No one who is begotten by God commits sin, because God’s seed remains in him; he cannot sin because he is begotten by God.
Persons of integrity are what they pretend to be. They say yes when they mean yes, and no when they mean no. They do what they say they will do. Others rely on them and know they can rely on them because their words are true.
Saint John's First Letter supposes the baptized -- that is, those begotten by God through the rebirth of Baptism-- have that integrity. If hearing this reading in church stirs a memory of sin and fear of damnation, we need not doubt John's teaching for guilty is neither the last word nor the final judgment about us. Saint John speaks of something far deeper than our unhappy compunction.
If sin offends the LORD, then we can say, "No one who is begotten by God commits sin" because nothing about our true nature is offensive. We might say our sins offend against our dignity as God's people; against the covenant God has given us, or against God's holy name. But the covenant remains with the fact of our Baptism. Your baptismal certificate only verifies what is eternal and unchanging. You belong to the Lord.
Christian integrity is a promise of God's grace that is fulfilled in us through the process of integration. Little by little, our thoughts, words, and deeds conform to the will of God. It doesn't come overnight or in a single epiphany. But it is a word, a promise, that must be fulfilled because God has spoken it, and his Word cannot be frustrated. As Saint John says, "Because God's seed remains in him, he cannot sin."
Some Christians like to encourage one another with the saying, "God's not finished with you yet." Integrity doesn't come without sacrifice, without a readiness to let go of whatever I thought was important. A lot of things are dear to me and I think, "They are surely as dear to God!" But that's not for me to decide. If the LORD would sacrifice his own divine Son on the cross for my salvation, clearly he can sacrifice some of my treasured opinions, positions, and property. The worse catastrophes of human history cannot foil God's purpose.
And so we accept the integrity -- the innocence -- the LORD gives us through Jesus; and we watch to see how his purposes unfold.
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I love to write. This blog helps me to meditate on the Word of God, and I hope to make some contribution to our contemplations of God's Mighty Works.
Ordinarily, I write these reflections two or three weeks in advance of their publication. I do not intend to comment on current events.
I understand many people prefer gender-neutral references to "God." I don't disagree with them but find that language impersonal, unappealing and tasteless. When I refer to "God" I think of the One whom Jesus called "Abba" and "Father", and I would not attempt to improve on Jesus' language.
You're welcome to add a thought or raise a question.