See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that
WEEK 33
DESIRING STEADY PROGRESS FOR
GOOD
1 JOHN 3:1-12
See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is. And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.
Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness. You know that He appeared in order to take away sins; and in Him there is no sin. No one who abides in Him sins; no one who sins has seen Him or knows Him. Little children, make sure no one deceives you; the one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous; the one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil. No one who is born of God practices sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. By this the children of God and the children of the devil are
obvious: anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor the one who does not love his brother.
For this is the message which you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another; not as Cain, who was of the evil one and slew his brother. And for what reason did he slay him? Because his deeds were evil, and his brother's were righteous.
FATHER, thank You for the vital truth
that Your Spirit transforms us. We know that the transformed life is a fruit,
not the cause, of our salvation. You are the One who chose and drew us,
and Christ is both the Author and Finisher of our faith. His work is the sole ground and reason for our justification. We're not saved because of any merit or goodness of our own,
for we have none.
But we likewise know that when You give us a standing by faith in Christ,
You completely transform us. If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature;
the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.1
Your Spirit gives us new hearts.2
From the moment of our conversion, He indwells us,
and through His living presence in our hearts
You are steadily conforming us to the image of Christ.3
We understand, of course,
that we will never attain sinless perfection in this life, because we won't fully be like Christ
until we finally see Him face-to-face.4
But when we sin, we know that we have an Advocate with the Father,
Jesus Christ the righteous.5
We thank You that He is pleading for us even now,
seeking our welfare before Your throne
with prayers that put our paltry prayers to shame. Your Spirit likewise intercedes for us,
with groanings that cannot be uttered.6
More and more, Lord, we are conscious of our guilt
and ashamed of our sin. Help us therefore to bless You more and more
for Your steadfast love toward us. Empower us more and more
to serve You with faithfulness and joy. Above all, make us more and more like Christ.
And remind us, Lord, that we are now slaves of righteousness
rather than slaves of sin. We come before You humbly,
grateful for Your mercy and thankful for the transformation
that has caused us to love and do the things that please You.
O God, our Creator and Lord,
we delight in Your righteousness and wisdom. We have been blessed by Your mercy and grace. We rejoice in Your lovingkindness and compassion
toward sinners like us. Though we are totally unworthy of Your favor,
You graciously saved us from the guilt and condemnation
of our own sin. Our judgment was rendered on Christ at Calvary,
who put away our sins by the sacrifice of Himself, and You raised Him from the dead
as affirmation of His great accomplishment.
Your mercy and grace were thus secured for us
by Christ our Savior.
That is why we desire to honor Him through our service. But may we never think of our own works as meritorious—
or even as worthy supplements to His finished work. We confess that our best service
is altogether unprofitable, and when we have rendered our best obedience, we are still merely unworthy slaves
who have done no more than that which we ought to do.7
May we therefore forever rely only on Christ,
trust in Him, honor Him, and serve Him faithfully but humbly. We repudiate our sins and trust in Your ongoing cleansing and forgiveness. Enable us to live in a way
that draws others to the glories of Christ, in whose name we pray. Amen.
1. 2 Corinthians 5:17 2. Ezekiel 11:19 3. Romans 8:29 4. 1 John 3:19 5. 1 John 2:1 6. Romans 8:26 7. Luke 17:10