Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. You know that he appeared in order to take away sins, and in him there is no sin.
– I John 3:4-5 (ESV)

In these verses John gives us three realities that spur us on to reject sin.  As we embrace these realities, they will lead us to live differently, to live for Jesus.

#1 – The Definition of Sin
Sin is lawlessness – not just breaking God’s law, but real opposition to it.  Sin is rebellion against God’s will.  When we sin, we are rebelling against God.  When we fail to love God, love our neighbor, love one another, or even love our enemies – that is rebellion against God.  When we fail to be patient or kind or good or gentle or self-controlled, that is rebellion against God.  When we hate or lust or steal or lie or covet, that is rebellion against God.  It is not a matter of indifference.  It is not just a little sin.  It is not just something that can be excused.  It is a matter of loyalty.  When we grasp what sin is, that it is rebellion against God, it will spur us on to reject sin.

#2 – The Purpose of Christ
Jesus appeared – God became one of us in person of Jesus – for a purpose.  He appeared to take away sins.  In John 1:29, John the Baptist proclaimed: Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!  Jesus came to take away sins.  In I Peter 2:24 we read: He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.  Jesus bore our sins to make payment for them, that we might then stop sinning and live for righteousness.  Instead of practicing rebellion, practice righteousness.  Instead of doing what is wrong, do what is righteous.  Jesus died to take away the penalty and power of sin that we might live for Him.  So when we sin, we oppose His purpose. We oppose the very reason that He died.  When we grasp the purpose of Christ – to take away sin, it will spur us on to reject sin.

#3 – The Victory of Christ
Jesus did what no one else has done.  He overcame sin.  He was victorious over it.  In Him there is no sin – not even a trace, not the slightest infraction, no questionable behavior at all.  He was completely and totally victorious over sin. Just a few verses earlier (v2), John tells us that one day we will be like Him, that we too will be victorious.  When Christ returns, we will never sin again.  And in verse 3 he tells us that everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.  If our hope is one day to be sinless like Jesus is. then we will seek to be as sinless as possible today.  When we grasp the victory of Christ – which we look forward to enjoying with Him one day, it will spur us on to reject sin.

Sin is rebellion.  Jesus came to take it away.  One day we will be free of it.  And the more we grasp these realities, the more they will spur us on to reject sin.  Jesus has made us new.  We don’t want to rebel against God.  We don’t want to oppose His purpose.  We don’t want to do that which we long to be free of.  May we keep these realities and related desires front and center in our minds and hearts, so that we might overcome any other desire that may tempt us to sin.