Children of God | 1 John pt. 5

There are many people in the world who say they are Christians but don't reflect Christ in their lifestyle. As humans, it is impossible to live without sin, but there is a difference between living in sin temporarily and having a continual lifestyle of sin. How do we draw the line between a genuine follower of Christ and those falsely saying they are? In the passage below, John illustrates how to determine whether one is a true child of God.

Read 1 John 2:28-3:10

(ch. 2 v. 28-29) When Jesus one day returns to earth, there will be two types of people: those who practiced righteousness and those who didn't. The people who chose to cultivate a relationship with Him and strove for holiness have no reason to fear Jesus and can stand confidently in His presence. They know they have salvation in Him and tried their best to walk in His footsteps during their time on earth. On the other hand, the people who did not abide in Jesus and do not know Him have reason to fear, for they will face His judgment. They either did not know Him at all or knew Him but still chose to walk in sin, which are both reasons to shrink in shame at His coming. That said, abiding in Him means striving to live as He did and following His Word. If we want to walk in His footsteps, we must practice righteousness as He did. Our desire to live a life of holiness is evidence that we are one of His children.

(ch. 3 v. 1-3) God's plan didn't stop at saving us from our sins but went as far as to adopt those who believe in Him as His children. This displays how much He loves us because although we rebelled against Him countless times, He is quick to forgive us and accept us into His family. As children of God, we will "look different" from those not living for God. This means as we try to walk as Jesus did, we will also face trials and tribulations as He did on earth. If the world did not accept Him, neither will they accept us. But in our suffering, we have hope because we know Jesus has already conquered the world (John 16:33). When we one day meet Jesus, the full extent of His glory will be revealed to us. The hope that this truth brings us should urge us to conform to His appearance in the present day to prepare for His coming.

(v. 4-6) It is impossible to live without sin, even as believers; however, God's children are called not to fall into a lifestyle of sin. Those who continually sin without the desire to live in holiness are not truly one of God's children. Jesus' had the ability to take the punishment for our sins because He was without sin. Therefore, we cannot claim to abide in the sinless Son of God while still walking in sin. Once we become children of God, we should have the desire to walk in holiness and abide in Him. If we instead fall back into our previous sinful lifestyle, we have not truly known Jesus.

(v. 7-10) John emphasizes the contrast between the "children of God" and "children of the devil." God's children make a lifestyle of holiness and strive to become righteous like Him. Since these people are "born of God" and try to become like God, they do not make a practice of sinning. On the other hand, the children of the devil continually live a life of sin. Because of this, they oppose Jesus, who was sent to destroy the devil's sinful works. In addition, those not born of God lack the love God commands us to have in our hearts.

To summarize, the main difference between true followers of Christ and those falsely claiming to be Christian is how they live their lives. God's children want to be like their Heavenly Father and live holy lives. Instead of living in sin, they live to walk in righteousness and repent of any transgressions. They understand that living as a child of God means living "set apart" from the world and that the world will bring trials and tribulations. However, their hope and strength in Jesus and the knowledge that He has already conquered the world allow them to endure their suffering. In contrast, those who aren't children of God do not have the desire to live for Christ, even if they want the benefit of eternal life. These people continually live in sin without the intention of repentance, which is a lifestyle that directly opposes God. Their life does not reflect Christ but instead reflects things God stands against.

If Jesus were to come right now, how would you feel? Would you be confident, knowing that He would be proud of how you live your life? Or would you feel ashamed and wish you could "postpone" His coming until you can align your life with Him? If your answer is the latter, I want to warn you that we do not know how much time left we have on earth or when Jesus will come. There may not be time to wait to turn your life over to Jesus. Be encouraged that you are never too far gone; God is ready to accept you into His family no matter what you've done in the past. So, let's be true children of God and live our lives like Jesus is coming this very day.

- Lena

Sources:

https://www.blueletterbible.org/comm/guzik_david/study-guide/1-john/1-john-3.cfm?a=1162001