Why are certain parts of the Bible so hard for (many) Christians to believe?
1 John 3:4-10
Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness. You know that He appeared in order to take away sins; and in Him there is no sin. No one who abides in Him sins; no one who sins has seen Him or knows Him.
Little children, make sure no one deceives you; the one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous; the one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning.
The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil. No one who is born of God practices sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.
By this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious: anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor the one who does not love his brother.
Why is it so hard (for many) to accept this clear and repeated teaching in the book of 1 John?
John has said it from the beginning of the book and will continue to say it. Yet one pew person after another tries to make it say something other than it does. Why?
Perhaps they have a lot at stake; like losing a relationship with a loved one who is living in sin—a loved one who said they “accepted Christ” at one time or another in their life.
Perhaps they have a lot at stake; like admitting to themselves that the life they lead does not look like they belong to God, the Father. Perhaps their life would have to change in order for them to continue bearing the Name of Christ...
If only they could see what is really at stake… the only relationship that matters…
If only they could see what true life is… the only life there is—eternal life with God…
Without that relationship, there is no life… and without His Life, there is only death…
And death lasts for eternity…
