All right. Good morning. You guys ready to get after it? Let's do it. Grab your Bibles. Get them out. Uh, if you didn't bring a Bible, uh, we'll put the verses on the screen. Uh, we'd encourage you if you got one. Bring one if you don't have one, let's get you one. Uh, it's always better if you see it in front of you. And we got some things to look at today. We've been marching through the book of First John. So go ahead and turn there while you are. Let me let me kind of pose a question for you to get us going here. Do you think it is possible? Let me let me put it this way. Do you think you can tell who's a Christian and who's not? Like when you look at people and you watch them, do you think you can kind of make some conclusions? Like, I know who's who's a Christian, who's not a Christian? Now, another question, maybe to follow up, does that question make you feel a little uncomfortable? Like J I don't think we're supposed to do that. Like we don't know what's going on in people's heart. Like, how can we tell that's a little beyond our pay grade? Like, I, I get that like we, we're not judging jury. And they're like, we can't. It's kind of beyond us. But but here's the problem. And and I bumped into it studying. So you're going to bump into it listening. Um, John, in our text today is going to tell us, oh, it's obvious. Like you can, you can tell here's what he says. It's at the end of our, our text. He says, by this it is evident or obvious. It can be translated obvious who are the children of God and who are the children of the devil. He's saying, oh, you can. You can tell it's obvious. And it's interesting how he puts it that, uh, that you can tell who's a child of God and who is a child of the devil. Like he puts it in family terms, like you can, you can tell who's family they're in and you've seen people or maybe you've experienced yourself, like you've had a kid and you're like, yeah, this is my son. And they're like, no kidding. Like, he looks exactly like you. Like, it's really clear. It's obvious that that boy belongs to you. Like he came from you. Like it's clear. Well, John's saying, hey, it's obvious you can tell who's a child of God and who was a child of a devil. So do you think it is obvious when it comes to you? Do you think it's obvious for the people watching you that you are a child of God? Do you think it's evident that you're a Christian? And how do you tell what makes it obvious? Because there are some other things that John says in our text today that that are just hard, challenging things that he says. This is he says this, no one born of God makes a practice of sinning. Then he says this, whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil. So you kind of get that like you're, you're in that family. And he says this, this is all in the text we're going to look at today. So aren't you glad you came? No one who abides in him keeps on sinning. Anybody in here still sinning? Yeah. I mean, it's This is a challenge. Like, I mean, when we became a Christian, like part of that was confessing our sin. Like we know I'm a sinner, but but weren't we supposed to be done with that? And now it's like still a reality in our life. And as John saying here, um, that it's obvious you're not really a Christian, then if you're still, if you're making a practice of sinning, if you, if you're continuing to sin, like, what does this mean? I don't think you can take the word of God seriously and just kind of brush these verses aside, like, what is he getting at here? What, what does he want us to understand? And why is he saying this? We want to get to, to, to know what this means and how it should appropriately challenge us. So we're going to read all of our verses and then we'll step back and try to make sense of it. So let's go to verse four. We're going to read four through ten. Ready? You're you're less ready now that you know some of the verses that are like before, you're like, hey, it's church, let's go. And then I read some of those and it's like, are you ready? Two guys, we're like, sure. All right, here we go. Ready or not, everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness. Sin is lawlessness. You know that he appeared Jesus in order to take away sins. And in him there is no sin. No one who abides in him keeps on sinning. No one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him. Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous as he is righteous. Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil. For the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God's seed abides in him, and he cannot keep on sinning because he has been born of God. By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil. Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother. We'll get into loving the brother a little bit more next week. But you got these verses and there's some there's some repeating that's happening in these verses that is giving us some emphasis. And I want you to see it. So verses four through seven and verses eight through ten, John is basically kind of saying the same thing differently. And he's kind of he has a pattern to it. He starts out with a statement that talks about the the gravity of sin or the seriousness of sin. Then he gives us a statement on the purpose of Christ appearing, and then he makes kind of a moral deduction on that. So if you look at verse four, everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness. You go down to verse eight, whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil. And then he's going to, uh, so he's telling us the seriousness of sin, but then he's going to tell us, uh, the reason of Christ appearing. Verse five, you know, that he appeared in order to take away sins. Later on in verse eight, the reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil, right? Then he's going to give us this kind of deduction. Then, uh, verse six, no one who abides in him keeps on sinning. Or verse nine, no one born of God makes a practice of sinning. So he's saying some tough stuff twice. Like not just in case you didn't get it the first time. Let me kind of double down on that. And he's, he's challenging us now because it's an important stuff, uh, that we need to understand. But what, what does he mean? And why is he saying this? And there's been a lot of attempts to try to make sense of these verses that some people embrace an idea of, of Christian perfectionism is possible that can be attained. Other people look at these passages and it's like, he's hyperbolic. He's talking about idealism that we should all strive for. Um, some people would say that, uh, it's a type of sin, like mortal sins, like more of a Catholic view. Like there's some sins that just Christians can't commit, uh, or a positional standing because of the work of Christ, our sins not seen by God as sin. But but John's really practical throughout this book. He's really practical. And I think there's a clear understanding of these passages. If you notice, if you look at verses four through ten, because you always want to look at words that are repeating, like, what's he talking about? Nine times he uses the word practice or keeps on, and every time it's in the present tense. So it means he's communicating an ongoing, uh, practice of sin. Like that's what he's talking about. So he's saying, listen, if you have, if you have this ongoing, habitual, relentless, persistent practice of sin that doesn't jive with being a Christian, it undermines your testimony. Now, listen, John does not think that Christians don't sin. First, John, even though it says hard things like this is the clearest letter in all the Bible that Christians sin. If you say you're without sin, you're a liar, right? We're to confess our sins And he's faithful to just to forgive us our sins. Like it's clear Christians struggle with sin. But what John is saying in these verses is this habitual, persistent, relentless embracing of the sinful lifestyle is not compatible with new life in Christ. Like, don't, don't go together like you say this and you live this way like they contradict each other. So here's the question I think that it brings up in our minds, well, what equals habitual sin then? Like if I do the same sin ten times, twenty times, fifty times, five hundred times, like when is it like too much? When is sin and a sin struggle become this habitual, persistent, relentless sinning that John says, hey, that that doesn't work for a Christian. Now, I don't think John's talking about an amount of sin as much as he's talking about an attitude towards sin. And I say as much as because there can be a connection between the frequency of our sin and our attitude towards sin. Like if we continue to just kind of willingly engage in it over and over and over again, it kind of shows there's not really a resistance to that. But that's not the heart of what John's getting at. John's kind of challenging this attitude towards sin, and here's why I say that. Look at verse seven, little children, let no one deceive you. This is important because we have to remember the context. What's happening in the churches that John is writing to Gnosticism. Remember, the Gnostics kind of come in with this false teaching. They're saying, um, really kind of attacking the doctrine of God or Jesus Christ say Jesus came as a spirit, but he never really had a body. And this kind of false doctrinal understanding of the person, nature, and deity of Jesus Christ leaked down to practical living out to say like, as long as you have this spiritual enlightenment, it doesn't matter what you do in the body either, because the spirit's good, but the body's bad. So live it up in the body. Basically, giving Christians permission to sin. It doesn't matter how you live in the body. Well, John's saying, don't be deceived by that. It does matter how you live in the body. He in fact, he finishes verse seven. Um, little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous. As he is righteous, he's getting practical like the practice of righteousness. Living right matters. So what is the deception that John is pushing back against? It's this attitude towards sin that it doesn't really matter. It's not a big deal. You can live however you want. Grace covers it. You're good. You have a license to sin. And John is saying, hey, that kind of attitude is so contrary to Christ because you look at verse five. You know that he appeared in order to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. So if he came to take away sin, and in him there's no sin, how can you be so for sin and say, you're with Christ like those things don't go together. Or verse eight, he says, the reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. This unrighteous deception, immoral life like he came against that. So how can you like embrace that and still be on Team Jesus? That's the other team. He's like, these things don't