The Lord is awe-inspiring, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him in 1 John 3:4-6,
“Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness. But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin. No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him.”
John tells us here that in spite of the fact that we used to be sinners, when we have seen Jesus Christ or have known him we no longer continue to live a sinful lifestyle, “No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him.”
Why is this? Is there some kind of switch the Lord throws in our lives as we become his child that reprograms us? Do we loose our free-will ability to make bad choices? I suspect there is some reprogramming of our lives when we become children of God. In verse 9 John will tell us that we will not continue to live a sinful lifestyle because, having become a child of God, we are born of God and his seed courses through our veins and permeates our lives. We also learn elsewhere that when we are born of God his Holy Spirit comes to dwell within us, “You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ.” Romans 8:9.
But this morning I am struck by something else that John points to here. He speaks of seeing or knowing Jesus Christ. Those who have seen him or known him have a life-altering experience. Having an encounter with Jesus Christ is life-transforming.
There are those who have impact in our lives. I can recall some teachers I have had that have had impact on my life. When I was a boy in Boy Scouts I encountered people who made quite an impression on me and impacted me in such a way that I determined to emulate them in my life. My drill sergeant in the army, a professor I had in college who had an infectious wonderful excitement in the Scriptures, my parents. All these have had impact on my life and left their marks within me. Having experienced these people in my life each left me a changed person to some extent or another.
But then there is Jesus Christ! One perfect in majestic splendor! The One who loved me enough to die for me that I might have life in him! Here is One whose compassion for others sweeps you off your feet! In breath-taking fascination we see him command the wind and the waves, stilling a storm, we see him raise a dead man back to life, we see him walk on water and change water to wine! We see this same One submitting himself to the cruel tortures of those who would take his life… “The Lion of the tribe of Judah… a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain…” on my behalf!
As I read John this morning I ask myself the question, how can anyone who has had an encounter with Jesus Christ not be a changed person?
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share your theme of worship with us from your Bible reading today. We’d love to hear from you!
(314) 814-8486
This electronic transmission and any documents accompanying this electronic transmission contain confidential information belonging to the sender. This information may contain confidential health information that is legally privileged. The information is intended only for the use of the individual or entity named above. The authorized recipient of this transmission is prohibited from disclosing this information to any other party unless required to do so by law or regulation and is required to delete or destroy the information after its stated need has been fulfilled. If you are not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any disclosure, copying, distribution or takinf of any action in reliance on or regarding the contents of this electronicallytransmitted information is strictly prohibited. If you have received this E-mail in error please notify the sender and delete this message immediately
No comments:
Post a Comment