“DNA”

“If you know that he is righteous, you may be sure that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of him.”

1 John 2:29

Every person gets something from their parents. I can see that in myself as well as my kids. Whenever she’s happy, my firstborn does goofy things like dancing comical moves and making funny faces. For sure, she got those things from me because my wife never does such things. If there’s one thing she received from her Mom, it has got to be her diligence in school. My youngest, on the other hand, is chatty but a little impatient (which I think she got from her Mom) and a determined kid (she probably got that from me).

I don’t want to waste your time talking about my family, but I do think that each one of us has characteristics that can be traced back to our parents. We have their DNA, which proves that we are indeed their children. In fact, a DNA test is 99.99 percent reliable and it has become the gold standard in paternity and maternity tests.

Believe it or not, the same principle applies to our spiritual life. Today’s verse is the last in the second chapter of 1 John, where the writer points out that a person who demonstrates righteousness proves he is a child of God.

John uses the word “know” from the Greek word “ginosko,” which means “to become acquainted with, to know.” It is a reference to a believer’s personal knowledge and experience of God’s righteousness. God is righteous (Greek “dikaios,” an adverb that means “just, agreeably to right.” It speaks of God’s righteousness in all He does (Psalm 145:17). The Christian is convinced of this truth.

The word “born” brings up the believer’s relationship with God through faith in Jesus. This connection results in a lifestyle that reciprocates God’s righteousness. The word “practices” comes from the Greek word “poieo,” which means “to act rightly.” A Christian’s personal relationship with God causes him to do what is right and agreeable. This can be attributed to the new birth, which Jesus discussed with Nicodemus in John 3.

So what?

Today, many people claim to have faith in Jesus Christ but their lives do not seem to reflect His righteousness. They may be intellectually convinced about the truths concerning Christ, but their failure to follow His example puts their faith into question. The truth is, not only should we believe what is true, but we should also do it.

“But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.”

James 1:22

Just as we have our parents’ DNA and exhibit some of their characteristics, so does our obedience to God’s word reflect our personal relationship with our Heavenly Father.

Is God’s righteousness seen in your life?

Pursue the Savior today!