He That Commiteth Sin Is Of The Devil

1st John 3:6-10, “Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him. Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.”

Taken by itself, who could argue that a Christian must dwell in righteousness, and avoid committing sin? The epistle of 1st John is one of the most misunderstood books of the Word of God. Verse 9 in particular, which says, “Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin.” At a glance, these passage of Scripture seems to teach that you cannot go to Heaven of you continue living in willful sin. This is not what the Bible is saying, not at all. John was the disciple who walked closest to the Lord, called “the disciple whom Jesus loved” (John 21:20). If your life is the same as it has always been, you're not walking with God, and are deceived. Your life is a hoax! In John 15:5, “I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.” This is what John is talking about in 1st John, our walk with God.

I am listening to Pastor Ralph 'Yankee' Arnold preach a helpful sermon titled: '1st John Made Simple: Milk Versus Meat,' as I type this article. What a wonderful sermon truth from the Bible! The apostle John speaks about “the love of the Father” in 1st John 2:15. John is trying to get us closer to God, “that your joy may be full.” The subject of the epistle of 1st John is not how to get saved, but how to get the most out of God's salvation. 1st John 5:13, “These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.” A lot of things can go wrong in life, but God has never done you or me wrong! Our life can become filled with questions and doubts if we foolishly focus on this temporary life. Instead of griping and complaining, put a smile on your faith and praise God that your name is written in Heaven! Is the truth in your life? Have you obeyed the truth of the Gospel? Jesus tells us in John 16:33b, “BE OF GOOD CHEER,” because He has overcome the world! What an awesome Savior!!!!!!!

John is writing to Christians. They are already saved. Please notice a key verse in 1st John 3:24, “And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.” So if you have the indwelling Holy Spirit, you are saved. Romans 8:9, “But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.” This is exactly what the apostle John is teaching in his epistle of 1st John. If we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have FELLOWSHIP WITH HIM (1st John 1:6-9). Fellowship is like two FELLOWS in a SHIP! Amos 3:3, “Can two walk together, except they be agreed?” If we are not in agreement with God, choosing rather to live in sin in the flesh, then we cannot enjoy sweet fellowship walking with the Lord.

1st John 3:19-21, “And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him. For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things. For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things. Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God.” If we don't walk with the Lord, our heart will condemn us. We're not foolish God. Confidence comes from knowing and trusting THE TRUTH (John 17:17). If there's anything you should learn in the days of your life, it is THE TRUTH! Man's wisdom is from below, but as God's children we receive the wisdom that comes from God. 

The same apostle who wrote 1st John, also wrote the book of John. John 11:9, “Jesus answered, Are there not twelve hours in the day? If any man walk in the day, he stumbleth not, because he seeth the light of this world.” We stumble when we don't walk in the Spirit. That is what John is talking about in the epistle of 1st John, our walk with God. Am I living in the Spirit according to light, or in the flesh according to darkness? It is possible for a born-again believer to live and think like the Devil. Matthew 16:23, “But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.” 

So the determining factor of whether you are saved or not, is not if you've turned from your sins, but do you have the Holy Spirit? Strong Scriptural confirmation of what I just taught you is found in Paul's epistle to the Galatians:

Galatians 3:1-3, “O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you? This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?”

Paul had received news that the church at Galatia had been horribly corrupted with a counterfeit gospel. So the apostle writes a heartfelt letter to them, asking them who bewitched them that they should not obey the truth of the Gospel. Paul doesn't ask them if they've “repented of their sins.” Paul only wanted to know one thing—how did you get the Holy Spirit? Carefully notice the capital “S” in Galatians 3:2, meaning God's Holy Spirit, not our human spirit. Paul wanted to know if they got saved by the works of the law (which definitely includes Lordship Salvation), or the simplicity in Christ of believing the Gospel they heard preached unto them? So we learn that the evidence of being saved is the indwelling Holy Spirit, which is confirmed by our faith alone in the Gospel. People sometimes ask me how to know if they have the Holy Spirit? That is why God gave us the epistle of 1st John.

It is important to keep in mind that God wrote the Bible to the individual, not the group. 1st John is for YOU alone to determine if you are God's child, not for you to go around as a fruit inspector judging who is or is not saved. People who do so are foolish. I know I am saved because of God's written promise in the Bible. His indwelling Holy Spirit confirms my faith. For people to wonder if they have the Holy

If we take all of these Scriptures into consideration, we learn that the evidence of being saved is the indwelling Holy Spirit, and not a changed life. A changed life is the “fruit” of the indwelling Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22-25). Many unsaved religious people live an upright life. In Acts 10:1-4, we read about Cornelius, who was a devout man who feared God, gave alms to the poor, prayed and fasted, but he was as lost as a moose in a caboose in a snowstorm! That's really lost! Let me tell you! Cornelius didn't get saved until Acts 10:44. Trusting Christ by faith alone cannot cannot be revealed by works at all; salvation can only be revealed by works, if works are required to be saved! Are works required to be saved? No, absolutely not—no works of any kind at any time. I'm going to Heaven only because of the work Christ did for me! 

The true story of Cornelius evidences the vanity of looking at someone's life to determine if their faith is real. Only God can see into a person's soul to see if they are saved. We can judge outwardly what we think (which is what James 2:17-21 means), but we cannot know for certain if a person is saved by examining their life. Some of the most moral, decent and loving people are lost sinners on their way to the Lake of Fire forever. The truth is still the truth, even if no one believes it; and a lie is still a lie, even if everyone believes it! 

Why Lordship Salvation Is Wrong (Pastor Yankee Arnold)

The proponents of Calvinism (aka, Lordship Salvation) teach that genuine believers may stumble and fall, but they will persevere in the faith, so they must get up. They claim they must get up before they die, when they fall, lest they lose everything! That is exactly what Dr. Steve Pettit (president of Bob Jones University since 2014) heretically teaches. Dear reader, you DON'T get to Heaven by “running the race through pursuing holiness and ministry, and service to others” (Dr. Pettit's very words). Mr. Pettit says you “lose everything,” even “Heaven itself,” if you fail to persevere to run the race until the very end. Kindly, Steve Pettit is preaching another gospel of damnation. We must expose false prophets who subvert whole households of their faith (Titus 1:10-13; Ephesians 5:11).

“Jesus Christ is God's LOVE GIFT to the world, and believers are the Father's LOVE GIFT to Jesus Christ.” —Pastor Ralph “Yankee” Arnold, '1st John made Simple: Milk Versus Meat'