In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest:
Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother.
1 John 3:10
The Holy Spirit is letting us know how to tell believers from non-believers. Righteousness. Brotherly Love. These two characteristics mark God’s people. God’s people will practice righteousness and they will love their fellow believers with more than words. It is not surprising that the system built by unbelievers flows against us. As we stand against flow of the world system we need to love and support each other.
Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil. (1 John 3:8) Those who have been born of God will stop sinning and the seed of God grows in Him. Surely John is thinking back to the parable Jesus told about the four kinds of soil. (Matthew 13:1-8, Mark 4:1-8, & Luke 8:4-8) If the seed remains it produces fruit. If it is taken away, burned out, or choked out then the soil is unproductive.
Our love for each other is the proof that we have received salvation. It shows that we understand that Christ died for us before He asked anything of us. We understand that He has laid His life down for ours, so our life belongs to Him. We like Him are ready to lay down our life for our brothers. We love with more than words. We are able to share our time, talent, and treasures when God’s family (our family?) is in need. Obeying the commandment to love one another is what keeps our conscience clean. This clear conscience gives us confidence with Jesus. With this confidence we are able to ask for God’s blessings because we know we have been helping others. We know that God will honor us when we obey Him by imitating His character. God is a giver and He honors those who give freely like Him.
Let’s distinguish ourselves from the world by letting the seed of God grow in us until it pushes out the unrighteousness in us. Let’s prove our salvation by love for the family of God. Scripture commands us to love each other like Jesus did. Let’s obey that command to honor our Lord and proclaim His message with authority.
Tending The Soil Of My Heart,
Pastor Jason
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