Children of God

Please remain standing for the reading of the word from 1st John in chapter 3. I'm going to read the first nine verses. This is God's holy and infallible word. Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us that we should be called children of God.

Therefore the world does not know us because it did not know him. Beloved now we are children of God and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be. But we know that when he is revealed we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is and Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself.

Just as he is pure whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness and Sin is lawlessness. And you know that he was manifested to take away our sins and In him there is no sin. Whoever abides in him does not sin.

Whoever sins has neither seen him nor known him. Little children let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous Just as he is righteous. He who sins is of the devil for the devil has sinned from the beginning for this Purpose.

The Son of God was manifested That he might destroy the works of the devil. Whoever has been born of God does not sin for his seed remains in him and he cannot sin Because he has been born of God. May the Lord bless our Consideration of his most excellent word.

Please pray with me now. Oh.

Lord.

The wonder and joy That we would be called children of God Oh Holy Spirit, I pray that you would supply light and heat. That we would be deeply moved and convinced again of the great love that you have for us as your people.

We have a hope for today and for tomorrow and for all eternity. We have been loved by you God and we have this hope and this hope purifies us and enables us to walk as. It's fitting for your people your children.

We ask for your blessing now and the powerful working of your spirit and a ready obedience. To put this into practice. We ask this all in Jesus name.

Amen.

Please be seated today we will be considering verses 1 through 3 of chapter 3 of 1st John. We're continuing our Series. In the first epistle of John the title is children of God as has already been mentioned.

Five word thesis for you to organize the overall thoughts of this these are all really applications of being loved by God and being children of God is The hope of God's children you should be filled with hope.

And as I posted on the slack channel, the outline is the first point behold the love of God the second is we shall see him as he is and Third the hope that purifies this week. Again, like last week each verse has a point attached to it.

The toughest and strongest among us. The most wise and discerning down to the least and the frailest the oldest the youngest. There is something deeply Rooted in man that he desires to love and to be loved.

I have rhinoceros skin Because I am loved by God and I've loved by my wife and my children. They have to love me because I'm their husband and father but that love Propels me into my life. I am able to do a lot of things because I am loved by my wife and children.

How much more so because I can say I'm loved by God Believer today.

Whatever.

Discouragement befalls you. Whatever trouble there is. Whatever snares of temptation you have been drawn into today. Take heart. Rejoice be glad you are the children of God. What an amazing thing to consider.

Loved by God. The children adopted as sons of God. The Holy One Father Son and Holy Spirit. They have made you the people of God the object of his affection their affection. There is great. Hope for God's children.

Let's consider the verses. We think about hermeneutics and the interpretation of Scripture. There are a whole host of things that run through a pastor's mind. There's the verbal plenary Inspiration of Scripture.

We believe that the very words that God uses are inspired. We don't think just the ideas we think he chose the words. He crafted the language and the power of his spirit that we might more fully understand his revelation.

And so it is today the word first word in my Bible says behold and This means to see but probably more deeply to see with the mind. To perceive with an inward Spiritual perception. I could say you are the children of God.

You say that's great. We have to have a deeper peering into the reality. That we have been loved by God. That we have been called his children we have to behold. There's there's weightiness to that word.

We don't merely see we don't merely think we perceive with an inward perception. There is an intimate knowledge of God that may be observed and perceived as what he has done for us. This of course affects us now and In the future.

So one of the first questions I have For you to ask the liturgies already supplied ample fodder for this. Are you beholding? This love that God has for us the manner of love that the father has bestowed this interesting the word what comes from literally from what country.

In reality and that of course, there's all kinds of idiom and things in language and and where does this love spring from? Where does it come from? It comes from the heavenly country. It comes from God in his own person the very essence and substance of theology proper.

God is love. God has loved us in Christ. Well, where does this love come from it comes from heaven and as we've seen a couple of times in recent months that the end of the day the ultimate causality of our Salvation and Christ is found in this simply at the end of the day the last question the final Analysis, why does God save sinners?

The last answer really almost has to be because he loves them. Is there anything better than being loved? It's the epitome of human interaction to be loved to love someone. What kind of love is this? Where does this love come from?

It comes from God himself. This is the manner of love. This is the quality of love from God in his own person and his perfection His attributes he loves the people of God so much That he would send his son that he would send the Spirit to apply the work of redemption.

This is the manner of love. This is the sort of quality of the love that God has.

For us.

