Children Of God Series

Charlie Chaplin was a huge movie star in the silent-picture era. He was so popular that several Charlie Chaplin look-alike contests sprung up all around the country. Contestants attempted to imitate Chaplin dressed as the “tramp” character he made popular in his films. Even the young up-and-coming actor, Bob Hope, entered such a contest in Cleveland, Ohio, and won! Chaplin himself entered a look-alike contest in a San Francisco theater. Amazingly, Chaplain failed to even make the finals (Andy Scarcliffe, Edinburgh, Scotland; source: www.snopes.com)

Isn’t that amazing! Sometimes people don’t recognize the real thing even if it’s staring them in the face.

That’s the way it is with God’s children, believers in Christ. Many people don’t see them for who they are, and some of God’s children themselves don’t KNOW who they are. That’s because they’re struggling, or they’ve messed up; they’ve sinned, and they’re not the person they want to be.

Perhaps, that describes you, and you wonder how do I overcome my sin and become all that God wants me to be? Well, if you have your Bibles, I invite you to turn with me to 1 John 2,

1 John 2:29 If you know that he is righteous, you may be sure that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of him. (ESV)

The practice of righteousness does not come from your own self-effort. It comes as the result of being “born of God.” When you trust Christ with your life, the Bible says you are born again (John 3:3-8), born into a new family, God’s family, and you are His child (John 1:12). That means His righteous DNA has been implanted in you; and because of that, you can “practice righteousness.” Before you could only practice sin; but now, as a child of God, you can practice righteousness.

So, if you want to overcome sin and become all that God wants you to be, then

KNOW WHO YOU ARE!

Appreciate your relationship with our righteous Lord and be confident that you are His child.

1 John 3:1 See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. (ESV)

Only those who know Christ can truly appreciate who His followers are. They are children of God, dearly loved by our Heavenly Father Himself.

C. S. Lewis once put it this way: “Remember that the dullest and most uninteresting person you talk to may one day be a creature which, if you saw it now, you would strongly be tempted to worship, or else a horror and a corruption such as you now meet, if at all, only in a nightmare. All day long we are, in some degree, helping each other to one or other of these destinations. It is in the light of these overwhelming possibilities, it is with the awe and the circumspection proper to them, that we should conduct all our dealings with one another, all friendships, all loves, all play, all politics. There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal.” (C. S. Lewis, The Weight of Glory, HarperOne, 2001, p.46; www.PreachingToday.com)

My dear believing friend, you are no mere mortal. You are a child of God; and because of that, it doesn’t really matter what people see when they look at you. Our Heavenly Father only sees His child. People may not recognize it, and some may not appreciate it, but that is what you are if you have trusted Christ as your Savior.

So believe it. Count on it! Appreciate the fact that you are a child of God, dearly loved by God Himself, if you want to overcome the sin in your own life and become all that God wants you to be.

Thomas Vander Woude and his wife, Mary Ellen, had seven children. By the time they were expecting their seventh, the couple was in their 40's. The chance of birth defects was high. Josie was born with Down syndrome. Chris Vander Woude, one of his brothers, said, “It didn't matter [that Josie had down syndrome]. He was my father's son, and that was all the reason my father needed to love him.”

Thomas demonstrated that love in 2008. One morning, Thomas and Josie were in the yard when Josie fell into a broken septic tank, which, at 8-feet deep, was extremely dangerous. Thomas tried to grab his son, but it was fruitless. Immediately, he lowered himself into the tank, and because he couldn't keep Josie's head above the water line, decided to hold his breath, dive under, and hoist Josie onto his shoulders to keep him breathing. By the time the rescuers arrived, Thomas had died saving the life of his son. (Jeffrey Goldberg, “A Father's Day Lesson about Children, and Life,” Bloomberg View, 06-17-11; www.PreachingToday. com)