In Romans 1:8-12 the Apostle Paul refers to “the gospel,” “the gospel of His (God’s) son,” “your faith” and “the mutual faith” which must be “established” in church members and presented to the “whole world.”  The unifying thread that ties these Truths together and ties the saint to the Lord was stated in the previous posting.  That thread is “OBEDIENCE TO THE FAITH” WHICH WAS “ONCE DELIVERED TO THE SAINTS.”  The Apostle John agrees with Paul as he tells us in 1 John 3:3-10.

In these verses the sword-wielding young preacher proclaims some of God’s most life-changing Truths.  Unfortunately, few people accept them because they expose much church doctrine to be false.  These Truths, unless believed and obeyed, will condemn the soul.  Recall that Jesus said that man will be judged by the Words (Truths) of God (Jn. 12:44-50) which He (God) spoke to the Word (Jesus), Who spoke them to His prophets and apostles, who spoke, recorded and preserved them.  John later collected their writings, codified them and turned them into a single Book–The Holy Bible–the most purchased, most stolen and least understood book ever printed.

In 1 John 3:1,2 the apostle reminds the church that true saints will look like Jesus Christ following their rebirth that will take place upon His return to earth.  This transformation is described in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17.  Beginning with verse 3 John reminds us of what we must do (work) in this life in order to be born again and receive eternal life upon Christ’s Second Advent.  In verse 3 John refers to the HOPE of rebirth and salvation.  Contrary to universal church opinion, there is much that must be done (worked) by the believer before Christ’s return when rebirth will occur and eternal life will be granted.  For example, in order to turn hope into reality one must “purify himself even as He (Jesus) is pure.”  This does not mean a periodic “cleansing” (confession of sin, asking for forgiveness, etc.) which normally takes place on Sunday morning, at mass, during a “revival,” etc.  The Christ-level purification process is a continuous cleansing of the mind (heart) by “the washing by the water of the Word” (Eph. 5:26).  I have found that Scripture memorization is an excellent method by which the believer can remain free of sin.  The “water of the Word” cleanses as it occupies the mind and directs what one thinks, says and does.  Note that we are not to purifying ourselves according to our concept of purity.  There is a cleansing standard we must maintain which is understood by the use of the word “EVEN” (exactly as).  We are commanded to be as pure “as He (Jesus) is pure.”  Did Jesus sin?  He remained pure continuously to serve as our example.  Jesus was totally human and subject to temptations as are all humans.   He had to overcome Satan just as we must overcome him in order to be saved, as He tells us in Revelation 3:21.  In 1 John 2:6 we are told that, if we call ourselves by His name we must WALK (live) as He walked.”  How did He live?  Was there darkness (sin) in His life?  Referring to Him, John said that: “In Him there is no darkness at all” (1 Jn. 1:5).  In Ephesians 4:13 Paul states that we must “all come to the measure of the statute of the fullness of Christ.”  You will not hear such “fine print” coming from a pulpit.  This is God’s Holy Word that will make one holy if it is continually ingested, believed and obeyed.

God’s “fine print” tells us what Christ’s measure, stature, fullness, walk, purity look like in this life.  For example, Jesus stated that when men saw Him they saw God in human form.  The Bible is God in written form.  Therefore, if we learn, believe and obey His Words, when men see us, they will be seeing God in human form.  But beware, unregenerate man does not recognize God in His true saints, just as men refused to see God in Jesus.  In fact, He was accused of having a devil.  People hated Him.  He was persecuted, beaten and nailed to a cross.  Why?  BECAUSE WHEN MEN SAW HIM THEY SAW GOD, AND MEN HATE GOD.  Who was it that did all those things to Jesus?  THE RELIGIOUS LEADERS AMONG THOSE WHO CALLED ON GOD, MET IN HIS TEMPLE, READ FROM HIS BOOK, PRAYED TO HIM, ETC. Religious man’s attitude toward God’s true saints has not changed.  The unchurched world pays no attention to God’s people.  It is the Institutional Church who hates God, His Word and those who preach and live it.  Jesus tells us that to reject His Word is to despise Him and His Father.  There will come a time when people will be martyred for their faith in God.  This will take place during the Great Tribulation when many former church people will realize that they had been deceived, will turn to God and will be beheaded for doing so (Rev. 20:4).  Back to 1 John 3.

In verse 4 John begins to wield the sword of the Spirit (God’s Word) in earnest.  Over the following 7 verses he cuts to the spiritual quick as only he can.  In those few verses he destroys most Catholic/Protestant theology.  First, he destroys her Law-nailed-to-the-cross doctrine.  Note that he uses the word “IS” relative to the relationship between the Law and sin: “Whoever commits sin also transgresses the Law, for sin IS (not was) the transgression of the Law.”  From that point on every reference to sin involves breaking the Law NOW.  THE TEN COMMANDMENT LAW DEFINES SIN NOW.  The Ten Commandments is the Lord’s entire Law (Genesis to Revelation) condensed into ten commandments (not suggestions, options, etc.).  The Apostle James noted that to break even one commandment is to break (transgress) all 10 of them (2:10).  This includes #4–the Sabbath commandment.  God calls the Saturday (7th day) Sabbath “My holy day” (Isa. 58:13).

In verse 5 the apostle tells us that Jesus came, lived, died and was resurrected in order to REMOVE SIN FROM HIS PEOPLE PERMANENTLY (THROUGH THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT THAT ABIDES WITHIN THEM).  Sin causes the Holy Spirit to leave, thereby separating the sinner from God (Isa. 59:2).  God abides within His saint in the form of His Holy Spirit.  When sin is committed the Spirit leaves, meaning that God leaves.  King David knew this.  Having been confronted for his sins, he begged God to “take not not Your Spirit from me” (Ps. 51:11).

John’s statement about the removal of sin (vs 5) obviously refers to one’s PAST (not future) sins.  Paul confirms this in Romans 3:25 where he writes that Christ was sent to remove the convert’s “SINS OF THE PAST.”  Contrary to church opinion, He did not then issue the forgiven one a license to sin in the future.  The church claims otherwise, citing God’s grace as proof.  Jude (4) condemns this Satanic belief: “ungodly men have turned God’s grace into lasciviousness (a license to sin), thereby denying the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ.”  The Godhead exerts Lordship (total control) over a saint’s life.  By sinning, one denies Them lordship over one’s life, as Jude declares.  In verse 5 John states that, “God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all.”  Note the words “in Him.”  True saints are “in Him” and He is “in them” spiritually.  This is what “Christ in you, the hope of glory” means.  Christ and God are in the true saint in the form of Their Holy Spirit.  If Father and Son are “in” the saint, and there is no darkness (sin) in Them, then there can be no sin in the saint.  So-called “sinners saved by grace” proudly admit their sins, then profess that Father and Son are in them and they are in the Father and the Son. Only Satan could cause people to believe this religious nonsense.  Indeed, “Satan has deceived the whole world” (Rev. 12:9).  L.J.