“Behold, what manner of love the father has bestowed upon us, that we should be called the children of God! Therefore the world does not know us because it did not know Him.” (1 John 3:1)
One of the most motivating truths of the Bible is the doctrine that we become sons of God when we are born again through faith in Christ. God then deals with us as a father does with his beloved children. We should therefore respond as obedient children, who love their father.
The little epistle of 1 John has many references to this relationship and our consequent responsibilities. In the first place, “ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him“ (2:29). “Whosoever is born of God doth not |habitually| commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God” (3:9).
Another attribute of our sonship is brotherly love: “Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him” (5:1). “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God” 4:7.” Furthermore, each child of God should have a victorious faith. “For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith” (5:4).
All who are truly sons of God will never lose that holy relationship. “He that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not” (5:18). This is because of the fact that “greater is he that is in |us|, than he that is in the world” (4:4).
There are many such references in the Bible. All stress that we should reflect the character of the Father in our lives as His children. The glorious, ultimate promise is this: “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is“ (3:2).
He Is Only a Prayer Away,
Have a Blessed Week:
Pastor Bob