*WISDOM FOR TODAY.*
*CHILD OF GOD DOES NOT SIN.(7)*
*Scripture Treasure.*
1 John 3:4-6
*Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.*
*And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin.*
*Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him.*
*Insight and Highlight.*
One of the greatest gateways to sinlessness in the life of the child of God is reading, studying, and meditating on the word of God; His law and commandments.
*Scripture Commentaries.*
Jesus told His disciples before He was crucified about the knowledge and reminding power of the Spirit.
The Spirit is to teach us all things and bring all things to our remembrance whatsoever He had taught us, John 14:26.
Things to remember are His teaching and commandments.
John teaches us that there is a connection between transgression and the law, righteousness, and the law. How righteous we are is reflected by our obedience to the law while unrighteousness; committing sin is a transgression of the law, ref 1 John 3:4.
The child of God is so because he reads, studies, and meditates the law of God, Psalm 1:1-2; 119:15, 48, 97.
For us to know the law, we must read, study, and meditate on it, Matt 22: 29,31, 2 Tim 2:15.
The child of God will obey the law of God while the child of Satan will disobey.
John tells us that there are no new commandments but the same old as we had received.
He says in 1 John 2:7 *Brethren, I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment which ye had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which ye have heard from the beginning.*
However, he writes to tell us of a new commandment that has two major factors.
First is that *"....darkness is past, and the true light now shineth."*. This he says is true in Jesus and in us. John says this *"...which thing is true in him and in you:....."*
The second is love.
Though the two are implied in the ten commandments but none of them appears in them.
Jesus made the way for John's inclusion of love not as though it is different from the ten commandments but also as a way through which the ten commandments law will be fulfilled.
In Matt 5:17, Jesus says *Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them*.
Jesus told the lawyer in Matthew 22:37–39, Jesus says, *Love your neighbor as yourself" is the second greatest commandment.*
The first greatest commandment is *Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind*.
Jesus says that these two commandments are the foundation of the Law and the Prophets.
In spite of the law of God made known everywhere in the scriptures, Paul tells us that there is ignorance of it.
While the law's moral and ethical teachings are still relevant today, made known everywhere in the scriptures and believers are called to uphold these principles through the lens of Christ's teachings, Paul tells us there is ignorance or deliberate neglect of God's commandment.
Paul was a persecutor of the early church and while he had seen the light, he teaches us of the possibility of believer struggling with sin, disobedience , ref Isaiah 6:5, Peter in Acts 10:15
Romans 7 chronicles his identified struggles with sin.
He said in Rom 7:7 *What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.*
Paul was a man of the Spirit and another example of his illustration of the believer's struggle with sin is in Gal 5:17 *For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.*
In Rom 7:22-23, he writes that though he delights *".... in the law of God after the inward man:"* ...he further says that he sees *"....another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members."*
He teaches us that being a child of God does not prevent temptation or struggle with sin, but it does totally prevent and destroy the dominance of sin over the child of God, 1 John 3:5-6.
Paul teaches how the human nature/the flesh is weak when exposed to the law, ref Rom 8:3-4.
Besides knowing the law of God, he tells us that man is powerless to keep the law without the seed remaining in him as John teaches, ref 1 John 3:9.
You can not practice righteousness if you do not know what the law of God says about righteousness and sin.
The Psalmist hid the word of God in his heart so that he would not sin against God, Ps 119:11.
Paul and John both teach us about obeying the commandments of God.
Paul is teaching us that though you may not know it is sin to transgress against a law you are ignorant of, but your ignorance will not absolve you of sin.
So reading, studying, and meditating the law of God are key to knowing the dos and don'ts of God. Paul is teaching that for us to fulfill the status of the children of God who do righteousness it is good for us to know that no one is able to know sin until he understands what the law of God says about it.
It was until Paul knew what the law said about covetousness that he knew it was sin. It was after the light of knowledge shined on him that he realised how wretched he was, and he thanked God who fully delivered him from his wretchedness, Rom 7: 24-25.
One of the greatest threats to being a child of God is a lack of knowledge, ref Hos 4:6.
If the law of God says it is sin to transgress in any one of His words, it remains so regardless of whether you know of it or not.
Are you a child of God, and you want to consistently practice righteousness?
Read, study, and meditate the word of God!
*Remorse corner.*
It is important that you study the word of God. It will help you to avoid sin as a child of God.
*Call to Word action.*
Jesus emphasized the knowledge of the scriptures. He said in Matt 22: 29 *".........Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God.*
*The Christian clarion duty.*
Psalm 119:15 *l will meditate in thy precepts, and have respect unto thy ways.*
*Prayer.*
Lord, help me to meditate on Your law and precept all the days of my life. Let me walk in righteousness in Jesus name.
Good morning all, and have a blessed day.
God bless you.
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