What it means to be a child of God
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Welcome everyone
Door to door ministry
If you prayed for us this past Sunday we are grateful
We had a one profession of faith
We also had several complete gospel presentations
We got to meet some of our new neighbors in the area
Unless something changes, we are going to do it again on the 25th (which is a Sunday afternoon)
So if you couldn’t make it last time you have another opportunity
If you are uncomfortable talking to people about the gospel don’t be afraid to come
You don’t have to talk to people!
You can stay at the church and pray
Or you can come out with us and just watch!
One of the best ways to learn is by watching someone else do it
I want to tell you why I love this ministry
It is every believer’s calling to share their faith
And this ministry offers hands on training on how to do that
It is my desire that this ministry will help us learn to share our faith in everyday life
The message today is: “What it means to be a child of God”
There is a common thought today that everyone is a child of God.
All people regardless of how they live are God’s little children
But that’s not exactly biblical
1 John 2:28-29
I want to first point out the exhortation to “abide in Him”
This is the seventh time John has told his readers to abide
To abide means to keep our deep and personal relationship with Jesus Christ
It means to cling to Him especially in these un certain days
There are multitudes falling away from the church today
More than ever we need to abide in Him
Christ is coming
That is a guaranteed biblical fact
And the child of God keeps his eyes focused on that fact with anticipation to meet His Savior
1 John 2:28-29
#1) There must be a spiritual birth
#1) There must be a spiritual birth
“everyone also who practices righteousness is born of Him”
A child of God must be born into the family of God
John 3:3 “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
This is not speaking of a physical birth
Everyone has a physical birth
Our physical birth brings us into our earthly family
When you are born you become a child of your mother and father
But to enter the family of God one must be born spiritually
This is a work of God and not a work of man
The only way to be born spiritually is to be born by the Spirit
John 3:5 “...unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God”
Salvation is not something that we do, it is something that God does within us
Yes we must truly repent of our sins
Yes, we must turn from our old life
Yes we must give control of our lives over to the Lord
But we cannot save ourselves!
We cannot make ourselves children of God!
Jonah 2:9 “Salvation comes from the Lord”
John 6:44 “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him”
Eph 2:8 “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God”
The only way a person can experience a spiritual birth is on God’s time in God’s way
That may be in a church service
It could be at lunch in front of co-workers
It may be at a low time in our life
BUT it can only happen when God presents the opportunity
That is why it is so vital that when God calls we go or we forfeit an opportunity
No one can be a child of God apart from a true spiritual birth
This is supernatural when our eyes are opened
For the first time we are led by the Spirit of God
And we have a relationship with God the Father
#2) There must be a personal relationship
#2) There must be a personal relationship
(3:1) “Behold, what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God”
A spiritual birth begins a lifelong relationship with God
The relationship is as a father to his children
He’s not a distant Creator that we hope will take us to heaven one day
He’s not someone whom we are far from anymore
A relationship is intimate
What kind of a Father does’t speak to His children?
What kind of Father does not discipline His children?
What kind of Father does not bless His children?
What kind of Father does not guide His children?
God is like a father is to a son but even more so than our earthly fathers
By being “born of Him” we become His son or daughter “that we should be called children of God”
We experience “sonship” to a holy God who created everything
He is no longer a judge to us
Wed on’t fear judgement anymore
We are right with God
We have peace with God
He is our loving Father and we long to please Him as a child longs to please their parent
We experience supernatural love for the first time
This love is imparted to believes not just shown to them
This love is much different then John 3:16
By what manner of love the Father has bestowed (given) to us
This love is now felt for the first time
It has been imputed to us
We begin to be separated from this world
Those who belong to God no longer belong to this world
To have a spiritual birth positions us into the kingdom of God
This is why many Christians do not have non-christian friends
Because they have nothing in common
Because they are walking through this world in two different directions
Because they are following two completely different systems
This is why John told us, “Do not love this world”
1 John 3:2-3
#3) There must be a transformation into Christ-likeness
#3) There must be a transformation into Christ-likeness
“It has not appeared what we will be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is”
No one who is born remains a baby all his life
unless your name is Benjamin Button you will follow the regular cycle of life
People are born
They grow
Then they die
Children of God are very similar
We are born spiritually
And grow spiritually into the image of Christ
BUT we never die spiritually
“It has no appeared what we will be”
John is speaking about the transformation in the life of a believer
We do not know exactly what lies ahead for us
But the transformation we are experiencing in this life gives us clues
Because we are being consistently transformed into the image of Jesus Christ
That transformation in this life is the basis of hope for our future life
“We know that we shall be like Him”
How do we know?
