You do realize, I hope, that a person can be a ‘good Methodist’ or a ‘good Baptist’ or even a ‘good-devoted tongue-talking-Pentecostal’...and still not be...a child of God, yes?

And if that offends you, no worries...you are in good company. Jesus highly offended a group of ‘good Jewish Pharisees’ when He told them outright that the devil was their father. (John 8:44)

I don’t say this to start an argument or to offend anyone either; it’s just that when you go back and start reading to see what our beloved Bibles really says...a different picture can begin to come into focus that reveals another story...and it really is worth taking a look at. (Acts 17:11)

In order for one to truly become a child of God (as in ‘the God’ who created the heavens and the earth) one must be ‘born again’ or ‘born from above, according to Jesus. (John 3:3,5) That would also be the same God and Father that Jesus prayed to, and claimed to be the Son of...as in the ‘only begotten Son of God’. (John 3:16)

Here’s an interesting verse you might mull over sometime today...it’s found in Romans 8:29. Paul was explaining how those whom God foreknew, He also ‘predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He (Jesus) might be the firstborn among many ... brethren.”

Notice it didn’t say ‘firstborn of many church members’ or ‘faithful Catholics/Presbyterians/ ________’s’.

Jesus was to be the firstborn of many brethren...meaning those brethren would have the same Father as He (Jesus ) did. Are you still with me? And if there is any question here as to ‘who’ those brethren are, take a look at Luke 8:21 where Jesus felt a need to clear up the apparent confusion that was among that crowd when He stated for all to hear:

“My mother and My brothers are these who hear the word of God...and do it.”

Who did Jesus say would be the ones that will enter in to the kingdom of heaven as recorded in Matt. 7:21? “Not everyone who says, ‘Lord, Lord’ will enter the kingdom of heaven but those who do...the will of My Father in heaven.” Maybe it would be wise that we understand just what...the ‘will of the Father is’, you think? (Eph.5:10; 1 Thess. 4:3; Heb. 10:36; 1 John 2:17)

It’s easy for us to get corralled into various denominational groups who teach we just have to do ‘step 1-2-3 according to their traditions and then we are ‘saved’ and/or a ‘child of God’. But the more you study, the more you begin to realize that not everyone out there is correct; which explains why we have nearly 400 ‘Christian denominations’ today. Paul warned this would probably happen in 2 Cor. 11:2-4 referring to a slew of gospels and other Jesus’s that would be coming down the pipe to deceive people.

But make no mistake about it...becoming a genuine child of God is still very much a possible reality today; but in order for that to happen...you have to go through the same process that Jesus did, in a sense...and be ‘born again’. That’s what we’ve been talking about the past few days here. We have to receive the ‘word’ in the same way that Mary did when Jesus was ‘conceived’ within her. (Luke 1:38). She ‘received the Word and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us”. (John 1:1,14)

And while not everyone is open to receiving Him in to their lives, “as many as received Him, to them He gave the right or power to ...become...children of God...” (John 1:11-12)

Again, it bears worth repeating...not ‘everyone who says, ‘Lord, Lord’...becomes a child of God. But ‘those who are led by His Spirit, these...are the sons of God.” (Rom. 8:14)

When a person is genuinely ‘born again’, they actually become a ‘new creation’. (2 Cor. 5:17) which means they ‘become partakers of His divine nature’. (2 Peter 1:4) having been “born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever.” (1 Pet. 1:23)

Remember how Jesus told the parable of the sower and this person goes out and ‘sows the seed’ which falls on various types of soil (hearts)? Jesus explained to His disciples later on when alone with them, that the ‘seed is the word of God’. (Luke 8:11). And even though this same seed was sown, it did not mature to fruitfulness in all those different soils.

If you remember from yesterday, I was talking about how not every time seed is ‘sown’ into a man’s wife...does conception take place. So equating the act of seed being sown, or even receiving the seed/word, does not always mean genuine birth (fruitfulness) will follow. But to those who do believe...that word/seed will work ‘effectively’ within you. (1 Thess. 2:13). And it’s pretty hard for a pregnant woman to hide the fact that new life is forming within her. ;-)

Can we get serious here for a moment though? Something we should be aware of, but not afraid of, is the fact that whenever God is wanting to birth something new in our lives, there is a spiritual enemy who is ready to pounce and attempt to stop that new life. That’s probably why Peter cautions us to be sober and vigilant. (1 Pet. 5:8)

But look back to the parable of the sower again, first in Mark 4:15 and then Luke 8:11-12. We learn that when anyone hears the word of God, Satan comes immediately to take away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be...saved.” Isn’t that interesting? (Ever ask yourself how he might do that?)

