The fruit we bear as a result of abiding in Christ is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
Are you a child of God? You might be surprised that
I asked, because you are wondering, “Isn’t everyone a child of God?” What kind
of evidence should there be?
In order for that separation to be bridged, God sent
His only Son to die in our place -- to take on the punishment that we deserved.
As a result, Jesus became our sin-bearer. And the Bible says faith in Jesus as
our Savior restores our relationship. God doesn’t force us to believe in Him;
it is a choice each individual has to make on his or her own. “If you confess
with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised Him
from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9 NIV). Also, the apostle Paul
reminded the Church of Galatia, “You are all sons of God through faith in Christ
Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves
with Christ” (Galatians 3:26 NIV).
Sin placed us in the devil’s kingdom of darkness,
but God transfers us into His kingdom of light when we place our faith in
Jesus. Only then can we claim that we are God’s children. The apostle Paul
reminded the Corinthians of God’s promise: “I will be a Father to you, and you
will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty” (2 Corinthians 6:18
NIV). If being created by God automatically made us His children, this promise,
“I will be,” would not be necessary. But as it stands, we need to become His
children.
There are characteristics of the children of God,
and there are characteristics of the children of the devil; they are not the
same. If you are a child of God, you’ve become a new creation, your former way
of life has become a thing of the past (see 2 Corinthians 5:17). God’s
characteristics will be evident in your new life, because He lives through you,
“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in
me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved
me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20 NIV). The following characteristics
are proof that a person is a child of God:
The
believer/child of God:
Is
indwelt by the Holy Spirit – “You, however, are controlled
not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you.
And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ”
(Romans 8:9 NIV). Do you belong to Christ? If yes, do you have the Holy Spirit?
Has
the assurance of being the child of God – “The Spirit himself
testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children” (Romans 8:16 NIV). The
Holy Spirit gives us the inner assurance that we are God’s children. Are you a
child of God? Do you have that assurance?
Has
the hope and assurance of eternal life – “There is now no
condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus
the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death”
(Romans 8:1-2 NIV), and “I write these things to you who believe in the name of
the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life” (1 John 5:13
NIV). Can you say with certainty that if you die today you’ll be ushered into
the presence of God?
Is
controlled and led by the Spirit – “Those who are led
by the Spirit of God are sons of God” (Romans 8:14 NIV). When there is leading,
there has to be following. In other words we take direction and instructions
from God; we don’t do our own thing. Who is the charge-person in your life, God
or … (insert your name)?
Does not live in sin
– “No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has
either seen him or known him” (1 John 3:6 NIV). Do you claim to be a child of
God? Are you enslaved by any particular sin? Reconsider your claim, and don’t
allow the devil to find excuses for you. If the Holy Spirit lives in you, you
should be uncomfortable living in sin.
Delights
in pleasing God – “Those controlled by the sinful nature
cannot please God” (8:8 NIV). The opposite of this verse is also true: those
controlled by the Spirit of God do please God! Do you sometimes sense God
saying to you, “Good job!”? How does that make you feel?
Abides
in Christ: Jesus describes Himself as the Vine and us as the
branches. The branch, of course, will die if it does not receive nourishment
from the tree. Receiving nourishment from the tree does not only keep the
branch alive, but also helps it to blossom and bear fruit (see John 14:1-5).
Bears
Fruit – According to the book of Galatians, the fruit we
bear as a result of abiding in Christ is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness,
goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (see Galatians 5:22). Is
anything on this list missing in your life? What kind of fruit are you bearing?
Is it fruit that can lead observers to the conclusion that you are a child of
God? If you’re not bearing godly fruit, please pray for the grace to be able do
so. You can then agree with the apostle Paul, “I can do everything through him
who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:13 NIV).
Accepts
Corrections – we all need to be corrected from time
to time, or we’ll make the same mistakes repeatedly. Correcting us when we go
wrong is one of God’s ways of expressing His love for us, and He grants us
grace to endure during those times. If we accept His corrections, we emerge
from our experiences as wiser, mature, and better people. Job tells us,
“Blessed is the man whom God corrects; so do not despise the discipline of the
Almighty. For he wounds, but also binds up; he injures, but his hands also
heal” (Job 5:17 NIV). Also Proverbs tells us, “My son do not despise the Lord’s
discipline and do not resent his rebuke, because the LORD disciplines those he
loves, as a father the son he delights in” (Proverbs 3:11-12 NIV).
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