“LAWBREAKERS”

“Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness.”

1 John 3:4

Everybody likes the idea of God being love, which is shown in His grace, mercy, and goodness. Who wouldn’t be motivated to believe in a God who forgives sins, offers eternal life, and answers prayers? Sadly, many have a rather limited view of the God of the Bible, appreciating His goodness but ignoring His holiness, righteousness, and justice. As a result, their profession of faith does not lead to a life of obedience.

In today’s verse, John creates a sharp contrast to his previous statement. He highlights the believer’s decontamination in verse 3 while he accentuates the unbeliever’s corruption in verse 4.

The false teachers seem to have Gnostic influences as they neglect the significance of sin and the need for obedience. To them, matter is inherently evil, therefore, any sin committed in the body is inconsequential. To counter these false beliefs, John writes to help Christians avoid habitual sinning.

The Apostle writes that those who deliberately sin are lawbreakers. He uses the words “practice” (Greek “poieo,” which means “to keep”) and “sinning” (Greek “hamartia,” which is “a violation of the divine law in thought or act”) to describe unbelievers.

He also uses the word “lawlessness” (Greek “anomia,” which refers to the condition of being without law). A habitual sinner either ignores or violates the law. He is living as if there was no law.

Christians are not required to obey the Old Testament law, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t any rules in God’s family. Jesus reminded His apostles that if they loved Him, they would keep His commands (John 14:15). Those same rules apply to us.

Sinning is disobedience that leads to defilement. It is asserting what we want while disregarding God in our decision-making process. When we sin, we essentially become our own gods, making us not only lawbreakers but also idolaters.

God is holy and has a settled, righteous anger toward sin. Therefore, believers are to feel the same way about it. We are not to take sin lightly. Our identification with Christ gives us a spiritual nature, completely incompatible with sin, which keeps us from being enslaved to sinning. Therefore, we consciously resist having a pattern of sin.

Pursue the Savior today!

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