I JOHN:Works are Evidence; "Beloved, now we are children of God; And you know that Christ Jesus was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin!"

Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure. (I John 3:1-3)

If we believe the Word of God, in Christ Jesus as our Savior, and are filled with the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption (Ephesians 4:30), then we have the assurance that we have received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” (Romans 8:15) And now that we have been adopted into the eternal family of our heavenly Father, and are children of God, we know for certain that Jesus made this promise to us, and to all who have believed in Him: And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. (John 14:3) So, since earth isn't our final destination, but we are ...sojourners and pilgrims,... (I Peter 2:11), there are some things God expects us to do: Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:16); As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving. (Colossians 2:6-7)

Jesus said, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." (John 3:3) God, through the hand of the Apostle Paul, gives more detail about this new birth: Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption.  Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed— in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory. [Hosea 13:14]” “O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?” The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (I Corinthians 15:50-57)

Through our belief and faith in Christ Jesus, we will pass from death into eternal life, with Him and God in the new heaven and new earth (Revelations 21); and we have overcome the power of sin in our lives while we're still here living on this earth, through His Holy Spirit that dwells in us (Romans 15:13).  When we sin, we are "choosing" to ...commit lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness.  And you know that He [Christ Jesus] was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin.  Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him. Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous.  He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.  Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God. (I John 3:4-9) 

We are freed from sin, and should not sin, but we are not perfect while still in the flesh. Therefore, ...if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. (I John 2:1)  Our perfect example of this is King David.  Before he became King, God said to the current king, Saul, "The Lord has sought for Himself a man after His own heart, and the Lord has commanded him to be commander over His people, because you have not kept what the Lord commanded you.” (I Samuel 13:14) David was a man after His own heart, not because he was perfect or a better person than Saul; but when he committed sin, he was wise enough to acknowledge it as such and pray to God to forgive him.  We could learn from his example in this prayer he prayed after committing adultery with Bathsheba and having her husband murdered: Have mercy upon me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness; according to the multitude of Your tender mercies, blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. Against You, You only, have I sinned, and done this evil in Your sight— that You may be found just when You speak, and blameless when You judge. (Psalm 51:1-4)

God forgave David for his sin, but He did not take away the consequences. So David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.” and Nathan said to David, “The Lord also has put away your sin; you shall not die. However, because by this deed you have given great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme, the child also who is born to you shall surely die.” Then Nathan departed to his house.And the Lord struck the child that Uriah’s wife bore to David, and it became ill. David therefore pleaded with God for the child, and David fasted and went in and lay all night on the ground. So the elders of his house arose and went to him, to raise him up from the ground. But he would not, nor did he eat food with them.  Then on the seventh day it came to pass that the child died. (II Samuel 12:13-18) 

And the servants of David were afraid to tell him that the child was dead. For they said, “Indeed, while the child was alive, we spoke to him, and he would not heed our voice. How can we tell him that the child is dead? He may do some harm!” When David saw that his servants were whispering, David perceived that the child was dead. Therefore David said to his servants, “Is the child dead?” And they said, “He is dead.” So David arose from the ground, washed and anointed himself, and changed his clothes; and he went into the house of the Lord and worshiped. Then he went to his own house; and when he requested, they set food before him, and he ate. Then his servants said to him, “What is this that you have done? You fasted and wept for the child while he was alive, but when the child died, you arose and ate food.” And he said, “While the child was alive, I fasted and wept; for I said, ‘Who can tell whether the Lord will be gracious to me, that the child may live?’ But now he is dead; why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me.” (II Samuel 12:18-23)

What a response from David!  Most of us would try to blame God and call Him unfair, but there are consequences to our sins, and it doesn't just affect us, but also those we love.  God forbid we should have to experience the loss of a child because of our sin, but whatever the consequences, we must have a heart for God that acknowledges and understands that God is just when He speaks, and blameless when He judges. There's an old saying, "fake it 'til you feel it".  Well a twist on that phrase applies to how we overcome sin in our lives - "act like it until you become it"!  Daily we are to ...deny [ourself], and take up [our] cross daily, and follow [Christ]. (Luke 9:23) And if a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand. (Mark 3:25)  Over time we will succumb less, and overcome more.  We no longer can use the excuse "I can't help myself", because No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it. (I Corinthians 10:13) 

We who are Christians no longer have the excuse that "the devil made me do it" either, because we are not the children of the devil, but we are now the children of God. In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother. For this is the message that you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another, not as Cain who was of the wicked one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his works were evil and his brother’s righteous. [Genesis 4] Do not marvel, my brethren, if the world hates you.  We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love his brother abides in death.  Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. (I John 3:10-15) AMEN!