If you are born again in Christ, you are no longer a child of the devil, but you have become a child of God. But what does it mean to be a child of God? Because there are a lot of people, who say they are born again, but still walk as the old creation after the flesh and live the same lives as those, who belong to the world.
Becoming a child of God
Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in Him purifieth himself, even as he is pure. Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law. And ye know that He was manifested to take away our sins; and in Him is no sin. Whosoever abides in Him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen Him, neither known Him (1 John 3:1-6)
When you become a child of God; putra Allah, through regeneration in Christ, you have been made holy and righteous. As a child of God you have become holy and righteous and therefore you shall walk in holiness, and in righteousness. You shall live according to His will and you shall keep His commandments, because His Holy Spirit abides in you.
Because the Holy Spirit dwells in you, you have received His nature and you shall live from your new nature. You have crucified your old nature (your flesh), and have received His nature, therefore you shall walk in this new nature after the Spirit.
You are Seated in Jesus Christ at the right hand of God. That’s your new place.
Before you got dilahirkeun deui, your place was on this earth, and you were subjected to all powers and forces of darkness, that rule in this world. You were their slave, and they ruled over you (in the flesh).
Did they have the right to rule over you? Actually not, because Jesus took their authority, but they just did it anyway, and they still do it.
They still have the ability to work in the flesh (jiwa jeung raga) of men, and as long as a person walks after the flesh, he/she shall be dominated by these forces.
But Jesus didn’t suffer and didn’t give up His own life, (for kersa Gusti) for you, so that you will be dominated, and ruled by these wicked forces of the enemy.
It was God’s will that you would become a child of God; His child; His son; ciptaan anyar, born out of His Spirit, living in holiness and righteousness, and being completely obedient to the Word of God.
Seated in Jesus Christ
When you walk after the Spirit and stay in Him (stay in His Word), then you shall sit at the right hand of God. You shall sit, with Jesus Christ, in the heavenly places, jeung reign with Him above all powers of darkness.
When you take your position in Him, and live according to His will, only then shall you be able to create order on this earth.
The world is one big chaos
There are all kinds of things going on in this world; wars, pestilence, natural disasters, etc. People are living after the lusts and desires of their flesh, they do what they want and do everything that God has forbidden.
The main spirit of this world is to live for the ‘self’ and fulfill their own lusts and desires.
People live after the flesh. Sumuhun, even ‘Christians’ are partakers of this world, they want to be accepted by the world, and they want to be liked and adapt their behavior.
There is hardly any distinction in lifestyle between a sinner, and a Christian. They both live according to their own will, their own lusts, jeung kahayang.
The only difference is that the so-called Christian uses the grace of God to justify sins and to keep sinning.
Where are the saints?
But where are the saints, in Jesus Christ? Where did they go? Where are:
- The saints who walk in holiness and righteousness and turn away from evil; from sin
- The saints who walk in humility and submission to the will of God instead of their own will and the will of people
- The saints who walk in the authority of Jesus Christ and keep His commandments.
- The saintsobey the Word of God instead of adjusting the Word of God to a worldly lifestyle that is full of sins
Who dares to take a stand for God and His Word and stand against this world system?
Who dares to take a stand for Jesus Christ?
As soon as you become a child of God, you don’t belong to the world anymore and therefore the world shall not recognize you anymore, that’s what the Word says.
The world shall not understand you and therefore you shall not be able to have communion with the world. You live in another Kingdom, then the world lives in.
The world is not able to comprehend the things of the Spirit, because they are not born again in the Spirit, and don’t have the Holy Spirit of God abiding in them.
But what do most Christians do in this age? They don’t walk, as a child of God anymore. But they live like the world (who have the devil as their father).
Many Christians are not children of obedience but have become prideful rebellious children, who walk in maksiat ka Allah.
They are carnal and walk after the flesh, and therefore pride and rebellion are part of their character.
The ‘self’ is king in their lives. They do what they want, live the way they want to live, and satisfy the lust and desires of their flesh.
But as soon as someone disobeys the Word of God; Yesus, then (s)he lives in rebellion, against Him, and therefore lives in sin.
Why did Jesus walk without sinning?
Why did Jesus walk without sinning? Because Jesus loved God, His Father above all, and therefore Jesus was obedient to the will of His Father. Jesus did whatever pleased God. Because of the fact that Jesus stayed in God’s will and kept His commandments, there was no sin in His life and there’s still no sin in Him.
When you live in Christ, it means that you live according to the Word; His will.
As long as you keep walking after His will, and keep His commandments, you withdraw yourself from sin.
That’s why it’s so important to know the Word, so that you will learn His will. Through the Word, anjeun bakal kenal ka Anjeunna, and when you obey the Word you shall live according to His will.
If you love Him and keep His commandments, you will stay in Him and shall not walk in sin.
But if you become disobedient to Him and don’t keep His commandments, you shall leave Him, and you shall walk in sin.
If you keep walking in sin, it means that you don’t love Him. Even when you say that you do love Him. Remember, your actions speak louder than words. Your actions show, who you really are:
- a child of God, who believe His Word and obeys His Word and keeps His commandments and walks after the Spirit, or
- a child of the devil, who believe the words of the world and obeys them and keeps the commandments of the world, and walks after the flesh.
‘Be the salt of the earth’
