BELIEVERS
John 16:1-5
John 16:2: “They will put you
out of the Synagogue; in fact, a time is coming when anyone who kills you will
think he is offering a service to God.”
Ten
year old Jeremy joined fifth grade classmates Brad and Cassie at recess. “Did you hear what ISIS did?” he asked.
Cassie
exclaimed, “Yes! ISIL, or ISIS beheaded Christians!”
“How
many?” Brad wondered.
“21.”
Jeremy answered.
“What
is the world coming to?” Brad asked, shaking his head.
Wow,
ten year old kids wonder what the world’s coming to! But these aren’t regular kids. They’re God’s kids. They’re believers.
What’s
special about believers?
Believers-in-Christ are children of
God. God’s kids know that prayer accesses
God’s throne room. Prayer is Christians’
“911” emergency call to all-powerful, sovereign God of the universe. We’re sure
of God’s everlasting faithfulness. He hears
prayers. His promises are
guaranteed.
Children
of God are not called “sinners,” but “saints.”
Saints are holy people saved by grace and set apart from the world for God’s purposes. Saints still sin while on earth. But saints confess and turn away from sin
quickly. Saints are forgiven. Saints never lose their identity as God’s
kids.
Sinners
are everyone who does not trust in Jesus as Savior and Lord.
Believers are positioned in Christ. John 15:1-2, 5-6 shows believers’ exact
position in Jesus’ own words: “I am the true vine, and My father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in Me that bears no
fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit He prunes, so that it will be
even more fruitful.”
“I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in Me and I in him, he will
bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in Me, he is like a
branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown
into the fire and burned.”
The Father’s purpose is for believers to show
Christ to the world. The fruit believers bear is love, joy, peace,
patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, and self-control, from Galatians
5:22-23. This attracts people to
believers. Others see Jesus’ nature and
the beauty of a relationship with the Lord.
This
relationship is what attracts other people to Christ.
Take Home Nugget
ISIL murders and kidnaps people who
profess faith in minor religions in the Middle East. Craving world headlines, ISIL preys on women,
children and the elderly. Outraged nations
condemn ISIL—what the Islamic State calls itself. They do not represent Islam. They’re fanatic lunatics that beg for world
validation.
Jesus warned that these times were
coming over 2,000 years ago. See the
lesson linked below.
Believers are like pollen
to a bee attracting others to Jesus.
J.D. Griffith
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