The second chapter of 1 John gives us a look at the contrast of authentic believers and deceivers of the Word. When we accept salvation through the death of Jesus Christ on the cross, He becomes our advocate. It doesn’t mean that we won’t sin. But it does mean that when we do, there is an ally by our side, charging the debt of our sins to the full payment rendered on calvary’s hill. See, your sin shouldn’t make you shy away from Jesus. that’s just what the enemy wants you to believe. When we recognize that we’ve fallen short of the lifestyle that Christ has called us to live, we’re invited to run and cling to the robes of our savior. But what is put on you in this scenario, is your responsibility to acknowledge your sin and turn from it. Jesus’ perfect life on earth is the standard to which we are held and should aim to attain. Without God’s help to raise us up, this standard is simply impossible to achieve in your own strength. It’s a sad reality that the gravitational pull of the world is doused with lies from the enemy. You are held personally accountable to recognize those lies and reject them. But how do you successfully recognize lies? Test every claim, prophecy and belief against the bible. Like muscular endurance built in exercise, this skill becomes stronger the more that we abide in God. We are called to have nothing to do with the lies of false teachers as we lean on the foundation of biblical teachings and our spiritual family in submission and obedience to the lifestyle God is calling us to.
The beautiful thing we see repeated here is that God loves us and has given us a route back to Him. He provides atonement for our sins and uses us to shine His light into the darkness of the fallen world. People can be easily distracted and blindly fall into being tools of the enemy, yikes. What if we kept our focus on the life of Jesus, the Word of God and helping those around us? It’s a pretty stark contrast from the self serving culture that we live in. It’s not about self glorification or satisfying the lusts of your flesh. I dare you to invite Jesus into all the “rooms” of your life and pursue Him constantly. When you put good in, you get good back out. What are you feeding your mind and soul with today?