Born of God

For whatever is born of God overcomes the world….

(1 John 5:4, NKJV)

When we come across big imposing trees, we stop to appreciate the wonder of their size and the beauty they give us.  Each tree or plant in life, comes from a seed which is often very small compared to the plant.  For most food plants, for example maize and beans, a single seed produces many other seeds multiplying itself in its fruit at harvest.   One could look at a seed and despise it but the true potential of any seed is only understood by God and nature.  This is true for animals and people where the seeds appear in different forms.  What is true in all cases is that the seed always produces after its own kind, a mango bears mangoes, an apple tree produces apples, a cat produces kittens a human or animal offspring carries the characteristics of his/her parents.  When we look at the final product, we can almost always identify the seed or parent that brought the fruit forth.

Looking at our reference verse, we therefore understand that those who are born of God will do what God does and by their characteristics, they will be known as His.  God in the beginning, commanded creation to bring forth vegetation after its own kind (Genesis 1:11-12), which means that this law of reproduction from the source, was set by God.  In the same manner, when we become the children of God, then we need to carry the same attributes of God in our lives.  When the word gives us God’s character of truth, faithfulness and love, to mention a few, then that is what our lives also ought to reflect.  This is strengthened by His word that He changes not, He remains the same  yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13:8).   That steady character of God takes away the confusion of who then we ought to be.  We also are reminded that His promises to His children are already settled, they are yes and amen (2 Corinthians 1:20).  This is an assurance of guaranteed fulfillment.  All this is to say that when God asks us to follow Him and be like Him, then we can be confident that He will help us through.

Our Lord Jesus told us  what to do.  He clarified that He had given us an example of what we should do, His life is the template that we need to live by (John 13:15-17).  He commanded us to love others just as He has loved us (John 13:34).  When we look at the life of Jesus our big brother, we get clarity of how our lives need to be.  God has not called us to develop our own template of behaviour, Jesus’ life is what we are called to copy and grow into.  In another passage, Jesus stressed that we are known to love Him if we keep His commandments (John 14:15).  Loving others is a commandment from Jesus and it is in keeping it by loving others that we show the fruit of God’s seed in us.  There is also the mention of being holy.  Jesus being fully man and fully God, did not sin but remained holy.  God expects us to be holy for He is holy (1 Peter 1:15-16).  This is where we become like God, like our Father.  Beloved, this is a high calling that by ourselves would feel like we are staged to fail, but thanks be to God He has not left us to our own devices and abilities.  Jesus understanding how overwhelming this expectation would be for us, promised us the Holy Spirit as our helper who teaches us all things (John 14:26).  The Holy Spirit brings to our awareness the desires and attributes of God and then helps us to fulfill them, glory to God.  It is not the Father’s intention to burden us with commandments we cannot meet, but He offers us victory when we are born of Him (1 John 5:1-4).  Brethren, we are not to struggle by ourselves for we cannot humanly meet the righteousness of a holy God, instead, we lean into the help of the Holy Spirit and day be day we are transformed into the likeness of His Son, Jesus Christ. Our victory is premised on our being born of God. Amen.

Thoughts:

Are you overcoming the world?

How are you growing in the heritage of a child of God?

What hinders your overcoming as a child of God?