Here is the revelation that is shaping my life today – the more I am with Jesus the more I see myself, as a man with no sin. Union with him eradicates sin in me.
1 John 3:5-6,8 TPT
[5] And you know without a doubt that Jesus was revealed to eradicate sins, and there is no sin in him. Anyone who continues to live in union with him will not sin. [6] But the one who continues sinning hasn’t seen him with discernment or known him by intimate experience. [8] The reason the Son of God was revealed was to undo and destroy the works of the devil.
Observation
How do we understand sin? Jesus came to “eradicate, undo, destroy,” sin. It’s not disobedience to a moral law code, because Jesus came to fulfil and close the law book, so sin can’t be seen through the eyes of command and obey. The code for behaviour gave sin life in me because it gave me something to break, so Jesus eradicated sin based on law code obedience. My sin is seen often in my behaviour but its eradication is not brought about by behavioural modification that is self-disciplined.
We can see that sin comes from a lack of – “seeing with discernment” and “intimate experience” of Jesus. So when I see sin in my life or others, my response should never be law-based manipulative obedience, you know how it sounds, “stop it or else.” My response should be awareness firstly, most of my sin is due to poor discernment of my heart. And secondly an intimate experience of Jesus. “Anyone who continues to live in union with him will not sin.”
Sin is not being me. This is the best definition. When I behave in a way that is inconsistent with my made in the image of God’s true self, then darkness has marred me from being me. My true self is Jesus like and “there is no sin in him.” The answer – allow God to bring revelation and have an intimate experience of him, for I become me as I live in the counsel and presence of the one whose image I am made in. The “stop it or else” drives a wedge between me and my presence with God, as the ‘or else’ is always driven by a strong tone of disqualification. But the way to enforce the already eradicated and destroyed presence of sin is presence with him, so never undermine the freedom to presence.
Sin has been eradicated already, that is sin’s capacity to separate me from God. For I am forgiven forever before I ask so sin has no power whatsoever of separation. The final destruction of sin is its eradication from keeping me from being me. This will be fulfilled in my assured future. V2 “Beloved, we are God’s children right now; however, it is not yet apparent what we will become. But we do know that when it is finally made visible, we will be just like him, for we will see him as he truly is.”
Application
Live in discernment and presence in the intimacy of God. Know that sin has been defeated from a disqualifying condemnation and live freely intimate. Rest in the certainty that one day I will finally be fully restored to my true self me, and walk towards this fulfilment in the present day. I am the best me when I am me. Realise how amazing I am when I am myself, for I am made in his image, which is amazing. So be me!
Response
Thank you that you have defeated sin and now live intimately with me for its eradication in me, not for your sake but for my sake, that I may grow from glory to glory, the glory of being like you. Thank you that you don’t have laws and threats as your language of transformation, but intimacy, love and presence. It is so freeing to live knowing I am good with you in my brokenness, but have a way in you and through you to be more than my brokenness. I love this life, I live gratefully.
Meditation
Meditate – But the one who continues sinning hasn’t seen him with discernment or known him by intimate experience.
Consider:
How loud is law and condemnation in your life?
Is intimacy your answer to sin?
JOURNEY DEEPER
