Freedom from Sin Through the Holy Spirit

What if the way you've been understanding sin is all wrong? Join B.R. Maul on Living God's Way, where we examine the eye-opening truths of 1 John 3:4-9. We'll unravel the nature of sin as lawlessness and discover how Jesus' manifestation is the cornerstone for overcoming sin in our lives. Through personal anecdotes, B.R. Maul shares his own spiritual journey, reflecting on the lifelong process of sanctification and the transformative power of Christ. This episode is a heartfelt exploration of how habitual and conscious sin reveals deeper spiritual alignments and the critical role of the Holy Spirit in our growth.

Have you ever wondered if reading the Bible can truly change your life? B.R. Maul shares his midlife realization that engaging with Scripture is more than an academic exercise—it's about truly knowing Jesus as your Savior. We'll discuss John's warnings against deception and the importance of practicing righteousness as a reflection of genuine faith. Learn how regular Scripture reading, fellowship with believers, and participation in a Bible-teaching church are essential practices for spiritual growth. Your faith will be invigorated as we delve into the necessity of being vigilant against false teachings.

Can you find freedom from sin despite your past? In this powerful episode, B.R. Maul tackles the misconception that past circumstances excuse sinful behavior. Discover the liberating power of the Holy Spirit in overcoming sin and the freedom we find in Christ. We'll explore what it means to live a life reflective of our born-again status, avoiding the pitfalls of worldly behaviors. By fully committing to God's plans and deeply understanding His Word, we can strive to sin less and lead lives that genuinely honor God. This episode is a call to examine your spiritual rebirth and commit to a life that truly reflects your faith.

Chapters

• 0:28 Living God's Way
• 16:29 Guarding Against Deception and Sin
• 26:50 Holy Spirit Power Over Sin
• 35:09 Victim of Sin, Freedom in Christ

Transcript

B.R.Maul: 0:28

Hello, Hello and good day. I am BR Maul and this is Living God's Way in an study God's Word, and we take a look at how God's Word applies to our life as born-again believers. This is important because, even though we live in this world, we are told we are not of this world. Our home is heavenly. As born-again believers, our spirits are indeed alive and well. We are currently in the book of 1 John. We're in chapter 3. Today I'll be reading verses 4 through 9, and, as usual, once I read it, I'll go back and break it down Before I begin the reading. I'll go back and break it down Before I begin the reading. My brothers and sisters in the faith, I hope all is going well. Please do not hesitate to email me at my website, brmaulcom, that's B-R-M-A-U-L dot com. There is a page. You click on contact and just fill out the information there and I promise to get back to you as soon as possible. That is why I'm here. Yes, to teach God's word. I am so thankful that is one of my spiritual gifts. We all have a spiritual gift or gifts that the Lord gives us when we become his children. So I love teaching God's word, but I'm also here for you.

B.R.Maul: 2:08

I understand life is difficult. There's much going on in this world, and especially for born-again believers. Jesus made it very clear that as we get closer to the day that's capital D, the day that's the second coming. As we get closer to that, well, there's a lot more persecutions going on. And persecution, brothers and sisters, do not always come in the most obvious form and that's physical violence. No, persecution comes in many different forms at our workplaces, in our relationships, and sometimes it's much quieter because it means the absence of being invited to places, People that used to hang around us when we were still of the world and did things worldly. But then we are born again and as we walk with the Lord, he changes our heart. It's such a blessing. We no longer have the weight of this world upon us because we learn to lean on Jesus.

B.R.Maul: 3:18

But with that, many people don't want to be around that. Why the same reason they didn't want to be around that? Why the same reason they didn't want to be around Jesus? They only wanted to be around Jesus when he was healing and doing things that they benefited from. Many of the people did not follow Jesus after they were healed. Now that's a whole other topic.

B.R.Maul: 3:40

So I'll get into the reading for today, Verse 4. Topic. So I'll get into the reading for today, Verse 4.

B.R.Maul: 3:50

Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness. And you know that he that's 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 that's Jesus 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 reading.

B.R.Maul: 4:53

Thank you, Lord, for this time to teach my brothers and sisters, and also myself as I continue to explore God's word. Lord, you continue to teach me as well, and I so appreciate it. I love all that you share with me, Lord, and the ability, this platform, to go ahead and teach others. I pray that you open up their hearts. Help them, Lord, put aside any difficulties in their life, any pride, any insecurities, anything that he or she is doing that is getting in their way of hearing your voice. I pray this in Jesus' name, Amen.

