Hi Everyone,
This is another one of those questions that come up on the forum often. I wanted to share some verses of scriptures to move us on to a better understanding. The key to all of it is, we have to believe what we're reading.
1 John 3
2 Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when He (Christ) appears we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him as He is.
3 And everyone who thus hopes (expects) in Him purifies himself as He (Christ) is pure.
When will He appear? When will we SEE Him as He is?
4 Everyone who makes a PRACTICE of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness.
5 You know that He appeared in order to take away sins, and in him there is no sin.
6 No one who abides in him keeps on (practices) sinning; no one who keeps on sinning (practices sin) has either SEEN HIM or known him.
(COMMENT: We practice things for the express purpose of getting BETTER at it. So do you want to make sure you do not SEE HIM or KNOW HIM, then all you have to do is keep practicing sin.)
7 Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever PRACTICES righteousness is righteous, as He (Christ) is righteous.
(COMMENT: What does it mean to practice righteousness? Well, Abraham believed God and it was credited to him for righteousness.)
8 Whoever makes a PRACTICE of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God APPEARED was to destroy the works of the devil.
(COMMENT: Now, Satan practices sin AND Satan actually spoke with Jesus when Jesus *appeared*. Did Jesus destroy Satan's works right then and there? Is it a process, like salvation is a process? But since Satan practices sin, how can Satan SEE (know) God? He doesn't know Him. Satan doesn't know God and therefore can't see (or sense) Him. And that's the advantage those who walk after righteousness have over those who keep on practicing sin. When you keep on practicing sin, you're walking in DARKNESS. And when you're walking in darkness you can't see very well. And if you can't see very well, you can't see (perceive) God. And if you can't see God, you won't know when destruction is coming.)
9 No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him, and he cannot keep on sinning because he has been born of God.
10 By this it is evident (obvious to see/perceive) who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does NOT PRACTICE righteousness (the belief of Abraham) is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his b-r-o-t-h-e-r.
I love that.