1 John 3: It's Not the Sin

1 John 3: it’s not the sin, but the practice of sinning. It’s not the murder, but the hatred that leads to murder in our hearts. For when your heart is dead to the love of Christ, it is evident in the continuation of sin and the flaunting of the irreverent behavior of the soul. How can you say you love God and follow His commandments yet chose to live in sin knowingly, daily, and not try to change your behavior? Who made you better than God in that you continue to chose which of His statutes you get to follow? Why would it be ok for you to gossip, live for material things, not give away what you own to make someone else’s life better? Why is it ok for you to live with someone in sin just because financially it makes sense, even though God says no? Who made you God? Vs9”no one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for Gods seed abides in him and he cannot keep sinning, because, he has been born of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God.

It’s not the sin - we all sin. We all fall. We are not perfect and must go daily to the cross. But it is the continual doing of what one pleases, turning away from the statutes of God in favor of the statutes of “me” that will show who we worship. So be careful, check your heart. And while you are doing a self check, make sure you are doing the most important thing of all, vs 11, “for this message that you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.” Vs 16 “ By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.”

LOVE - it’s all about people. Love them, have mercy, and geez people , SMILE!