Sin And The Child Of God

Last week in our article we discussed the blessing of being adopted into the family of God. “Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure” (1 John 3:1-3). Every child of God that hath the hope of seeing and enjoying Heaven with God, will endeavor to purify himself, according to the pattern and copy which is found in God’s revealed word.

To “purify yourself” means to abstain from all evil, and keep oneself from all that is sinful in this life. Whoever is “child of God,” endeavors to resemble God and Christ in purity. The pattern after which the sincere Christian conforms his life is that of Jesus Christ. Christians cannot attain a state of sinless perfection on earth, but no one, who has the hope of being with God in eternity, will indulge himself in unrestrained enjoyment of sinful pleasures of this life. To maintain a state of purity means that a child of God does not habitually and willfully sin.

What is sin? John says “sin is lawlessness” (1 John 3:4). The Greek word for “sin” is literally, “a missing of the mark.” The mark that is missed is God’s will.

Let us examine the nature of sin:

1. God has given a rule of law by which the conduct of mankind is to be

          regulated and governed, and to which man is to conform his life.

2. God, as the creator of man and sustained human life, has an absolute

          right to prescribe what man may or may not do.

3. The Law that God prescribes will be in accordance with what is right;

          and there is a good reason why God has given the law.

4. The law given by God is given for man’s benefit and happiness both

          in this life and eternity. God knows what is best for mankind.

5. All sin is a violation of the law of God, or lawlessness.

6. Whatever is a departure from the law in any way, either by failure to

          obey or by positively violating the law, is sin in the sight of God.

7. There is sin in all cases where God’s law is not obeyed; and all who

          do not comply with God’s law are guilty of sin before God.

The law of God determines what is right in all cases, and, of course, what is wrong when that law is transgressed. The law is an expression of what the will of God is and what we should do with our lives upon this earth. Those who are God’s children will lead lives of obedience to God’s law.