Grace If We Sin

 “1 ¶ My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: 2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for [the sins of] the whole world. 3 ¶ And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. 4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5 But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. 6 He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.” (1Jo 2:1-6 AV)

God is faithful and by His Grace He continues to extend hand to save and to heal that which is lost.  Those who have experience God’s Grace for salvation now become recipients of God’s grace (favor) in many different areas of their lives.  As our Heavenly Father he bestows upon us the special love a father has for His children.  As His children we are required to keep His commandments.  These commandment are intended to keep us safe from the enemy of our souls.  When we sin we expose ourselves and others to danger.

The Apostle John words from God were for this purpose, to protect us from the dangers of sin and the lies of the enemy.  One of the Church’s purposes is to provide support for those who were born of God, and a sanctuary from the World around us.  When the Church drifts from the purity of the Word of God, revival is needed.  We have address how God’s grace has kept the Church alive through revival.  But churches are made up of individuals.  It is on this level that drift begins and it is on this level that revivals begin.

It is God’s intention that we maintain the proper relationship with Him as His children.  That means that if we do sin, then it need to be tended to as soon as we become aware of it.  When we are born again we are cleansed from all unrighteousness, we are forgiven of all our sins.  Even though we start out as little children, God grace provides means to keep us living forgiven.  Failure to teach this to new believers has resulted in much hurt and anguish.  If unchecked it will result in the final state of the individual to being worse that when they first believed.  John said: “I write to you so you will not sin.”

To sum up what is taught in these scriptures: God has provided a means to deal with sin if it does occur.  Jesus is pleading our case and grace can keep us clean.  But there is a part that we play.  Forgiveness does not come automatic for us.  We must repent and acknowledge our sin and then we will receive grace.

“But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.” (1Jo 1:7 AV)

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us [our] sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1Jo 1:9 AV)

There is a prevalent attitude in the among those who claim to be believers, that we are destined to continue to sin even though we have been saved.  This is a defeatist attitude that ignores the teachings of the Scripture.  Paul deals extensively in the Book of Romans about the freedom from the bondage to sin that is available to those who walk according to the Spirit.

“16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? 17 But God be thanked, whom that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. 18 Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.” (Ro 6:16-18 AV)

That is why John does not say, “when we sin”, but “if we sin”.  If we sin and If we confess our sins, God is faithful to not only forgive our sins but to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.  This frees us to present ourselves as servants of righteousness and live righteously.  This is the marvelous grace that is given to the children of the Most High.

Grace Continues Through Revival

The history that I am most familiar with is that of God’s working in America, the place of my birth.  Much of the colonization of this country was rooted in a faith in God and the grace that has come through Jesus.  Even so our short history has been accented by declines and revivals.  But for the grace of God and the revivals that have swept through this country, I wonder where would this World be today without their influence.  For revivals have checked our downward decay, allowing us to avoid a potential death spiral.  The most memorable revivals took place in 1710-1750, 1780-1810, 1830-1840, 1857-1861, and the 1904 Pentecostal Revival.

I was born in the early 50’s at the end of the World War II revival 1935-1950.  This is where history and experience begin to blend for me.  I grew up in a very conservative, Pentecostal, Christian family, and accepted Christ as my savior at very early age.  This is the perspective I viewed life from.  My awareness of the steady decline of my American culture came abruptly in my high school years.  The turmoil of the 60’s had finally boiled over into my small town.  The turmoil and unrest could no longer be ignored.  It seemed like all the youth of the country had rebelled.  Those things that had been unacceptable now became blatantly displayed.

But there was something else growing at the same time.  The unrest and uncertainty of the time spawned a search for the truth.  True to His Word, those who were honestly seeking began to find Him.  What later became known as the Jesus Movement spread across this country.  Those sincere seekers began experiencing God.  Revivals were sparked across this country and many other countries.  Churches began to experience phenomenal growth.  The effects of revival and Church growth continued into the 80’s before beginning to diminish.

It happens often, as with the “Jesus Movement”, that God’s grace reveals itself in powerful ways in  the midst of despair and turmoil.  God stirs up His Church that has a tendency to drift into a period of apathy and mediocrity.  The fact that the Church so often needs revival should shame and humble us.  When we look into God’s Word and recognize our fallen state our response should be to cry out to the Lord for mercy.  When men have done this, God has responded by graciously sending revival.  Without God’s grace to restore the Church to the solid foundation of Jesus Christ, where would we be today?

Revivals and Moves of God are always happening where men are willing to repent.  God is faithful and His grace is available to those who are willing to receive it.  But the nation of my birth, that once held up His Name has now rejected God and appears to be entering into a death spiral from which there may be no recovery.  It has now been over 40 years since a revival has affected the nation as a whole.  During this time the enemy has done an effective job of educating our population through public education and the media.  Meanwhile the Church has done a very poor job of education, even our own people, in teaching the truths of the Scripture.

Revivals have kept the Church in America alive.  The influence of God’s Church has preserved our nation until now.  But we are now facing a crisis, for the Church has lost its influence in America.  We are in desperate need of a national revival.  We are losing our nation, which has become morally bankrupt.