The Children of God Also

Continued 👇🏾 ✍🏾The children of God also live as examples of holiness in the world. Saint Paul writes to the Philippians: 👉🏾"Do all things without murmuring or disputing, so that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life" (Philippians 2:14-16). ✍🏾Thus, the children of God are both heirs of eternal glory and lights to the world. They shine by their faith, obedience, and love, showing others the way of life in Christ. ✍🏾The children of God are recognized by their love, for they imitate the love of their Heavenly Father. The Evangelist Saint John teaches: 👉🏾"See what kind of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The world does not know Him, and therefore it does not know us. Beloved, now we are children of God; it does not yet appear what we will be. But when He appears, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is" (1 John 3:1-2). ✍🏾Through this teaching, Saint John shows that the children of God imitate their Father in love. The distinction between the children of God and the children of the devil becomes clear in how they live. Saint John confirms: "Whoever does not practice righteousness, nor loves his brother, is not of God" (1 John 3:10). ✍🏾Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ has broken down the wall of enmity between man and God and has proclaimed peace. He has also established peace among men. Through His birth, He brought peace to the soul and the body. ✍🏾Blessed are those who, following His example, preach love and establish peace between man and God. Blessed are those who strive to keep others from sin, uphold the law of God, and turn hearts back to God so that they may live in harmony. ✍🏾 They are called children of God because they have taken Jesus Christ as their model and have sought to establish peace between man and God. Blessed are those who work to establish love among all people, who seek to resolve disagreements and enmity, and who transform hatred into unity and love. They themselves strive to live in peace with all men. ✍🏾In doing so, they reconcile man with man and man with God. By imitating the Son of God, Jesus Christ, they are truly called children of God. ✍🏾Blessed are those who have established inner peace by subduing the conflict between the will of the soul and the will of the flesh. They bring the will of the flesh into submission to the will of God, casting all their worries upon Him with complete faith, trusting fully in His providence, and removing fear of worldly concerns from their hearts. ✍🏾 They are called children of God because they treasure righteousness and justice. God is the source of truth and justice, and those who follow Him bear the fruits of righteousness. As Saint James teaches: "The fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace" (James 3:18). 👉🏾We need to strive for peace in every aspect of our lives. By doing so, we imitate God, cultivate righteousness, and are rightly called children of God. Part 41 Continues ... May the name of the Holy God be praised forever and ever in every tongue that He has created, today and always. May the blessings of God's mother, the virgin, and the cross be upon us. Amen. © John's Repentance Reach out to us on our social media platforms and share it with your friends:https://linktr.ee/johnsrepentance