Introduction

When we go to the doctor for a physical, the doctor doesn’t take our proclamations as surety. The doctor often requests tests so that they can know what is actually happening in our bodies. Sometimes, your proclamation doesn’t match what’s really going on inside. In 1 John, John encourages us to compare our proclamations to our actions to determine whether or not they line up.

A genuine believer in Jesus Christ should be motivated by God’s love. God’s love was a gift to us that we couldn’t earn or work for. Jesus was fully aware of what we would do and still chose to die on the cross for our sins. The world does not know us because it did not know Him. We should be concerned if the world is too comfortable around us. It means that there is no distinction.

A genuine believer also lives for eternity. We are to purify ourselves by continually making ourselves desirable to God, setting our minds on the things above. Some of us are setting our minds on the things on earth, intentionally setting ourselves up to sin. In life, temptation and trials may pull you over causing you to stay somewhere longer than intended, but by the grace of God we can get back on track through repentance.

A genuine believer practices righteousness. To practice is to continuously exercise the knowledge and the skills that you have received. We shouldn’t say that we are a Christian, but no one knows it. Being a Christian is not just about having knowledge of the cross, but it involves a continuous practice that pulls from the power of the cross. Righteousness is an inward conformity to God in humility. It starts with an internal motivation to please God. The key to righteousness is abiding and remaining in Jesus.

God proved His love for us by sending His only begotten Son to die on the cross for our sins. We should be proving our love for Jesus in the way that we live our lives as genuine believers – being motivated by God’s love, living for eternity, and practicing righteousness.

Getting Started

1. If you were to get a “check-up” for your spiritual life, what areas might need more attention?
2. Have you ever been told you “stand out” for something funny, random, or unusual? What was it?

Let’s Get Personal

1. In what areas of your life do your actions line up with your proclamation of faith, and in what areas do they not?
2. What does practicing righteousness look like for you on a daily basis?
3. Where might you be blending in with the world instead of standing out for Christ?

Take the Next Step

1. What’s one step you can take this week to stand out for Christ in your workplace, neighborhood, or community?
2. Pray and ask God to reveal to you one specific habit you can start (or restart) to help you abide more closely with Him.
3. Want to dig deeper? Take a look at the following passages: 1 John 3:1-10; Romans 5:8; Colossians 3:2; Galatians 1:13-16; Psalm 51:6; John 15:4; Romans 6:1; 1 John 2:19; Matthew 13:24-30.

Renew Your Mind

‘By this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious: anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor the one who does not love his brother. ‘

1 John 3:10