This word agape as you know and love is Central to John's conception of love in the letter. And it's our duty now. We're being challenged. There's an imperative element in this we have to now behold. You and I have to peer deeply into the things of God in our own experience the revelation of Jesus Christ the world and reality as it is and we must see and discern and appreciate.

And delight in this love of God requires the full engagement of mind and heart. To behold the manner of love that has God has for his children. Now one Counter-argument that could be made and I think it's answered ultimately in our text is I don't really feel it today.

Things are hard. God seems very far away. This requires great faith on our part. We have to look through all of the difficulties all of the hardships all of the doubts and Still through all of it see and perceive the reality of God's love for us as people.

Whatever you're feeling May not be speaking to the truth. If you're a Christian you are Loved of God and today whatever befalls you unburden yourself rejoice. Give thanks. Delight in the love that God has shown us.

He's conferred it to us. He's laid it upon us. He's showered it on us in Christ. And in the end we are in the exclamatory tense called.

Children of.

God I told my daughter Savannah after she had her first child. And I said it to Jacob When he had his first child. I reckon I'll be saying it to Caleb within a week or so When he has his first child. You really begin to understand what love is when you are a father and a mother.

I know that I could never love my parents the way that my parents loved me. I know that my children could not love us the way that we love them. There's something about this paternity that this parenting the great love of God has been bestowed on us.

And our human relationships just like marriage signifies our reunion with Christ. I think our fatherhood and our motherhood gives us insight into what it means for God to love us to call us his Children.

You'll remember that to be a father is to be one who imparts life. Even from the physical conception there is an impartation from the father and.

Birth.

Fathers are those who impart life now fathers. Not only do we supply biological things we supply spiritual things we inculcate our children in the life of.

Christ.

We're the importers of life. It's our responsibility to shepherd and disciple and lead our families in this way. He also supplies and I think we often say maybe the Holy Spirit gets a bum rap in the Trinity.

I think the father Is underserved in our understanding of the Trinity. The gift of eternal life through the second birth in the person of Jesus Christ regeneration being born again. This all happens because of the father's love.

He sends the son to accomplish this work. He sends the spirit to seal us with the work of Christ's salvation. Literally the father is the nourisher the protector the upholder. We need to apply that to our own fatherhood.

We also need to think of it in terms of God's relationship to Christ. So that's how we think of the Trinity the father and the son. But we also have to see now that that Christ's father is our father.

He's the nourisher and protector. He has taken us and adopted us as sons. In the culture There's a mantra I've heard and I regret that I've not corrected it more. It says we are all God's children. Do you know.

That that cultural lie Is not found in either the Old or New Testament. We say that that mankind is created in the image of God the imago Dei. It's true. But not everyone who breathes and has blood coursing through their veins and walks on this earth and breathes his air.

And drinks his water and eats his food and and dwells on his dirt can say that God is their father. Only those whom he has loved and turned the hearts of to himself this idea of paternity reference to Christians.

The first of those who through Christ have been exalted to an especially close and intimate relationship with God and maybe most importantly for us today and Who no longer dread him as the stern judge of sinners?

Revere him as their reconciled to and loving.

Father.

And.

John both in the gospel and his letters. It seems to include the idea of the one who by the power of God's own spirit operative in the gospel has begotten them anew to a life of salvation. And as is reflected in our text of Holiness God the Father is in that intertenitarian Relationship the father of Jesus Christ.

Our union is so deep and complex that we can say that the father of Jesus Christ The first person of the Trinity is also the father of all of those who are united to Christ. Oh people of God You have a righteous loving father who cares for you so deeply.

This shows us the depth of love that God has for his church. He gives birth to her He breathes life into her nostrils. He nourishes her with his word and He gives us his son to feast upon. He comforts and helps us with the Holy Spirit.

It.

Seems fitting that we now named God's children would want to function properly as members of the divine royal family. That there be conformity to his will and his standards and most certainly to Christ likeness our life would be filled.

Or it should be with doxology with right doctrine and practice. With an aspiration for greater degrees of holiness. Oh people of God today. Will you see with the mind? Will you perceive with that inward?

Spiritual perception. Will you have that intimate knowledge of God and will you consider? Will you live and act upon the truth that God has so loved you that he calls you? His children. Second half of verse 1 says.

Therefore the world Does not know us. Because it did not know him. I've been surprised. I don't know why but I've been surprised over the years. By the indifference of the world to the Christian message and to the church.

And to me it makes sense because the unconverted man Doesn't know what the love of God is. He doesn't love holy things because he's not united to the Holy One. They we are speaking the most foreign of language when we talk to unbelievers about Christ and his benefits.

