Let the Wicked Forsake His Way: A Call to Purity, Repentance, and New Life

Jeremy Laughlin
26 minutes ago
4 min read

Seek the Lord While He May Be Found

Isaiah 55:6–7 — An Invitation and a Warning

“Seek the Lord while He may be found; call upon Him while He is near.Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts;Let him return to the Lord, and He will have mercy upon him… for He will abundantly pardon.”

Isaiah paints a picture overflowing with mercy:✔ God is near.✔ God is calling.✔ God is willing to abundantly pardon.

But the passage also contains a charge:Forsake your way. Return to the Lord.

The message is simple and profound:Mercy is available, but repentance is required.

From the Table Setter to the Main Meal: 1 John 3

The sermon moves from Isaiah into 1 John 3, a chapter that pulls no punches about purity, righteousness, and the seriousness of sin.

John challenges us to examine our walk with the Lord — not casually, but soberly.

Behold What Manner of Love

Loved, Adopted, Named

“See what an incredible quality of love the Father has shown to us, that we should be called children of God — and so we are.”

You are not merely tolerated.Not barely saved.You are named, called, and counted as a child of God.

This is the foundation of everything that follows. Once you belong to God, your life must reflect His character.

The Hope That Purifies Us

John says everyone who possesses this hope — the hope of seeing Christ as He is, the hope of resurrection and eternal life — must purify themselves.

Not to earn salvation, but because salvation has already been given.

A Custodial Duty

We have a responsibility, a spiritual custodial role, to keep the temple clean.

Not by our own righteousness
Not by self-powered perfection
But by cooperating with the Holy Spirit

God cleanses at a redemptive level.But we are called to maintain purity on a daily level.

Practicing Sin vs. Falling Into Sin

Everyone Who Practices Sin Practices Lawlessness

John is very clear:

“Everyone who practices sin practices lawlessness.”“Sin is ignoring God’s law… by action, neglect, or tolerating wrongdoing.”

This isn’t referring to someone who stumbles.It refers to:

Deliberate sin
Habitual sin
Sin without repentance
Sin we tolerate
Sin we justify

We Cannot Make Peace With What God Calls “Hot”

God labels certain things “hot” — dangerous, destructive.

Just like a toddler reaching toward a red-hot stove, some only learn through pain. God calls out to warn us not because He is harsh, but because He is loving.

The devil, however, packages deadly things in shiny wrapping.He markets destruction like candy.

But inside the package is death.

Jesus Appeared to Destroy the Works of the Devil

We celebrate this truth:

“He appeared to take away sins… in Him there is no sin.”“The Son of God appeared for this purpose: to destroy the works of the devil.”

This is not just theological information.It is personal liberation.

What Jesus destroyed does not have the right to rule you anymore.

A New Life, A New Nature

John goes even further:

“No one who abides in Him habitually practices sin.”“If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.” — 2 Corinthians 5:17

You may have old patterns that feel deeply ingrained.Some bondages break instantly.Others break through:

Daily surrender
Time in the Word
Prayer
Fellowship
Renewing the mind

But the truth remains:You are not who you used to be.

And sin is no longer your master.

Children of God vs. Children of the Devil (John’s Words, Not Ours!)

John writes boldly:

“By this the children of God and the children of the devil are clearly identified.”

How?By what we practice.

Do we seek righteousness?Do we desire holiness?Are we quick to repent when convicted?

Or do we habitually walk in what God forbids?

John gives examples modernized from the sermon:

Practices That Cannot Continue for Followers of Christ

Drunkenness / drug use
Explosive anger
Lust and adultery
Sexual immorality
Same-sex sexual activity
Pornography
Covetousness
Lying and manipulation
Any behavior Scripture identifies as unrighteous

This is not about shame — it is about alignment with our new nature.

God doesn’t condemn to crush us.He convicts to free us.

Renounce the Old Master — Submit to the New

You cannot have two masters.

Jesus must be Lord — not the old habits, not the old temptations, not the devil’s lies.

When we refuse to resist sin, we surrender our moral shaping to the enemy.But when we resist, repent, and return, the Holy Spirit empowers us to overcome.

A New Covenant Tone: From “Thou Shalt Not” to “Thou Shalt”

This portion of the sermon is beautiful and pastoral:

In the Old Testament, the emphasis was:“You better not.”

In the New Testament, the emphasis becomes:“You shall — because I will empower you.”

Grace is not only unmerited favor.Grace is also divine empowerment to obey.

You shall love the Lord your God.
You shall overcome sin.
You shall walk in newness of life.
You shall be transformed.

Not by might, not by power — but by His Spirit.

A Call to Honest Self-Examination

Like David prayed:

“Search me, O God, and know my heart.”

This message ends with an altar call of sorts — a moment for the believer to:

Pause
Reflect
Confess
Renounce
Return
Purify

Not to earn salvation, but to walk worthy of it.

God calls His church to be glorious, spotless, and washed in the blood of the Lamb.

This requires ongoing housekeeping:

Guarding your eyes
Filtering your inputs
Watching your thoughts
Renouncing hidden sin
Staying accountable
Feeding your spirit
Staying in fellowship

This is what it means to forsake your way and walk in God’s.

Final Challenge: Claim Freedom

The sermon ends with passion and urgency:

“Do you claim freedom, my brother? Do you claim freedom, my sister?”

Jesus is:

The Waymaker
The Healer
The Deliverer
The Devil-Chaser
The Baptizer
The One who breaks chains

And He is able to deliver to the uttermost.

Take time today to invite the Holy Spirit to search your heart.Purify what needs cleansing.Return to what needs restoring.Renounce what needs removing.

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