go together. You can't like, have it both ways. You can't claim Jesus Christ and the grace he gives and embrace this worldly, sinful lifestyle. It's like those those are in competition. It one undermines the other. And John, in this this letter, this is important to understand. John in this letter, um, is is both warning us about hypocrisy, right? Hey, if you say you have fellowship, but you walk in the darkness, you're a liar. If you say you love God but you don't obey his commands, you're a liar. If you practice sin, you're not born of God. Like he warns us about hypocrisy and he he comforts us with or celebrates our advocate. And I want you to sin. But if you do, you have an advocate. He's a propitiation for us. His blood covers our sins and he's faithful and just that if anybody confesses their sins, he'll forgive you of your sins. And you're like, John, I'm confused. Like you're throwing two punches at me that are kind of like, I'm trying to make sense of both of these. You're warning me about hypocrisy, and you're also comforting me in the grace of God. That's sufficient to forgive sinners. Now here's the key. You can't put those truths against each other. You can't say we have an advocate. Therefore, sin away, right? He's a propitiation. So you're now free to live how you ever you want. You can't say that. Nor can you say I've sinned again. Therefore I do not have an advocate. Therefore he's not a propitiation. Therefore, if I confess this sin, he won't be just and faithful to forgive it. Like. But both are true. These aren't contradicting truths. They're guiding guardrails. Like they create a tension that kind of straightens our path. Are you with me on this? Some nods. It's. Put it this way. This is like bumper bowling. Everybody gone bowling. Use the bumpers. Right. I gave this illustration, the eight o'clock and a very kind bowler corrected me. Because the bumpers don't come down, they go up. So that's that's why I got it wrong. So if you if you're like a beginning bowler and you're like, I want to actually hit the pens. Then you put up the bumpers, right? The bumpers come up and it will prevent you or prevent your ball from going into the gutter. Guaranteeing that it will cross the line. Right. It'll you'll make it to the finish. Right. Kind of playing out the analogy here. These passages. These they're like the bumpers. These passages are like doing life with the bumpers up, these passages about, um, hey, if you say you have fellowship, but you walk in the darkness, you're a liar. If you say you love God, but you don't keep his commands, you're a liar. No one born of God makes a practice of sinning. Those passages are supposed to like, warn us from having this cavalier, casual idea about sin. I don't want to be that guy. Right? I don't want to do that kind of. It kind of prevents us from falling into complacency towards sin. And then these passages about, a confess your sins. He is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins. We have an advocate. He is a propitiation. His blood covers our sins are supposed to kind of keep us out of falling into the gutter of despair, like I have no answer for my sin. Like they're effective in that way. So one is kind of keeping us from being complacent about sin, and one is keeping us from being overwhelmed and falling into despair about our sin. And they keep us on the path because, listen, despair is not fitting for the Christian. Are you kidding me? We have an advocate. He died on the cross for our sins. He satisfied the wrath of God. He's faithful and just. You confess your sins. He'll forgive you of your sins. Why would we have not hope? Like why would we be in despair? That's not fitting for the Christian. And it's also not fitting for the Christian to be complacent towards sin. Are you kidding me? He came to die for sin. In him there's no sin at all. He came to destroy the works of the devil. Why would you be for that? So then, what puts the bumpers down in life for us? Kind of guaranteeing faithfulness to the end. If I asked you, are you living with the bumpers down? Do we even know what that means? Because some of you might be trying to live in your own strength. Let me put it this way. Some of you might be trying to live the Christian life in your own strength. Right. You're going to bold. The bumpers aren't down and and you don't have any control of that ball, but you're still back there, kind of lean in, hoping the ball's like, you believe in the force somehow. Like it's going to just make it go over. But we want to avoid those ditches. We want to avoid those gutters. So how do you how do you put the bumpers down to guaranteeing our faithfulness? Maybe the question could be asked this way. What is it that makes these verses effective? What is it that makes these verses effective so that when you hear these warnings about the complacency of sin, you're like, I don't want that. And you bump into that and you go the other way, or you're beginning to become overwhelmed by your own sin and fall into despair. But you bump into these verses about his faithfulness to forgive us and his propitiation, and you kind of bump into that. Like, I know I have a forgiver and you keep going the way we should be going. How did these verses become effective for us? Look at verse nine. No one what born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God's seed abides in him, and he cannot keep on sinning because he has been. What. Born