They don't understand it. They don't understand what the fuss is. They see no need for it because their eyes have not been opened. Life has not been breathed into them. They don't understand and so when they see us they say well this helps them in their life somehow psychologically.

The world doesn't have an intimate knowledge of us because We have been now known by God and reflexively we respond in a greater degree of knowing him. The Son of God the second person of the Trinity is Illustrated in first in John chapter 1 the the prologue to his gospel.

He comes to the creation the Creator himself to save and rescue them to rescue Israel from all of her trouble to bring salvation to them and to the nations and they think. This is Mary and Joseph's son.

Can anything good Come out of Galilee. Do any prophets come from from Nazareth? So this explains and gives us some insight into the world in which we live. The world doesn't know us. It doesn't recognize the benefits of God in us because they're largely spiritual.

They're not necessarily tangible. The people of God have many sorrows. They're poor. They're afflicted. They're they have many griefs in this life. They cannot discern us because they do not know Christ and we are so united to him that our identity is also obscured from their vision the idea of being called The great nuances of the language I blew over this too quickly.

Being called a child of God the same language is used to Abraham it's used to Describe the relationship of Isaac and contradiction to Ishmael. See Abraham has Entered into a relationship with Hagar the endorsement of his wife and he's produced a son Ishmael and this son Ishmael rightfully so receives the sign of the Covenant but back in Genesis 18 a promise was restated and and Sarah and Abraham are reminded that Isaac is the one and Whose posterity shall obtain the name and honor of God's descendants.

Abraham.

Isaac Jacob Jesus the church. For in Isaac, it says your seed shall be called. The child of promise is Isaac and so are every one of the people of God called children. They are the called ones and they're not merely Identified as those who are the children of God.

Literally we could say children of God we should be called.

And.

We are I. Want you to catch that? We should be called the children of God. We designate people with labels. We should be called the children of God, but the language of the text is and we are. It's not just a designation.

It's a reality. We are the children of God. The world. In opposition to God the cosmos. That ordered system of man and rebellion to God does not recognize us. Doesn't know us. Later in this chapter in a couple weeks, we'll probably get to it says in 1st John 3 15.

Do not marvel My brethren if the world hates you. This should alleviate our frustration and discouragement. That we experience as Saints living in the midst of the wicked. The wicked are wicked because they have not been loved by God.

And so it would be for us. Except the grace of God and Christ would come upon us. Let's look at verse 2. Consider the.

Second idea.

We're called to spiritually perceive a manner of love That God has showered on us that we'd be called children of God. It says and restates the idea beloved this term of endearment. We are children of God and It has not yet been revealed What we shall be.

But we know that when he is revealed We shall be like him for we shall see him as he is. I Don't know what the glories of heaven.

Entail.

But I know that what is required is that I put off this defiled flesh Before I can enter in there. This brings in the idea of Resurrection we have the position as children of God. We are purified. We are made as holy ones as the Saints.

But there is something yet to happen for us in order to see God as he is. To see God in the flesh to see with our own eyes in presence God as he is. We have to die. We have to be resurrected so the reality of our station that the joys of heaven their Citizenship the joint airship with Christ all of those realities are true for us.

And we must by faith lay hold of them, but someday faith will be replaced by sight. Someday without sin in our glorified state. We will see God as he is. This should be a great cause of your hope. Are you fearing death as a Christian?

Don't fear death you enter into glory a Greater degree of beholding the glory of God. Set free from the bondage of sin set free from all the infirmities not able to sin against him any longer. The future is bright for God's people.

It's not yet been revealed they'd roll the world would roll out the red carpet for us and bow down and Kiss our rings. If they knew who we are would be who we are in Christ, but they didn't know Christ.

But one day they will. I love the idea it's part of my sin nature. I love the vindication of Christ in his honor. I Love that the wicked will be judged. Because they've rejected Christ. I know it's timbers on it goes on the side of not being proper.

I want to see the world say but a part of me. Rebellious wicked. I want them to see the vindication of Christ in his honor. Someday every knee will bow every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.

So you and I living in a hard life. Difficult things have to live in the already and then not yet, but the not yet is our reality. It is the truth about who we are in Christ. We're going to be like him, what does that mean a resurrected body.

Eyes that can see oh What a day that will be for us what hope for a future the the Christian has. That he will see Christ as he is.

Well.

Universal revelation of Jesus Christ to the world is coming. As we learned we don't know when that's coming. There will be judgment. As we learned last week you and I are gonna be able to stand in the judgment and Enter into the eternal state in a place of honor and love.

