“Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God. By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother.” (1 John 3:8-10 ESV)
Have you ever considered how your conduct communicates your beliefs? We know that we cannot fully preach the gospel without using words, but does that mean that how we live is irrelevant?
As the Apostle Paul reminds, the goal of every missionary is to “preach Christ crucified” (1 Corinthians 1:23) so that the lost can “believe in him of whom they have never heard” (Romans 10:14). Making Jesus known to the nations means preaching the gospel.
John’s point in these verses cannot be ignored, however. Not only is the missionary to share the good news of Christ, but he is to live as one who has been bought by Christ. His manner of life clearly communicates what he believes about the message he preaches. John says, “Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil.”
To be clear, “a practice of sinning” does not refer to a Christian who continues to struggle with sin. It does not refer to someone who has been unable to shake the besetting sin that has plagued his spiritual walk for decades. Rather, it refers to a person whose life is characterized by sin, specifically unrepentant sin. Those who live in such a way identify themselves as “children of the devil.”
Therefore, though we cannot preach the gospel by our actions, our conduct is an indispensable witness that attends our gospel preaching. It communicates that we are not like the world. It speaks volumes about how the gospel results in a life of righteousness. We live as children of God because we are children of God.
The one who has been born of God “cannot keep on sinning.” Again, John is by no means espousing a doctrine of perfectionism. He is saying that if you are a blood-bought child of God, the way in which you live your life will reflect your new identity. He also tells us why those two things are inseparable—“for God’s seed abides in him.”
The Holy Spirit who is sent to regenerate the elect is the same Holy Spirit who is sent to indwell the elect. There is not a single person who has been born again who does not also have the Spirit of God dwelling in him or her. By the very fact that God indwells us, we can be certain that he will also sanctify us.
John says, “By this it is evident who are the children of God[.]” To whom is this evident? It is evident to the watching world. It is evident to those who observe the men and women who take the name of Christ to the nations. It is evident to the lost who want nothing to do with Christ. Unbelievers can see that Christ’s people are different and have a unique identity that both sets them apart from the nations and gives them a driving passion to see those nations come to Christ.
Our lives alone cannot preach the gospel, but our actions can detract from the preaching of the gospel if our lives appear sinful. If a missionary calls the lost to come to Christ and be forgiven of their sins, while yet continuing to live in sin, why would that appeal to anyone? On the other hand, if a missionary calls the lost to come to Christ and be forgiven of their sins, while at the same time living a life that demonstrates the forgiveness of sin, the world will notice and want to know more.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father,
As your children, we are to live lives of righteous obedience. You have given your Spirit to us that we may walk in newness of life. May we be faithful to make that newness of life evident to all those around us so that they may see the good works of your people and glorify you.
In Jesus’ name, amen.
Prayer Requests:
- Tuesday: Pray for Hindi Good Soil resources to reach many South Asians with the gospel.
- Wednesday: Pray that the Bucharest Ministry House would provide a home base for ministry to Romanians.
- Thursday: Pray for the Maranatha Retreat Center to provide much-needed rest and refreshment to pastors and church leaders.
- Friday: Pray for missionaries serving those with special needs, to provide critical resources and care.
- Saturday: Pray for the students and staff at William Carey Academy in South Asia to know and honor Christ through education.
- Sunday: Pray for missionaries serving in Lithuania.
- Monday: Pray for missionaries serving through church planting to find great success as they labor to grow the body of Christ.
Featured Opportunity to Serve:
Director/Coordinator of Administration Management
Location: Bangladesh
Our team needs a humble and willing individual skilled in administration and management to come serve as the Director/Coordinator of Memorial Christian Hospital in Bangladesh.
