Don'e Let Sin Distract You

Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. The one who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous. The one 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 them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God. This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not God’s child, nor is anyone who does not love their brother and sister.

1 John 3:7-10 (NIV)

Am I more concerned with the devil's work or Christ's work? Is my attention on sin or what Christ is doing in my life? 

One day, when my oldest son was in high school, he came home and said he wanted to wrestle me because he learned a move from a friend at school. I was a wrestler in high school so I asked him if he was sure and he said he was. Well, we circled around a few times and I got tired of waiting so tapped him on the forehead (which of course made him blink) and shot for his legs and took him down. The old tap on the forehead just as you're shooting for a take down distracts inexperienced opponents and gives you that split second to go for the legs. 

In a way that is like sin. It taps us on the head and distracts us from the grace of God and the work of Christ in our lives. The devil, our enemy wants us to focus on our sin because that keeps us from seeing Christ and his work in our lives. I think that is why I John 1:8-2:2 is such an important section of scripture. Sin happens. That is not a rationalization, it's a realization. One of my teachers used to say that the reason he slept well was because he took advantage of the cross (in the way intended). He confessed his sin, trusted Christ to forgive him and went to sleep.

The point is that we are to focus on Christ and living righteously. And it is NOT about works. It is about faith, trusting Christ to use us and to live righteously through us. 

Father, help us to focus on Christ's work in our lives and to live by faith in your grace. Praise be to you in us today!