Christians have been lied to, or maybe it’d be more accurate to say, ‘Christians have lied to themselves’ for much too long about the most cardinal doctrine in the New Testament. It’s time to get real about why God’s prophesied judgement falls upon those of the end-time church who would ‘believe the lie.’ There is no hidden agenda here or covert conspiracy. It is nothing more than taking what is plainly written time and again in the New Testament at face value and having the faith to believe it.
The Destruction of Sin
Victory in Jesus is frequently sung about and talked about, but very few understand exactly what victory in Jesus is. — It is much more than merely healing one’s body or filling his checking account. The Apostle John writes ~ “He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil” (1John 3.8). Christians in all generations have known of, preached, and practiced walking in the victory of Christ. Sin is the work of the devil. All of the devil’s works are committed through sin. From the beginning in the Garden of Eden until now, all of the devils evil works have consisted in tempting and/or deceiving man into sin, by which man is brought under his authority and control. Three vital details must be understood from the aforementioned scripture verse.
Those Who DO NOT SIN
First, the writer says, “he who sins is of the devil,” so it is clear that the destruction of sin spoken of is not referring simply to the forgiveness of sins. John is saying that the problem is the devil and sin, and the solution requires the ‘destruction’ of Satan, not merely the forgiveness of sins. There is no need of forgiveness for those who have not sinned. Second, it is plainly stated that the work of the devil is the cause of all sin. And thirdly and most importantly, Jesus came to ‘destroy’ the works of the devil, which is sin. The Bible goes on to declare that those who are truly born again, those who are born of God ‘DO NOT SIN.’ ~ “Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, BECAUSE HE HAS BEEN BORN OF GOD” (1John 3.9).
The Forgotten Message
Once again, it must be underlined that the scripture “cannot be1 broken” and it clearly states, not only that those who are born of God are forgiven, it says “Whoever has been born of God does not sin.” God in His abundant grace and mercy is generous to forgive the sins of those who come to Him. Notwithstanding, the true Gospel message of the New Testament, the message that has been forgotten and dismissed by the religious status quo is the glorious victory of Jesus over Satan and the complete emancipation of man from sin and the sin nature. ~ “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith” (Romans 1.16-17). This is the true gospel message. It is full of power to deliver all those who are in bondage to sin, but it must be preached by the anointing of the Holy Spirit in order to free the sinner. Because faith comes2 by ‘hearing’ the Word of God. ~ “How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?” (Romans 10.14).
Born of the Spirit
The fact is those who are, indeed, born of the Holy Spirit, as the Apostle said, these people do not commit sin because they are born of the Holy Spirit of God; they have been regenerated and recreated by God and now have the divine3 sinless nature of God, which was imparted to them at the new birth. The Bible says, ~ “Whoever has been born4 of God does not sin.” Those who are born of God are no longer children of the flesh because they have been born of the ‘Spirit’ and have crucified the flesh, which is the carnal sinful nature of Satan. ~ “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit” (John 3.6).
The Breakpoint
The caveat here is distinguishing between a man and a babe (no name-calling or condescension intended). The Apostles point out that immature Christians will struggle with sin5 for a while; notwithstanding, ‘the new “man”’ (not new-born babe) must be ‘put on’6 by believing and acting upon what has been written in faith. And this is the breakpoint; Christians will never appropriate Christ’s victory over sin in their lives until they embrace aforementioned thesis. Once applying the truth about Christ’s victory over sin through the resurrection in your life, you will be free from ‘the lie,’ the power of darkness will be broken over your life, and you will walk in the same victory as the apostles and believers in the early church.
Hebrews 2.14
He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil,
Notes
1. John 10.35
2. Romans 10.7
3. John 3.6
4. 1John 3.9
5. 1Corinthians 3.1-3
6. Ephesians 4.24
7. 2Thessalonians 2.10-11
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© L. Jonathan Blais 2023 All rights reserved. Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission.