Do you practice sin?
To hear a sermon on this topic, click HERE and listen to what Pastor Mike Fabarez has to say about sin.
What does the word “practice” mean? It means something you repeat often. Dictionary.com states it is a “condition arrived at by experience or exercise.” That’s interesting in light of sin. How many times have you heard the word “desensitize” from our parents and teachers about violence? We arrive at a specific condition of overlooking something or feeling it is now common because we have seen it or done it so many times in the past. This is what John meant when he said, “Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil.” Wow! Is that harsh or what? Actually, it’s not harsh at all. It is the truth. He is not saying if you sin you are not of God, he is saying if you practice sin you are not born of God. Take a look at the following passage.
No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him. Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous. Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him, and he cannot keep on sinning because he has been born of God. By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother. – 1 John 3:6-10 (ESV)