Love-An Evidence Of New Birth

What is the evidence that you are a born again Christian? How will people know that a person has received Jesus Christ as his savior? One major change in your life as an evidence of new birth will be your love attitude. This article explains why love is an outward evidence of being born again.

We know that we have passed over out of death into Life by the fact that we love the brethren (our fellow Christians). He who does not love abides (remains, is held and kept continually) in [spiritual] death – 1 John 3:14 (AMP)

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love – 1 John 4:7-8 (NKJV)

New birth is when a person believes that God raised Jesus Christ from the dead, accepts and confesses Him as his personal Lord and savior – Romans 10:9-10. The individual receives an inward witness by the Holy Spirit that he is a child of God – Romans 8:16

Many times when I am sharing the word of God with people they tell me that they are born again. But while talking with them I discover that they are actually not born again Christians. This question now comes, “How can you know a believing Christian?” Jesus said in Matthew 7:16 that you will know them by their fruits.

Love is the number one outward evidence of new birth: evidence of being a child of God – Galatians 5:22. The scripture says that he who does not love does not know God. You can’t claim to be a child of God and not know God. That means you can’t claim to be a child of God and not love! If you don’t love, it means you have not passed over out of death into life in Christ – 1 John 3:14

The Spirit of God at new birth pours the love of God in our hearts; therefore, anyone who does not love has not really received Jesus as his personal Lord and savior. The Spirit of God within a believer helps him to love even the un-lovable. Read more...

 

Why Christians Suffer?

  Does it pay to be a Christian? What kind of life should a person expect having identified with Jesus? When people consider the Christian suffering, they shudder; but the truth is that Christians suffer for two basic reasons. This article explains these two reasons why Christians suffer.   

Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also – John 15:20 (NKJV) 

Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution – 2 Timothy 3:12 (NKJV)

 

But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does- James 1:22, 25 (NKJV, emphasis mine)

It really pays to be a Christian, a follower of Christ. But following God has a price attached to it, which when you really consider is very minute compared to the glory that awaits you. The blessings of being a Christian are enormous and they cover your life on earth and life after death, i.e., eternal life in heaven. However, the list of blessings will be for another time.  

Let’s consider why Christians suffer. The two basic reasons are: first, for being a Christian and secondly, for being disobedient to God and His words

A.      Suffering as a Christian

Jesus made it clear that His followers will suffer persecution because He too suffered persecution – John 15:20. And Paul writing to Timothy in 2 Timothy 3:12, expanded it a little more by saying that all who desire to live godly in Christ will suffer persecution. That means, any Christian who is not suffering persecution is not living godly!

Christian suffering means that you have truly identified with Jesus. The scriptures in 2 Timothy 2:12 (KJV) makes us to understand that if we suffer with Him we will reign with Him but if we deny Him, He will also deny us.

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Behold The Greatest Commandments

What do you think are the greatest commandments? When Jesus came He pointed out the two greatest commands of God and towards the end of His mission on earth He gave a new commandment to His disciples. The summary of these three commands give the summary of the new covenant. This post explains more about these important commands of Jesus.

 

Jesus said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.” Matthew 22:37-40 (NKJV)

I give you a new commandment: that you should love one another. Just as I have loved you, so you too should love one another – John 13:34 (AMP)

Many people emphasize on the importance of the Ten Commandments, and they should, but the truth is that following the three greatest commandments of Jesus fully takes care of the Ten Commandments.

In the Old Testament if you break one commandment you have broken all (James 2:10), but in the New Testament when you obey the three commands of Jesus, you will automatically obey all the Ten Commandments of God. Now, what are these three commandments?

The Greatest commandments of Jesus

1.       Love God with all your being

Jesus said that this is the first and great commandment. You are to love God with all your heart, soul and mind. This means that God is to be number one on your priority list, every other thing should come after God. And to love God is to obey all His commandments: including the Ten Commandments. God is to dictate your thoughts, words and actions. In summary, breathe God!

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