of God, born of God twice. Like he's emphasizing like, like there's, there's new life been given. And it's not that you will not continue in sin or keep on sinning. You cannot. You've been, you've been given a new trajectory in life, like you've been taken off of the broad road and you're put on the narrow road. So you can't walk on the broad road. That's not the road you're on anymore. Like you can't. And there is a reason you cannot continue in persistent, habitual embracing of sinful lifestyle. Look back at verse nine. No one born of God makes a practice of sinning for. Or that word could be because like, here's the cause, God's. What seed abides him? Now the Greek word for seed there is Sperma are you tracking with me? Like the miracle of life is happening There is a supernatural work of God in conversion. I'm taking out a heart of stone and I'm putting in a heart of flesh. And I'm going to cause you to walk in my statutes. Obey my rules. You are a new creation in Christ. That conversation with Nicodemus. Hey, you need to be born again by the spirit. That's like, I'm putting my spirit, my seed in you. I'm. I'm changing you from the inside out. So contrary to what the false teachers were teaching like, it does matter how you live because they're saying, hey, as long as you believe the right things and say the right things, and you've kind of been enlightened in the right way, you can live however you want. Like the physical life doesn't matter. Jesus didn't have a body. So what you do in the body doesn't matter. And John saying that's not true. New birth does manifest itself physically because when you've been born again, it's going to show up in how you talk and how you live and how you act and how you treat people. It's going to be evident. It's going to be obvious. So. Are you spiritually alive? Have you been born again? I know that you hear that word and kind of like, what? What does that mean? But has God put his seed in you and produce spiritual life in you? How do you know? How can you tell? Well, let me ask you this question. Are you physically alive? How do you know? Like if I asked you to prove it to me, right? Are you going to go find the doctor that was there to help deliver you? And, like, tell him you were there, right. Are you going to bring me your birth certificate and say, I got I got documentation? You got to believe me. I'm really alive. No. You know why? Because it's obvious you're breathing. What John is saying is like, hey, spiritual life. It's obvious. It's evident. You can see it. Go to verse ten again. This is what he says. But by this it is evident or obvious who are the children of God and who are the children of the devil. Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother. Like there's some there's some spiritual breathing that is like, oh, that that makes sense. It's evident. Listen, being born of God leads to a life in God and for God. So. So let me put it this way, church. We cannot make morality and godliness a requirement for salvation. Just like we cannot make breathing a requirement for an egg. But if that egg gets fertilized and the miracle of life begins to happen, and that's results in being born. What follows? Breathing right there alive. It's evident. So godliness is not a requirement of salvation, but Scripture clearly makes it a fruit of it and evidence of it. So here's what you need to know. New life in Christ will be evident in new lifestyles. New life in Christ will be evident in new lifestyles. Now hear me out. Look at me. It will, it will. Don't be deceived. Don't be deceived in our world to say it doesn't matter how you live, as long as you agree with the right things. Don't be deceived, don't be deceived thinking it doesn't matter, because when you went to Bible camp in seventh grade and the speaker asked, you raised your hand and you came forward, or when you were six, you prayed a prayer with your mom. So you're good. Is there evidence? Is it obvious? Do you see it? Don't. Don't be deceived. So so let's let's look at ourselves. Do you see new life in you? Do you see evidence of God's seed, God's spirit? You're a new creation in Christ. Now let me let me put on my pastor hat a little bit here, because what if your answer to that question is kind of sort of sometimes. I'm guessing that the majority of us in this room know that we're not good enough to save ourselves. Amen. None of us are good enough to save ourselves. But I bet a lot of us in this room are wondering, am I good enough to at least validate that I've been born again? Like, is there enough fruit in my life to to be to make it evident that I'm a child of God? AM I good enough to, like, show the Spirit of God in my life? Because sometimes I do things I don't want to do, and then I don't do the good I do want to do. And sometimes the things that I don't want to do, I do. And I say, I'm never going to do them again and I do them again. Does that mean I'm not a child of God? Like when the sin struggle is real? Is that what John's saying? Is there anything else that I could kind of cling to to find comfort? When the struggle with sin is real? John and his gospel quotes Jesus and he says this my sheep hear my voice, I know them, and they follow me. It's John ten twenty seven. Why is that helpful? And why is John saying hard things and then repeating hard things? What's he getting at here? My sheep hear my voice. I know them and they follow me. Guys, listen. Born again. People