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September 25 - One Who is Born of God

 

“No one born of God will continue to sin because God’s seed remains in him; he cannot continue sinning because he has been born of God.” - 1 John 3:9

 

 

First, John 3:4-10 strongly condemns sin and leaves no excuse for it. Salvation is no excuse for sin because all sin is from the devil, not God. 

Sin always disrupts our ''walk'' with God. And those who only walk in sin and darkness cannot claim to be children of God.


John continues his teaching on the topic of those who continue in sin. This is often interpreted as a warning that such people are not believers. While this agrees with the general sense of Scripture, John's advice here targets believers. In particular, there is no excuse for sin in the life of a believer. Grace is not a license to sin. Those who sin without remorse, conviction, or change have no relationship with Christ. In this verse, the emphasis is on the one "born of God." God lives in the believer, and the believer can no longer live the same life before becoming God's child. Though believers continue to sin, they will be changed more into the likeness of Christ. God's children are expected to reflect his characteristics to some degree. Again, the emphasis is on something other than perfection but on likeness. An unchanged person is not a true believer. True believers cannot help but live differently because God lives within them.

 

Apostle Paul emphasizes that Christians should be careful not to fall into any sexual sins. “For to this, you can be sure: No immoral, impure, or greedy person—such a man is an idolater—has any inheritance in the Kingdom of Christ and God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things, God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient” (Ephesians 5:5, 6). This verse teaches that since an idolater is an idol worshiper, one has no inheritance in the Kingdom of Christ and of God (1 Corinthians 6:9-10). 

 

The Bible tells of ten sins that prevent a person from entering the Kingdom of God. In the letter to Ephesians, Paul speaks of three sins out of ten (Galatians 5:19-21). The Apostle John expresses the same teaching differently. “No one who is born of God will continue in sin, because God’s seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God” (1 John 3:9). Therefore, the teaching of this verse is very clear: a sinner who does not repent but keeps sinning, will not receive eternal life. 

 

Can Christians fall into sin? Surely, Christians sometimes fall into sin. However, a truthful Christian will not remain in sin. If a person does stay in sin, this person does not realize the grace of God. According to the Scriptures, if a person who commits sexual immorality and sensuality does not repent, they will not receive the inheritance of the Kingdom of God. Since such a person loves sinful nature, he becomes an idol worshiper.

 

The vigor, power, and comfort of our spiritual life depend on the mortification of the deeds of the flesh...The choicest believers, who are assuredly freed from the condemning power of sin, ought yet to make it their business all their days to mortify the indwelling power of sin...Do you mortify; do you make it your daily work; be always at it while you live; cease not a day from this work; be killing sin or it will be killing you.” - John Owen

 

Today’s Prayer: Ask the Holy Spirit to bring new life to unsaved persons you know. Pray that you may be used in this task. 

Prayer Pointer:  If I neglect prayer for a single day, I should lose much of the fire of faith. – Martin Luther

Bible Reading: Isaiah 4-6; Galatians 3

 

 


 

9월 25일 - 하나님께로 난 자

 

“하나님께로서 난 자마다 죄를 짓지 아니하나니 이는 하나님의 씨가 그의 속에 거함이요 저도 범죄치 못하는 것은 하나님께로서 났음이라” - 요일 3:9

 

 

사도 요한은 범죄함에는 정죄함 있고 변명의 여지가 없다고 요한일서 3:4-10에서 지적합니다.  구원받은 것이 범죄에 대한 변명이 될수 없는 것 죄는 마귀로부터 오며 하나님으로부터 오지 않기 때문입니다. 죄속에 살며 하나님과 동행하지 않는 자를 하나님의 자녀라고 할수 없습니다.  

 

요한은 죄를 짓는 자들에 관한 주제로 계속 가르치면서 그들은 믿는 자가 아니라는 경고의 메시지로 말씀하고 있습니다. 이 말씀은 성경이 가르치는 일반적인 말씀과 일치하는 것으로 보이지만, 여기서 사도 요한은 불신자가 아닌 신자들을 대상으로 특별히 말합니다. 특히, 신자의 범죄에는 변명의 여지가 없습니다. 은혜는 범죄 허락 증서가 아닙니다. 양심의 가책과  확신이 없고 변화하지 않으며 범죄하는 사람들은 그리스도와 아무런 관계가 없습니다. 

