Meditating on 1 John 3:4, Dave and Jeremy explore the relationship between sin and lawlessness. They suggest that "sin" is too simple a word, and "lawlessness" better captures the severity and cost. The most challenging word in the verse is "practices," as practicing sin means striving to get better at disobedience until it becomes an unconscious habit. This sets up a clear dichotomy with the previous verse: one is either purifying oneself in hope or practicing lawlessness. The hosts call for rigorous self-examination: are you practicing the fruit of the Spirit, or are you practicing sin?. They emphasize that faith must be demonstrable; if your community or coworkers do not know you are a follower of Christ, you must question your practice. To not practice righteousness is, in fact, to live lawlessly.