Would you turn back to our text
in 1 John 3, and let's read this verse again. Whosoever abideth in him sinneth
not. Whosoever sinneth hath not seen
him. neither known him." Now, do you
hear what that passage of Scripture says? It says that one who abides
in Christ does not sin. It doesn't say his sins are forgiven
or pardoned or his sins are not imputed to him. It says he in
his person does not sin. Anybody who sins hath not seen
him, neither known him. Now, what is meant by sin in
the context of this passage of Scripture? Because I've heard
people explain this away by saying, well, what that's talking about,
he doesn't practice the sin of unbelief. He has faith, and he
doesn't have any unbelief. And that's what is meant by him
not sinning. He doesn't have unbelief. Well,
do you have unbelief? Be honest. Of course you do. You're made to cry continually,
I believe, help thou mine unbelief. In the context of this passage
of scripture, here's what he means by sin. Look in verse 4.
Whosoever committed sin transgresseth also the law, for sin is the
transgression of the law. When I lie, I transgress the
law. When I covet, I transgress the
law. When I fail to love God with
all my heart and with all my soul and with all my strength,
I transgress the law. So in the context of this passage
of scripture, he's talking about law keeping. He's talking about
not breaking the Ten Commandments. Sin is the transgression of the
law. Now, whoever abides in Christ
does not break God's holy law. They do not sin. And let me repeat,
it doesn't say their sins are forgiven or not imputed to them
or not charged to their account. It says they do not sin. Now, how in the world can that
be? Well, let's read verses four
and five together. Whosoever committed sin transgresseth
also the law, for sin is the transgression of the law, and
ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins." When
our Lord came to this earth, He came to this one purpose,
to take away our sins. Because when I talk about that
one who believes, a believer doesn't sin. A believer doesn't
commit sin. A believer keeps the law. My
conscience says, what about the sin you committed when you walked
in the door? What about the sin you committed while you were
sitting there waiting for the services to start? What about the unclean
thoughts and the sinful desires you've had throughout this day?
How can you in good conscience say, I do not sin? What does
the Bible mean? How can this be? Well, he was
manifested to take away our sins. I love to think of a great day
of atonement when the high priest put his hands on the head of
the scapegoat, signifying the sins of Israel going to that
scapegoat, and they took it into a land not inhabited. They sent it away to a land not
inhabited. So I think it's interesting.
There have been all kinds of artists over the centuries who
tried to depict this goat out in the wilderness dying, and
it had this hideous look on its face, and there it is dying as
a scapegoat. Well, we don't know what happened
to that goat, but we know this. sin was taken away. That man
came back without that scapegoat. He was manifested to take away
our sins. Now, my sin was placed upon him. He took them away. And look what
it says next in verse 5. And you know that he was manifested
to take away our sins, and in him is no sin. That means that if
I'm in him, I have no sin. Whosoever abideth in him sinneth
not. Turn to Psalm 119. Hold your
finger there for a second. Turn to Psalm 119. Here's a description
of a believer. Remember, believers don't sin.
Anybody that sins, they're not believers. Verse 1, Blessed are the undefiled,
Psalm 119, verse 1. Blessed are the undefiled in
the way who walk in the law of the Lord. Blessed are they that
keep his testimonies, that seek him with the whole heart. They
also do no iniquity. They walk in His ways. Now this
is a description of every believer. They do no iniquity. They walk in His ways. Now my conscience tells me that
all I do is sin. And I asked myself, I've got
this written down in my notes, and I asked myself, do you really
believe that about yourself? Do you really believe that about
yourself? And you know, every motive I have regarding everything
I've ever done is sinning. Any good act I've... My conscience
tells me that I've sinned. My conscience tells me that I'm
sinning right now. That's what my conscience tells
me. And as far as The word of God in 1 John chapter 1a, it
says if a man say he has no sin, he deceives himself and the truth
is not in him. If we say we have no sin, we
make God a liar because he says we do have sin. And yet this
passage of scripture, the word of God says that one who abides
in the Lord Jesus Christ sinneth not. Back to 1 John chapter 3,
look what he goes on to say. Whosoever abideth in him sinneth
not, whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him.
Little children, let no man deceive you. He that doeth righteousness. What is the doing of righteousness?
