THE LIFE OF THE BELIEVER HERE ON EARTH

At the end of the Our Daily Bread monthly devotionals, there is usually an extra page or two with some encouraging words for believers.  The month of July, 2015, was a special blessing to me as I read it, so I will share it today.  This is my version of what it said.

     I received Jesus as my Savior and Lord fifty years ago (44 for me).  For several years after I first became a Christian, I wondered if I was truly saved because my conversion experience seemed uneventful compared to others (definitely not the case with my conversion, thank God).  But as I studied God's Word, I received assurance of my salvation."

     I read about the characteristics of a true believer in First John.  It starts with the believer's desire to be honest with God and oneself.  As we fellowship with God, we acknowledge that, even as born again believers, we are still sinners:

"If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.  If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.  If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His Word is not in us. My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:  and He is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world." (1 Jn. 1:8-2:2).

By acknowledging our failure to live the Christ-like life, we not only have the desire to confess our sins, but we are also kept humble before our Lord and our brethren! 

     In addition, our love for the Lord, and for His Word, motivates us to do our best to obey Him out of gratitude for what He has done for us (1 Jn. 2:3-6).

     Along with our desire to please Him, born again believers has a desire to be a blessing to other Christians.  First John 2:9-11 says:

"He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now.  He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him.  But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes."

Jesus made this clear in John 13:35, when He said, "By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another."

     The writer (Albert Lee) thanked God that He faithfully continues the work He began with each new spiritual birth.  He said that "By His grace I am still confessing dishonesty, apologizing for hurting others, submitting to God, and learning to love selflessly."  He reminded us of what the Apostle Paul said in Philippians 1:6 -   He who has begun a good work in you, will continue doing so until the day we see Jesus Christ.  I would only add what John wrote in 1 John 3:2, which says: 

"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."