Unashamed Reading Plan – W5D5
Check out all the previous Unashamed readings here.
Unashamed Reading Plan | Week 5 | Day 5
Prayer
As you come to spend time with Jesus, calm your mind and body until you feel fully present. Thank Jesus that he came to save you!
Bible Reading: 1 John 3:1-10
Read these verses three times slowly.
See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.
Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness. But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin. No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him.
Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. The one who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous. The one who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work. No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God. This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not God’s child, nor is anyone who does not love their brother and sister.
Reflection & Questions
We have been considering this week the idea that coming to Christ means putting to death sin in our lives. We are saved by grace through faith, but this isn’t a license to keep sinning, but the freedom and power to put sin to conquer sin.
In today’s reading from the Apostle John, he echoes our readings this week, that no one who “continues to sin has either seen him or known him.” To do so would fly in the face of the very work that Jesus came to do. John says, “The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work” and the devil’s work is to keep us enslaved to sin.
John’s words are direct and serious. Worth of our self-reflection. He calls into question the salvation of those who are cozying up with sin. For “no one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God.” In other words, God will not allow them to carry on sinning. They are tethered to Him and He will convict, empower and lead them out of sin. They are His children (His seed) and He will discipline them. The unbeliever has no such relationship with Him, but will just keep on going in sin. However, if you are trying to discern the difference in others, keep in mind, it is often impossible to discern between the apparent falling away of a believer and the falling away of an apparent believer.
It is good to read these words as a warning to us. As children of the Father, we are to take sin seriously. We know we are secure and forgiven in Him, but sin isn’t to be taken lightly because of His grace. Rather, as He works to eradicate sin from our lives, we are to completely cooperate with Him.
- Is God convicting you of sin in your life right now? Are you cooperating with Him in that or ignoring Him? Talk to Him about that.
Prayer
Talk to God in response to the reading today.
Worship Song
You might use this song today to worship Jesus today:
Bible Reading: 1 John 3:1-10
Read these verses three times slowly.
See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.
Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness. But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin. No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him.
Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. The one who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous. The one who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work. No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God. This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not God’s child, nor is anyone who does not love their brother and sister.
Reflection & Questions
We’ve been talking all week about how the gift of salvation does NOT mean that we can just keep sinning on purpose because everything is going to be forgiven anyway.
These verses in 1 John talk about the seriousness of those who just keep right on sinning. They might think it isn’t a big deal, but God does. John is very serious when he writes about those who say they are saved but continue sinning as if it wasn’t a big deal. When you are truly saved, there is a change in your heart and in your life. If there isn’t any change, John is doubting that they were actually saved to begin with!
You see, when we accept this salvation, “no one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God.” In other words, God will not allow them to carry on with their constant sinning. When they are connected to Him in this way, He will show them when they are sinning and give them the strength to walk away from it.
It is good to read these words as a warning to us. As children of the Father, we are to take sin seriously. We know that we are safe and forgiven in Him, but we should be careful not to think that sin is no big deal just because we have been given grace. Instead, as He is erasing sin from our lives, we should be in complete cooperation with Him to walk as sin-free as we can.
- Is there any sin in your life that God is pointing out to you right now? Are you cooperating with Him to get rid of it or are you ignoring Him?
Pray
As you think about today’s question, talk to God about something you are struggling with. Ask Him to help you and to give you strength as you try to do the right thing.
Check out more Bible Reading Plans here.
Questions?
Ed Applegate
