Birthmarks of a Christian

1 John 1:1–4 NIV84

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. We write this to make our joy complete.

The Birthmark of Confession

1 John 5:1 NIV84

Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well.

The Birthmark of Change

1 John 2:29 NIV84

If you know that he is righteous, you know that everyone who does what is right has been born of him.

2 Corinthians 5:17 NIV84

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!

The Birthmark of Compassion

1 John 4:7 NIV84

Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.

The Birthmark of Conflict

1 John 5:4 NIV84

for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.

The word overcome implies a struggle. We are faced with an adversary of which shall overcome.

1 John 2:14 NIV84

I write to you, fathers, because you have known him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God lives in you, and you have overcome the evil one.

1 John 2:15–17 NIV84

Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world—the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does—comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.

The Birthmark of Conduct

There should be evidence for the validity of salvation.

1 John 3:9 NIV84

No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God.

His grace is inexhaustible and His salvation is irreversible.

Confess Jesus as your Lord and Savior and then trust Him with your eternal future. He will never leave you nor forsake you.