It's the keeping of God's holy law. That's what the doing of
righteousness is. Anything short of that is not the doing of righteousness. He that doeth righteousness is righteous. Even as he, the
Lord Jesus Christ, is righteous, he that committed sin is of the
devil. For the devil sinneth from the
beginning. For this purpose, the Son of God was manifested,
that he might destroy the works of the devil. Whosoever is born
of God doth not commit sin. Now, I've heard people say that
means they don't practice sin. That's foolishness. That's not
true. Do you practice sin? I mean,
if you do it more than once, it's practicing, isn't it? Do
you practice sin? Someone says, well, that means
the born of God doesn't practice sin. That's not the usual habit
of his life. That's foolishness. And your
conscience knows that that's not so. But yet he says, whosoever
is born of God doth not commit sin. He doesn't even commit one.
Whosoever doeth not righteous, for his seed remaineth in him,
the seed of God at holy nature, and he cannot sin. He lacks the
ability to sin. because he's born of God. That
which is born of the Spirit is Spirit. God cannot beget something
to commit sin. If I'm begotten of God, whatever's
begotten of God cannot sin. He that abideth in the Lord Jesus
Christ sinneth not. Now, I pray that the Lord will
enable us to enter into the joy of this thing of not sinning. Now, the first thing I want us
to consider in our text is this phrase in Christ, whosoever abideth
in him, whosoever abideth in him sinneth not. Now, this is
what I'm talking about right now is the biggest thing in the
Bible. It's the most glorious thing in the Bible. It's what
the Bible is all about. in the Lord Jesus Christ. There's not a more important
phrase in all of God's Word than this phrase, Christ. And, you know, every time I've
attempted to speak on this subject, I felt a measure of frustration
and failure. I've always felt like I've missed
it. I've never felt like I've really been able to say what
it means to be in the Lord Jesus Christ. And I imagine I'll probably
feel that way the rest of my life. But let me say this in
Colossians, chapter two, verses nine and 10, it says in him,
in the Lord Jesus Christ, dwells all the fullness of the Godhead
bodily, and you are complete in Him. What's in Christ? All the fullness of the Godhead
bodily. It pleased the Father that in
Him should all fullness dwell. 2 Corinthians 1.18 says all the
promises of God in Him. And notice that phrase in him,
all the promises of God in him are yay and amen. They're not conditional. They're
not yes and no. And well, if you do this and
it'll work out, no, they're all positive. They're all yay. They're
all certain. They're all amen. They're all
so be it. They must come to pass. In Colossians,
chapter two, verse three, we read concerning Christ in whom
are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. In Romans
chapter 8, we read, nothing shall separate us from the love of
God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Now listen to me, all
of God's love is in Christ. It's not anywhere else. Outside of Christ, there's nothing
but the judgment. and the wrath of a holy and offended
God. But in the Lord Jesus Christ,
there's all of God's love, all of God's purposes in Christ.
Now, notice not his purpose us, but his purpose. He's only got
one purpose. Ephesians chapter three, verse
11 says, according to the eternal purpose, which he purposed in
Christ Jesus, our Lord. Turn to Ephesians one for a moment. Ephesians chapter one. Verse 3, Blessed be the God and Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ, who Not will bless us if, not intends
to bless us, but he hath blessed us, he's already done it, with
all spiritual blessings. Not most, not some, but all spiritual
blessings in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. That means I've
already got them. I can't be any more blessed than I am now.
All God's blessings I have if I'm in Christ. Go on reading,
verse four. According as he hath chosen us,
there's election in him. before the foundation of the
world that we should be holy and without blaming before him
in love. You know, election, if all we looked at it as some
kind of arbitrary choice, I'm going to save this one, I'm going
to damn this one. Well, there's no peace or joy there, is there? I mean, is that what election
is? God said, well, I'm going to pick out this one and save
him, I'm going to damn that one. No, God's people have always been
in the Lord Jesus Christ. always been accepted in the Beloved.
Look, according as He has chosen us in Him, when? Before the foundation
of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before
Him, in love having predestinated us unto the adoption of children
by Jesus Christ Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will,
to the praise of the glory of His grace, wherein He hath made
us accepted in the Beloved. Not just some kind of generic
exception, but that acceptance is in the beloved. Now, is it any wonder that Paul
would say, oh, that I may win Christ and be found in him? If I am in Christ. There's never
been a time. When I was not in Christ. Isn't
that a wonderful thing to think about? If I am in Christ. There has never been a time when
I was not in Christ. I love to think of that great
high priest with the names of the children of Israel on his
breastplate, representing them. Everybody knows the children
of Israel, every believer. Now, I am eternally united to him,
and that's in Christ. So what is this thing of abiding
in Christ? If I've always been in Christ,
how do I go about abiding in Christ? What does that mean?
