1 John 3:1-24

The love of God in Christ has been demonstrated to us in the fact that we have become children of God through faith in the work of Christ on the cross.  As children of God we are expected to bear a family resemblance.  As with any family there are identifying characteristics that distinguish the children of God from those of a different family.  God has saved us so that His character might become evident in our lives.  That work is not completed yet, but one day, when we see Him, we will be transformed into the image of Christ for the glory of God.  The rules that God has established for His family members are few but very important.
CHILDREN OF GOD DO NOT PRACTICE SIN: The source of sin is Satan and our own sinful lusts.  Christ died to set us free from our enslavement to sin and give us victory over Satan.  Those who continue to be bound to the practice of sin as a consistent pattern in their lives demonstrate that they are not truly children of God.  Obedience is one of the distinguishing features of those who are truly born of God.  Many people claim to have faith and believe that they are saved.  However, their lives continue to demonstrate a habitual practice of sinfulness.  These people are simply fooling themselves and may be successful at fooling other men but they will not fool God.  He knows those who are His children by the way that they walk in obedience to His Word and will.  All believers will commit sin as isolated acts in their lives until Christ’s work is perfected in us on the shores of heaven.  But the pattern of our lives will not be one of enslavement to sin it will be one of freedom from sin.
CHILDREN OF GOD DO NOT PRACTICE HATRED: God is love and He produces love in the hearts of His children.  Men without Christ are naturally selfish and will do anything to promote their own agenda.  They are jealous of any who may be given preference over them and, as was demonstrated by Cain, will even kill in order to exact revenge on whomever might stand in the way of their desires.  Hatred is a distinguishing feature of those who are children of Satan.  They love only themselves and hate whatever or whoever might stand in their way.  The children of God are marked by their love.  The love God and they love others.  They even love their enemies and those who have no ability to return their love.  God’s children do not merely talk about love, but they demonstrate that love in real and practical ways.  They are willing to sacrifice of themselves to serve and meet the needs of other people.  The love of others gives us an assurance of the true work of God in our hearts and demonstrates that we truly are the children of God.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Isaiah 54:1-17

Hope is a wonderful blessing from God, without which we would be vulnerable to all kinds of destructive tendencies in our lives.  Today’s society is marked by depression, anger, fear, anxiety and self-righteousness, in large part, because of the sense of hopelessness that prevails in our culture.  Isaiah writes to a people who are about to be taken into captivity because of their sin.  God knows that they will feel rejected, threatened and hopeless so He reveals His future plans for the nation in order to give them hope in the midst of the coming trial.  Hope is the expectation of good based upon the promises of God.  Many times when our lives are marked by the sins mentioned above it is because we have forgotten or failed to focus upon the promises of God’s Word. THE PROMISE OF GOD: From the very first day that God revealed His plan for the nation of Israel, He promised numerous descendants.  God chose Abraham, not because he was more righteous than any of the other people of his
Read more

1 Timothy 2:11-15

Let a woman learn quietly   with all submissiveness.    I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet.    For Adam was formed first,   then Eve;   and Adam was not deceived, but   the woman was deceived and became a transgressor.    Yet she will be saved through   childbearing—if they continue in   faith and love and holiness, with self-control. There is certainly controversy and confusion about this passage in many churches today.  The idea of a distinction between men and women and their roles in the family and church certainly goes against the flow of many cultures around the world.  Some would argue that the literal and plain teaching of this passage is no longer applicable to today’s culture.  However, it is always dangerous to discard biblical teaching or try to interpret Scripture based on the cultures in which we live.  Certainly, the Spirit who inspired this text was aware of the many changes that would occur in future cul
Read more

1 Timothy 1:1-2

Paul,   an apostle of Christ Jesus   by command of   God our Savior and of Christ Jesus   our hope, To Timothy,   my true child in the faith:   Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. The true sign of maturity is multiplication.  Believers, churches, and ministries that do not reproduce are not demonstrating true maturity.  One of the key characteristics we can identify in Paul’s ministry is that he was constantly reproducing godly believers who were faithfully following the Lord.  Evangelism, discipleship, and leadership training are the hallmarks of mature ministers and ministries.   THE APOSTLE: Paul was called by God to be an Apostle.  Though Paul converted after the resurrection and assentation of Jesus, he met Jesus in the road to Damascus and was instructed by Jesus in the desert.  Paul considered himself to be the least of the Apostles because he persecuted the church and did not walk with Jesus on earth like the other Apostles.  However, God had
Read more