Beloved radio friends, we greet you in the ever-precious and the worthy name of our beloved say, dear the Lord Jesus Christ, we welcome you to the study of God's word in relation to the Father's family and his children upon the earth. We humbly pray with earnestness that every one of you listeners may know that you're a child of God, for we are speaking regarding the responsibilities that belong to us who are God's children. There shall be and should be certain features that tell by our conduct and character we are like our father. And this is to be expected because we belong to him and we possess his own life. For we have been born of God. One of the distinguishing features that we have just begun to cover is this fact, which we read again from first John chapter three and verse nine. Whoever has been born of God does not practice sin. Because his seed, that is God's seed, abides in him, and he cannot sin because he has been forgotten of God. Now may we make a clear reference to this? The first thing that we emphasize regarding being like God when we are his children, we do not practice what we formally practice, and that is sinning. Having been born of God, we have a new life. And may we state, our verse does not say that it is impossible for a Christian to sin. Rather, this verse declares that it is impossible for a Christian to sin and commit that sin by the power of the new life that God has given him or given her. For we have a new nature, though we still possess till life is done, the own nature upon the earth. So we must recognize that as far as our relationship to God If we are his children, we must recognize that it is the new nature and not the old, that marks our existence before God. I want you to think of that old nature for a moment. In Romans chapter six and verse six, it is called the body of sin. And the old body is regarded by God, that old nature, as having been done forever judicially in the cross of Christ. And while we still possess the old nature, and there is none that sineth not, yet John's statement must not be qualified. He declares, the child of God should not practice sin. But this responsibility is ours. That old nature should be reckoned to be dead. As Romans six-eleven declares, Reckon ye yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God. For God the Father judicially reckons you, my believing friend, and reckons me, as his child, to be dead, reckoning my life to have been crucified with Christ. when he died upon the cross for my sins. I am to reckon that my Savior not only was crucified my sin for my sins, but I myself, God placed in Christ upon the cross to put an end to that all nature in his sight, removing it from his sight. that I might live unto God in my new nature, in my new life. Now if I sin as a believer, when I do, God is not pleased, neither does God attribute the act of that sin to the new life that He gave me. He would say, John, you're manifesting the old life. You are showing the old nature which I nailed to the cross when my son died for you. I want you to live and show and manifest that new life. Reckon the old life to be dead indeed. But remember you're alive now unto God. And thus we can realize Though we still possess the old nature, one evidence that I'm a child of God is this. I do not continue in the practice of sinning. My fellow believer, let this speak to your heart and conscience, as well as to mine own, to realize the responsibility that is mine. God will never condone my sin. when I may commit it as a believer. Once again we would quote the words of First John chapter two and verse one. My little children, these things write I unto you that you have sinned not. But again we thank God for his gracious provision. If any man sinned, we have an advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins. And not for hours only, but for the whole world, if they would have him. Now let me make a very clear qualification. My fellow Christian, God will never approve of you and me sinning. You and I must remember that. And just because he has made provision for sin in the life of a believer when committed, don't use that as a privilege to do it. For we shall see later on in our study, God has a way of punishing, chastening, correcting, and disciplining his disobedient children. But thank God when we do sin, Christ prays to the Father for us, and the Holy Spirit applies the word to our consciences when we confess our sins. He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. For the confession of our sin, or sins, as the case may be, will bring restoration of fellowship with the Father. Now may I make it a clear equivalent statement in this manner. Though I am a believer, and in eternal relationship with my Father as his child, a relationship that the Word of God states can never be broken. I am his child forever, born into his family. And though I am that, let me recognize that I have a responsibility not to practice sinning. Now when I sin, the relationship as his child with the Father will never be broken. But there is something very precious that is broken, and that is my fellowship with the Father. The conscience and the heart will be out of fellowship. The life will be out of fellowship with the Father. Now let me repeat again. Sin can never break the relationship of God's child to the Father. But sin can break the communion, the happy fellowship between the two. And when sin thus comes in, that fellowship is spoiled. Until the sinning believer makes the confession of his or her sin, and there is restoration. For if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins. and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Now let's recapitulate what we have begun to see. That is the children of God. We are, because possessing his new nature, the life of God, we are expected to exhibit the characteristics that belong to our Father. God hates sin. Our Father does not approve of sin. So you and I, my fellow believer in our lives, should recognize the importance of this fact. We would read one more scripture on this subject from First John chapter five and verse eighteen. And here is where I want you to notice again the re-emphasis of this truth and the fact. We know that whosoever is born of God sineth not. Now take those words carefully. We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not. Again, let me say, it is a reference not to the old nature, but to the new nature which is of God, and has been born of God. That new nature, belonging to the believer, cannot, will not, does not sin. But now let's look at the responsibility that we have in the light of this fact, as we read on in the verse. But he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, takes care of himself, carefully guards his life, seeks to keep sin out of his life, by thus keeping him maintaining his and her fellowship with God, and going unfaithfully with God. so that that wicked one toucheth him not. My beloved, we may well recognize, and we do admit it readily, the wicked one is the devil himself. But how that adversary would certainly take the children of God and bring dishonor to the name of Christ and to the name of the Father by tempting and encouraging them to sin. But oh, my fellow believer, listen, please. I want to make this a real practical application. One of the features of the Father's children is this. We will refuse to practice sin. And when sin comes in its temptation, from the adversary, by the adversary, through the adversary, we shall indeed do what James says, resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Oh, may I state to my fellow believers, The Father will not commend sin of any kind in the life of one of his children. But when you and I seek to prove by our conduct and our character, we're seeking to be like our Father in our attitude and conduct towards sin. That is one of the features of the Father himself. Father, we pray thy blessing on thy word in the Saviour's name to all. Amen.