Monday, October 26, 2015

I John 5:16

"We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not."

This verse can be somewhat confusing. Some things to remember:

1. A person is born of God when they acknowledge that they are a sinner that deserves punishment then believe that Jesus took that punishment with His shed blood, was buried, and rose again to atone for those sins. They call on the name of the Lord to save them. This is an individual decision--no one can believe for another person. (John 3, Ro. 10:8-10)

2. Sin is to "miss the mark" or fall short of the glory of God (Ro. 3:23)

3. Christ hit the "mark" and glorified God for us (Ro. 5:8)

4. We, in Jesus, no longer "miss the mark"! (Ro. 8:1-2, John 15) This does not mean that we never transgress or disobey, but that we should " follow after" our Saviour. (Phil. 2:12-21, Heb. 12:1-4)

5. Jesus is the only begotten Son of God
    (John 3:16)

6. He made Himself responsible for our keeping. The name "Jesus" means "Jehovah will save". He is the only safety or refuge, our success and victory, our Comforter and Avenger. (John 10:27-29, Psalm 23)

7. The Wicked One cannot touch Him 
   (I John 4:4, 5:1-4)

8. Frantic fear does not come from God--it is a tool of Satan to distract us from God's character. (II Tim. 1:7)

Other helpful verses:
Ps. 31:14-24
Ps. 33:8-22
Ps. 32:7
I John 2:25-26
Phil. 3:13-15
Ps. 119
I John 1:9

The Sacrifice of Thanksgiving