Eleventh day of Christmas, Thursday – 04th January 2023 – 1 John 3,7-10; John 1,35-42
Being Born of God
In the first reading, John reminds us that Jesus has come to destroy sin and the works of the devil. As God’s children we are expected to reflect His characteristics to some degree and we must break with sin. The emphasis here is, “No one who is born of God practices sin … he cannot practice sin because he is born of God.” John enunciates in his first letter the basic theme of believers being ‘Born of God’ (1 John 2,29; 3,9; 4,7; 5,1.4.18). To practice sin is to sin consistently and as a way of life. It is clear that no Christian is sinless (1 John 1,8-10). Though believers continue to sin, yet they will be changed more into the likeness of Christ. The emphasis is not on perfection but likeness. God lives in the believer and the believer can therefore no longer live the same life as prior to becoming God’s child. Some biblical personalities had sinned one time or another. Abraham lied about his wife (Gen 12,10-20). Moses lost his temper and disobeyed God (Num 20,7-13). Peter denied the Lord three times (Mt 26,69-75). But sin was not the habitual practice of these men. And when they sinned, they admitted it and asked God to forgive them. A true believer cannot help but live differently because God lives within them. An unchanged person is not a true believer.