But not yet. Someday when he is revealed we will be like him we will see him as it is.

Well.

This takes us to the last point The idea of hope. If you are a child of God you Behold the manner of love that the Father has showered on us.

You.

Recognize with increasing clarity and Understanding and depth of knowledge that you are a child of God. You understand the world around you better. You understand the world does not recognize you because it does not recognize our master The Lord Jesus Christ, but there will be a day where they will they will recognize them in us.

Christ's honor will be vindicated. In verse 3 says. And everyone who has this Hope this hope is the expectation of good. In the Christian sense the joyful and confident expectation of eternal salvation.

Which is nothing less than Eternal blessed communion with God. That's what waits for us. We should be filled with hope. The hope of God's children is they have been loved by God. They are employed to inherit an inestimable fortune of blessings.

You have as God's people a certain and secure future. You will be transformed to an greater and greater likeness Of Christ, so I have some very hard questions for you. This is sincere. What are you whining about?

What are you complaining about? What are you discontent about. All these things are true. Stop whining stop complaining. Stop being discontent. Why are you grumbling in adversity. You are being sanctified and being made more and more like your Savior Christ.

Why do you grumble in adversity? Why are you riddled with angst and fear? Things because you're not beholding. You're not meditating upon. What is true? Behold the love of God. You're not only called children of God.

It's not a fictitious name.

You.

Are the children of God and the reason for our hope of salvation and ultimate purification.

Is.

Christ himself is pure. We are the ones who are being cleansed from defilement and This is primarily morally here in our text. That's the language of the original a moral Purification. You and I have been in a sense of decree declared to be pure By virtue of our faith in union with Christ the operation of the Spirit, but but we're called to greater purification.

You and I need to morally cleanse ourselves from defilement as a response in Cooperation with the work of the Spirit so we have responsibility in this. There's a different word for pure than purifies referring to Christ.

You and I are in a process of Purification a Process of sanctification on the way to glorification. But Christ himself is pure. He's free from every defect. You are United to the pure and holy one. You have purity because you are united to the pure one.

You have love because the Father has bestowed his love upon us. There should be a great impetus and motivation to Set aside all of the sin To cleanse ourselves from every transgression and to walk in His righteousness.

A couple of words here of application that I'll.

Conclude.

Are you filled with? Thanksgiving and Rejoicing as you behold the love of God. The lack of Thanksgiving and rejoicing Has to be because you've not with spiritual eyes and hearts. Discern the love of God for you.

Second and this is very important. It's reflected in verse 2 and Punctuated in verse 3. Does your manner of life reflect a grand Transformation. The world should hate us more than it does.

Not.

Unnecessarily inciting them to wrath we should be so devoted to Christ so walking in righteousness We should be drawing greater fire From the world. In fact the world's lack of hostility toward us Reflects that maybe we're not as bold in this love as we ought to be.

Does your manner of living reflect? The transformation of union with Christ. Loved by God being called a child. Does the world hate you. And Finally is your life filled with hope is the hope that you have as a child of God.

Invigorating every aspect of your life is your life characterized by the great comprehensive Shalom. Do you have courage and boldness to stand before Kings and speak the truth about Christ? Are you bold enough to in every circumstance? Maintain this singular allegiance to him.

Are you hungering and thirsting for righteousness? Is it that the defining characteristic of your life? The answer is no to these questions in part in any way then We have things to pray about things to put into practice things to meditate upon.

But I remind you What verse 1 says Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us in the Exclamatory that we should be called children of God. Stop and reflect upon this for just a moment. Let's pray together.

Oh Lord. I thank you that you have called us to be your children help us with The aid of your spirit to see the height and depth and breadth of Love that you have for your people. And oh Lord, I pray that this would Transform the way we live because we're so secure in your love Lord help us to in light of these things discern the times and to understand the world's relationship to Christ in the church.

Help us to faithfully.

Preach Christ.

That the enemies would be won and brought in. Help us to boldly sing psalms of imprecation. That the the wicked would be crushed. And in that crushing many would turn and repent. And your justice upheld.

Oh Lord help us. Because of our identity in Christ and the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit help us to understand What it means to be a child of God to be loved by God and to understand our relationship to a hostile world.

And also we pray Oh Lord that you would fill us with hope. And this sanctifying activity we find is because We are looking in hope to the pure one Who is the Lord Jesus Christ? This spurs us on to love and good works and to radical obedience the mortification of sin all of it done in joy and thanksgiving and security as the children of God.

Help us in all this we pray in Jesus name.

Amen.