In Him!!!
Verse of the Day: 1 John 3:4 Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness. 5 But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin. 6 No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him.
Reflection: These verses and the ones that follow it are challenging to say the least. If not interpreted correctly and put in the right context they could be used harmfully. On the one hand, we mustn't deny the plain meaning of the apostle John's inspired words to the early church. The key area of reflection is the two instances of "keep on sinning" and "continues to sin". How we approach the interpretation of these phrases will guide how we apply them to our lives. And in this case there are two extremes to hold in tension.
The first one is to say if anyone sins they must not be a Christian. Can you imagine what that would be like if every time we sinned we were in danger of losing our salvation? What would this say about the nature of grace and that we are saved by faith alone in what Jesus did on the cross? What would this say about our being born again as the covenant children of God? Would a parent disown their child if they made a mistake? And if our parents are this gracious, how much more is our Heavenly Father.
But on the other hand what does it say if we are a child of God and our lives have not been changed or transformed in the least bit. We keep on sinning. we keep on living as slaves to our earthly nature. There is no sense of the power of the Holy Spirit working to transform our character and behaviors to Christ like maturity. There is no sense of the fruits of the Holy Spirit I.e. love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, self control etc.
So in what sense is it in which John says no one who lives in him keeps on sinning? I think the key words are "in Him." In Him, we have found forgiveness. In Him, we find forgiveness. In Him, we have the power of the Holy Spirit. In John 15 we read of the classic exposition of a believer's position "in Him". John 15:5 says "Apart from Him we can do nothing."So the bottom line is if we live in Him, we can live a life that bears the fruit of a life in Him. If we live "in ourselves", we will get the same results we had when we relied only on our own power.
So today we can claim the promise that is only in Him that we can live a life worthy of our calling as his sons and daughters. Are you living in Him? As you start today in God's Word this is a good way to remain in Him. And would you join me in praying today,
"Heavenly Father thank you for the free gift of salvation through Your Son, Jesus Christ. Help us to live in Him today, fueled by the gift of Your Holy Spirit, so we might show the world your great love for them. When we sin help us to confess our sins as soon as impossible and receive your forgiveness. Thank you for your great gift and help us to live in and through it for all we say and do today. Especially as you call us to love our neighbors as ourselves and make the best possible construction on their behavior. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen.
Psalm 122
A song of ascents. Of David.
1 I rejoiced with those who said to me,
“Let us go to the house of the Lord.”
2 Our feet are standing
in your gates, Jerusalem.
3 Jerusalem is built like a city
that is closely compacted together.
4 That is where the tribes go up—
the tribes of the Lord—
to praise the name of the Lord
according to the statute given to Israel.
5 There stand the thrones for judgment,
the thrones of the house of David.
6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:
“May those who love you be secure.
7 May there be peace within your walls
and security within your citadels.”
8 For the sake of my family and friends,
I will say, “Peace be within you.”
9 For the sake of the house of the Lord our God,
I will seek your prosperity.
Ezekiel 48:23-Daniel 1:21
23 “As for the rest of the tribes: Benjamin will have one portion; it will extend from the east side to the west side.
24 “Simeon will have one portion; it will border the territory of Benjamin from east to west.
25 “Issachar will have one portion; it will border the territory of Simeon from east to west.
26 “Zebulun will have one portion; it will border the territory of Issachar from east to west.
27 “Gad will have one portion; it will border the territory of Zebulun from east to west.
28 “The southern boundary of Gad will run south from Tamar to the waters of Meribah Kadesh, then along the Wadi of Egypt to the Mediterranean Sea.
29 “This is the land you are to allot as an inheritance to the tribes of Israel, and these will be their portions,” declares the Sovereign Lord.
The Gates of the New City
30 “These will be the exits of the city: Beginning on the north side, which is 4,500 cubits long, l31 the gates of the city will be named after the tribes of Israel. The three gates on the north side will be the gate of Reuben, the gate of Judah and the gate of Levi.
32 “On the east side, which is 4,500 cubits long, will be three gates: the gate of Joseph, the gate of Benjamin and the gate of Dan.
33 “On the south side, which measures 4,500 cubits, will be three gates: the gate of Simeon, the gate of Issachar and the gate of Zebulun.
34 “On the west side, which is 4,500 cubits long, will be three gates: the gate of Gad, the gate of Asher and the gate of Naphtali.
35 “The distance all around will be 18,000 cubits.
“And the name of the city from that time on will be:
the Lord is there.”
