It is increasingly unpopular to use the word “sin”. It’s even more out of fashion to use the word “lawlessness”.

Who among us has heard that word from a pulpit lately?

Who talks about keeping God’s law when it is much more palatable to talk about rivers of grace?

But here goes John, right here in the New Testament saying, “ Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness.” (1 John 3:4)

Lawlessness

That sounds all Old Testament (which is also God’s Word, by the way).

But Jesus, Himself, said, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. (Matt 5:17-20)

Jesus, who loves us so very much, is emphatically telling us that our attention to obedience matters. Sin, left unchecked, will hurt us and others.

So, as believers, we need to routinely ask the Lord to show us sin in our own lives. We need to do this more than we tally the sins of those around us.

It’s easy to look at this crazy world, and even our own spouses, and be an expert sin-identifier. It’s entirely another to turn the mirror of God’s Word toward our own lives.

It’s not fun, but oh is it freeing, to confess and turn from sins that so easy entangle, trip us up, and cause us pain and misery.

Let’s become experts in our own areas of weakness more so than our spouse’s. (I’m stepping on my own toes here).

Let’s remember, we have a Savior who, “appeared in order to take away sins, and in him there is no sin”. (1 John 3:5)

He took away our sins, but we are to be willing participants in the continual taking away of sin (sanctification). We need to be diligent to flee sin for “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)

So is it grace? Yes.
Is it works? Yes.

For if Jesus has saved us, how can we be content to keep practicing sin that nailed him to the Cross?

So, why not take a few moments and ask the Lord to show you any sin in your life? Do this confidently because we know that it is out of God’s kindness that He will show us sin that leads us to repentance.(Rom 2:4)

read1John

Note – this is a continuation of my study of 1 John.