Children of the Light

Children of the Light 

by David Brenneman 

‭"See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is. And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure. Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness. You know that He appeared in order to take away sins; and in Him there is no sin. No one who abides in Him sins; no one who sins has seen Him or knows Him. Little children, make sure no one deceives you; the one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous; the one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil. No one who is born of God practices sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. By this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious: anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor the one who does not love his brother. For this is the message which you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another; not as Cain, who was of the evil one and slew his brother. And for what reason did he slay him? Because his deeds were evil, and his brother’s were righteous. Do not be surprised, brethren, if the world hates you. We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love abides in death. Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer; and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoever has the world’s goods, and sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him? Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth. We will know by this that we are of the truth, and will assure our heart before Him in whatever our heart condemns us; for God is greater than our heart and knows all things. Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; and whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do the things that are pleasing in His sight. This is His commandment, that we believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as He commanded us. The one who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. We know by this that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us." 1 John 3:1-24.

Much to take in...but should be understood. We reflect in the practice of life whom we follow in this life, in this world.  

John used the word "practices" here. Peter's used it, Paul has extensively used it in the book of Romans.  

We all have things that we do that are practices. Those things we intentionally do because it's our desire to do them for a set list of reasons that make sense to us. We only delude ourselves when we claim ignorance and call them bad habits...thus shirking the responsibility.  

We get up for the day. This is actually a practice. We realize the need to get dressed. This too is a practice. We, in choosing clothing, are often attempting a level of asthetics. Some level that doesn't draw undo attention towards ourselves. We often have a favorite drink that gets our day going. For me it's coffee. It's my practice to have coffee in the mornings. 

See what practices mean yet?

What we choose, whether we accept responsibility for or not since we DID choose, is a practice with regards to living life.

Believers choose the practice of the righteousness of God. To learn from the Bible, to learn from the Helper, the Spirit of God. To choose obedience with regards to the commands of God. This is the Christian practices.

In Hebrews we have what's been referred to as the Faith Chapter. Many people who chose the path of righteousness in Christ. They chose the practices that became a pattern of obedience in Christ Jesus. 

Before you, just as it was written in the proclamation to the children of Israel is life and peace or death and destruction. We must choose the path of righteousness in order to walk in it.

Look at your life. Be brutally honest with yourself. Are you showing a life to yourself and others that you are a child of God? That you live a life saying that you are practicing righteousness? Choosing to please your Father in Heaven? 

You can't be a person who consistently practicing both righteousness and the darkness of this present age. 

Are you choosing to live the life before you as one who claims that you are a child of God?  

Does what pleases God please you? We tend to try to please the people we surround ourselves with. We want acceptance.  

Sometimes pleasing God is going to mean not pleasing those around us. You are on your own journey with Jesus. You must still choose to practice righteousness regardless of the way the world is going to receive it.

Remember the darkness hates the Light of Jesus Christ. It's going to until that day that was established by the Father for Jesus to return and He deals with it in the preceding 1007 years.  

Examine yourself. Look for those things that are not showing obedience to God's Word and ask the Spirit for help in dealing with them.  

When we live a life of practiced righteousness in Christ Jesus we add to that crown of glory that we give back to Jesus when our lives are examined by Him.

The world is going to have a problem with the Children of the Light. Expect it. Trust God to see you through it. Be intentional on practicing righteousness. Temptations are always going to be subtle with regards to derailing any plans on practicing righteousness. 

Really keep hold of this example. 

A right sized obstacle, merely large as a pebble, can derail a freight train. It doesn't take much thought to cascade us down the wrong path. Our rescue is but a prayer away. 

Trust in the Lord with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6.

All NASB 1995 and NASB Scripture Excerpts used by permission. (C) Lockman Foundation.