Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions

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

“Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness;  and sin is lawlessness.  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.  Little children, make sure no one deceives you;  the one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous;  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.  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.”  1 John 3:4-10.

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Why would John state in today’s Scripture:  “No one who abides in Him sins, …” (Verse 6)?  

This question particularly arises, because we remember that strong statement of John just two chapters earlier:  “If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us.  If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.  If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us.”  1 John 1:8-10.

But, it is not unusual for Scripture to classify and contrast. 

For example, we see this throughout the Book of Proverbs in which the righteous are contrasted with the wicked.  We understand that the righteous do not always act in the way that the righteous are described nor the wicked always act in the way the wicked described.  

Such contrasts are helpful to understand practices.  Using an analogy, we say that a doctor practices medicine or a lawyer practices law.  It does not necessarily mean that their every action is to practice medicine or law.  But, we understand that what they do normally flows from who they are.  

In today’s Scripture, we see the contrast between “the children of God and the children of the devil” in verse 10.  We understand that the “the children of God and the children of the devil” do not always act in the way described, but that is their normal practices.  “Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness;  and sin is lawlessness.”  Verse 4.  “Little children, make sure no one deceives you;  the one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous;  the one who practices sin is of the devil;  for the devil has sinned from the beginning.”  Verse 7.  “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.”  Verse 9.  

Likewise, although we read that we are “freed from sin”, we are still exhorted to “not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness;  but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.”  See Romans chapter 6.

We remember the hope provided by the following Scriptures.

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him.  In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.”  Ephesians 1:3-6.

“… Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing;  but that she would be holy and blameless.”  Ephesians 5:25-27.

“Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely;  and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass.”  1 Thessalonians 5:23-24.

But, today’s Scripture provides additional hope based on our standing of who we are, namely, born of God:  “who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.”  John 1:13.

“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.”  Verse 9.

“for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word of God.”  1 Peter 1:23.

“Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”  John 3:3.

“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God;  and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.”  1 John 4:7.

“Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and whoever loves the Father loves the child born of Him.”  1 John 5:1. 

“For whatever is born of God overcomes the world;  and this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.”  1 John 5:4.

“We know that no one who is born of God sins;  but He who was born of God keeps him, and the evil one does not touch him.”  1 John 5:18. 

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”  1 Peter 1:3-5.