Is John Saying Christians Don't Sin?

Gary DeLashmutt

1 John 3:5-9

John's teaching raises the question of whether there can be Christians who commit sins. The idea that Christians can cease sinning is taught against clearly in other parts of Scripture. Instead, John is combating false teachers who intentionally sinned in a habitual lifestyle without remorse. These false teachers lived sexually immoral lives and yet taught their followers that they were above sexual immorality, further affirming their false teaching and hypocrisy. Those who are truly known by Christ are eager to share his message with others, have a sensitized conscience, are eager to hear from God's Word, and have a growing love for other Christians. This stands in contrast to the false teachers John was arguing against.

False Teachers

Gary DeLashmutt

1 John 4:16

John warns his audience about the false teachers, something Jesus had forewarned about. False teachers are detected by their immoral lifestyle and teachings, their lack of love for others, and their denial of Jesus' identity. In order to combat false teaching, we should learn God's Word so we can evaluate teachers, reach out to victims of false teachers, and warn others about them.

Back to Basics

Gary DeLashmutt

1 John 1:1-4

John, the last living disciple of Jesus, writes to Christian communities around Ephesus to reassure them of who Jesus is and what true spirituality looks like. Jesus Christ has always existed from eternity past and entered history as a human. Jesus' purpose was to die on the cross to restore the opportunity for people to be reconciled with God through his death. When we start a personal relationship with God, we have a deep spiritual connection with others who know Jesus.

Avoiding Capture

Dennis McCallum

Colossians 1:27-28

What is the standard for right and wrong in this world? What happens when the church is captured by the culture surrounding it? Does right and wrong change at that point? Paul warns the church in Colossae to watch out and make sure they are not taken captive by deceptive philosophy from the culture. This applies to modern believers as well. It is the key to maturity and yet the church has a vast history of buying into deceptive philosophy.\r\n

Spiritual Warfare (Part 6)

Dennis McCallum

Ephesians 6

Within spiritual warfare, we are able to withstand Satan's tactics by resting in God's power. We must learn to stand firm in God's truth to defend ourselves from Satan's accusations, affirming our position in Christ in faith as we remain intent on accomplishing God's mission. As we remain persistent in prayer, rooted in God's Word, and confident of the security we have through Christ, we are able to effectively fight against Satan's schemes.

Spiritual Warfare (Part 5)

Dennis McCallum

Ephesians 6

Satan's main corporate tactics include: 1) infiltration; 2) division; 3) opposition; 4) corporate deception; and 5) persecution. Many of these tactics lead to feelings of alienation towards God and other believers, causing damage within God's church and preventing focused attention towards His purposes. Our response as believers is to stand our ground based on God's Word to combat Satan's tactics.

Spiritual Warfare (Part 4)

Dennis McCallum

Ephesians 6

One of Satan's primary tactics is to accuse and tempt Christians. Satan attempts to accuse Christians in four primary ways: 1) towards God; 2) towards others; 3) causing division between people; and 4) accusing to our selves. These accusations and temptations center around harmful habits of ongoing sin, resulting in feelings of alienation from God and discrediting His message. We need to respond to these lies and accusations with God's truth and take a firm stance in our identity in Christ and the promises which God says are true.

Jesus' Miracles

Gary DeLashmutt

Matthew 4:23-24

During his public ministry, Jesus performed many miracles. Is there any reason to believe he really performed these miracles? Why did he do them? \r\nWe have good reason to believe they happened, and examining them reveals aspects of God's kingdom.

Spiritual Warfare (Part 3)

Dennis McCallum

Ephesians 6

In spiritual warfare, Satan's forces and tactics are relentless, stealthy, and well-disciplined. This causes problems for Christians that are often unaware of his schemes. Satan's tactics are aimed at preventing people from knowing God personally through Christ and rendering Christians ineffective in God's work. However, we are on the offensive, looking to infiltrate the world, liberate those who don't know Christ, and make disciples of Christ. Being offensive in spiritual warfare has the opportunity to expand God's kingdom.