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Romans 8:1, continues by explaining how those who are in Christ are to act. They are people who, “walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” How interesting. They walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. Paul is talking about the Holy Spirit here, not the spirit of man. And if these people who are in Christ walk according to the Holy Spirit, how is it possible that they would continue forward, content to live in habitual sin?
There are also many other Bible passages that clearly explain how each true believer should daily live out their faith. John’s first epistle is one of them. There, John is writing to the churches in Asia Minor and is dealing with the heresy, or the perversion of the Gospel, that had entered into the early church. We would do well to heed his warnings because that very same heresy is still affecting the church today…specifically in discerning those who are truly children of God. Are all those who say that they are saved truly children of God? Can a true child of God continue living happily in habitual sin? How do true children of God walk? Here’s what John says:
1 John 1:5-10 – “This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, (practicing a sinful lifestyle) we lie, and do not the truth (we are lying to ourselves): But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, (obeying the Word of God, living in holiness, persevering in Christ and His Word) we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin (a true believer). If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (all sin – past, present, and future). If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.”
1 John 2:2-6 – “And he (Christ) is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. And hereby we do know that we know him, if we KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS (obeying His Word, living it every day). He that saith, I know him, (professing Christ with his mouth) and keepeth not his commandments, (continuing along, content in his sin, without repentance) is a liar, and the truth is not in him (he is not a true son of God). But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him (the visible evidence of a true child of God – obedience to the Word of God). He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked (in holiness).”
1 John 2:15-17 – “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. (One that makes a profession of faith with the mouth saying he is a believer, but continues loving the things of the world does not have the love of the Father in him, and hence, does not have the Father – he is not saved). For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever (the fruit of true salvation).”
1 John 3:1-3 – “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.”
1 John 3:6-10 – “Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not (does not continue living a sinful lifestyle, habitually practicing or committing sin): whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him (The person that professes to be saved but continues habitually living in sin, does not know God and is not known of God). Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. He that committeth sin (making sin his habit) is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God (He has the seed of God, the Holy Spirit, dwelling within, bringing conviction when he sins, causing sorrow over his sin, and bringing upon his life the discipline or chastisement of the Lord when he does sin). In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.”
1 John 5:1-2 – “Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him (the other brethren). By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.”
1 John 5:18a – “We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not…”
In conclusion, we can see from John’s first epistle that those who do not want to leave their sin; those that want to continue forward, happily living a habitually sinful lifestyle; those that are not experiencing the discipline or chastisement of the Lord in their lives because of their habitual sin…those are not true sons of God (Hebrews 12:5-8).
NOTE: Although Paul’s first letter to the saints (believers) in Corinth is often cited as an example that carnal believers (saints) exist, this does not mean that they are being excused or defended for the carnality and sin in their lives. No one should misunderstand this. We must never, nor will we ever, excuse or defend carnality or sin in the life of a believer. If we continue reading the first letter to the Corinthians, we see that Paul wrote it with a purpose or a goal in mind – to rebuke and correct these new, immature carnal believers. He names their sins and exhorts them, commands them, to leave their sins. He is expecting them to experience sorrow over their sin and to repent, bringing true change to their lives. And this same goal should be ours in the church today.
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