Are You Good Enough For Heaven?

Now, Contending for the Faith.In this regular feature Dave and Tom respond to questions from listeners and readers of The Berean Call.Here’s this week’s question:Dear Dave and TA:I have been going through the apostle John’s epistles, and I am confused.Is he addressing believers only, or both true believers and those who profess to be believers but are not truly born again?Also, what he says in some places implies that one’s salvation depends on one’s performance in living the Christian life.For example, 1 John 3, verses 6 through 9, seems to indicate that if we sin we are not of God.I don’t know any Christians who do not sin, myself especially, so does that mean we are not truly Christians?

Tom:

Dave, let me start off by quoting 1 John 3, verses 6 to 9.He says:“Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not; whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him.Little children, let no man deceive you:he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as He is righteous.He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning.For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.”What do you think?

Dave:

Verse 10 goes on:“In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil:whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.”

Tom:

Dave, this would be a problem if I just picked up the Bible, let’s say I’m in a motel room and I pick up one of the Gideon Bibles and this is the first thing that I read, it’s a bit difficult.

Dave:

Well, I thought you were going to take over on this one, Tom.

Tom:

Well, the one thing that I know is that John is writing to believers, and I think he is also concerned that there may be some professing believers who are not truly born again, but need to understand that.But with regard to sinning, of course we all sin, but do I have a heart for sin.Is sin in my life to the point where it’s pleasure and sin for a season, but do I turn to sin for pleasure, or am I truly born again, do I want to please the Lord?

Dave:

Well, I’m sure that John was not so stupid that he would contradict himself so quickly, and certainly the Holy Spirit would not do that.So, let’s go back and see, Chapter 1, Verse 9:“If we confess our sins”—Well, that’s not going to apply if a real Christian never sins.“He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.“For if we say that we have not sinned we make Him a liar and His Word is not in us.”How are we going to make that fit with what he is talking about?

Tom:

Dave, first of all, who does he address here, doesn’t he say brethren?

Dave:

Oh, yes, he’s talking to Christians, I guess that was the first question of this person.So, let’s go back and look at it.Verse 6, 1 John:3:6Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him.
See All...:“Whosoever abideth in Him sinneth not.”All right, now John also wrote John’s gospel Chapter 15, where Jesus talks about—He says, “I am the true vine, my Father is the husbandman.” “He that abideth in me and I in Him, the same bringeth forth much fruit:for without me ye can do nothing.”Okay.Now, John is talking about abiding, abiding in Him, and if I’m abiding in Him, and the life of Christ is producing the life that I live, then there is not going to be any sin, because Jesus didn’t sin.So, it’s very helpful for us to understand, as Christian.You know, you can get down in your face, fall on your face before God, and say, God, I did it again, I’m sorry, I repent, I’m not going to do that again, whatever it may be, and I hope it wasn’t too serious.And then you grit your teeth and you’re going to try?No, you haven’t really confessed the sin yet.The sin wasn’t that you did something, the sin was that you disconnected yourself from Christ.You pulled yourself out of the vine.It wasn’t Christ living through you anymore.That is the basic problem.So Paul, writes Galatians:2:20I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
See All..., most Christians know this verse, I hope, “I am crucified with Christ:nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me:and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God,who loved me, and gave himself forme.”Now, if that is really true, the life that I am living it is not I but Christ is living through me, then he’snot going to sin, okay.So, I think that’s what John is trying to tell us here.If you really are abiding in Christ, and His life is being lived through you, you’re not going to sin.And if you say, Oh, well, this is Christ living in me.No, you don’t even know Him.And I don’t think anyone could argue with that.But we are capable of sinning, we do, but it is not Christ sinning in us, it’s we ourselves.Tom, you maybe know my old illustration.

Tom:

I’ve heard a few of them, Dave.

Dave:

Yeah, I’m sure you have, I’ve got lots of them.

Tom:

Three decades.

Dave:

Maybe you remember when I would say:You could 50 naked dancing girls up and down in front of a dead man in a coffin, and he doesn’t even sit up, because he’s dead, he can’t see it.See, Christ said, end of John 14, Christ said:The prince of this world cometh and has nothing in me.See, Jesus didn’t grit his teeth—it’ a bad translation— he was tempted at every point.No, He was tested, and Jesus didn’t have to—Oh, somehow, not yield to this temptation, He said, There is nothing, Satan has nothing in me.There was no attraction.And if Christ is really controlling my life, there’s no attraction for this.Now that is the secret to the spirit-filled Christian life.Not me, trying to imitate Christ, Thomas Acampus, I read that many years ago—well, some good things about it, but you can’t imitate Christ!Christ has to live in me, I can’t do it.