Do you really think you can be LED BY THE SPIRIT OF GOD WHILE SINNING? Do you think you are "saved from your sins" WHILE YOU'RE LIVING IN SIN?! If so, you have believed in vain, and 1 John 3:8 says you are of the devil!!
Most believers try to do the best they can religiously to follow Him by keeping a commitment or a promise to do so and fail.
Luke 9:[SUP]23 [/SUP]And he said to them all, If any man will come after me,
let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.
If we can't save ourselves, then we cannot follow Him. Since He saved us by the grace of God by faith in Jesus Christ, then He will help us to follow Him by the grace of God thru faith in Jesus Christ as our Good Shepherd.
So look again in that verse you cited in 1 John 3:8 for the hope that believers living in sin need to know.
1 John 3:[SUP]8 [/SUP]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.
See that? Jesus is our hope for freeing us from our bondage to sin so we can follow Him.
1 John 3:[SUP]3 [/SUP]And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.....
Philippians 1:[SUP]6 [/SUP]Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:....[SUP]11 [/SUP]Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.
Romans 13
:[SUP]13 [/SUP]Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying.[SUP]14 [/SUP]But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.
1 Corinthians 10:[SUP]12 [/SUP]Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.[SUP] 13 [/SUP]There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
2 Timothy 4:[SUP]18 [/SUP]And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
Jude 1:[SUP]24 [/SUP]Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,[SUP] 25 [/SUP]To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.
So nobody is perfect as they should deny themselves as able to follow Him so as to trust in Him as our Good Shepherd that we can. If any one sins... they can still ask for forgiveness and for help not to do it again.
1 John 2:1My 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:[SUP]2 [/SUP]And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.
1 John 1:[SUP]4 [/SUP]And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.[SUP] 5 [/SUP]This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.[SUP] 6 [/SUP]If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:[SUP] 7 [/SUP]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.[SUP] 8 [/SUP]If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.[SUP] 9 [/SUP]If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.[SUP] 10 [/SUP]If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
So use 1 John 3:8 as a hope for believers still in bondage to sin so that they can look to Jesus for help to free them and afterwards keep on relying on Him all the time to help them to follow Him by even guarding their minds in Christ Jesus.
2 Corinthians 10:[SUP]3 [/SUP]For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:[SUP] 4 [/SUP](For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds
[SUP] 5 [/SUP]Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;[SUP] 6 [/SUP]And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.[SUP] 7 [/SUP]Do ye look on things after the outward appearance? if any man trust to himself that he is Christ's, let him of himself think this again, that, as he is Christ's, even so are we Christ's.
1 John 2:[SUP]15 [/SUP]Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.[SUP] 16 [/SUP]For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.[SUP] 17 [/SUP]And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.
Philippians 4:[SUP]6 [/SUP]Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.[SUP] 7 [/SUP]And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.[SUP] 8 [/SUP]Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.[SUP] 9 [/SUP]Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.
Psalm 19:[SUP]12 [/SUP]Who can understand his errors? cleanse thou me from secret faults.[SUP]13 [/SUP]Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression.[SUP]14 [/SUP]Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer.
Psalm 33:
[SUP]18 [/SUP]Behold, the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy;[SUP] 19 [/SUP]To deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine.[SUP]
20 [/SUP]
Our soul waiteth for the Lord: he is our help and our shield.[SUP]21 [/SUP]For our heart shall rejoice in him, because we have trusted in his holy name.[SUP]
22 [/SUP]
Let thy mercy, O Lord, be upon us, according as we hope in thee.
[video=youtube;_rR_Rdb1CTE]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rR_Rdb1CTE[/video]
Jesus did teach us to pray to the Father to ask for forgiveness of our trespasses as we are to forgive others of theirs.
Truly we live by the grace of God thru faith in Jesus Christ as our Good Shepherd in following Him as His disciples whereas no one can boast except in the Lord.
