Identifying the Children of God: Gospel Today Devotional- 30th April, 2022

Today, we shall be considering lessons from the book of 1st John 3. This is a series that has been on for quite some time now and the goal by the grace of God is to go through the book of 1 John together and thus far, God has been our help. How many of you have been blessed by this series? I know I may not be able to see you in person but I also know that you have been blessed. May we continue to enjoy learning from the word of God. Amen.

 

In our previous study, we established very well the fact that our responsibility as believers is to make sure that we are not deceived. This is because there are many persons out there who are deceiving many with teachings that does not exalt righteousness. Also, in our previous study, we had to draw the line that any teaching that does not exalt righteousness is not of God. It doesn't matter who it comes from or the things such a teaching is made up of. Glory to God.

Well, in today's study, we shall be considering something else but still in chapter 3. It is very important that we are able to identify ourselves as believers. How do I mean? We should by observation or some means be able to say that such and such is a child of God. The question that may come to mind therefore is this, how do we identify those who are children of God if it is indeed important? Having identified others as children of God by the parameters given by scripture, can we also say we are? Let's see the passage of scripture below,

"In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother. [11] For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. [12] Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous". ( 1 John 3:10-12).

The apostle John has been saying quite a number of things right from the very first chapter. While chapter one focused on God and our relationship with him, it seems as though the other chapters focused on believers; how they are to live, what they are to do, and on. Hallelujah! In this particular passage of scripture, I believe that the aim of the apostle John is to give us the parameters by which we can tell for sure that one is a child of God or not. If that is what his aim is, what then did he state as the ways to identifying the children of God different from the children of the devil? Let's take a look at the verses of scripture in our text.

He says the way to identifying the children of God different from the children of the devil is that the children of God do righteousness, in other words, they practice righteousness. This shouldn't be surprising, should it? Of course not. Since scripture has said God is righteous (Psalm 116:5) which of course is the truth, shouldn't those who are his show forth his nature as well? So anyone who does not practice righteousness or hate his brother is not of God. Hallelujah.

If you claim to be a child of God, you must love your brother cause the message from the beginning has always been to love one another. The scripture then makes reference to Cain who killed his brother because he didn't walk in love. He didn't practice righteousness. This is not expected of us as children of God. As children of God, that which reveals our true identity is that people are able to see that we walk in righteousness and in love. Can people identify that you are indeed a child of God? The Lord bless his word in our hearts. Amen.

Thought for the day: You cannot claim to be a child of God while you do not practice righteousness or hate your brother. Can people identify you to be a child of God indeed? Think on these things.

Gospel Today is a comforting, exhorting, edifying and inspiring devotional published by the Delightsome Land Christian Ministry. For questions, enquiries/testimonies, please call/WhatsApp: 08174915361, 08053662272 or Email: [email protected].