5/31/19

Characteristics of true children of God (born of God)


By this the children of God and the children of the devil are clearly identified: anyone who does not practice righteousness [who does not seek God’s will in thought, action, and purpose] is not of God, nor is the one who does not [unselfishly] love his [believing] brother. 1 John 3:10 (AMP)
Practice righteousness (1 John 3:1-10), not practicing sin (1 John 3:6,9)
Love other Christians despite differences (1 John 3:11-24)

1 John 1-2 emphasizes fellowship, 1 John 3-5 emphasizes sonship

  • Born of God is the idea (1 John 2:29, 3:9, 4:7, 5:1,4,18)

Unsaved person (even if he professes to be a Christian but is a counterfeit) lives a life of habitual sin.

  • Sin - especially the sin of unbelief - is the normal thing in his life (Eph 2:1-3). 
  • He has no divine resources to draw on (Isomorphic mimicry)
  • His profession of faith, if any, is not real (a form of godliness but denying it's power 2 Tim 3:5)
BIG Difference, true Christian knows God (My license plate says "Know Jesus, Know Peace, no Jesus, no peace"

Three reasons to live a holy life
1. God the Father loves us as his own children (1 John 3:1-3), saved by the grace of God through faith (Eph 2:8-9, Titus 2:11-15). Experiencing the love of God removes the desire to sin. An unbeliever sins against his Creator, a believer sins against his Father. Fear of the Lord, is reverence to God - respect that won't deliberately disobey Him or try His patience. 

The Christian view of Fear the Lord: 
  • "I'm not afraid my father will hurt me, I'm afraid I might hurt him"




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