B.R.Maul: 5:38

So, backing up to verse 4, John says Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness. Seems to be pretty obvious, but let's take just a little closer at that because that can seem pretty severe. This lawlessness, John isn't saying that every time that we sin, that we are breaking the law, like human law, okay, but we are breaking God's law. So an example of that Jesus made it very clear that you may not have murdered somebody with your hands, but by hating that person you are still murdering them in your heart. That's how fragile being lawless with sin is when it comes to God's Word. But here lawlessness is not just saints. When we sin unknowingly, this is referring to sin that is conscious sin, sin that is a regular sin. So let's talk about that a little more, Because we all sin. There's no way of getting around that.

B.R.Maul: 7:00

But before a person is born again, we are slave to our sin because we have no ability in ourselves to overcome sin. Now, everybody has different sins. Some sins might be a very difficult part of their life, Some it's sexual, some it's with drugs, some with money, power, whatever it might be, Obviously, we could go on and on, but we are all slave to sin. But once a person is born again, the Holy Spirit then enters into that person and their spirit is born. Before that, our spirit is dead. Now the spirit is born and the Holy Spirit also resides in us to guide us, to guide our spirit, okay. So this is where, well, now we need to start getting used to thinking spiritually and not just physically. Now the person with the Holy Spirit dwelling in them has the capability to overcome sin, Because now they're not overcoming sin on their own strength, overcoming sin on their own strength. Now a person needs to learn to overcome their sin with the same power that the Holy Spirit uses to sanctify us, and that sanctification process is our whole life. So some of our sins we'll overcome quickly.

B.R.Maul: 8:43

For me, one of that was swearing and cussing. When I was younger, that's what I did. I thought that being a boy and growing up, becoming a man meant well, I needed to swear and cuss. Why? Because that's what I had around me, for examples. I had around me for examples. But the Lord, once I was born again and I actively sought out his wisdom, reading his word. Well then, through sanctification, that was one of the first things that he took from me. I didn't have the gumption. I didn't want to swear and cuss and then it got to the point where I don't even like when others swear and cuss around me. That all happened in time. And there's other sins that were deeper, that took longer, but the Lord in time helped me with that.

B.R.Maul: 9:39

Now, those sins that I was just doing over and over was lawlessness In that sin. It was lawless because I just did it. It was a part of who I was and I, just over and over, I just kept on stepping on God's laws. I just sinned and I didn't think twice about it. So that is what he's referring to in verse 4.

B.R.Maul: 10:06

Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness. It's that kind of sin. What he's not talking about is when we sin. But it's not something that we plan, it's not something that we are consciously looking forward to. We can't wait till later to commit this sin, whatever that sin is going to be. But, saints, as a born-again believer is still is going to sin. As I've said before, being born again doesn't make us sinless, but it does help us sin less. And with every passing year beloved you yourself, as you're walking with the Lord, should be able to see that, that you are sinning less, and a mature believer is quick to repent when we do mess up and we do sin. But that is not what he is talking about here, Verse 5, and you know that he, Jesus, was manifested to take away our sins, and in him there is no sin.

B.R.Maul: 11:16

So manifested. What does that word mean? Manifested? It means that if something is manifest, that it is readily perceived by the senses. So in this case, he was manifested. He became flesh. So now, instead of just God the Father being in that spiritual state where we can't see, he became flesh and blood. So he manifested. So he walked the earth and people could see him, could touch him, could talk to him, could look at him, because it's something that you could see with the eyes. So he was manifested, and why? To take away our sins, and in him there is no sin. Seems to be an obvious statement that in him, in Jesus, there is no sin. But every word of the Bible beloved is very important. We don't want to just necessarily run over every little word, Because in is one important word in him. And no, there is no sin With saints.

B.R.Maul: 12:33

Even once we're born again, we still do have sin in us. Why? Because we haven't been glorified. That'll happen when our bodies decease and these bodies then are eventually burned. At the end of time, when God cleanses everything the first time he did it with flood, the second time will be with fire. But our souls, our eternal part, that will remain, our eternal part, that will remain, and in eternity then we will be without sin. That's going to be magnificent.

B.R.Maul: 13:33

But even inides in him that's Jesus does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen him nor known him. You know that can sound like an awful lot of pressure, right, Whoever abides in him, in Jesus. So whoever is born again, because Jesus says he who abides in me, I abide in him. But here John is saying whoever abides in him does not sin. Well, we all sin, and I was just talking about that, that with Jesus in him, there was no sin when he walked the earth. But even after we're born again, we still have our sinful nature. We're just given the ability, with the Holy Spirit, to overcome it. We're no longer slave to sin, but we're not sinless, we're just going to sin less. So that can seem discouraging, doesn't it? Well, does that mean then that I don't abide in him because I sin? And whoever sins has neither seen him as Jesus nor known him.