Also...when God was getting ready to raise up Moses to deliver His people, do you remember what Pharaoh ordered all the midwives to do to the Israeli women who birthed boys? He wanted them killed. And what about after Jesus was born and news found its way to Herod that a new ‘King’ had been born...what did he send his troops to do in that area? He wanted all children under the age of 2 to be killed. This ‘war’ is serious stuff, friends. And as I stated yesterday, when growing and development in your Christian experience has stopped, something is terribly wrong. Nothing terrifies a pregnant woman more than when she senses no movement and then has a prolonged wait as the doctor searches carefully for a heartbeat.

I mentioned in yesterday’s post how there seems to be an absence of urgency over the importance of such things...that we are overcoming sin, the flesh, and the devil as we are conformed to the image and likeness of Christ. I would even suggest that the reason for this lack is because so many have been taught that the moment they ‘said that prayer’ that all was eternally secured in their soul and that nothing could ever ‘separate them from the love of God’, nor could anyone ‘snatch them from His hand’.

Can we take a look at those promises for a second? Read John 10:22-30 where Jesus was teaching in the temple. He told a number of the Jews that were questioning Him that they “were not His sheep”. (26). He goes on to say: “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.” (27). You might jot down Matt. 7:23 next to that verse. That’s the one where Jesus tells a bunch of folks who assumed they were ‘sheep’ that He ‘never knew them’. Do you know why? They continued to practice sin.

He goes on...the sheep that He does know and hear His voice and follow Him... He ‘gives them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall anyone snatch THEM out of My hand.” (28)

And if you are gonna ‘hang your hat’ on Romans 8:35-39 about how ‘nothing shall separate us from the love of God’, two things you might want to consider here. 1- Do you believe then, that the whole world will be ‘saved’ and enter in to the kingdom heaven, regardless if they have been truly born again, or not? Because that verse we love to wave everywhere says that God ‘loved the whole world’. (John 3:16). And if that is the case, then what to you do with the multiple verses that say otherwise, even warning we be not deceived because ‘such and such folks will not enter the kingdom’? ( 1 Cor. 6:9-10; Gal. 5:21; Eph. 5:5;...to name a few)

Or when Paul says ‘nothing shall separate ...us’ ... who do you think ‘us’ includes, ...the whole world whom God loves? ...or...maybe those who are walking in covenant with God, through Christ who has become Lord of all. And IF...He is truly ‘Lord’, won’t you be doing as He directs? ‘Why do you call Me, Lord, Lord, and not do the things I say? (Luke 6:46)

Did Jesus tell us to ‘abide in Him’? (John 15:4). Does John not tell us that whoever claims to abide in Him ‘ought himself to walk just as He walked’? (1 John 2:6). Did John not also write for all the world to see that “whoever abides in Him does not sin.”? (1 John 3:6). Did John not finish up his letter by stating that “We know that whoever is born of God does not sin..” (1 John 5:18)

Oh...and the deal about distinguishing who is a ‘child of God’ and a ‘child of the devil’...John said it would be easy to tell if you want to just turn back to 1 John 3:9-10 and read aloud to yourself.

As I was pondering all these passages and then writing this out, this thought hit me – “Lord...there could very well be more than a few people who may be reading these postings I share daily and have a heart-wrenching moment and actually call into question as to whether they themselves have ever truly been ‘born again’, maybe even recognizing they have not been living like a child of God is supposed to be living.”

That was followed up by this thought: “Is that really a bad thing? Especially...if it’s truth that sets them free?” (John 8:32-36). Which then leads me to the good news...We can be free indeed. Now go read the first three verses of 1 John 3.

There may be some shame and remorse for living a ‘form of godliness’ for such a long period of time, deceived as we were. But my goodness...to finally discover after all those years you kept telling yourself...there ‘has to be more to this than what you have known’...learning that you were right; there is! It’s called ‘coming to our senses’. (Luke 15:17) Welcome home, prodigal child...I believe I hear the sound of a party starting up as a fatted calf is being prepared. “My son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found. And they began to be merry.” (Luke 15:20-24)