If There Is No Change No Hope

1 John 3:6
No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him.

This is one of those clearest passages in the Bible on the expected progress of a believer. You come to Christ while a sinner. While in Christ you may face struggles and still sin once in a while as you shed off past sinful tendencies. These struggles are lifetime struggles but you grow and improve. On your own, you cant overcome but through the Holy Spirit, we change from who we were to who we should be. Failure to change means we keep on sinning. If there is no change no hope!

Our text today tells us that no one who is truly converted will keep on sinning. To keep on sinning means we do not have the power of the Holy Spirit helping us to stop sinning and change. To keep on sinning means we actually never got converted and we are still in our past sinful life. Conversion requires change. If there is no change no hope!

Our text today tells us that anyone who continues to sin has not seen nor known God. To see and know God comes with such an impact that will help us overcome sin. When you see and know God you will not continue sinning, you will change. If there is no change no hope!

To keep on sinning means no change. To continue sinning means no change. Yet conversion means change. Yet salvation means moving from one bad situation to a different better situation. To keep on…to continue… means no change. If there is no change no hope!

When we get converted we develop hate and regret for sin. While we may still sin but we struggle with it to stop it. Therefore we do not keep on sinning, we do not continue sinning, we become irregular erratic sinners. Before conversion, we kept on sinning. Before conversion, we continued sinning. After conversion, our frequency in sin is interrupted by our relationship with God. Change is a must if the conversion is real. If there is no change no hope!

Conversion is like ending one relationship and starting another one. Ending the relationship with satan and starting a relationship with God. You cant keep on relating with satan and claim to be in a relationship with Jesus. You cant continue relating with your ex and claim to be in a new relationship. You cant keep on sinning or continue sinning and claim to be in Jesus. Change is a must if the conversion is real. If there is no change no hope!

Conversion should have immediately reduced and eventually ended your arrogance, abusive nature, pride, greed, sexual escapades, theft, hate, bitterness, unforgiving spirit, tribalistic and racist tendencies. Conversion should have reduced and ended your short temper. Conversion should have made you irregular, erratic, and absent in these things. If you keep on doing them, if you continue, there is no change. If there is no change no hope!

God is willing to help us change. God is willing to help us stop sinning. God is willing and God is able. Unless God does it, we are hopeless and bound to be forever lost even if we are in church now. God cannot do it unless we let Him do it. Dear God, do it for me. Help me change into the person you want me to be. Change me, dear God, in Jesus’ name, Amen!