struggle with sin. Born again. People do things they wish they didn't do. But, and I think this is why John is saying this. A sign of new birth is the effectiveness of God's Word. My sheep hear my voice. They know me and they follow me. And a sign of new birth is the effectiveness of God's Word. Someone born of God doesn't hear. Hey, if you say you have fellowship and you walk in darkness. You're a liar, right? If you say you love God and you don't obey his commandments, you're a liar. No one born of God makes a practice of sinning like. Like a born again person doesn't hear that and think doesn't apply to me. I don't need to worry about that or born again person doesn't hear. Hey, you have an advocate and think, oh well then I can keep sinning then that's not the Spirit of God cooperating with the Word of God. The Word of God is effective to the child of God or the children of God. Need the Word of God to be devoted to God because it's not just, hey, if you're a child of God, you won't sin. You won't keep on sinning, you won't make a practice of sin. It's like, this is how you don't make a practice of sinning. The Word of God and the effectiveness of God's Word in your life. Because when you hear these passages, you respond like a born again person. I don't want to be that person. I ran into that guy. I was like, no, I don't want to take my sin lightly. You're despair of your sin. You run into these verses of like, I have an advocate and you believe that, and you go and you confess your sins and he's faithful and just to forgive you of your sins. So is the Word of God effective to your own heart? When you hear these passages, does it make you want to run from sin? Repent of sin, not take sin lightly. When you hear these passages about confessing your sins and the propitiation that Jesus is, and he's our advocate, does it make you find comfort in the finished work of Jesus on the cross? Because that's the Spirit of God, using the Word of God to bring comfort and conviction to the children of God. So is that you? Does it happen? Because for a lot of people it doesn't. I could read these passages, we could preach these passages, we can talk about this stuff. And nothing. There's no conviction of sin. There's no change in life. There's no comfort in the gospel, nothing. They don't take sin seriously and they don't take grace seriously. They don't think they have to stop doing anything. Or on the other extreme, they're so overwhelmed by their sin, they don't. They don't find comfort in the finished work of Jesus Christ. But if the Word of God lands, I don't know, say, on good soil, and it produces conviction, comfort, contrition, passion, it's a good sign. The seed of God is in you. You're a new creation in Christ. But what do we do? It's like, okay, that's informative. What am I supposed to do? Because I want to hear the Word of God, or I want to hear the Word of God louder. I want to respond better to the Word of God. Like what, what, what do I do? Uh, well, there is a command in our text. The command is don't be deceived, right? You need to be on your guard of deception. And we have an enemy that's trying to promote worldliness and undermine your faith. It's like, okay, don't be deceived. How? How do I not be deceived and fall into despair? How do I not be deceived and fall into complacency with sin? Like, what am I supposed to do? Well, it's important to see these verses in their context. So last week Michael looked at verses one through three. Um, and we got four through ten. But there's no there's not a break here. It's like the same continuous thought, um, that John's unfolding here. So let's, let's look back at verse one because it's important to see one through three in light of four through ten. So this is what verse one says in chapter three. See what kind of love the father has given to us that we should be called children of God. And so we are. So you get that, children of God. So it's the same theme, the same thought that's continuing on. Now, going back to English class a little bit, what's the verb in verse one? That's my bad. I shouldn't put that on you. You're like, you didn't, I didn't even come to English class. Like you're like, Jake, do your job. Tell us like it's c okay, now I gave you answer. Let's play along. What's the verb in verse one? C all right. So C is the verb. Um hora is the Greek word. And it means to take heed, perceive properly or to stare at. Now here's what's interesting about this. This verb, see, it's in the tense or it's in the past tense. So how do you command somebody to do something in the past that doesn't make sense? Like when you get home, make sure you looked, you know, outside your window. Like, how do you command somebody to do something in the past that doesn't make sense? Well, the command is not to do something in the past. The command is to see something in the past. What John wants us to look at is something that happened in the past, but what does he say to look at? He wants us to see what kind of love the father has given to us. Now, where do we most clearly see that the cross of Jesus Christ, and he continues to kind of bring that up over and over again when we when he keeps writing, it's in our text. Verse five, you know, that he, Jesus appeared in order to take away sins. How do you do that on the cross? Then you go down to verse eight, the reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. How do you do that on the