Because it says, whosoever abideth in him sinneth not. What's this
mean? Abiding in the Lord Jesus Christ. And it's something that's active.
It's not passive. It's not me being called to abide. It's me
actively abiding in and remaining in and staying in and dwelling
in the Lord Jesus Christ. Now listen to me real carefully.
Abiding in Christ is a conscience desire to not be anywhere else. Abiding in Christ is something
in my conscience. I consciously desire to not be
anywhere else. There's no other place you want
to be, and you determine in your heart you don't want to be anywhere
else because there's nowhere else that can compare with being
in Christ. It's better. Now, half an hour
ago, 35, 45 minutes ago, you walked into this room. You were
outside of this room, you walked into this room, here you are.
Now what if in this room, everything you could ever desire is found
only in this room? Comfort, security, pleasure,
safety, good food, great friends, love, joy, peace, a great encouraging
atmosphere, complete satisfaction, beauty, no sin, no wrongdoing,
absolute justice, pure mercy, A place where all your goals
are realized? And none of that was outside
of this room? Would you want to leave this room? Ever? No! Not if everything that you
want and desire is in this room. You don't want to be anywhere
else. I think of what the Lord said to the disciples when he
watched all the bunch leaving in John chapter 6. He looked
at the disciples and said, you fellas want to leave too? Peter
said, to whom shall we go? No! No! Thou hast the words of
eternal life, and we believe and are sure that thou art that
Christ, the Son of the living God. Now all of God's blessing
is in the Lord Jesus Christ, and if you're in this place,
in Christ. You don't want to leave. Under
any circumstance, for any reason, you abide. You consciously abide
in the Lord Jesus Christ. This is where you want to be.
I repeat, abiding in Christ is a conscious desire to not be
anywhere else. Where does that leave you? Where
does that leave me? Now, I know this. I can see this. As soon as I say it with the
utmost honesty, I always have some big question. Are you being
sincere? I'm trying to be. I don't want to be found anywhere
but in the Lord Jesus Christ. That's the only place I want
to be found. I don't want to be anywhere else. That's what
it means to abide, to remain. Here the word is translated by
six different words in the New Testament. It's to continue,
to continue in Christ, to dwell in Christ, to endure in Christ,
to stand in Christ, to tarry in Christ. When you tarry around,
it's because you like being where you are and you don't want to
leave. I love to watch people tarry. They don't want to leave. They
like where they're at. That's the way every believer feels
about being in the Lord Jesus Christ. They don't want to be
found anywhere else. Now, when God comes looking for
me, there's only one place I want Him to find me, and that's in
Christ. I always, I was actually, sometimes a thought came across
my mind this week at some point, it'd be great while I'm preaching
the gospel and the power of the Holy Spirit to drop dead. And
God come find me preaching the gospel, I just drop dead. But
you know, so what? So what? Would that be? No. The
only place I want to be found when God comes looking for me
is not so much preaching the gospel or believing or reading or witnessing
or praying or Giving, I want to be found in the Lord Jesus
Christ so that all God sees is Jesus Christ. Now, whosoever abideth in him
sinneth not, because in him is no sin. You're looking right
now at a man who has never broken God's law. You're looking at
a man who's never sinned. And this is the description of
everybody who abides in the Lord Jesus Christ. That means they
know that all their acceptance is in Christ. I don't come into
God's presence saying, look, I've done this and I've done
that. No, I come into God's presence with being in Christ. When Christ
comes into God's presence, I do too. And when Christ presents
his righteousness, that's my righteousness before God. Christ
never sinned. I never sinned. He took away
my sin, and in him is no sin. And whosoever abides in him sins
not. Look in 1 John 2. 1 John 2. Verse 28. And now little children abide
in him. remain in him, have this conscious
desire to never be outside of him, dwell in him, stand in him,
tear in him. I wouldn't dare come to God pleading
anything that I've done. As God is my witness, no limit
should simply be found in Christ. So when Christ comes into the
presence of the Father, I do too, because I'm in him. I don't
come beside him. I don't even come pleading his
name. When he comes, I come. That's the only way I want to
be found, abiding in the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, it says, now,
little children, abide in him, that when he shall appear, we
may have confidence and not be ashamed before him at his coming. Now, when he appears, abiding
in him, you think, oh, what if the Lord came back tonight? What
if the Lord came back tonight? Let's just forget that you're
here right now, because you think, well, this would be a pretty good place
for us to be if he came back tonight. But let's just forget that. Let's
say you were somewhere else. If he came back tonight, You
