No one who abides in him keeps on sinning

 No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him. 1 John 3:6 ESV

This verse is very sobering. It is cause for true soul searching and study. When one reads this verse they have to ask themselves if they are truly living in Christ. It causes one to look more closely at their walk, to see if there is a place in their lives where they are continuing in sinful behavior.

I think most of us, when we first consider this verse probably think; well I don't do the things I used to do before I became a Christian. So, I should be alright. But, should we leave it there? Maybe we would should dig a little deeper. Ultimately we are to model our walk after Jesus walk. So it behooves us to know what that walk was and whether or not we are following in His footsteps. Remember what John says, if we keep on sinning we haven't seen Him or known Him.

So, we need to look at the life of Jesus as it's chronicled in the Gospels and come to know what is acceptable behavior for a Christian. We don't want to continue in sinful behavior that will keep us from being all that the Lord wants us to be. Even though we have received God's grace through Jesus we don't want to continue in behavior that is an affront to that grace. Think of what the apostle Paul said about this subject. What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Romans 6:1,2 ESV As christians we have died to sin and must lead a new life, leaving the old one behind.

So today, let's really look at ourselves and see if we are doing things in our lives that we know to be against the teachings of the Bible. Whatever we find that is not suitable behavior for us let's repent of that behavior, ask for forgiveness and continue in Jesus. Let's show by our walk that we have seen Him and know Him.

© 2013 Leo J. Woodman

When He appears we shall be like Him

 

Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.

1 John 3:2 ESV

This verse is one of the most encouraging verses in the bible. First, as Christians we are children of God right now. It's not like some day, down the road we will become children of God when we are in heaven. We are His now! He claims us as His. We don't look any different than anybody else, yet we are children of God.

But, we know the day is coming when we will be changed as Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 15: 52, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed.ESV We will no longer be mortal but, immortal. John says we don't yet know what we will be like in that state, but when He returns for us we will be like Him.

It is exciting to think of the day when we will be like Him. We won't be dealing with all of the human failings and weakness we do now. That day those things will all pass away. That day will come to those that remain His “faithful” children.

Think about what Paul wrote about being God's children in Romans 8:17 and if children, then heirs--heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.ESV That eternal reward will come after we have lived a life sacrifice to Him.

So today, look to the future and know that at the end of the journey we too will be glorified as Christ was glorified.

© 2013 Leo J. Woodman