"How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure. Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness. But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin. No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him."

Introduction : Even though we have received the righteousness of God by faith, we still need time and effort to sanctify ourselves. We can receive salvation immediately, but it takes much time and effort to develop a likeness to the image of the Lord. The devil blocks the way to sanctification with the temptation of sin. In our entire life of faith, we battle against sin. However, 2,000 years ago, Jesus gained complete victory on the Cross over the battle of salvation.


1. Sin is illegal and deserves punishment
    1) Adam received punishment when he broke the law of God
        (1) Disgrace of a naked body-a break in relationship with God (Ge 3:10).
        (2) Cursed land-painful toil and poverty (Ge 3:17).
        (3) Physical death-disease and aging (Ge 3:19).
    2) Sin strips our conscience
        (1) Spiritual agony (Ps 32:3; La 3:39; 1Jn 3:20).
        (2) Loss of peace and joy (Jer 45:3).
        (3) Slaves to fear (1Jn 4:18).
        (4) The curse and disease never leave (Ps 107:10-12).

2. Sin makes God sad
    1) Sin wounds God who loves us the most-love can be wounded by betrayal If God
        didn´t love us, He could be indifferent to all people (1Jn 3:1; Isa 1:2).
    2) Sin makes God feel sorrowful-people during Noah´s era made God feel sorrowful
        (Ge 6:5-7; 1Sa 15:11).
    3) Sin tramples on the love of Jesus and crucifies Him on the Cross again
        - Sin inflicts a wound upon the wounds of Jesus. Sin afflicts and betrays a person
           who loves me. Sin only pleases the devil with overflowing joy (Mt 26:28).

3. Obedience pleases God (1Jn 3:2-5).
    1) Jesus´ suffering will become worthwhile-where is your joy of giving birth to a child
        (Isa 53:11).
    2) Sin brings disgrace to God-disgraces God by serving the world and greed at the
        same time. Sin is fearful idolatry (Mt 6:24; Col 3:5-6).
    3) Obedience is recompense for God´s love
        - Abraham´s obedience on Mount Moriah pleased God (Ge 22:12, 16-18).

4. Resolute determination to resist sin (1Jn 3:6).
    : The proclamation of Elijah on Mount Carmel-must decide: Yahweh God or Baal
        Must decide: servant of God or servant of devil (1Ki 18:21; 2Co 6:15-16).
    1) Discipline ourselves and live a life of obedience to God (Ro 6:16, 19).
    2) Refuse the cravings of sinful man (Ro 8:5-8).
        - Money, position, honor, authority, pleasure, seduction of opposite sex
    3) Seek help from the Holy Spirit (Ro 8:1-2, 26).


Conclusion :The Bible compares sin to yeast. Yeast is a seed of corruption. Sin leads people astray and corrupts them, making them become enemies of God. Places of sin are swarming with the devil and demons-just like blowflies and maggots swarm around spoiled food (1Jn 3:7-8).