I John 3:7-9 “Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. He who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous. He who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work. No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God.”
If the devil were to appear to us, red horns, pointed tail, pitchfork and all, we would recognize him immediately! We certainly would not let him lead us astray. Unfortunately, recognizing Satan and his work is not always that easy. We have to be observant and insightful. We have to call on God’s wisdom to help us recognize those people and things which will lead us away from God’s plan for us.
John tells us that we can measure whether someone is righteous by their actions. Do they do what is right, or do they simply talk about doing what is right? All of us know not to follow the teachings of a murderer or a thief. But what about a gossip? What about someone who cheats on his taxes? What about someone who stirs up dissension between people?
None of us is perfect. But if we want to be righteous, we will do what is right. If we make it a habit to continue and continue and continue doing what is wrong, John tells us we are not born of God! We must first examine our own lives, and make sure what we find there is of God. Then, we must examine the lives of those around us – not to judge them, but to make sure we are not allowing them to lead us astray. Finally, we must humbly go before God, and ask Him to keep us and those around us from sin.
Dear Father, Thank your for sending Your Son to destroy the devil’s work. Please help me to develop an uncompromising standard of righteousness in my life.
Amen
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