Signs of a True Child of God

Passage: 1 John 3:9-10; 1 John 4:4-5

Main Idea: There’s a need to live the Spirit-filled life, which is natural for the children of God.

Message Goal: Encourage the congregation to live a Spirit-filled life through faith that distinguishes us from the rest of the world.

Introduction: The Cracked Bell and New Birth

Recently, the Spirit has impressed upon me the sure need of revival in the American church. Recently, I was speaking with a gentleman who had served as a missionary in over 40 countries. I shared with him of how I had heard of a time where individuals in China were so desirous of the Word of God that they once demanded a missionary to continue preaching into the night—until he preached the entire Bible.

My friend who was a missionary was familiar that sort of hunger for the Word of God. He shared with me of his times in China and the terrible conditions that made sharing the gospel dangerous. He stated that they would generally meet in coffee shops and restaurants to share the gospel. To congregate during this time, as Christians, was forbidden so this was the only option.

On one particular occasion, they were in a coffee shop with a translator who was a bean farmer. As the translator was translating the missionary’s message, the conversation abruptly shifted from why one should receive Jesus to how great coffee was. The translator was confounded, but played along. Moments passed and the translator explained that their conversation seemingly raised suspicion from Chinese officers and they needed to change their talk in order to protect their innocence.

I went on to admire the passion of those in China and lamented the lack of desire for the Word of God in America. I asked the question of what it would be like for us to take all of our resources in America spent on individuals who do not want to hear or engage in the common study of Scripture to those areas that are desiring just one night of biblical study. The missionary responded, “Believe it or not…there are many places in America where people need the gospel.”

This was a reminder of what God had revealed to me some time ago—our revival in America will not be a revival of the “world” but a revival of the church who have died and need to be brought back to life. In other cases there are those that have never been made alive while sitting in the spiritual operating room—refusing to receive the care of the Holy Spirit.

The biggest tragedy of the modern American church is the amount of individuals who have joined an institution without seeking the inward renewal needed to live out a life of faith.

Most people resent the life that is habitually lived in obedience and righteousness. There are many excuses for why this life should not and cannot be lived. The Spirit-filled life has a natural response to the things that tempt us to do other than what is becoming of a believer. Too often we question those give the right response to the challenges of life and those are often seen as weak and “too” submissive. Yet, there is a transformation that should be common among the believers that lead us all to see the value of living like Christ.

There is a fundamental problem with man that simply going to church will not fix. One illustration conveys our lives as a cracked bell. I might even refer to it as not just a cracked bell, but a demolished bell. The author writes,

AMG Bible Illustrations New Birth

Human nature is too bad to be improved, too dilapidated to be repaired. Here is a cracked bell. How can it be restored? By one of two methods. The first is to repair the bell, to encompass it with hoops, to surround it with bands. Nevertheless, you can easily discern the crack of the bell in the crack of the sound. The only effective way is to remelt the bell, recast it, and make it all new; then it will ring clear. And human nature is a bell, suspended high up in the steeple of creation, to ring forth the praises of the Creator. But in the fall in Eden the bell cracked. How can it be restored? By one of two ways. One is to surround it with outward laws and regulations, as with steel hoops. This is the method adopted by philosophy, as embodied in practical statesmanship, and without doubt there is a marked improvement in the sound. Nevertheless, the crack in the metal shows itself in the crack of the tone. The best way is to remelt it, recast it, remold it; and this is God’s method in the Gospel. He remelts our being, refashions us, makes us new creatures in Christ Jesus, zealous unto good works; and by and by we shall sound forth His praises in a nobler, sweeter strain than ever we did before. Heaven’s high arches will be made to echo our anthems of praise.

This “cracked bell” that this explanation refers to is what Paul calls a “wretched man.” In Romans 7, Paul describes himself as a miserable and pitiful man. He is a person that needs deliverance. He sees himself a cracked bell. No matter how much he tries to hide and patch the cracks in his lives with good works, he is unable to make a sound in the earth that resembles the true bell that he is, minus the cracks.

There are some things we can patch up. However, patching these things up will never give us the ability to make the proper sound in the world that draws others to Christ.

This past week, I was in Washington D.C.—the capitol of what some call the United States, but I call the capitol of the world. Many of the world’s decisions are made from that city. Yet, there are many who cannot discern the difference between right or wrong. How do we live out our lives in this world of good and evil? The New Covenant answer is new birth.

