Hey guys,
better late than never i always said. found myself reading 1 john recently and it's been a pretty convicting few days for me (its a short book, i highly recommend flipping through it when u have a spare minute). I think the passage that stood out to me the most was chapter 3 where john distinguishes the righteous from the sinful. His crieria for righteousness was this: He who practices righteousness is righteous, and he who practices sin is sinful - very plain and simple right? Except, how do we now reconcile the fact that we are forgiven sinner? On the one hand i declare, with confidence, myself to be a child of God; yet on the other I find, as paul did, that "wat i want to do i do not do but what i hate i do." There is still this sinful nature that resides in my redeemed body and pulls on me like gravity. I think the real question from john is how much am i fighting it. I can not honestly claim to be a child of God yet deliberately continue in sin - believing that to be ok. In other words, the practice of righteousness/holiness not a requirement of our salvation, but the evidence of it. I dont have to be perfect, but I must be moving towards perfection.
On a related note, we should make a habit of repentance. this is one discipline that I feel many christians lose touch of - and it disconnects us from teh responsibilities of our sins i think. We tell ourseles that "ok, i messed up, just dont do it again next time" - and leave it at that. usually, in my case at least, this doesn't lead to any life changing progress. Repentance does several things, it is a direct apology to God for sinning against him, and it is also a call to God for help in dealing with the sins in our lives. If we leave repentance out, we're effectively not fighting sin. If we're not fighting sin, then we are practicing it.
Encouragement for the week, make a habit of repentance, and pursue holiness because this desire for righteousness is what marks us as children of God,
Have a great wednesday (all 5 min left of it) and rest of the week!
Edward
"If we claim to be without sin we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faitful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." - 1 John 1:8-9
"Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did." - 1 John 2:6
"He who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous." 1 John 3:7
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