ESOCS Devotional 13 December
TEXT: 1 JOHN 3:14-24
MEMORY VERSE: ““But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?” 1 John 3:17
Reference to living as God’s children, points to the fact that we necessarily maintain cordial fellowship/relationship with Christ, so that when He returns we will be full of courage, and not shrink back from Him in shame. Furthermore, knowing that Christ is righteous, we should also know that all who do what is right are the children of God. (1 John 2:28-29).
John in his writing affirms that a Christian has the ability to know whether he is saved or not (v 14). The evidence of his salvation is his behavioural relationship he maintains with the brethren and the commandments of God (John 13:34-35). Since the worldly people are able to identify the Christian to be of God, by his lifestyle, John therefore insists that the same lifestyle is evidence of one’s son-ship. On the other hand, the persecution that comes from the world, is also evidence of one’s behavioural relationship with God and the brethren (1 John 2:9-11).
Another evidence in the life of a child of God, is that his life projects an image of one who has passed out of the unregenerate life of sin (Eph. 1:1-5; Col. 2:13; John 5:24), and into the eternal life in Christ (John 5:11-12), as well as the loving relationship he maintains with the brethren in Christ Jesus. So brethren, let’s keep our relationship with God burning and our love for the brotherhood at the fullest, in order to keep living separate from the rest of the world as children of the Most High.
Read yesterday’s ESOCS Devotional here
CHALLENGES
- If we live as God’s children, the world around us will testify. Is this statement true?
PRAYER POINT
Lord, I need your presence every hour that I may continually live as your elect. Amen.
FURTHER READING: Proverbs 11:22-31; Prov. 13:1-16; 1 John 4:1-10
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ESOCS Devotional 13 December
