Shalom,

I LOVE today's "Faith Food" by Kenneth E. Hagin! He addresses the subject of believers and how to view sin.

Born of God

"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" (1 John 3:9). 

People sometimes ask me, "How can I tell whether it is my own spirit or the Holy Spirit telling me to do something? It may just be me wanting to do it." 

When you say "me," what are you talking about? If it is the real you - the man on the inside that's a new creature, with the life and nature of God in him, indwelt by the Holy Spirit - then it is right. If you mean "me," and you're talking about the flesh, that's a different thing entirely. Learn to differentiate between the two. 

A Christian's inward man isn't the one who wants to do wrong. If the inward man wants to do wrong, that person has never been born again. 

First John 3:9 has bothered some Christians. They have made mistakes and failed, and they've thought, If I were born of God, according to the Bible I wouldn't sin. But this verse is talking about the inward man who doesn't sin. 

I've done things that were wrong, but my inward man didn't do them. In fact, he didn't agree with me when I did them. He tried to get me not to do them. 

Physically, we are born of human parents, and we partake of their human nature. Spiritually, we are born of God, and we partake of His nature. And it is not God's nature to do wrong. Therefore, let your spirit dominate your flesh. 

Confession: I am born of God. My spirit has the life and nature of God, and its desires are right desires. 

I really like his common sense explanation. When we receive JESUS as Lord and personal Savior, the Spirit of Almighty God takes our dead spirit (for we WERE sinners, serving satan), and recreates us in the image of God (2 Corinthians 5:17)! Our spirit man is then PERFECT! Remember, we are spirit beings who possess souls (mind, emotions and will) and live, while on earth, in these physical bodies. Our spirits are immediately made perfect at the New Birth. Our bodies WILL BE made perfect, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, as we receive our resurrection bodies, just like JESUS now has (1 Corinthians 15:52). Our souls MUST be renewed day by day during THIS life. SO, when we DO sin as believers, it is NOT our inner man (spirit) that sins, but our flesh nature (soul and body). We will NEVER lose our eternal salvation because we miss it after being born again. We are instructed in 1 John 1:9 to confess (acknowledge, recognize that HE is always right and when we differ, we are wrong) the sin and RECEIVE the forgiveness that is continually available to us (1 John 1:7). Doing so affects THIS life so that we can walk in continual FELLOWSHIP with Him, as NOTHING can affect our new RELATIONSHIP with Him HALLELUJAH!  Get this TRUTH down on the inside of you and the enemy will never be able to steal your confidence and joy again! Thank YOU, JESUS! Here is Hillsong Young and Free with "Alive":

Shalom in Him!