So That You May Not Sin

My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin…

1 John 2:1a

For quite some time, the above words of the Apostle John seemed strange to me. That I may not sin? C’mon, John, like that will ever happen! When I started asking a different question from the text, understanding came. Instead of viewing this statement as an unrealistic ideal, I began to ask, “What is John writing about that might keep me from sin?”

John is writing about fellowship with Jesus Christ. He is writing about being forgiven through the blood of Christ. He is writing about unsurpassed joy found only in Christ. He is reminding his readers of the hope that we have in Jesus Christ so that we may not sin. He is reminding us of the Gospel.

When we are thinking rightly about the Good News of Jesus Christ, sin is the farthest thing from our minds. Consider it with me.

God creates man in His own image. He looks upon everything that He has made and declares it is “very good.” He rests from His work of creation, which declares His glory.

He gives man authority over all creation under His ultimate authority.

Man chooses to deny God His rightful authority and rebel against Him. Instantly, man’s relationship with God is destroyed. Man hides from God and is ashamed.

As man multiplies, things only get worse. In fact, things get so bad we read that God was “sorry that He had made man on the earth, and it grieved Him to His heart.” (Genesis 6:6)

Instead of blotting out man from creation like God considered, it was His prerogative to save man from his sinfulness by sending His only Son, Jesus, to earth as a man to live a perfect life and die a brutal death as the propitiation for our sins.

Christ preached a message of repentance for the forgiveness of sins and said that all who believe in Him will never taste death but will have eternal life in fellowship with God.

This is the Gospel of our Lord, Jesus Christ. Thanks be to God!

We can’t possibly look upon the Cross and think it was a small thing for which Christ died. Our sin is terrible. We are told in Scripture to hate evil, to abhor sin, to detest wickedness. Sin brings separation. Sin brings destruction. Sin brings death.

And yet, God forgives us! God cleanses us! God frees us from bondage to sin!

How can we who have been forgiven so much and have been saved from God’s wrath continue in sin? (see Romans 6) No, when we see God’s plan of salvation unfold, we cling to Christ and the hope we have in Him. We forsake all the things of the world, which tempt us to turn from our Rock and Redeemer. We hate the evil in our hearts that sent Jesus to the Cross to die. We loathe the fact that we have grieved the heart of our Creator.

To paraphrase C.J. Mahaney:

Before we can see the Cross as something done for us, we must first see that the Cross is something done BY us.

My sin sent Christ to the Cross. So did yours.

God, help us to hate sin! We don’t think rightly about it on our own. We don’t see how infinitely significant our sin is. And often we don’t even try to see! Have mercy on us. Christ is our only hope. How we need you, Jesus!

Christian, you are holy and beloved in the eyes of God. You have been bought with the precious blood of Jesus Christ. You are charged with the call to be holy and pursue righteousness. You are commanded to put to death the things of the flesh and walk according to the Spirit of Christ that lives in you. You were forgiven much more than you could ever repay. Be thankful and offer your life as a living sacrifice in glad-hearted worship and obedience. Rejoice in the Lord always for He who promised to save your soul from death is faithful.

You are a blood-bought, Spirit-sealed citizen of Heaven.

That you may not sin…

For the glory of Christ.