In this daily Bible reading the Apostle John speaks about true belief in Jesus Christ and how to identify true believers. John says the following: “The one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous; the one who practices sin is of the devil.” John also says, “No one who is born of God practices sin.” He also says, “Anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God.”
This seems to provide a simple and easy way to identify true believers. However, even if we believe, we are still capable of sinning. We still sin on occasion, even though we follow Jesus. I think the keyword in these passages is “practice.” Those who are not true believers do not turn from sin. They continue to practice sin, and the sin in their lives characterizes them. True believers do not continue to practice sin. When they sin, they are sorry. They have remorse, and they repent of their sin.
On the other side of the coin, true believers ‘practice’ righteousness. They believe in the Word of God, and they ‘practice’ righteousness. Their Faith in God is evidenced by their good deeds toward others. When they see others who are in need, they help them. They do not merely ‘pray for them.’ They have an active Faith that is visible to others.
