Jesus' Purpose: Destroying the Works of the Devil by Overcoming Sin

The purpose of Jesus' appearance on earth was to destroy the works of the devil. This truth is beautifully captured in 1 John 3:8, where it says, "The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil." But what exactly are these "works of the devil" that Jesus came to destroy? To understand this, we need to look at the context of the verse.

In the preceding verse, 1 John 3:7, it says, "Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous." Here, the focus is on righteousness and sin. John is warning the believers not to be deceived by those who practice sin, for they are of the devil, who has been sinning from the beginning.

So, it seems clear that the "works of the devil" that Jesus came to destroy are sins. The purpose of His appearance was to enable us to stop sinning. This is further supported by the parallel verse in 1 John 3:5, which says, "You know that he appeared in order to take away sins." The primary issue here is sinning, not other forms of evil or suffering that we may encounter in life.

The significance of Jesus' mission to destroy the works of the devil becomes even more apparent when we consider 1 John 2:1, where it says, "My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin." John is addressing believers and expressing his desire that they would not continue in sin. This, too, is one of the great purposes of Christmas and the incarnation of Christ – to empower us to overcome sin and live righteous lives.

However, John also acknowledges that believers may still sin. In 1 John 2:1-2, he writes, "But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world." So, while Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil by enabling us to stop sinning, He also came to be the propitiation for our sins when we do fall short.

It's important to note that forgiveness and the propitiation for our sins are not intended to promote or condone a lax attitude towards sin. The aim of Christ's sacrifice is not to encourage us to relax our battle against sin or to live in fear of losing our salvation. Rather, the two purposes of Christmas – the destruction of the works of the devil and the propitiation for our sins – are meant to empower us to fight sin with confidence and joy.

As believers, we can approach the battle against sin as victors, not as legalists who strive to earn our salvation or as fearful individuals worried about losing our salvation. The payment Christ made for all our sins gives us the freedom and power to engage in the battle against sin with confidence. We can throw ourselves into this battle, knowing that we have already been forgiven and that the victory has been won.

In conclusion, Jesus' appearance on earth was to destroy the works of the devil, which primarily refers to sin. He came to enable us to stop sinning and live righteous lives. However, He also came as the propitiation for our sins when we do fall short. The purpose of these two aspects of Christmas is not to relax our battle against sin, but to empower us to fight sin as victorious warriors. We can confidently and joyfully engage in this battle, knowing that our sins have been forgiven and that we have the ultimate victory in Christ.