B.R.Maul: 14:36

He is still talking about the kind of sin in verse 4, talking about the kind of sin in verse 4, that lawlessness, that living in sin. Before you were born again, you were slave to sin. You were living in sin, but a born-again believer. As we walk with him, as we know him, Jesus, and we get to know him through reading his word, well then that sin is no longer prevalent in our life. I'll pause there just for a moment.

B.R.Maul: 15:09

Let me jump out of the teaching and just say this If, where you are at beloved, if you believe that you are born again, but you find that you are stuck in sin continuously, in this lawlessness, sin that's looking forward to sinning, that's having no ability to turn away from it. If you're still slave to that, if you still revel in your sin, well, I pray that you take the time now, pause this podcast or, if you can't, as soon as you get a chance, get down on your knees, close yourself away from the rest of the world and pray to God and talk to him. Just be honest, Speak in your heart, Tell him that. Well, Lord, I was told to pray a certain prayer, or somebody told me that I was baptized as a baby and so I'm your child. So I think I'm your child. I believed I was your child, but I don't feel like it and then just ask for his help and he will do that. He will do that.

B.R.Maul: 16:29

So, continuing on the second part of verse 6, whoever sins has neither seen him, Jesus, nor known him. Knowing him, so knowing him beloved, means opening his word and reading it. I sound like a broken record, but I can't emphasize it enough. I went my first half of my life not understanding the importance of just reading the Bible, and not reading it like an academic, but reading it like you would. A love letter to get to know your God, to get to know Jesus, your Savior. It's all here in God's Word.

B.R.Maul: 17:14

You don't need to go to the seminary to learn to understand God's Word. You don't need to even be somebody who is really good at academics or an excellent reader to read and understand God's Word. What you do need, what everybody needs, is the Holy Spirit to be born again. So a person can't test out the waters, Someone can't open up God's Word and think well, let me read it for a while. I'm going to see if this fits me first, and then I'll decide no, because anybody who doesn't have the Holy Spirit in them, it doesn't make sense. Historical things will make sense, the stories will make sense. The stories will make sense, but the reason behind it, the moral aspect of it, the spiritual part of it, will not make sense, Whether it'll frustrate you, bore you, whatever it might be.

B.R.Maul: 18:16

So, getting to know him, and as we get to know him, what John is saying then in verse 6, is that you won't want to sin. You will want to leave that sin. That was a big part of who you were. Your flesh is still going to cry out for it beloved. You are still going to struggle with that. But with every passing week and month and year, that you continue to walk with the Lord and his word and to come together with other brothers and sisters in the faith, which is very important, and by listening to teachers, like you are right now, and going to a church, a Bible teaching and preaching church. Don't get mixed up with churches these days, and there's a lot of them that are not teaching the full gospel. Even if it's 95% of the gospel, well, it's not the full gospel, so just be weary with that. But by going to a Bible teaching and preaching church with born-again believers who love the Lord, who are following him, you will Listening to the sermons and praying with one another. That's inevitable. You cannot not change at that point.

B.R.Maul: 19:33

So verse 7, John says Little children, let no one deceive you. That we've heard before. Jesus tells us when he talks to his apostles. And he tells us then, through his speaking to the apostles in the end times which we are here I'm not saying that time is going to end, even in my lifetime, but we are in the end times. There is nothing left that we are waiting for to happen, for the church to be raptured. So there's nothing left to happen for Christ to come, for his church and the Holy Spirit rapture, lift up, take away the church, leaving only the unbelievers left on planet Earth. And that's when Jesus says let no man deceive you.

B.R.Maul: 20:22

So a pretty important warning, because John is repeating that and he even says little children. He's not insulting us, he's not saying that we're stupid, that we have the intellect or even behavior as a child, but as born-again believers, and the more we walk with him, we should have more of ability like a child, but as born-again believers and the more we walk with him, we should have more of ability, like a child, to trust in God. And like little children, we are still very vulnerable to Satan and his demons to trick us Beloved. This is why I teach in this podcast, because I'm trying to circumvent, to go around the traditional way of people just going to a church that they've been going to week in and week out, month after month, year after year, and there's been absolutely no spiritual growth. And the reason for that is because many are not born again. They don't understand that why? Because they have been deceived. I speak from experience because I was one who was deceived. So John says little children, which is all of us, let no one deceive you. So by listening to the teachings in this podcast and by reading God's word well, way to go, you are working on not letting others deceive you. So it's not just Satan, not just the demons who are out to trick us, but there's many false prophets, there are many antichrists, small a big a, that are teaching false doctrines. I've said before and firmly believe that even many spiritual leaders today who are caught up in denominations and caught up with their hierarchy, in their positions, their prestige, just like the Pharisees of old. Unfortunately, over time, Satan and the human heart has made that the problem the case today. So many people are deceived, so little children. Let no one deceive you.