would have complete confidence at His coming. Now, the only
thing that makes complete confidence is having no sin. If you have
sin of any kind, in any form, you can't have confidence. You
think He might get me for that. The only way you can have confidence
and not be ashamed before Him at His coming is by abiding in
Him. Now, if outside of Christ I have
nothing but shame, But in Him, I have nothing to be ashamed
of. I've never sinned. Why would
I be ashamed if I've never sinned? I have no guilt. I've never sinned. I'm perfect before God. I'm justified. Why? I have nothing to be ashamed
of. Now, abiding in Him, that's this
conscience, this conscience, desire to be nowhere else. Ephesians
3.12 says, In whom? We have confidence and access
to the faith of Him. We have boldness and confidence
with access by the faith of Him. And we are not ashamed. Look in 1 John 2, verse 27. But
the anointing, the anointing which you have received of him
abideth in you, and you need not that any man teach you, but
as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth,
and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, you shall abide
in him." Look at that in verse 20. But you have an option, that's
the same word, an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all
things. Now let me tell you what option
is. Let me tell you what anointing is, the anointing of God, the
Holy Spirit, where the Spirit of God is on a man or on a woman. When they say, oh, that I may
win Christ and be found in him, not having my own righteousness,
which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of
Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith. Now, that person that expresses
that desire in their heart before God has been anointed by the
Holy Spirit of God. This is the divine anointing.
This is the divine unction from the Holy One. Now, it is only the one who keeps
his commandments that truly dwells and abides in him. Look in 1
John 3, verse 24. And he that keepeth his commandments,
not him that admires them, Not him that speaks well of them,
not he that memorizes them, but he that keepeth his commandments
dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abided
in us by the spirit which he has given us. Now that one who
keeps the commandments of God, that's the one who truly abides
in Christ. That's the one who doesn't sin. And we don't have
to really wonder or speculate as to what exactly John meant
by keeping God's commandments. Look in verse 23. And this is
his commandment. that we must keep. And if we
don't keep it, we will not be saved. This is his commandment,
that we should believe on the name of his son, Jesus Christ,
and love one another as he gave his commandment. Do you keep
those commandments? Now listen to me, here's a commandment,
I keep, I believe that the name of the Son of God is my only
inference into glory. And I know this, when my name
is called, the only name I'll answer to is His name. His name, His name must be on
me, and I understand that I can only be saved for Christ's sake
And I believe I'm relying on his name. I'm relying on his
name to bring me into the very presence of God. Matter of fact,
I'm relying on his name to this extent. I'm in the very presence
of God right now. I'm accepted in the blood and
I'm seated in the heavenlies in Christ Jesus through his name
and love one another. You know, everybody loves Jesus
Christ. I love him. I do. I'm crazy about anybody that
loves the Lord Jesus Christ. I'm your biggest fan. If you
love Christ, I'm your biggest fan. I admire you. I esteem you highly. I love you. He that loveth him that begat,
loveth him also that is begotten of him. Now, look in 1 John chapter 4
verse 16. And we have known and believed
the love that God hath to us. This is what we're relying on.
We have known and relied upon this love that God hath to us.
God is love, and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and
God in him. And herein is our love made perfect and complete,
that we may have boldness on the day of judgment, because
as he is. So are we in this world right now. Now, however He is.
I say this all the time, and I
love Him more than I ever have. How's He? Oh, He's beautiful, the Father. He's never sinned. He's absolutely
perfect. He dwells in the light that no
man can approach to. That's where He is right now.
He's utterly righteous. He's without sin. All the descriptions
of power, glory as He is, So are we right now in this world. And the only way that can be
realized is by faith. You can't see it. You can't look at me
and say, well, he's just like Christ. It's only realized by
faith. But I believe. I believe on the
name of the son of God. You see, this is the life of
faith, eating his flesh and drinking his blood. Turn with me to John
chapter six. John chapter 6, verse 53. Then Jesus said unto them, Verily,
verily, I say unto you, Except you eat the flesh of the Son
of man, And drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoso
eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood hath eternal life. And
I'll raise him up at the last day, for my flesh is meat indeed,
and my blood is drink indeed. He that eateth my flesh and drinketh
my blood dwelleth, it's the same word, abideth in me, and I in
you. I'm eating his flesh right now.
