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The Difference

1 John 3:9-10

“Whosoever is born of God
doth not commit sin;
for his seed remaineth in him:
and he cannot sin,
because he is born of God.”

“In this the children of God
are manifest,
and the children of the devil:
whosoever doeth not righteousness
is not of God,
neither he that loveth not his brother.”

There are two types of people in the world.

1. Children of God

2. Children of the devil.

WHICH ONE ARE YOU?

Let’s look at 1 John 3:9-10. These verses let us know that there are two different types of people—children of God and children of the devil. This clearly shows that NOT ALL ARE CHILDREN OF GOD.

“Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God”

This is speaking of the new birth which you must have in order to be a child of God (Read John 3:7-16). Jesus said, “Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again” (John 3:7). Have you been born again?

The Bible says that a child of God “doth not commit sin.” This means that he does not live in sin. A child of God is given a new nature, and that new nature does not and will not commit sin. “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17). Does this mean that children of God are sinless? NO.

Galatians 5:13-17 reminds us that we still have to live with our old nature, but this doesn’t give us the right to live children of the devil. As born-again believers, we are called to yield ourselves to God for His use. If you are living worldly and you are a child of God, you will be chastened by Him. Also, there will be a wanting to be in the Father’s house and you will long for it. If you sin, confess it, and get on with serving God (1 John 1:8-9).

Now let’s look at 1 John 3:10 where it says “whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God”. How is one supposed to live righteously? Romans 3:10 says, “As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one.” When we entered this world by birth, we were born into sin. When Adam sinned in the Garden of Eden, he became sin, and every person born after Adam is born with a sin nature. “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned” (Romans 5:12).

Having a sinful nature, we are by birth the children of the devil, and must recognize that we are sinners in need of a Saviour—the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus was born of a virgin and did not inherit a sin nature; He was perfect and holy in every way. “And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory” (1 Timothy 3:16). This is how Jesus was able to atone for man’s sin through His blood on the cross of Calvary (Ephesians 1:7). Then when He had died, He was buried, and rose again on the third day (1 Corinthians 15:3,4).

When a person accepts Jesus Christ as his or her personal Saviour, that person is born again. From that moment on, the Holy Spirit lives inside that individual. So when God looks at that person, He sees the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ. Being born again, that person is now righteous before God. This is what you call a child of God. So you have the difference.

What are you? Are you a child of God, or a child of the devil? As a child of God you will go to heaven. A child of the devil will go to hell and your name will not be in the Lamb’s book of life. Those that are not written in the Lamb’s book of life will be cast into the lake of fire for all eternity (Revelation 20:11-15).

If the Lord has shown you that you are a sinner and that you need Jesus Christ to save you, now is the time to repent. “I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish” (Luke 13:3). Ask Christ to come into your heart and save you. “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Romans 10:9,10,13).

He will save you if you put your faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:8,9).

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