The Christian Life "PURE" and "SIMPLE"

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Faith in the Incarnate Son of God

5 Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well. 2 This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. 3 In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, 4 for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. 5 Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.
These first four verses of chapter 5 of John's letter to the early Christians is a great summary of not only the Christian faith, but the Christian life.  Why?  
A Christian believes that Jesus is the "Christ".  In other words that, Jesus is the "Messiah".  He is the only Son of God, "fully God" and "fully man".  When we believe in Jesus by faith empowered by the Holy Spirit, we are "born of God" and become God's children.  We have a new identity as those who are in Christ and part of God's holy family, which is why we call each other a "brother or sister in Christ." It is also why the church (the gathered family of God) is called the "body of Christ".  
Secondly, when we have received and believed in God's love in Christ, we respond by carrying out His commands.  You probably remember when your parents said, "If you loved me you would obey me!"  While this might have been used to "shame" or "guilt" us, there is still some truth in it.  When we love someone, we want to please them.  When we have entered into a relationship with God through Christ, his great love for us inspires us to want to please God.  This is the opposite of "legalism", where we obey only externally out of fear of God.  As God's children we obey internally through God's Spirit working within us, because we know God's love in Christ.  
Finally, "His commands are not burdensome".  This is the great myth about the Christian life.  God doesn't give us a description of the abundant life to "cramp our lifestyle".  God loves us and knows what is best for us. If we look at Jesus' life, He lived in complete dependence and obedience to His father. His life was anything but boring and dull.  Jesus taught us how to truly live.
As we begin a new year soon, maybe one of your New Year's resolutions would be to develop a more intimate relationship with God through Christ through prayer, so that obeying him will become a natural and "smart" response to His calling in your life!  That will produce true and lasting change in your life.    

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