Daniel’s Training in Babylon
1 In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. 2 And the Lord delivered Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, along with some of the articles from the temple of God. These he carried off to the temple of his god in Babylonia and put in the treasure house of his god.
3 Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, chief of his court officials, to bring into the king’s service some of the Israelites from the royal family and the nobility— 4 young men without any physical defect, handsome, showing aptitude for every kind of learning, well informed, quick to understand, and qualified to serve in the king’s palace. He was to teach them the language and literature of the Babylonians. 5 The king assigned them a daily amount of food and wine from the king’s table. They were to be trained for three years, and after that they were to enter the king’s service.
6 Among those who were chosen were some from Judah: Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. 7 The chief official gave them new names: to Daniel, the name Belteshazzar; to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abednego.
8 But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way. 9 Now God had caused the official to show favor and compassion to Daniel, 10 but the official told Daniel, “I am afraid of my lord the king, who has assigned your food and drink. Why should he see you looking worse than the other young men your age? The king would then have my head because of you.”
11 Daniel then said to the guard whom the chief official had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, 12 “Please test your servants for ten days: Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink. 13 Then compare our appearance with that of the young men who eat the royal food, and treat your servants in accordance with what you see.” 14 So he agreed to this and tested them for ten days.
15 At the end of the ten days they looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food. 16 So the guard took away their choice food and the wine they were to drink and gave them vegetables instead.
17 To these four young men God gave knowledge and understanding of all kinds of literature and learning. And Daniel could understand visions and dreams of all kinds.
18 At the end of the time set by the king to bring them into his service, the chief official presented them to Nebuchadnezzar. 19 The king talked with them, and he found none equal to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah; so they entered the king’s service. 20 In every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king questioned them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his whole kingdom.
21 And Daniel remained there until the first year of King Persia.
1 John 3:1-10
3 See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2 Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears,we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. 3 All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.
4 Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness. 5 But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin. 6 No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him.
7 Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. The one who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous. 8 The one who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work. 9 No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God. 10 This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not God’s child, nor is anyone who does not love their brother and sister.
I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you. Genesis 28:15
Christ says, "You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses." Acts 1:8
Dear Lord, thank you for your promises to us. To show our appreciation, we promise to be faithful witnesses and help others come to know you as their Savior. Teach us to speak in the right time and way to share our faith with those we love. Amen.
Reflection: These verses and the ones that follow it are challenging to say the least. If not interpreted correctly and put in the right context they could be used harmfully. On the one hand, we mustn't deny the plain meaning of the apostle John's inspired words to the early church. The key area of reflection is the two instances of "keep on sinning" and "continues to sin". How we approach the interpretation of these phrases will guide how we apply them to our lives. And in this case there are two extremes to hold in tension.
The first one is to say if anyone sins they must not be a Christian. Can you imagine what that would be like if every time we sinned we were in danger of losing our salvation? What would this say about the nature of grace and that we are saved by faith alone in what Jesus did on the cross? What would this say about our being born again as the covenant children of God? Would a parent disown their child if they made a mistake? And if our parents are this gracious, how much more is our Heavenly Father.
But on the other hand what does it say if we are a child of God and our lives have not been changed or transformed in the least bit. We keep on sinning. we keep on living as slaves to our earthly nature. There is no sense of the power of the Holy Spirit working to transform our character and behaviors to Christ like maturity. There is no sense of the fruits of the Holy Spirit I.e. love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, self control etc.
So in what sense is it in which John says no one who lives in him keeps on sinning? I think the key words are "in Him." In Him, we have found forgiveness. In Him, we find forgiveness. In Him, we have the power of the Holy Spirit. In John 15 we read of the classic exposition of a believer's position "in Him". John 15:5 says "Apart from Him we can do nothing."So the bottom line is if we live in Him, we can live a life that bears the fruit of a life in Him. If we live "in ourselves", we will get the same results we had when we relied only on our own power.
So today we can claim the promise that is only in Him that we can live a life worthy of our calling as his sons and daughters. Are you living in Him? As you start today in God's Word this is a good way to remain in Him. And would you join me in praying today,
"Heavenly Father thank you for the free gift of salvation through Your Son, Jesus Christ. Help us to live in Him today, fueled by the gift of Your Holy Spirit, so we might show the world your great love for them. When we sin help us to confess our sins as soon as impossible and receive your forgiveness. Thank you for your great gift and help us to live in and through it for all we say and do today. Especially as you call us to love our neighbors as ourselves and make the best possible construction on their behavior. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen.
