Key Word: Children
In chapters 3 and 5 John writes of children of God. In chapter 3 he contrasts children of God with children of the devil. As you read through the book, how do you become a child of God? How do you know if you are a child of God or a child of the devil? What other contrasts do you see in the book?
"This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God; nor is anyone who does not love his brother."
ReplyDeleteRemember John is not telling us how to become a child of God. He is giving us "tests" to know whether or not we are children of God. Here he gives two tests. The tests are doing right and loving your brother.
How are we doing?
One thing I noticed reading chapter three and thinking about being a child of God is realizing that, just as human children resemble their parent, I'm to resemble my Father in heaven. One way this chapter already says I'm like him is that the world doesn't "know" me because it doesn't "know" him.
ReplyDeleteThe chapter goes on to say that we can resemble our Father by practicing righteousness and loving our brothers. And while this is something I can continuously improve on now, in a sense, I won't be able to resemble as much as I possibly can until Jesus returns, as John writes "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."
Chapter 5.1-2 says, "Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his children as well. This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commandments."
ReplyDeleteWe do not earn rebirth any more than a baby earns birth. God rebirths us when we believe that Jesus is the Messiah.