No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God. (1 John 3:9)
Expanded Passage: 1 John 3:9
When I was a child, I used to wake up feeling thirsty in the middle of the night. Often, I’d make my way to the kitchen and, with sleep-filled eyes, grab for the nearest carton I could find. Without pouring anything into a glass (a bad habit I’ve since conquered) I would take a drink and then go back to bed. On some occasions, I would grab a carton thinking it was one kind of liquid only to take a drink and find out it was another. When you think you’re drinking milk and you end up getting a mouthful of orange juice, you get a rude awakening!
Christians can experience victory over sins in their lives when they remember what’s really inside of them. The beauty of God’s redeeming mercy is that it actually transforms our hearts! The saving grace of Jesus isn’t a bandage to stop the bleeding in our hearts; it’s a heart transplant in the hands of the best surgeon in the universe.
Take a moment today to realize that, in Christ, you are no longer the same person that you once were, lost to sin. You bear the seed of God and have been born of God through the wonderful work of Jesus. He has given you the power to say no to sin and to walk fully in his grace.
Consider how what’s inside you has changed because of Jesus.
Chris McFadden is pastor of Cherry Street Wesleyan in Ottawa, Kansas. He is married to his beautiful wife Suzanne and has two wonderful daughters.
© 2025 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission. Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.