cross? So he's drawing our attention to the cross. He's saying, I want you to see the kind of love that the father has given to us that make us children of God, the work of Jesus Christ on the cross. Like, look at it, I got. That's what I want you to see. Because it has an effect like it does. Something like John is pointing us there for a reason. And here's what I want us to get, guys. Jesus came to forgive our sins and destroy our sinning. Are you with me on that? Jesus came to forgive our sins and destroy our sinning. Practically in our day to day lives. This is how Paul puts it in Titus. He says, for the grace of God has appeared. That's in Jesus Christ bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, waiting for our blessed hope. Remember that word hope that's going to come up again. The appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. So he's saying, excuse me, the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions. How does it do that? Like how does grace train us in righteousness? I mean, I get grace forgiving us for unrighteousness, but how does grace train us in righteousness? And he's talking there about waiting for our blessed hope. There's a focus like you have something to look forward to because of the cross. Now go back to first John. Look at verse three, because this is the last verse that Michael talked to us about. But we need to see this verse in light of these verses. Verse three says this and everyone who thus what hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure. How does hope purify. Like. What's the connection between what we hope in our hope and our purity and hope, and what we know, hope, and who God. But hope and what will the love of God that was made evident on the cross of Jesus Christ. So guys, listen to me. The cross doesn't just give us forgiveness from sin, it also gives us promises that undermine the allure of sin. Do you know what I mean when I say that? Like when you hear the cross, I think quickly and rightly so. We think forgiveness. But the cross of Jesus Christ doesn't just give us forgiveness of sin, it also undermines or gives us promises that undermine the allure of sin, of saying, hey, better belonging exists here, better love exists here, better treasures exist here. Longer, fuller fulfillment exist here, right? It's an invitation like, yeah, this is the cross of Christ. Now take up your cross and follow me. because those who die with me will rise again with me. It's this invitation. Like the better life belongs here. The cross doesn't just give us forgiveness from sin, it also gives us promises that undermine the allure of sin. So here's my question. Do you see that? Do you see that? Do you see the kind of love that the father has given us in a way that makes that kind of pulls you away from practical sinning today, in a way that makes it obvious that you're a child of God. Because in those moments, you're like, I want him. Not that I want closeness to him. Not not acceptance there. And the only reason you could say that is if you see the beauty of Jesus Christ. If you see the kind of love you've been loved with. So church, here's the challenge. See. Take heed. Perceive properly. Stare at the cross. Do you know what kind of love the father has given us? Sacrificial. Redemptive. Atoning. Adopting love. Do you see it? Like look at it. That's what John's saying. Hey, look at the cross. You people who don't take sin seriously. Look at the cross. Do you think God took sin seriously? Look at the cross. Do you know how he loves you? And you still want to do that? That's what he's saying. Look. Stare at it. Keep looking. Does it move your heart? Does it stir devotion to you? Like, oh, I want to please him. Does it make you hate sin? Because behind our sinning problem is a seeing problem. We can see clearly everything this world offers. We can see the things that it entices us with. But can we see the beauty of Jesus Christ? Do you see that he's better? That's the problem. Second Corinthians four four. This is what happened in their case. There is those who are perishing in their case, the God of this world, who's the deceiver, has what blinded the minds of unbelievers, keeping them from what? Seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God they don't see. Why do they sin? Because they don't see. They think it's better. Why do you sin? Why do I sin? Because in those moments, I'm believing that something is better than Jesus Christ, and I chase after that instead of him. We got a sin problem. And this is why John, given this command, go back to verse one. See, look, perceive. Take heed. Stare at the cross of Jesus Christ until it breaks your heart. Keep looking until it makes sin unattractive. Look at it. And when you do. And it moves you. It'll be obvious in our lifestyles that we are children of God. Amen. Let's pray. Father, I pray that you would indeed give us eyes to see. See you. And to see everything else in its proper place. Because we see you. You would. Open our eyes. And see what kind of love that you've loved us. A sacrificial love and a Tony love. A redeeming love and adopting love. And you would set our hearts on fire for you in such a way that sin loses its appeal. And when we lose sight of you. And we look again to you and again to you and again to you. We would stare at you. And the cross would lead us to live lives of devotion. Because we know you first loved us. We pray this in your name. Amen.