BORN OF GOD - PART 10

TUESDAY 22 JULY 2025

Reference: John 1:12-13 New International Version (NIV)

"Yet to all who did receive Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God - children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God."

How do we identify those who are born of God? They are HOLY children, because they have the HOLY Spirit in them, not an unholy spirit. The Scriptures say, "You must be holy because I am holy." In other words, those who are born of God are sanctified to lead a holy lifestyle.

How can I live a holy life? Be holy, meaning that the Scripture commends the practice of obedience.  In other words, obey accordingly by following God's ways, and it ought to be continually exercised, which denotes perpetual obedience to God, since you are born with His nature.

The true essence of Christ-like obedience consists in yielding to what is true and right; it doesn't mean to demonstrate obedience in what is wrong in any way or form. For instance, the Bible says, "Christ humbled Himself in obedience to God and died a criminal's death on a cross" (Philippians 2:8 NLT). Although the Lord Jesus experienced the toughest representation of applied obedience, the Lord obeyed what was right in God's sight, because He is born of God.

Furthermore, Johannine literature numbered as 1st John 5:1 reads, "Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of Him" (ESV). By this truth, we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey His commandments. In another paraphrased rendering, the love we have for God and those born of Him is mainly demonstrated in obeying His commandments.

Now watch this: Aside from yielding to eternal truth, there is always an exercise of superior level of Divine power in being born of God, and its got to do with overcoming the world as a superior god through the efficacy of superior authority. In a nutshell, it is emblematic of the written code below, which is in accordance with Johannine literature numbered as 1st John 5:4-5.

"For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?" (ESV).

John's description of the Christian faith here is superbly splendid; it springs up from the standpoint that a Christian faith is not a probabilistic connotation, typified by "average in degree or importance" operations which are subject to chance differentials. It is a badass faith that comes with a heightened empowering propensity, suggesting a characteristic of extreme dominion over the world through the influence of God's Spirit.

Beloved, we were born with an indomitably-enabled overcoming influence, which is sincere in its operation, by means of exercised or applied faith in the Word, and more so, the faith that overcomes the world is unmixed with sensory reasonings and worldly sensualized way of doing things, meaning that it is a fervent and ever-increasing faith rooted in constant application of God's truths and promises.

So you must convincingly demonstrate an utmost confidence in the comprehension that by being born again - born from above, ie born of the Spirit of God, you are a "world" overcomer. How do you overcome the world? By exercising valiant faith in the Word from strength to strength - especially in the midst of exacting encounter with challenging circumstances, even as you grow in grace and mature in the Lord. Hallelujah!

Scripture Reading - Isaiah 35:8; 2 Corinthians 5:17; 1 Peter 1:3; James 1:18; 1 John 5:1.

Exuberant Declaration:

I am specially called and entirely sanctified to lead a soberly-minded and holy lifestyle, because I am born of God. Blessed be God!