Psalm 122
A song of ascents. Of David.
1 I rejoiced with those who said to me,
“Let us go to the house of the Lord.”
2 Our feet are standing
in your gates, Jerusalem.
3 Jerusalem is built like a city
that is closely compacted together.
4 That is where the tribes go up—
the tribes of the Lord—
to praise the name of the Lord
according to the statute given to Israel.
5 There stand the thrones for judgment,
the thrones of the house of David.
6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:
“May those who love you be secure.
7 May there be peace within your walls
and security within your citadels.”
8 For the sake of my family and friends,
I will say, “Peace be within you.”
9 For the sake of the house of the Lord our God,
I will seek your prosperity.
Ezekiel 48:23-Daniel 1:21
23 “As for the rest of the tribes: Benjamin will have one portion; it will extend from the east side to the west side.
24 “Simeon will have one portion; it will border the territory of Benjamin from east to west.
25 “Issachar will have one portion; it will border the territory of Simeon from east to west.
26 “Zebulun will have one portion; it will border the territory of Issachar from east to west.
27 “Gad will have one portion; it will border the territory of Zebulun from east to west.
28 “The southern boundary of Gad will run south from Tamar to the waters of Meribah Kadesh, then along the Wadi of Egypt to the Mediterranean Sea.
29 “This is the land you are to allot as an inheritance to the tribes of Israel, and these will be their portions,” declares the Sovereign Lord.
The Gates of the New City
30 “These will be the exits of the city: Beginning on the north side, which is 4,500 cubits long, l31 the gates of the city will be named after the tribes of Israel. The three gates on the north side will be the gate of Reuben, the gate of Judah and the gate of Levi.
32 “On the east side, which is 4,500 cubits long, will be three gates: the gate of Joseph, the gate of Benjamin and the gate of Dan.
33 “On the south side, which measures 4,500 cubits, will be three gates: the gate of Simeon, the gate of Issachar and the gate of Zebulun.
34 “On the west side, which is 4,500 cubits long, will be three gates: the gate of Gad, the gate of Asher and the gate of Naphtali.
35 “The distance all around will be 18,000 cubits.
“And the name of the city from that time on will be:
the Lord is there.”
Daniel’s Training in Babylon
1 In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. 2 And the Lord delivered Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, along with some of the articles from the temple of God. These he carried off to the temple of his god in Babylonia and put in the treasure house of his god.
3 Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, chief of his court officials, to bring into the king’s service some of the Israelites from the royal family and the nobility— 4 young men without any physical defect, handsome, showing aptitude for every kind of learning, well informed, quick to understand, and qualified to serve in the king’s palace. He was to teach them the language and literature of the Babylonians. 5 The king assigned them a daily amount of food and wine from the king’s table. They were to be trained for three years, and after that they were to enter the king’s service.
6 Among those who were chosen were some from Judah: Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. 7 The chief official gave them new names: to Daniel, the name Belteshazzar; to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abednego.
8 But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way. 9 Now God had caused the official to show favor and compassion to Daniel, 10 but the official told Daniel, “I am afraid of my lord the king, who has assigned your food and drink. Why should he see you looking worse than the other young men your age? The king would then have my head because of you.”
11 Daniel then said to the guard whom the chief official had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, 12 “Please test your servants for ten days: Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink. 13 Then compare our appearance with that of the young men who eat the royal food, and treat your servants in accordance with what you see.” 14 So he agreed to this and tested them for ten days.
15 At the end of the ten days they looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food. 16 So the guard took away their choice food and the wine they were to drink and gave them vegetables instead.
17 To these four young men God gave knowledge and understanding of all kinds of literature and learning. And Daniel could understand visions and dreams of all kinds.
18 At the end of the time set by the king to bring them into his service, the chief official presented them to Nebuchadnezzar. 19 The king talked with them, and he found none equal to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah; so they entered the king’s service. 20 In every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king questioned them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his whole kingdom.
21 And Daniel remained there until the first year of King Persia.
1 John 3:1-10
3 See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2 Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears,we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. 3 All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.
4 Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness. 5 But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin. 6 No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him.
7 Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. The one who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous. 8 The one who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work. 9 No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God. 10 This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not God’s child, nor is anyone who does not love their brother and sister.
I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you. Genesis 28:15
Christ says, "You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses." Acts 1:8
Dear Lord, thank you for your promises to us. To show our appreciation, we promise to be faithful witnesses and help others come to know you as their Savior. Teach us to speak in the right time and way to share our faith with those we love. Amen.
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