Wednesday in the WORD! "Living Because We're God's Children"

1 John 3:4-10 "Living BECAUSE we're God's Children"


I've heard it so many times in church and from fellow believers.  "We should live like children of God." And yes, this is true.  But it can carry a wrong attitude with it can't it.  It sounds like a works based thing.  I say say we should live BECAUSE we are children of God.  What's the difference?


Living LIKE God's children carries the idea like all we have to do is be like, and live like God's children to be accepted by Him.  Living BECAUSE we're God's children carries the idea that WE'RE ALREADY ACCEPTED by Him.  The passage we just read last week already told us we're God's children.  He loves us so much already, He can't love us any more.  No matter what we do, good or bad.  So we don't live LIKE God's children, we live AS God's children. We already are His children, and if we are then we will live like it!!


So how do God's children live? Perfect? Without any sin? NO! That's not with this passage is teaching.  It seems like it is telling us that if we are God's children, then we won't sin anymore.  But that can't be true, because we still sin. So what does it mean when it says those who know God don't continue in sin? (6) Or those who sin are of the devil? (8)  Or no one born of God continues to sin? (9) Or anyone who does not do right of not God's child? (10) This is hard to swallow considering he told us in chapter 1 to just admit that we all sin! So what's he saying?


I think he's saying the same thing Paul says in Romans 7. That as new believers under the forgiveness of Christ, our will is changed.  We are taken out of our sinful state and given a new heart that wants to do good and is capable of doing good, but our sinful nature our old self is fighting against our new nature and cause us to do what we do not want to do and not do what we want to do.  We really are changed! We really do want to do good, and follow Christ, but we stumble and fall.  We're sinners and we still revert back to our old ways.  But in the long run, a changed heart will continue toward Christ in spiritual growth.  God has promised to us that He who began a good work in us, will carry it out to completion until the day of Christ Jesus (Philippians 1:6). It's not immediate.  It's ongoing until the final day when we see Jesus Christ.  We will always struggle with sin, but for those who have been truly changed and reborn of God, will continue to grow more and more like Christ and more and more away from habitual sinful patterns.  Do't forget why John said he wrote this, "So that you will not sin," (2:1) but for any one who does sin we have an advocate with the Father through Jesus Christ (2:1). This is the same encouragement Paul finds in the gospel.  Who will save us from the body of death, that keeps on sinning even though we have been saved by grace? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!" (Rom. 7:24-25) The one who saved us, will continue to hold us until the final day. (John 6:37-40). We live BECAUSE we're God's children, and he keeps us and grows us to be more like Christ.


Kent Suits,
Youth Director


Next Week: 1 John 3:11-24 "Love Each Other"