Because it is already in the process right now!
Every child of God should be able to look back over the past five years ten years and see how much they have changed!
We are being constantly transformed into the image of Christ
“but we KNOW that when He is revealed we shall be like Him”
John is speaking about our heavenly state
We KNOW there is life after life because of what is happening in us right now
And we KNOW the life we have now is not worth comparing to the life that is to come
For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.
Oh the day when we see Christ we shall be like Him!
We will have the full glory of God with us
We will experience a true sinless life!
We will know each other like we have never known them!
No more sin
No more pain
No more death
No more suffering!
(v 3) “And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure”
This purification John is speaking about…it is what we do in this life!
Spiritual growth is a two way street
It is a work of God
And it is a work of man
John is speaking about the human side here!
The habit of a child of God is to pursue holiness
It’s is not optional
It is foundational!
This is what it means to be a child of God!
Why do we pursue holiness?
Because of this great hope that we have!
Because of what God is already doing within us!
It’s because we KNOW we are going to see the face of God that day
It’s because we have a God given desire to be like Christ
How do we purify ourselves?
2 Pet 1:5-8 “Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
How do we purify ourselves?
We embrace those Christian virtues
We make it our lifelong goal to live these out
And they should be ever increasing in our life
Verses 4-9
#4) The child of God possess the nature of God
#4) The child of God possess the nature of God
“No one born of God practices sin”
It is impossible for a child of God to live in sin
To sin is to break the law
Now we all sin in our lives
But the idea here is to do it willingly
Again and again
And again
When we practice something
We do it because we want to
We enjoy it and look forward to it
Basketball players practice to be good at it
They practice because they love it
They would call themselves basketball players
Those who practice sin live in sin with no inclination to turn from it
There may be some guilt, but only if they get caught
There may be some remorse, but only if they suffer consequences
But not the child of God?
“because His seed abides in Him”
The child of God does not practice sin because he cannot practice sin
The word seed means character or nature
The reason children of God do not practice sin is because they possess the nature of God.
And the God’s nature is holiness not sin
And to be a child of God means to be led by the Spirit of God
For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.
Our human nature is no longer in control
Yes it still tempts us, but He who is in us is greater than He who is in the world
And when we are born spiritually we have the power to say no to sin
“…and he cannot sin, because he is born of God”
This doesn’t mean that he is incapable of sinning
This doesn’t mean that a child of God is sinless
It DOES mean that it is not possible for a child of God to practice sin
God will not let him do so
Heb 12:6 “For those whom the Lord loves He disciplines, And He scourges every son whom He receives”
1 John 3:10
#5) There will be a noticeable difference between the two (v 10)
#5) There will be a noticeable difference between the two (v 10)
There are only two kinds of people in this world
The saved
The lost
At the final judgement there will be two options
Those whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life
Those who’s names remain in the book of deeds
Jesus said he would separate the sheep from the goats
Over an over and the Bible speaks of only two kinds of people
No one can be in the middle
It’s our nature that really tells us who we are
Those who do not practice righteousness
And those who do not love the brethren are not children of God
The children of God
Have had a spiritual birth
Have a personal relationship with God
Are experiencing transformation
Have the nature of God within them
And do not practice sinning
This is not a call to be judge mental towards the world or anyone else
It is a call to do a self-reflection
We should look at our own lives and be sure we are children of God
And if you are not, you need a spiritual brith
That happens at the cross
Come and give your life to Jesus Christ
Repent of your sin
And put your faith in Him
~PRAYER~
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