March 13, 2009
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"When godly people do ungodly things" -- ??
I wonder what the apostle John would say about a sunday school series entitled "When Godly People Do Ungodly Things" ..... ?
1 John 1:5-10
This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all.
If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.
If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us.
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us.1 John 2:3-6
By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments.
The one who says, "I have come to know Him," and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected.
By this we know that we are in Him: the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked.1 John 3:2-10
Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is. And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.
Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness. You know that He appeared in order to take away sins; and in Him there is no sin. No one who abides in Him sins; no one who sins has seen Him or knows Him.
Little children, make sure no one deceives you; the one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous; the one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil.
No one who is born of God practices sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.
By this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious: anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor the one who does not love his brother.
Comments (3)
I think that he might find it interesting. At least someone cares about ungodly behavior.
John and Paul would have an interesting discussion over this I'm sure and it would be so important that they defined their words first and agreed to use them with the same understanding. I wish it could take place and that we could all be present.
John commenting on Romans 7:15 and following and Paul on 1 John. Defining Johns repetition of the words 'practices,' 'walks in,' 'keeps commandments' would be important before discounting all ungodly actions as present in unsaved or 'not in Christ' people. These are all indications of ongoing behavior, habitual; etc. Here is where the struggle present in a believers life is evidence that his flesh is constantly in competetion with his redeemed spirit. There is always encouragement to confess our faults one to another, for restoration, healing which would indicate that we are not immediately perfect or faultless upon salvation, but that we are constantly reaching and sometimes crawling towards that day when we will be like Him, seeing Him as He is. Set apart to be like Him...yes, but immediately like Him situationally and in action...no. So, yes, we give into the flesh at times, but the Spirit alive in us beckons us to make it right again...to not practice sin or lawlessness, to keep the commandments, to walk with Jesus. The fruit of the Spirit is an important sign of a truly godly person. Love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness faith, meekness and temperance.....look for it and concentrate on it. ....a few raw first impressions and initial thoughts of what John might think of the sunday school series.
Hey Tim, how are you? I haven't heard much from you lately, what are you up to? Anything we can pray for?
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