Scripture Reading
1 John 3:4–9
4 Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness. 5 But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin. 6 No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him.
7 Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. The one who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous. 8 The one who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work. 9 No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God.
Romans 6:12–14
12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. 13 Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness. 14 For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace.
Reflection
John reminds us why Jesus came: to take away our sins and destroy the works of the devil. Jesus did not come merely to make us feel better about our sin—He came to free us from its power.
This does not mean believers never struggle or stumble. John has already taught that Christians still need confession and grace. What changes is our direction. We can no longer be comfortable living in ongoing rebellion because God's Spirit lives within us.
Reflection Questions
Is there any area of unrepentant sin that I have become comfortable with?
What convictions has the Holy Spirit been bringing to my attention?
Am I fighting against sin or making peace with it?
How is God inviting me to greater freedom and obedience?
Prayer
Father, thank You that Jesus came to break the power of sin in my life. Search my heart and reveal anything that is keeping me from deeper fellowship with You. Give me the courage to repent, the strength to obey, and the grace to walk in freedom. Amen.