There are a number of assumptions that people have concerning their spiritual status. Some people may have an assurance of their salvation whereas others may struggle with assurance. There is a group of people who think they are Christians, but their lifestyle belies their true spiritual condition. The Apostle John sheds light on these assumptions and reveals the motives and actions of a follower of Jesus – that we may be like Jesus and act in purity:

And everyone who has this hope set on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure. (1 John 3:3)

God’s desire is that we will walk in holiness, but what happens when we sin? There are a number of definitions of sin and in this passage, John defined sin as lawlessness:

Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness. (1 John 3:4)

This verse is in the present tense and signifies an ongoing action denoting a consistent way of life. Those who deliberately practice sin demonstrate that they do not know Christ and are not abiding in Him. The word lawlessness literally means to live without the law. If you have a cavalier attitude toward sin then you may think you’re a Christian, but you have a false assurance:

Not everyone who says to Me, “Lord, Lord,” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. (Matthew 7:21)

If you’re experiencing brokenness about your sin and need a fresh reminder of God’s work on our behalf, continue to read this passage:

the one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil. (1 John 3:8)

Do you believe that Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil? The works of the devil include everything that is not of God. If we truly believe that Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil then we can live a life of righteousness and purity. As believers will we continue to sin but it is the exception and not our normal practice. John revealed the result of our identity in Christ:

No one who has been born of God practices sin, because His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin continually, because he has been born of God. (1 John 3:9)

John is not saying that our pursuit of holiness results in perfection, but that it demonstrates the direction of our life. Vince Lombardi emphasized that his team would be relentless in their pursuit of perfection. He also realized that we don’t achieve perfection – but in our pursuit of perfection we will realize excellence. We will not achieve sinless perfection, but in our pursuit of Christlikeness, we will realize holiness.