Don't be deceived

Scripture:

1 John 3:7

Dear children, don't let anyone deceive you about this: When people do what is right, it shows that they are righteous, even as Christ is righteous. But when people keep on sinning, it shows that they belong to the devil, who has been sinning since the beginning.

Observation:

John is making it very clear to us who is a child of God and who is a child of the devil. Even though we are not saved by good works or our own self-righteousness, those who are truly born again will have a new nature that seeks after righteousness. John goes on to say this: (v.9) Those who have been born into God's family do not make a practice of sinning, because God's life is in them. So they can't keep on sinning, because they are children of God.

Application:

I use to be a fake person. If I was around church people I acted one way, but when I was alone, the true person would come out. If I was out in public with friends, up to no good, and I saw someone from church, I would hide or act like I didn't see them. But the amazing thing is that, I thought for sure that I was saved, on my way to Heaven. I mean, I repeated "The Sinner's Prayer", and thats all it takes right?

Matthew 7:21

"Not everyone who cries out to me, 'Lord! Lord!' will enter the Kingdom of heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter."

The truth is that I was not born again, and thats why I couldn't stop doing the things I was doing. I don't know how many times I "Rededicated my life" to Jesus. I might go to church for a few months at a time and stay sober for a while, but in the back of my mind was the evil desires that comes with being a child of the devil. Thank God that a miracle took place 3 years ago, a new person was born! I'm so glad that the old man is dead!

2 Corinthians 5:17

This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!

Prayer:

Dear Lord, thank you for allowing me to see the state of my soul. Thank you for not letting me continue to deceive myself, even though I was deceiving everyone else. Thank you for turning me into a totally new person, thank you for renewing my mind and giving me a new heart. In Jesus name, Amen!