There is a vast difference between God’s children and the devil’s.
According to Jesus, when a child of the devil sins they are simply walking in agreement with their own spiritually dead nature. They WANT to do the will of their father the devil.
A child of God on the other hand has experienced a literal, spiritual rebirth.
They once were dead and now they are alive, they were darkness and now they are light in the Lord. Old things have passed away now EVERYTHING is of God. The seed of Jesus remains in them and so as John says, “They CANNOT sin, because they have been born of God”.
Contrary to what most commentators will tell you this does not mean they cannot sin as they once did (which is also true), but that from their new nature – BECAUSE of the seed of Christ within them – IF they sin, it is no longer coming from WHO THEY ARE as a reborn spirit but from their flesh and mind alone.
Galatians tells us that the flesh exercises strong desire against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh. These are strongly opposing forces which makes it hard for a Christian to do what is right.
The decision to side with their flesh or with the influence of the Holy Spirit upon their spirit is made in the mind. THAT is why we are focused on the renewing of the mind in this series.
Continue reading→