“On Being A Born Again!”

“On Being A Born Again!”(I Jn.3:4-10).
Welcome to Day Nine of Lent 2023.
I woke up with this Mungaka song: “Mu Nyikob ka swi lò kù nindòñ nga e bùbti nu le Satan ka nebti a. The English translation would be something like, “God’s child came down from heaven to spoil what Satan had fixed.”
I have often reflected on this and wondered whether it wasn’t supposed to be the other way round, that God’s child came to fix what Satan had destroyed? That was until it was made clearer in this verse which happens to be the content of our text for meditation today. “The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work.”
When we are in Christ we become new creations, meaning that we leave the old life of sin and embrace new life in Christ Jesus. We are born of God when we embrace Christ Jesus as Lord and Saviour.
The Lord Jesus Christ destroyed the work of the devil by taking away our sins. If we live in him we must stop sinning.
Jesus said, we shall be known by our fruits. John says, “This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not God’s child, nor is anyone who does not love their brother and sister.”
Dear friend, it is true that we are saved by grace, but we are not encouraged to wallow in sin because the more we sin the more grace abounds! There were such encouragers and probably they still are. That is why John appeals to us: “Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray…”
Each day, especially during this season, let us continue to implore the Holy Spirit to lead us to be righteous and to love our brothers and sister as true born again children of God, who have been washed in the blood of the Lamb.
Weekend prayer: Holy Spirit guide me against presumptuous sins and let them not rule over me(Ps.19:13). Amen!
Have a blessed weekend! Peace be with you!
Rev Babila Fochang.