SOAP Devotional 2014-06-06

Scripture – Observation – Application – Prayer

Scripture:

Dear children, don’t let anyone deceive you about this: When people do what is right, it shows that they are righteous, even as Christ is righteous. But when people keep on sinning, it shows that they belong to the devil, who has been sinning since the beginning. But the Son of God came to destroy the works of the devil. Those who have been born into God’s family do not make a practice of sinning, because God’s life is in them. So they can’t keep on sinning, because they are children of God. So now we can tell who are children of God and who are children of the devil. Anyone who does not live righteously and does not love other believers does not belong to God. (1 John 3:7-10 NLT)

Observation:

The motive of this passage is to warn people not to let anyone deceive them into thinking that true believers, Christians, can continue living a worldly life of sin. That lifestyle would prove that they belong to the devil instead. Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil in believer’s lives. The key to the passage is in these two statements: “Those who have been born into God’s family do not make a practice of sinning, because God’s life is in them.” followed by this, “So they can’t keep on sinning, because they are children of God.” We can tell those who are not true Christians by the fact that the live worldly lives and do not love other Christians.

Application:

We must warn others not to be deceived by those who would teach that once you have prayed a prayer for salvation and maybe even lived a righteous life that now you can get away with living a sinful life and still be a Christian. Becoming a Christian changes you to where living a sinful life is contrary to your new nature as a believer. Don’t water down this passage to sooth the conscience of those who think they can cuss, drink, party, and raise Cain and think they can still profess Christianity as their true faith. Some one could mess up for a season, but they “can’t keep sinning.”