It's true. You're either a child of the Most High, or you are a child of the adversary. 1 John 3 makes this crystal clear. As believers, we should always be investing our time studying scripture and examining ourselves to ensure that we are walking in the image we are called to be: the image of our Christ Jesus (Messiah Yahusha). We most certainly should test ourselves to scripture to see if we are children of Yahua or not. A lot of us would like to believe we are children of our Almighty Creator, but it doesn't matter what we believe. The reality is: it only matters if Yahuah considers you one of his children. The only way we can know for sure is by testing ourselves to his perfect Word. And because of his living Word, we can know this very moment if Yahuah considers us his children.
So today, let's ask ourselves...
Am I a child of Yahuah
or a child of the devil?
First, I think it's important for you to know that I, personally, think you were beautifully and wonderfully created. I truly believe you were made in the image of Almighty God and the goal of this post is for you to know if you are walking as a child of God or according to your own ways or the ways of others. Essentially, know that if you fall into the wrong category you can correct your path right now, which Scripture calls repentance. I am simply conveying what Scripture teaches on the matter and I hope that you take the message seriously. I truly believe that our heavenly Father wants you to be his child and he wants to make sure you know if you are walking according to His Ways or if you have strayed from his instruction, and worse, become a child of the devil. I desire for you to truly be like our Messiah and his Father. One should really read the whole of scripture to answer this vital question. However, thankfully, we can discern an answer with a reading of one key passage: 1 John 3.
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. Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we will see him as he is. And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure. 1 John 3:1-3
The author begins by giving reassurance to those that are Yahuah's children. Children of Yahuah are children of Yahuah in this reality—not looking forward to it in the resurrection but living in the reality of it today! The author is ensuring that Yahuah's children are filled with joy in the now because they are counted among the blessed.
He then moves forward to give clarity so that one may have assurance that they are counted among the few. We shall be like Messiah. This one sentence says it all. We shouldn't have to go any further because this sums it all up: Yahuah's children look like his already proclaimed son, Yahusha (Jesus). But, we already knew that right? Any believer that has spent any time in a church has heard this over and over. "We should look like Jesus!"
However, that is exactly why we cannot stop just yet. The sad truth is that the image of Jesus has been muddied up for hundreds of years. I know, this may sound blasphemous. Trust me, I wish it wasn't so. But please stay with me. I am only but echoing what the author eluded to: that many do not and will not see Yahusha for who he really is.
Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when [Yahusha] appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. 1 John 3:2
Our Creator's children will see Yahusha how he is. Not everyone will, but his true children most definitely will.
Think about it? How many Christian denominations are there? Over 45,000 and growing! That fact alone sheds light on the truth that at least some of those denominations do not have a clear image of the Messiah. Even worse, most believers today do not even know that his Biblical Hebrew name is actually Yahusha.
Good thing 1 John 3 describes in detail the image of Messiah Yahusha and how we can be sure to walk in it.
And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure. 1 John 3:3
Everyone who wants to be like Yahusha, especially those that wish to be children of Yahuah, purifies themselves as Yahusha is pure. Think about that for a moment. How was Yahusha pure? What makes a person pure according to scripture?
It's as if John knew someone would ask these very questions! Most believers might already be saying, "Duh, it has to do with sin. Jesus was pure because he lived a sinless life." Exactly! But do we accurately know the definition of sin? Do we know what it truly means to be sinless? What is considered sin according to scripture and in the eyes of the Most High? Most believers do not fully recognize that sin is defined by scripture as the breaking of the Law of Moses.
Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. 1 John 3:4
As usual, scripture is transparent. Sin is lawlessness. What law? God's Law: the Law of Moses. Already we are picking up on the idea that John believes that followers of Yahusha are called to keep the Law of Moses. That statement is contrary to what a majority of Christians are taught and believe today! But listen closely to what John is saying... If John is explaining that we are to be pure and sinless, just as our Messiah Yahusha is sinless, then that means we should be striving to be obedient to the Law. If we are disobedient to the Law then we are breaking it and thus rendering ourselves lawless. Just as John said: sin is lawlessness.
"But we can't keep the Law. That is why Jesus kept it for us!"
I once had the same reaction. That was exactly what I had been taught. In church and at Bible College. The Law was too difficult and the history of Israel was proof that we could not keep it. If they could not keep the Law, how could we? 1 John 3 helped me see the truth more clearly: I was way wrong. The very statement that the Law of Moses is too difficult completely contradicts scripture and blasphemes against the very words of the Almighty.
