PROVE YOU ARE A CHILD OF GOD!

As we all know, carrying a particular family name implies you’re their child; you don’t have to prove anything. Not so with God; if you claim to be God’s child, you must prove it. You have to pass a test.

Our way of life as children of God is the testing ground. The Holy Spirit lives in all Christians, bearing fruit in our lives and thus proving we are God’s: “The Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control” (Galatians 5:22). If we claim to be Christians, these qualities should be evident in our lives.   

In Matthew 5, Jesus teaches about loving one’s enemies, contrary to what the traditional law (not the Law) says, and explains that it is proof that one is a child of God: “You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. … If you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that. But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect” (Matthew 5:44-48).

When Saul successfully led the armies of Israel against the Ammonites, some people wanted those who opposed Saul’s kingship to be killed. Saul could have agreed to that to get even with his enemies, but instead, he responded: “No one will be executed today, for the Lord has rescued Israel” (1 Samuel 11:13).    

Similarly, when it became evident that David, not Jonathan, was going to be the next king, Saul tried to kill David to ensure that it didn’t happen, and David knew it. However, on more than one occasion, David had the opportunity to kill Saul if he wanted to. Still, he didn’t and stated: “I will never harm the king—he is the Lord’s anointed one” (1 Samuel 24:10). For all that David endured at Saul’s hand, nobody would have blamed him if he had taken revenge.

In addition, don’t we expect God to forgive us when we are in the wrong? Of course, we do! If we’d like God to forgive us, we must forgive others. “If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins” (Matthew 6:14-15).

So, let’s love others as we love ourselves to prove to the world that we are God’s children, and the love of the Father abides in us!