B.R.Maul: 22:36

What he says next seems to be so obvious. It's like why do you even say it, John? But he says he who practices righteousness is righteous, just as he that's Jesus is righteous. But let's think about that, Because he who practices righteousness is righteous. Do you know people who? They do everything they can to follow the rules morally? So not in the sense of I don't want to be caught, Okay, that would be immoral, so I'm going to just try not to get busted. But someone who is practicing righteousness is righteous. It's a part of their living, it's their nature, it's who they are. They don't want to break rules, they want to abide by them and they wish others would abide by them. Even when someone's not watching, those who practice righteousness still do the right thing Because even though human eyes might not be watching, we always know that God, the Father, is watching and we also know that we are watching. We know when we are trying to cheat something, to break a rule, to better ourself. So he who practices righteousness is righteous You're living that way and just as Jesus is righteous.

B.R.Maul: 24:05

Verse 8, he who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. That's halfway through 8. I'll stop right there. And again, this is referring to not sinning. From time to time, as a saint is through the process of sanctification, the help, the power of the Holy Spirit, overcoming his or her sins, but still messes up, makes that mistake, that person feels horrible, quickly repents, and we want to do everything possible to be right with our Holy Father. So that's not the kind he's talking about In these passages from verse 4 through 9.

B.R.Maul: 24:47

Here John is talking about that lawlessness, that sinning of lawlessness, that is one steeped in their sin. It's a person who does that is of the devil, and why For the devil does that is of the devil and why? For the devil has sinned from the beginning. It's an interesting fact Going through Sunday school, we're taught that sin entered the world when Adam sinned. But it wasn't Adam and Eve that committed the first sin, it was the devil. He sinned because he wanted to be like God and the angels were made before people were made. So Satan and the angels the third of the angels that were cast from heaven down to earth. They are the ones who sinned Sin was already present, ones who sinned Sin was already present. That's interesting. But of course it was quite easy for the devil himself, knowing the hearts of man, to quickly make them sin. So that is why John says he who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning.

B.R.Maul: 25:58

When we openly sin, beloved, we are following the devil's way. If you're born again, you can't lose your salvation. So it doesn't mean that. But be careful, Don't let sin that enticing part of it that at first looks great and you think you know what. I guess this one sin. I can just kind of keep doing this, I'll just sweep it under the rug, but I'm okay with it. That is very dangerous, because now that is of the devil and then that gets in our way where we begin not to hear the Holy Spirit speaking to us because we are so busy listening to the devil, because he's very distracting. He's going to do everything possible to get you away from the blessings of your Holy Father, even though he can't take your salvation away.

B.R.Maul: 26:50

The second part of verse 8,. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the work of the devil, and he did so. If anybody ever asks you, why did Jesus come down as a baby? Why did he live a human life? Well, he did that for the purpose to destroy the work of the devil. Because sin was done in the flesh, Adam. It had to be paid for through flesh. That's just the way God does it. He's God, it's part of his ultimate plan, but it was for this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the work of the devil.

B.R.Maul: 27:39

Verse 9. Whoever has been born of God does not sin for his seed, his, that's capital H, so God. His seed remains in him, lower H, so the person. I'll read that again Whoever has been born of God does not sin for his seed. God's seed remains in him, the born-again person, and he cannot sin because he has been born of God. Now remember, stay with me here, because we're still talking about that sin of lawlessness, that repetitive sin, that sin that we are okay with the sin. That was just who we were before we were born again, before we were a child of God. A person cannot live with sin and have the Holy Spirit abide in them. It can't be done.

B.R.Maul: 28:37

This is one of those important messages that most churches are not talking about. Why? Because people don't want to hear about it. People don't want to go to a church and be told that if they're having a sin that they're not letting go of, they better double check because they may not be born again. People don't want to hear that because, first of all, a lot of denominations don't even teach from the Bible of born again. They continue to say things like remember your baptism, or because you were baptized, you are born again. There's a lot of false doctrine out there. And so if someone says but you know what, if you are sinning, if you have this regular sin that you just kind of stick with, yeah, you better double check here, because possibility you don't have the Holy Spirit dwelling in you, which means you're not born again.