For Yahuah (the LORD) will again take delight in prospering you, as he took delight in your fathers, when you obey the voice of Yahuah your Elohim (God), to keep his commandments and his statutes that are written in this Book of the Law, when you turn to Yahuah your Elohim with all your heart and with all your soul.
For this commandment that I command you today is not too hard for you, neither is it far off. It is not in heaven, that you should say, 'Who will ascend to heaven for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?' Neither is it beyond the sea, that you should say, 'Who will go over the sea for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?' But the word is very near you. It is in your mouth and in your heart, that you can do it. Deuteronomy 30:9b-14
Keeping the Torah (Law of Moses/Law of God) is not too hard. It is not too difficult. And when it is in your mouth and in your heart, you can do it. Those are Elohim's words, not mine. Even John knew this to be true and saw value in repeating it so that believers would make no mistake:
For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome.
1 John 5:3
Not only is the Law of God not burdensome, but John tells us that by keeping it we are showing our heavenly Father we love him! Isn't that one of the main ways we prove to even our earthly father that we love him? We listen and keep his instructions? We are respectful and obedient children who recognize the wisdom in his instructions? When we are disrespectful and disobedient, do we not cause him pain and dissatisfaction? Does a Father truly feel loved if his children are disobedient?
This should become even clearer as we continue learning from the potent words of John:
Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. You know that he appeared in order to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him. Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous. Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God's seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God. By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother. 1 John 3:4-10
John puts so much meat into such a small package. What more is there to really say? Nobody that keeps on sinning can call themselves a child of Yahuah. In fact, those that keep on sinning are children of the devil. The proof is in a person's actions, not in their desires. If a person continues in sin, God's seed does not abide in him. If a person keeps on sinning, he remains a child of Satan! Only those who strive to keep the commandments of Yahuah are his children. Sin is lawlessness. Unless we are making an intentional practice of being obedient children to the full instructions (Torah) of our heavenly Father, we are lawless children of the adversary. If we do not intentionally strive to keep Yahuah's instructions found in the Book of the Law—the first five books of the Bible—we are in danger of being children of the devil.
The scary truth is that a majority of believers do not even know what the Book of the Law instructs. Furthermore, many preachers and teachers of the scriptures today proclaim that pieces or even the whole of the Law of Moses were done away with and nailed to the cross. Simply put, many preachers and teachers instruct their audience to commit lawlessness! Even if a person makes a practice of breaking even one of the commands, they make a practice of sinning.
"But we cannot be perfect!!"
Scripture proclaims:
I can do all things through Christ (Messiah) who strengthens me.
Philippians 4:13
Look at what John is saying closely. Yes, perfection is the target and goal. He explains that in the very first part of the passage: And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure. It's a process! But he also gives us a picture of what this process looks like: it's a growing process.
My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Yahusha Messiah the righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. Whoever says "I know him" but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked. 1 John 2:1-6
John is writing to believers so that they will not commit any sin! No sin. If one makes a mistake and sins, he is covered by the blood and atonement of Yahusha Messiah. Whoever says they know Messiah but does not keep his commandments (Law of God), he is a liar and the truth is not in him. Whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected! What does John say the love of God is? For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome.
In conclusion, if we make a practice of keeping Yahuah's Law—his instructions—we are his children. If we make a mistake and sin, our Messiah Yahusha is our advocate and his sacrifice covers that confessed sin. We are no longer under the penalty of sin when we confess our sins to our heavenly Father because Yahusha already paid our fine. We can live in freedom because we know we are children of Yahuah when we strive to be obedient to his instructions. We know we are children of Yahuah when we are walking the same way his fully obedient son Yahushawalked. When we are like our Messiah, we are children of the Most High. Yahusha kept every single one of Yahuah's commandments perfectly. We are called to be pure as he is pure. We are called to be like little children before our loving Father. We are called to walk in the image we were created: the image of our heavenly Father and his perfect son Yahusha our Messiah.
Jesus said, "Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 18:3
Are you making a practice of being an obedient child to all of our heavenly Father's instructions?
Are you a child of Almighty God?
or a child of the devil?
Sean is a former Atheist who was finally awoken to the reality of our Creator—which lead him to the one place he thought he would never step foot: “Bible College.” During his studies, our Heavenly Father flipped his Christian worldview upside down in order to reveal the Whole truth of His perfect Word. As a follower of Messiah Yahusha (Christ Jesus), Sean encourages believers to deepen their faith, seek the truth, test everything, and be willing to walk in the true image they were created: the image of the Most High and his flawless son.