or a life of self-righteousness called lawlessness based on our own value system. The challenge is most of us are battling to allow more of His love shine through. You are His child, you already look like Him, spiritually, just allow Him to do it through you. Righteousness is easy when we allow Him to be our righteousness. Then lawlessness is destroyed.

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