Born of God

by Deacon Michael Bickerstaff | January 4, 2023 12:07 am

“Little children, let no one deceive you. He who does right is righteous, as he is righteous. He who commits sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. No one born of God commits sin; for God’s nature abides in him, and he cannot sin because he is born of God. By this it may be seen who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not do right is not of God, nor he who does not love his brother.”

– 1 John 3:7-10

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Here is the reason for the Incarnation we celebrate during Christmastide!

Jesus, the babe we just welcomed in the manger, has come to destroy the works of the devil. What an awesome God! He loves us so much that He did what we required for our redemption. We may not understand it. We may not even appreciate this loving act to the depths we should. But, we are loved beyond our imagining.

So, what should be our response? Love Him back… hold nothing back… for the remainder of our days, pay Him back.

But, how?

By turning from sin. From mortal sin. From venial sin. From all sin. St. John tells us that if we truly abide in Christ, we will not sin.

We must understand, we are called to lives of heroic virtue. Before we can attain these saintly heights, we need to turn completely from sin. Don’t hurt God and neighbor in a grave manner; not even in little ways. Yes, it is possible. With God, all things are possible for those who love Him.

Glad tidings!

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Image credit: “Suffer the Little Children to Come unto Me” (detail) | Pieter van Lint[1], Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

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