I'm drinking his blood right. His broken body, his shed blood,
his work on the cross is the only thing that keeps me alive.
That's my sustenance. That's what I feed on right now.
I have no, that's the only thing I want to eat. I love eating
this. I'm eating his flesh and drinking
his blood as my only sustenance. Look in John chapter 15, verse
7. I'm sorry, let's begin verse
one. I am the true vine and my father is the husbandman. Every
branch in me that beareth not fruit, he takes away. And every
branch that bears fruit, he purges it that it may bring forth more
fruit. Now you are clean through the word which I have spoken
unto you. Abide in me. There it is. Abide in me, and
I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit
of itself except it abide in the vine, no more can you except
you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He that abideth in me, and I
in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit, the fruit of God
the Holy Spirit. For without me, our Lord said,
you can do nothing. Look down at verse 7 of this
same chapter. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you,
abiding in Christ, you shall ask what you will. And it shall
be done unto you. The person who abides in Christ
has the very ear of God. And he promises you that's what
you will. And it'll be done in abiding in the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, I want to conclude with
an if and an ought. An if and an ought. Notice once again in verse 7,
it says, if you abide in me. And my words abide in you. Now, if it is a condition, we
must abide in him. That means I never get outside
of him. That means I consciously, by his grace, I don't ever want
to be viewed by God in any way other than the Lord Jesus Christ.
This is a conscious desire to be found nowhere else. Now, if
we abide in him, you know, I've seen a lot of people who seem
to begin in Christ. Where are they now? You know, the Lord said, if you
continue, same word, abide. If you abide in my word, then
are you my disciples indeed. But if you don't continue in
my word, if you don't continue to abide in me, you're phonies.
Here's something that a real believer at all times will do. They'll abide in Christ. They
don't ever, ever, ever want to be found any way but in Christ. That's it. You say, well, you're
repeating that a lot. I know I am. I hope you believe
it. I hope I believe it. That's the only way I want to
be fair. Now, if you abide, now, if you
go off somewhere else, you know, Paul spoke to the Corinthians.
He said, I fear less by any means as the serpent beguiled Eve through
the subtlety, so your mind should be corrupted from the simplicity,
the singleness, the onlyness, the wholeness of the Lord Jesus
Christ. I've got a simple salvation. He's all. That's simple, isn't
it? I'm nothing. That's very simple.
Nothing to get confused about. But Satan will seek to seduce
you, to make you look somewhere other than Christ only. Now, if you abide. And the second word is ought.
Would you turn to 1 John chapter 2 once again. Verse six. He that sayeth. That is a word
John uses a lot in this epistle. Look in verse six of chapter
one. If we say we have fellowship
with him and walk in darkness, we're liars. Verse 8, if we say
we have no sin, we deceive ourselves. The truth is not in us. Verse
10, if we say that we've not sinned, we make him a liar. His
word's not in us. Verse 4, he that saith, I know him, and keepeth
not his commandments. First chapter 2, is a liar. The
truth's not in him. Now, verse 6, he that saith,
he abideth in him. I'm saying, I'm saying, I'm abiding
in the Lord Jesus Christ. This is a conscious desire in
my heart to never be found anywhere else. He that saith he abideth
in Christ ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked. And you can just take that as
far as you want. How did he walk? In obedience? in love, in submission, in humility,
in mercy, go on and on. He that saith he abideth in him,
I know this, he ought to walk, not just talk. Talking becomes
so old. He ought to walk, even as he Now, I want, well, I can't make
you get hold of this. I can't make myself get hold
of it. But only the Holy Spirit would enable us to get hold of
this. That person who abides in Christ, what's it say? Believe it. In Christ, you have no sin. Nothing to feel guilty about.
Nothing to feel bad about. All that God requires and expects
of you, you have. There's nothing about you, right
now, that is not pleasing in Christ. Isn't that wonderful? Because you're not pleased with
yourself. But you know, I know someone who is. May the Lord enable everybody
in this room to abide in Him. Let's pray together.