DCLM Daily Manna Sunday 14 January 2024 

TOPIC: For This Purpose

TEXT: 1 JOHN 3:4-10 
⁴ Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.

⁵ And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin.

⁶ Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him.

⁷ Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.

⁸ He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.

⁹ Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.

¹⁰ In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.

KEY VERSE
“He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil”
(1 John 3:8).

DCLM Daily Manna 14 Jan 2024 MESSAGE

An enduring lesson the typical marketplace teaches is that no matter how endlessly busy and rowdy the scene is, a person with an iron-cast purpose would defeat the distractions. He would stick to his goal: to buy, to sell or to conclude business deals. No serious seller or buyer would permit some noise or movement to set aside that goal. He or she leaves the cosy confines of the home, office or shop for the inconveniences of the marketplace to fulfil an objective. It is a heavy price they pay to honour a prized mission.

We also know why the beloved Son of God, Jesus Christ, left the ineffable splendour of heaven to dwell with sin-stained man here on earth. His was a higher goal. His purpose is unmistakably revealed in the Scriptures. He showed up to destroy the works of the devil. This evil personality made man rebel against his Maker and opened the floodgates of the works of the flesh that lead to eternal separation from God.

READ Daily Manna Saturday 13 January 2024 – A Common Destiny for All

Jesus overcame the mockery of men, homelessness, rejection, humiliating trial before the heathen Roman rulers, betrayal by a disciple, desertion by close associates and excruciating crucifixion because He refused to remove His focus from His purpose of saving humanity from “the wrath to come.” His singular objective was clear – to destroy the works of the devil and give man victory over sin; and He saw to it that this purpose was fulfilled. Today, anyone who is born of God has the power to live without sin.

We attribute Christ’s triumph over these deadly distractions to His firm grip on God’s purpose for His life. We also need a fixed purpose of mind like Jesus to enjoy this victory that He has obtained for us and fulfil God’s plans for our lives.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: A life not guided by a fixed purpose will easily drift to a wreck.

THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: ACTS 1-2