All around us we see people who call themselves Christian.
You may have seen media or sports figures who espouse Christianity, and you’ve
heard people call them “hypocrites” because their walk doesn’t match their talk.
How can we prove that we are Christians? We can show
love to those around us in very practical ways. We can model the behavior that
we see in God – even before we loved God, He loved us and sent Jesus to die for
us. Without the love of God, our salvation would have been impossible.
See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The
reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2 Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet
appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we
shall see him as he is. 3 And
everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure. 1
John 3:1-3 (ESV)
Obviously, we can’t send our only son to die for the sins of
the world, but we can model God’s
behavior in other practical ways. It’s our family heritage!
Everyone
who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is
lawlessness. 5 You
know that he appeared to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. 6 No one who abides in him keeps
on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him. 7 Little children, let no one
deceive you. Whoever practices
righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous. 8 Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has
been sinning from the beginning. The
reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. 9 No one born of God makes a
practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him, and he cannot keep on
sinning because he has been born of God. 10 By this it is evident who are the children of God, and
who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is
not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother. 1
John 3:4-10 (ESV)
When you read a passage like this, do you worry about your
life? Are you convicted to modify behavior
so you are not a child of the devil? Is it possible to live without sin? Of
course it isn’t! But we have the Father’s love and forgiveness, and with the
Holy Spirit’s help, our lives can be more godly day by day.
We all sin. So perfection isn’t the mark of a believer.
According to this passage, what is the mark of a true believer? How can we stop
making a practice of sinning?
If I don’t love my “brother” (the ones I like and the ones I
don’t), what am I, according to this passage? Is that the way I want God to see
me? Is that the way the world needs
to see someone who claims Christ as their Savior?
How do children of God and children of the devil differ?
What characteristic are outlined here?
So, today’s obvious question is:
Is your walk more like a child of God or a child of the
devil? What steps can you take to make necessary changes?
The Bible offers us much wisdom and comfort, but when we
look at passages like these, we don’t see the “fuzzy God” which is so
frequently preached today. It’s clear that certain behaviors are expected from
people who claim Christ as their savior. It’s clear that God expects us to make
changes in our lives to better serve and honor Him. And when we don’t, He calls
it as He sees it – when we aren’t acting in a godly manner, we are children of
the devil.
I pray that you will take some time to talk to God and ask
Him to help your daily life look more like a child of God!
See you Wednesday, and as always, if you have prayer
requests or comments, please feel free
to post them here (or send me a private email). I’m here to pray with and for
you!
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