New Birth is also referred to a regeneration. Regeneration is defined as,

Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible Regeneration

Inner cleansing and renewal of the human nature by the Holy Spirit. Mankind’s spiritual condition is transformed from a disposition of sin to one of a new relationship with God (Ti 3:5). Regeneration involves both moral restoration and the reception of new life. The idea of regeneration is expressed as rebirth—being born again (Jn 3:3–7). This new birth suggests the newness of life in Christ. The process of regeneration is not brought about by human righteousness but by the gracious act of God (Eph 2:8, 9).

First, we must understand that new birth cannot be separated from the idea that God is ushering in a new world. So, if we are regenerated, we must not think of this regeneration as particular only to ourselves. Rather, we must see regeneration as God’s way of ushering in a new world. Jesus talks about the “renewal of all things” in Matthew 19:28. Again, Acts 3:21, c.f. Matthew 17:11 talks about the restoration of all things. Therefore, we understand that God is restoring me, because He is restoring or regenerating the world.

The Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary provides this amazing definition of renewal:

The Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary Regeneration

The final stage of creation when God’s purposes are fully realized. Regeneration signifies a renovation of all visible things.

When most people think of new birth, they are thinking of personal salvation. Yet, regeneration has to do with what happens after a person is saved. It is the working out of God to make people as new as creation shall be. The key to the renewed creation and the renewed self is the working of the Spirit of God. We need the Holy Spirit to be more than just a feeling we experience. Rather, we need the Spirit to be the inward work of God in our lives that lead to the consistent and habitual act of righteousness.

Paul writes in Galatians 4:6 “6 And because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba, Father!”” He also writes in Romans 8 that the children of God live according to the Spirit and not the flesh. Romans 7:4-6 shows us that we are released from the law and are no longer in the flesh. Therefore, our unity with Christ gives us the ability to produce fruit that are of life through the Spirit. Tony Evans writes,

THE HOLY Spirit helps us to discern. He’s like a burglar alarm at home. When it goes off, you know somebody has come in your house uninvited. When the smoke detector goes off, you know something is awry. When a metal detector at an airport goes off, it makes a beeping sound that gives an alert to check things. These alarms help us to know that something is not quite right. In the same way, the Holy Spirit alarms the soul. (Excerpt from: "Tony Evans' Book of Illustrations: Stories, Quotes, and Anecdotes from More Than 30 Years of Preaching and Public Speaking" by Tony Evans. Scribd.)

God has, through His Spirit, made these cracked bells of ours into a totally remade bell that projects a new sound—a better sound than before. So what are indicators of those who have been made new? John gives us a very clear explanation.

Sermon Points: 1 John 3:9-10

John makes a startling point about those who are God’s children.

The person who commits sin does not know God (1 John 3:6)

The person who commits sin is of the devil (1 John 3:7)

Everyone who is born of God does not sin (1 John 3:9)

There’s an obvious difference between the children of the devil and the children of God (1 John 3:10)

Now it is important to know that Paul is not referring to the simple act of sin, but the habitual practice of sin. In fact, John declares that we will sin, but we have an advocate with the Father. Yet, there is something about the habitual practice of sin that is not consistent with those who are children of God (see 1John 1:8-10, 2:1-2).

In fact, throughout the 3 chapter of 1 John there is the constant use of participles, which denotes the process. That is to say, we all have a choice to progress or digress in our spiritual walk.

Remains in vs. 6 is the continued remaining in Christ

Does what is right in vs. 7 is the continued act of doing the right thing

Commits sin in vs. 4 and 8 is the continued act of committing sin

Born of God in vs. 9 is the continued act of being born of God.

According to John there are two ways to overcome sin:

Abide in Christ (1 John 3:4)

Rebirth (1 John 3:9)

The two primary indicator of being a child of God is found in 1 John 3:10: doing what is right and loving our brother and sister.

Doing what is right means in every given moment, we are people who do the right thing. There are some instances in which we may be found with an opportunity to do something that seems to have little consequence. However, we must understand that our Heavenly Father has given us the responsibility and the power to do the right thing in the moment through His Holy Spirit.

Lastly, the children of God are to be known as individuals of abundant love. Love should flow out of the people of God as if we are an overflowing cup at the summer spring of eternal water.

Let us all be found faithful in the things of God and be proven to be the true children of God.

Conclusion: Victory Through Faith

1 John 4:4-5 shows us that faith plays a critical role in the victory that we as children inherit. There is no way we can possess the Spirit-filled life into it faith.

Victory= faith + Spirit-filled life.

We need faith to live the Spirit-filled life.