B.R.Maul: 29:29

So when John in 9 says whoever has been born of God and born of God is born spiritually, also known as born again does not sin, they do not sin continuously, they do not live with a sin that they accept. They will continue to sin less, less often. We're still going to fight, but we're going to overcome sin way more often than we are going to fall to the sin. Now let me remind you of this beloved Temptation is not sin, and this is a hard one for me, so I'm preaching to myself here as well, because we're going to have thoughts that pop into our mind. But we know that temptation isn't sin because Jesus was tempted. He was tempted for 40 days and 40 nights.

B.R.Maul: 30:25

Now we were told of three different ways that the devil tempted him, but that doesn't mean that was the only time he tempted him. But Jesus didn't succumb to the temptation. Jesus was hungry and when the devil even brought it up, if you're the son of God, go ahead, change these rocks into bread. Jesus knew he had the ability to do that. Just one tiny little thought and he would have some really good tasting bread right there to eat. But he didn't. But he still had the thought. So be very careful with that, Because just because we have these temptations, I don't know how many times I can look at a dessert and go, wow, I really want to just cram that in my mouth because that looks delicious and just satisfy my flesh and not care what it does to my physical body.

B.R.Maul: 31:22

But now I'm looking at gluttony. Can't walk around just eating everything that I want, because then that is sin. I am just satisfying my flesh, but because I'm not slave to that and I can still think, boy, that would be nice to eat that dessert, but I don't. That's what he means by whoever has been born of God does not sin. They don't walk around cramming whatever they want in their mouth to eat. Why? For his God's seed remains in him. That born-again believer has the Holy Spirit that remains in him and it's not through our own power, it's through the power of God that we're able to do that. So when John continues and when John says and he cannot sin, that's the born-again believer. The born-again believer cannot sin Again. It doesn't mean that we're incapable of it, because no, That'll be when we are glorified and amen to that, In our glorified state, in eternity beloved. Well then, we will not be able to sin. But what John is saying here is we won't be able to put up with our sin.

B.R.Maul: 32:39

That time that I do walk past that dessert and I decide whatever and I just jam it in my mouth, the first thing I do is I repent. You know, I feel horrible because I know that's not good for my body, just to not even think of the consequences. I know I need to slow down and stop, because I do have a tendency to have a sweet tooth and I can easily just start throwing them in my mouth again. So I know that I need to be very careful with that. And with the power of the Holy Spirit I'm able to overcome that, and that's why I cannot sin. I can't just continuously walk around and eat whatever I want.

B.R.Maul: 33:18

Because he has been born of God, A born-again believer has been born of God, and that brings us right back to John 3. So this is very important that we understand that being a child of God is being born again. And if you've never been born again, well, you can do that right here, right now. That's all it takes is a prayer from the heart. There's no magic words, there's no certain prayer that you must say, but it needs to come from your heart and just ask the Lord to come into your life, Tell him that you want to give your life to him.

B.R.Maul: 34:00

You know that you're a sinner, you know that you need Jesus Christ to be your Savior because you can't pay your sin debt. And by acknowledging that, then you can do the next step and believe that Jesus Christ was raised from the dead, that God, the Father, with his power and his love for you, raised Jesus from the dead. And Jesus, by overcoming death, kills death. Death no longer has a sting for you if you are born again With the mouth, confess the Lord Jesus and, with the heart, believe he was raised from the dead and you will be saved. And if you have prayed that, well, welcome to God's family and for the rest of my brothers and sisters, well, just don't forget that we have the power of the Holy Spirit dwelling in us.

B.R.Maul: 34:57

So you're not slave to sin, You're not slave to your anger, You're not slave to your depression, You're not slave to eating and not thinking.

B.R.Maul: 35:09

You can stop Whatever it is. The world is going to try to tell you that you're a victim and that it was because of the way you were brought up or because of this or that incident. Now, those who don't have the Holy Spirit dwelling in them, who are not born again, sadly, I say well, yes, you are a victim, you are slave to your sin. You can't stop it. You might be able to stop for a little bit, you might be able to detour what you're doing for a short time, but it's going to overcome you. So John has really helped us out here, understanding that, yes, we are still going to sin, but we are going to sin less. But we cannot live a lifestyle of having one foot in the world hanging on to some sin and having one foot walking with the Lord. It doesn't happen that way, beloved. It's time to quit all the worldly ways, turn to the Bible and see what God truly has in store for you. I hope you do that, and until next time, God bless, Thank you.