By Dave Benner
On September 23, we were babysitting Hannah and Graham. It was a breezy, cool day as we went out on our deck. I remember thinking that it sure felt like Fall. Turns out it was the first full day of Fall!
It was too cool for Hannah in the shade but when we went into the sunlight, it was perfect. I immediately thought of I John 1:7, “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 cleanses us from all sin.”
The message is clear. If our life is in step with what God expects and what His word teaches, we are continually cleansed of all sin. “Continually” and “all” are the key words in this scripture. We need to be continually cleansed because we sin from time to time even though we are Christians. When we are walking in the light we no longer live a sinful lifestyle, but we still fall short on occasion. Clearly, it is crucial that we are cleansed of all sin, not just some, but ALL.
John Calvin certainly did a great disservice to all who would be Christians through his teachings. His teaching on predestination claims that certain people are selected by God to be saved, no matter what they do or how they live. This teaching causes his followers to wonder if they are among those selected. How would one know until judgment?
In contrast, the book of I John was written to assure Christians that we have eternal life if we live according to God’s word. Consider I John 5:13, “These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.’