Abiding in Christ
1 John 3:6
"Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him."
How can anyone, after reading this verse, walk away not believing that you cannot lose TRUE salvation?
I read this question on the internet this week and felt that it was a good place to start this message. This message has been pressing on me since I started our series on True Faith. The truth in this message is powerful because I see so many living below the grace that Jesus died to give them. And my heart is burdened to help people see that, Jesus resurrective power, can do so much more than many believers can comprehend. He came to cure the disease of sin in our lives.
To answer the initial question, I would put emphasis on the idea of "abiding. If we are continually abiding in Christ, then we will not continually sin. But if we are continually sinning, then we show our self to not be continually abiding in Christ.
The Greek word "abide" found in this verse is translated in English in these different words: … Remain, dwell, continue, tarry, endure.
Obviously the main meaning meant in this passage is to: remain, or abide
To abide is to dwell, rest, continue. We are called to abide in Him. How can this be done? 3 ways: through the Word (abide in My Word). .. through the Spirit (Dwell in you) … through Love (abide in My Love). (Adam Clarke)
Christ called His Church to "abide" in these things and thereby being different; called out from the world. If God’s people abide in Him, they will do their best to be obedient to him, and if they should
1 John 3:6 … "Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him."
Hebrews 10:38-39 says … 'Now the just shall live by faith, but if anyone draws back, My soul has no pleasure in him. But we are not of those who draw back to perdition, ( A state of eternal punishment and damnation into which a sinful and unpenitent person passes after death.) but of those who believe to the saving of the soul.
Paul says in 2 Timothy 4:10 that 'Demas has forsaken me; having loved this present world ...
Demas must have been saved at some point in order to have been a travelling companion of the apostle Paul. He would not have used any old person to proclaim the gospel with.
We have a clear admonition from God to those that "Know God" and are "in" Him. So I would say simply if you are found "abiding in Him" then you are saved.
But the scripture clearly states:
We should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world … Tit 2:12
We are clearly and unequivocally told to be righteous. Yet I hear people quote, “there is no one righteous.” The Bible says: “let God be true and every man a liar,”
The Bible states that it is not only possible but that required.
In John 8, we have:
John 8:2 Now early in the morning Jesus came again into the temple, and all the people came to Him; and He sat down and taught them. Then the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman caught in adultery. And when they had set her in the midst, they said to Him, "Teacher, this woman was caught in adultery, in the very act. "Now Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned. But what do You say?" This they said, testing Him, that they might have something of which to accuse Him. But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger, as though He did not hear. So when they continued asking Him, He raised Himself up and said to them, "He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first." And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. Then those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning with the oldest even to the last. And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, "Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?" She said, "No one, Lord." And Jesus said to her, "Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more."
Neither do I condemn you; go and stop sinning from now on
Two great truths are evident here:
1) Jesus commanded this woman to stop sinning;
2) The present tense refers to continuous action, here Jesus commanded that the action of sinning that had been in motion, STOP—
Stop Sinning!
In 1 John 3:9 we have:
“Everyone having been born out of God does not go on sinning, because His seed remains in him; and the ability to sin does not continue, because he has been born out of God.
1 John 5:16 … If any one sees his brother committing a sin that is not deadly, he shall ask, and God will give him life, for anyone who is not committing a deadly sin. There is a deadly sin; concerning that I do not say that he should pray. 17 All unrighteousness is sin; and there is sin that is not deadly.
I shall note some opinions on this subject:-
1. It is supposed that there is here an allusion to a distinction in the Jewish law, where there was, "a sin unto death;" and, "a sin not unto death;" that is,
1. A sin, or transgression, to which the law had assigned the punishment of death; such as idolatry, incest, blasphemy, breach of the Sabbath, and the like. And
2. A sin not unto death, transgressions of ignorance, inadvertence (oversight,
or poor judgment base on wrong facts), and such in their own nature, appear
to be comparatively light and trivial. These distinctions did exist in the
Jewish synagogue. (Adam Clarke)
Illus. - When I had cancer, etc, etc.
• The person that talks disrespectfully to their mate.
• The husband who in a fit of anger slaps his wife.
• The person who lies to their mate or parents.
• The one who expresses extreme anger with a foul word or expression.
• The one who doesn’t witness because of fear.
• The person with a hidden sin.
• The one who refuses to admit their wrong from bad judgement.
These sins, if continued, will lead a person to spiritual death, just like cancer.
18. We know that whoever is a child of God is not habitually committing sin; but he who is God's child guards himself, and the Evil One never touches him.
We need to remain in Christ, and guard our minds, and control our lips and actions, with the power of the Holy Spirit. To pray and seek His counsel in all matters, and trust in His word for our needs. God is able to do exceedingly greater than we can ask or think. But He can only do that when we trust Him.
