Results 1

1 John 3:8-9

One of the activities the participants do in confirmation class and in the new member class is to take two magnets and try to push the ends together. If the two ends are the same pole the magnets will not connect. There is an invisible force which pushes the two apart as if there was an object between them.

It serves as a tangible lesson in how we should be with sin. We should be unable to connect with it.

What does John say about those who sin? Why did Jesus come for us? What does John say about people who are born of God? What keeps us from sinning?

John has spoken about the reality of Jesus in Chapter 1. He speaks of how we should live out our beliefs in Chapter 2. Now he presents the results of our faith.

If we are truly children of God, if we accept the reality of Jesus and live out our lives as imitations of who Jesus is, then we are born of God. We are made into pure people, people who truly love our Lord. If we are those people then we cannot continue sinning.

This is the result of true faith. We become different people. As human beings we have the tendency to sin, the likelihood of failing and falling to temptation. But accepting Christ purifies us and drives out sin.

This is why Jesus came, to make us different people. He died so that we might be cleansed of our sins. And then we are commanded to make the goodness and holiness of Jesus part of who we are. If we can allow Christ into our hearts to serve as our spiritual guide then we will be living a life of holiness rather than a life of sin and error.

If we are children of God then sin will not be part of our lives. Sin cannot dwell in our hearts if we have accepted the sacrifice of Jesus and we are living out the love of Christ. If we can embrace the goodness of Jesus and allow the love of God to exist in our hearts to guide us in all that we do we will not be sinful. It will not be part of how we act.

The presence of Jesus inside us can strengthen us to do what is right and resist that which is evil.

DAILY CHALLENGE: How can you become a child of God?