Beware of "If you are the Son of God..." teachers.

Believer, Christ did not come to point out your sins and shortcomings, tell you how bad you are, demand righteousness from you (we have none of ours,) or condemn you because you sinned or don't have it all together. He came to save you from your sins, make you righteous by His blood and that you might have the gift of eternal life. Only believe. The most popular bible verse tells us:

"16 For God so greatly loved and dearly prized the world that He [even] gave up His only begotten (unique) Son, so that whoever believes in (trusts in, clings to, relies on) Him shall not perish (come to destruction, be lost) but have eternal (everlasting) life."

See the very next verse:

"17 For God did not send the Son into the world in order to judge (to reject, to condemn, to pass sentence on) the world, but that the world might find salvation and be made safe and sound through Him."

This is our Saviour Jesus Christ Himself speaking. Matthew 1:21 says of Him:

"She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”

See His way with those that He showed His salvation in the gospels: Zacchaeus the thieving tax collector, Peter who denied Him three times, the sick, the demon-possessed, the hungry, even the woman caught in adultery who was about to face certain death. He saved all who came to Him with His "no questions asked" salvation. His way is not asking you which sins you have committed before saving you from your troubles.

Those who could not enjoy Him were the Pharisees and teachers of religious law who thought they had it all together by themselves because of their puny attempts at obeying the law, yet they could not cast the first stone. Also Judas who tried to rectify his betrayal of Christ by trying to do his own restitution by himself; but only death will suffice as payment for any sin for those who are under law. If only Judas had waited for Christ to die his death. If only He knew that Christ did not come to condemn the world but to save, even from sins.

Believers, beware of those who try to lead you on the path of Judas. Anyone who is of Christ will never tell you things like "And you call yourself a child of God..." or "If you are a child of God, do so and so" when you are in trouble or when you mess things up. This is Satan's pick-up line for you when things don't seem to be going quite right or when you sin. Same line he used on Jesus in the wilderness: "If you are the Son of God..." The aim is to make you doubt that you are a child of God and get you to start doing things in order to be godly (be like God our Father.) Same strategy was used on Eve! But look how we are made children of God: John 1:12-

"But to as many as did receive and welcome Him, He gave the authority (power, privilege, right) to become the children of God, that is, to those who believe in (adhere to, trust in, and rely on) His name—"

In Christ, our becoming and remaining children of God is because of our believing in Jesus Christ. It is not what we do or do not do. It is what Christ has done. Romans 5:19 says "By one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man's obedience many will be made righteous." Our righteousness is not from right doing but by Christ's obedience. His obedience is what makes the believer righteous in the sight of God.

When Satan tries to make you doubt who and Whose you are through his agents on the pulpit because you sinned or messed things up, by God's grace, confess your righteousness in Christ, know that your sins are completely forgiven and know that Christ will NEVER condemn you or do SMH at you as they do. He will save you from your sins and troubles. He will help you.

Some believe that Grace (undeserved, unearned, unmerited favour) will make believers go on sinning sprees. We see why in 1 Cor. 1- "21 Since God in his wisdom saw to it that the world would never know him through human wisdom, he has used our foolish preaching to save those who believe. 22 It is foolish to the Jews, who ask for signs from heaven. And it is foolish to the Greeks, who seek human wisdom.23 So when we preach that Christ was crucified, the Jews are offended and the Gentiles say it’s all nonsense."

Those who uphold the law of Moses as their standard of righteousness are offended by the gospel (righteousness by faith.) The law is not of faith. Trying to obey the law to get right with God will cause sin to strengthen its grip over such who try, "For sin shall not have dominion over you for you are not under law but under Grace." Romans 6:14.

In Christ, we are not under law but under Grace and NOT so that we should continue to wallow in sin. God's abundant grace and His gift of righteousness to us in Christ is the Way to living in triumph over sin and death. See Romans 5:17-

"For the sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and His gift of righteousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one Man, Jesus Christ."