By nature, we
are all born sinners. Sinners, not by what we did, but, by who we are – descendants
of Adam. No wonder Paul exclaimed “Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed
upon us, that we should be called the sons of God…”. This is true for only
those, who through a proper understanding of Christ’s explanation found in John
Chapter 3, are now born again.
Becoming a child
of God transforms the believer, making him distinct from those who do not walk
with Christ. Thus they grow in Christ, the world becomes less and less able to recognise
or even relate to them. At salvation, a believer is delivered from the lies,
selfishness, ungodly desires and hatred propagated by Satan.
At salvation,
sinful actions become detestable and are rejected. When sin does occur in a
believer’s life, it is not excused or ignored, but dealt with through
repentance. It is a call for believers to embrace a lifestyle that actively
shuns sin and pursues Christ – a dramatic change from their lives before
salvation. Those who continue to allow Satan’s works to exist in their lives will
soon begin to resemble him, not only in their actions, but also their desires.
Just as a
parent passes certain traits to his or her children, being born of God has a fundamental
impact on who we are, how we live and what we value. Genuine faith results in transformation,
and we become dramatically different from those around us. Yet it is easy to
become apathetic, and forget that putting our faith on display demands a daily
decision to love.
Take a moment
to think about those people in your life who might be moved by a display of
Christ’s love in action. Is there a neighbour in crisis? Perhaps a sceptical co-worker
who dismisses Christians as hypocrites. Or someone at church going through a
time of discouragement.
Resolve to look
for opportunities to put Christ’s love on display for those people. Make a
personal sacrifice of time or resources to impact someone’s life this week. The
bible said that the love we have for one another would identify us as God’s
children. Are you experiencing a strained relationship with a fellow Christian?
Take the initiative to begin the restoration process. Ask God for direction and
help in demonstrating His love no matter the response.
Welcome back to
Sunday School Diaries