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Bible Notes - Tabernacle Commentaries
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1 John 3:4
Comments
The only alternative to a believer purifying himself is for him to continue down the path of sin. This is a deliberately blunt statement to banish self-deception about our conduct. The gravity of sin is not to be minimised just because it seems so hard to refrain from it in one form or another. Sin is not simply a mistake or a slight failure; it always remains a transgression of the law, and therefore directly conflicts with the will of God, for every sin breaks a commandment and crosses a line which God has already explicitly forbidden us to cross. It is not simply doing harm to others, but it is defiance of God’s will, expressed in his law.
Application
No one can become a disciple of Jesus Christ without beginning a lifelong battle with sin, and he can never give up this battle. He is promised victory but he must still personally fight the good fight of the faith to the end.
John’s statement of what is evident to all is designed to confront those who try to deny what is obvious in their attempt to side-step the plain statements of Scripture. Our consciences need to be reminded constantly that sin is sin, because the flesh has a thousand ways of trying to get round the commandment.
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