Declared Of God!

"You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world."

1 John 4:4

It is wonderful to consider all Jesus has done for believers.  Because He came to earth and gave His life as a ransom for many, we can be born again by faith in Jesus through the Gospel.  John 1:11-13 says, "He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. ¹² But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: ¹³ who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God."  To be declared children "of God" by faith in Jesus Christ!  To lay hold of this new identity and righteous standing with God by grace is a humbling privilege.

When Jesus came to Jerusalem, the Pharisee Nicodemus pulled him aside and they had a chat under cover of darkness.  It is written in John 3:2, "This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, "Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him."  There is a world of difference believing Jesus was a teacher come from God, that He was of God or that He was God.  It seems Nicodemus was yet to be convinced about who Jesus was, that He was the promised Messiah.  He did far better than other religious rulers spoken of in the first part of John 9:16:  "Therefore some of the Pharisees said, "This Man is not from God, because He does not keep the Sabbath."  Jesus was more than from God or of God, for He is called Emmanuel:  God with us.

Because believers in Christ are born again of God, our lives ought to be marked by godliness.  When we talk about being "godly" it typically based upon observable piety, yet godliness is more about who we are in Christ than about what we do or avoid doing.  We are godly because we are of God, and this realisation ought to have a tremendous impact on us choosing to walk in godliness.  1 Timothy 3:16 says, "And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen by angels, preached among the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up in glory."  True godliness has been revealed in the person of Jesus Christ, and we are called to follow Him in faith and obedience.  He blazed a trail to the right hand of God the Father in heaven where we will join Him one day in glory, and so let us walk worthy of those who are of God as He is.