I am grateful that during my farming years, I realised what a great advantage it was to be able to live in a house on the farm as part of my salary. Our friends were not so lucky and had to pay a lot of rent every month just to have a roof over their heads. 

I realised that if they could find the money for their accommodation every month, so could I, and that instead of renting, I could start paying off my own house. Well, this is what I did, and soon I had a tenant who helped me pay for my property and later another one, too. 

When I left the farm, these two properties helped me buy my dream house. A nice house with space for everyone. A big porch where we often entertained friends and strangers. It also had a nice braai for Dad. 

When we decided to say goodbye to the business world, I believed that I would have to give up my beloved home and buy an old fix-me-upper somewhere in the countryside. But God willed that we could keep our home. 

We’re so grateful. The walls of this house can tell so many stories. Every time I’ve been away for a while, I am just so happy to walk back in here again. They’ll probably have to carry my feet out of here first one day. 

This was a long story to end up saying something about a Greek word that John uses in his writing. The word is menon and is translated as “dwell”, “stay in”, or “made at home”.  

The verse in which he uses this word is translated as follows: 6 No one who lives deeply in Christ makes a practice of sin. 

The day I accepted Jesus as my Saviour, I moved in with Jesus, so to speak, and went to live with Him. 

In my house, I do certain things, and others do not. Or, to put it another way, certain behaviours fit there, and others don’t. Do I write on the walls of my house? No, my wife won’t allow it. 

Will I have drunken parties where people throw keys in a bowl? Definitely not. I won’t even let people who do that through the front door. 

Will my house be a place where people who are tired of life and are looking for a place to belong feel welcome? Yes, I will definitely invite them in and make sure they’re taken care of. 

In the same way, certain things just don’t fit where I moved in with Jesus. Sin is taboo. It doesn’t fit in. It screams against the essence of living there. Actually, sin is a sign of someone who doesn’t understand what it’s all about and certainly doesn’t know Jesus. 

It’s quite simple for everyone to understand. If you have chosen Jesus, you remain in Him, and sin simply does not fit in. Yes, I know our nature is to go off track, and we slip and slide over the boundaries. But that’s no excuse! 

Let’s get serious about the off-track things we do and get rid of sin completely. Then, we’ll be able to live in peace in Jesus.  

Scripture
1 John 3:4-10

Reflection
Do you live in Jesus?
What does sin look like there?
What must you get rid of? 

Prayer
Father, I know I still carry a load of sin. Please help me get rid of it. Amen.