 

요한 3:9 에서 사도 요한은 "하나님께로부터 난 자”를 강조합니다. 하나님은 신자안에 거하시기 때문에 일단 신자가 되면 하나님의 자녀가 되기 전과 같은 삶을 살 수 없습니다. 신자들이 죄를 짓는다 할지라도, 그리스도를 닮아가며 더욱 변화되어 가는 것입니다. 하나님의 자녀들은 예수님의 성품을 어느 정도 나타내는 삶을 살아갑니다. 여기서 강조하는 것은 삶의 온전함이 아니라 예수님을 닮아가는 삶입니다. 그러므로 변하지 않는 사람은 참된 신자가 아니며 참된 신자는 하나님께서 그들 안에 거하시기 때문에 다르게 살 수밖에 없습니다. 

 

특별히 사도 바울은 그리스도인들은 성범죄에 빠지지 않도록 조심해야 한다고 강조합니다. "너희는 정녕 이것을 알거니와 음행하는 자나 더러운 자나 탐하는 자 곧 우상 숭배자는 다 그리스도와 하나님의 나라에서 기업을 얻지 못하리니 누구든지 헛된 말로 너희를 속이지 못하게 하라 이로 말미암아 하나님의 진노가 불순종의 아들들에게 임하나니” (엡 5:5, 6). 이 구절의 가르침은 우상 숭배자는 우상을 예배하는 자이기 때문에 그리스도와 하나님의 나라의 기업이 없다는 것입니다(고전 6 : 9-10). 

 

성경은 하나님의 나라에 들어가지 못하게 하는 열 가지 죄가 있다고 가르칩니다. 에베소 교인들에게 보낸 서신에서 바울은 열 가지 죄 중에 세 가지를 지적합니다(갈 5:19-21). 사도 요한은 같은 내용을 다르게 표현합니다. "하나님께로 부터 난 자마다 죄를 짓지 아니하나니 이는 하나님의 씨가 그의 속에 거함이요 그도 범죄하지 못하는 것은 히나님께로부터 났음이라"(요일 3:9). 그러므로  이 구절의 가르침은 분명합니다. 회개하지 않고 계속 죄를 짓는 죄인은 영생을 얻지 못한다는 것입니다.   

 

그러면 그리스도인도 죄를 짓을 수 있습니까? 그리스도인도 때때로 범죄합니다. 하지만 참된 그리스도인은 죄 가운데 머물러 있지 않습니다. 만일 어떤 그리스도인이 계속 죄 가운데  머물러 있다면, 그는 하나님의 은혜를 깨닫지 못한 사람입니다. 성경은 부도덕과 방탕하는 사람이 회개하지 않으면 그는 죄 본성을 좋아하고 우상 숭배자가 되기 때문에 하나님 나라의 기업을 얻지 못한다고 말씀합니다. 

 

“우리의 영적인 삶의 활력과 능력, 그리고 위로는 육신의 정욕과 행위를 죽이는데 있습니다.  구원받은 그리스도인은 정죄의 권세로부터 해방되었기 때문에 신자가 할 일은 내안에 있는 죄의 능력을 소멸시키는 것입니다. 당신은 죄의 능력을 소멸하고 있습니까? 이것이 당신의 매일의 일이 되고 있습니까? 사는 동안 항상 힘쓰고 이 일을 하루도 쉬지 마십시오. 죄를 죽이지 않으면 죄가 당신을 죽일 것입니다." - 존 오웬 

 

오늘의 기도: 성경께서 당신이 알고 있는 구원받지 못한 사람에게 새로운 새 생명을 주시도록 기도하고 당신이 이 전도사역에 사용될 수 있도록 기도하십시오. 

기도 지침: 만일 내가 하루 라도 기도를 소흘히 한다면 나는 엄청난 믿음의 열꽃을 잃어버린다. – 마르틴 투터

성경 읽기: 이사야 4-6장; 갈라디아서 3장

 

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