Conquering (1 John 2:1a)

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 9/11/2024 9:38 PM

 

My Worship Time                                                                                          Focus:  “Conquering”

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                          Reference:  1 John 2:1a

 

            Message of the verse:  “My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin.”

 

            There are different places in the New Testament that make it clear that Christians, no long are slaves to sin, are given the spiritual means to have victory over sin.  Paul’s strong command to believers assumes their resources to conquer the sin that still remains in the unglorified body:

 

            “Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts, and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.  For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace (Romans 6:12-14; cf. 2 Cor. 5:15; 1 Peter 2:24).”

 

            MacArthur adds that “The law made demands but provided no power or equipping to fulfill them.  As a result, it only condemns and does not save.

 

            “John’s strong love for his readers and his desire for them to heed his words and not sin comes across in his tender designation, my little children, an expression that occurs six other times in this letter (2:12, 28; 3:7, 18; 4:4; 5:21; cf. 2:13, 18).  Being faithful diligent confessors of sin, as an expression of their new creation, made it contrary to their own disposition to abuse God’s grace by indulging in further sin (cf. Rom. 6:1-2; Gal 5:13; 1 Peter 2:16).  John was writing these things to encourage them in consistent holiness, because they were regenerate people indwelt by the Holy Spirit, who had been delivered from habitual sin (cf. Rom. 8:12-13; Titus 2:11-12; 1 Peter 1:13-16).  Again John echoes in a concise way, Paul’s following exhortation from Romans 6,

 

            “15 What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? May it never be! 16 Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness? 17 But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed, 18 and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.”

 

            We will find out at the close of 1 John 1 that the older apostle presents further tests of salvation and a clear picture of who passes those tests.  Now the ones who pass are true Christians who embrace God’s forgiveness but are nonetheless constant confessors of their sin.  That characteristic is a reality in their lives due to God’s regenerating and sanctifying work in their hearts, by means of the Holy Spirit and also the Word of truth as seen in John 17:17 "Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth.”  The truth is that genuine believers are thus people who have been cleansed from all sin, yet feel its presence powerfully and are eager to confess their remaining sins and, by the power of the new life in the Holy Spirit, conquer temptation.”

 

            Lord willing in tomorrow’s SD from 1 John I will begin looking at 1 John 2:1b-2. 

 

            MacArthur entitles this chapter, (4), “Jesus Christ:  The Divine Defense Attorney and the Perfect Propitiation.”

 

9/11/2024 10:01 PM