No longer deceived
Little children, let no one deceive you. The one who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous. The one who commits sin is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God was revealed for this purpose: to destroy the devil’s works. 1 John 3:7-8 CSB
Again, John deeply cares for the believers, addressing them as “little children,” giving them this repetitious warning to protect them from the dangers that are around them. John warns them saying, “let no one deceive you,” or lead you astray. “The one who does what is right is righteous, just as He is righteous.” The false teachers and antichrists claimed that one can be righteous and continue to live in sin. Yet, John clearly asserts that if you are claiming to pursue righteousness, you will do what is right. Continuing on, John then says “the one who commits sin is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning.” As it was established, when someone accepts Christ as their Lord and Savior, they are saved, but because of the flesh, sin will still be a part of their lives until Christ returns or calls them home to heaven. So, when a believer sins, they are temporarily assisting in the devil’s work. The devil has been sinning since the beginning, as seen in John 8:44, “You are of your father the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he tells a lie, he speaks from his own nature, because he is a liar and the father of lies.” The devil is in direct opposition to God. So, Jesus was sent for the purpose, “to destroy the devil’s works.” Sin, when it entered our world through disobedience against God, corrupted everything, leading to our broken relationship with the Father. Yet, through Jesus’ death and resurrection, the gift of salvation is available for all. Once someone becomes a believer in Jesus Christ, they should pursue righteousness and do what is right, leaving behind the works of the devil, and instead, do the work of Christ, as seen in Matthew 28:19-20, “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Christians may rest in the truth that the devil is already a defeated foe but it will be a while before the complete punishment will be meted out. Those who know Christ as their Lord and Savior has been delivered from the bondage of sin and should have no desire to be overcome by sin again. John points to the fact that Christians can still sin but will not enjoy sinning and can live in sin.
Blessings,
Isaac De Guzman
Comments