Jully 29, 2019 - - I John 3:4-7 - - What are you practicing to perfect?

4 Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. 5 You know that he appeared in order to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. 6 No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him. 7 Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous.

I John 3:4-7 ESV

We know the phrase “practice makes perfect”. The issue set before us in this short passage is this: “what are you seeking to perfect in your life?”

Some of us, no doubt, are perfecting our lawlessness as we store up angry and bitter thoughts against someone else.

Others among us might be honing our skills in gossip and backstabbing.

A few of us might be quick with anger and making this our daily target practice.

Maybe others are more subtle in their lawless ways—we’re hiding our sins, imagining that the One Who formed the eye somehow doesn’t see what we’re doing. (As if!)

In contrast to the practice of lawlessness and sin, Jesus has come to break the patterns and practices of sin and give us new life. Those who are made new in Jesus practice righteousness. That is a $50 theological word which I’m sure scares a lot of people. Basically, by way of negative definition, righteousness means that the orientation of our heart is not towards our own ego, our world or towards evil. Righteousness, by way of a positive definition, means that the deepest love of our heart is focused on Jesus Christ.

Though some of us practice kindness we see we fail at it and rather than be discouraged, like little toddlers we waddle over to God our Father and asked for His forgiveness.

Some of us try to change our rages and fits of anger and what we have found is that the fuel which used to make us people living in powder kegs and giving off sparks, well, that fuel is gone from us. And we have been changed from the inside out. Don’t get me wrong, there are still sparks and evidences of the old patterns and practices, but the orientation of the heart and the will, the thoughts and actions are fixed on Jesus.

As Christians we don’t see the Lord of Heaven and Earth as an unreasonable, angry, and mean ruler. Instead, we see Him as One Who loved us so much, He allowed His Own Son to be punished in our place so that we could have access to His throne room. In fact, our Father, has propped open the door of the storehouse of heaven by His powerful Spirit so that every time our old practices and bad habits begin to nudge their way forward, the Spirit of God gives us a prick of conscience and in light of all we have in Jesus, we would rather turn to Jesus than have all the useless things of this earth. These things are, ultimately useless, because when we die we cannot take anything with us.

The only thing that follows us from the grave is what our heart practiced on earth. And then, after we die and find ourselves in the presence of God, at that very moment from the overflow of the heart, the mouth will speak.

Now, Lord Jesus, by Your prayers on our behalf, may it be as is promised in the Bible. We ask that the Father, Who loves us and by Your sacrifice has given us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, will comfort our hearts and establish them in every good work and word. Amen.

(This prayer is based on the blessing found in II Thessalonians 2:16-17)