Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions

Today’s devotion comes from 1 John 3:4-10.

 

“⁴ Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness;  and sin is lawlessness.  ⁵ You know that He appeared in order to take away sins;  and in Him there is no sin.  ⁶ No one who abides in Him sins;  no one who sins has seen Him or knows Him.  ⁷ Little children, make sure no one deceives you;  the one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous;  ⁸ 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.  ⁹ No one who is born of God practices sin, because His seed abides in him;  and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.  ¹⁰ 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.”  1 John 3:4-10. 

 

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We too often think of Christ’s role as only to forgive our sins.  But, today’s Scripture emphasizes:  “The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil.”  Verse 8.

 

It is not good enough just that we are forgiven of our sins.  We must practice righteousness.

 

And, the only way that we can practice righteousness is for God to change our hearts and also otherwise work within us to produce such righteousness.

 

“You know that He appeared in order to take away sins;  and in Him there is no sin.   No one who abides in Him sins;  no one who sins has seen Him or knows Him.”  Verses 5 and 6.

 

“No one who is born of God practices sin, because His seed abides in him;  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.”  Verses 9 and 10.

 

We still do sin.  But, we do not continually “practice” sin as we did before we were born again. 

 

“But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed, and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.”  Romans 6:17-18.

 

“For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel
After those days, says the Lord:
I will put My laws into their minds,
And I will write them on their hearts.
And I will be their God,
And they shall be My people.”  Hebrews 8:10.