No one born of God commits sin; for God’s nature abides in him, and he cannot sin because he is born of God. 1 John 3:9
Ask those who made the trip to Sychar if the Samaritan woman married the man with whom she had been “living in sin,” and they will say that the subject never came up. Indeed, young people raised in church will continue to cohabit for convenience and economical reasons. Perhaps they will now save for their big dream wedding, but if per chance a toddler walks down the aisle, the “cute” factor will lower raised eyebrows.
It might be helpful to remember that the child born to David, the adulterer and murderer, did not survive. Yet once Bathsheba was his lawful wedded wife, she gave birth to Solomon. Enter Nathan, the very same prophet who had confronted the king and pronounced God’s judgment on his great sin. After Solomon’s birth, Nathan was sent to tell him to name him Jedidiah, meaning “beloved of the Lord.” That would explain Israel’s peace and prosperity during Solomon’s early reign. Today’s Star Wars lovers have latched on to the name, but shortened it to Jedi as a cool nickname for their baby. Part 2 of 2
Comment: Let’s sandwich our weekly order of worship between chapters 1 and 3 of John’s first letter and note that “confession” is an integral part of it in our church. It never gets omitted, lest we call God a liar. “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness…” (1:8-10). In 1 John 3:9 the word “nature” is most commonly translated as “seed,” and therefore takes on a meaning that should make for a major AHA moment. The word “seed” is sperma in Greek and conveys the very picture of human reproduction. Once “born again,” the Father’s nature manifests His Son’s characteristics in the believer. Therefore, intentional and habitual sin – much to the devil’s dismay – is no longer our downfall at his bidding. In fact, in verse 3:8 John asserts that Jesus came to “destroy the works of the devil.” We live out that evidence by treasuring and honoring God’s living Word, and loving our “brother.” Friends we can pick, brothers come with His family and as such we had better not write them off as expendable at our whim. To understand why complete cessation of sin on planet earth is not possible, we don’t look back to ancient Samaria, but scan the night sky for the International Space Station. Astronauts getting ready to join their crew, must quarantine for two weeks, lest their germs doom such missions with international repercussions. They’re first isolated at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, then in Florida, just miles from the rocket that will propel them into orbit. We don’t have to be the proverbial rocket scientist to figure out that spiritual germs simply come with our present territory of worldly contaminants. Yet God loved precisely this cosmos to send His only begotten Son to keep us from perishing. Jesus testified that we who do His Father’s will are His brother, sister, and mother. The divine sperm ordains our destiny and secures our ultimate destination. It will be true heaven on earth, forever lived joyfully in our triune God’s holy presence. 1 John 3
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