We Are Loved Children of God based on 1 John 3:1-3

I. Today, we remember the saints. Today, I encourage you to pray for the families and friends of those who have ended their earthly journey in the past year: Ruby Brunk and Craig Carr of St. Peter Lutheran Church and Don Bremer and Don Bedet of Zion Lutheran Church.

II. Adam and Eve and their children in Genesis 4:2-7. The Bible begins by telling us about Adam and Eve and their children. Adam and Eve did not obey God’s one command to them in the garden of Eden. They ate the fruit from the tree God told them not to eat from and sin and death and pain have been in the world ever since. Two of the children of Adam and Eve had a problem.

Genesis 4:2-7 tells us, “Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, and Cain a worker of the ground. In the course of time Cain brought to the Lord an offering of the fruit of the ground, and Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions. And the Lord had regard for Abel and his offering, but for Cain and his offering he had no regard. So Cain was very angry, and his face fell. The Lord said to Cain, ‘Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is contrary to you, but you must rule over it.’”

We are not told why Abel’s offering was pleasing to the Lord and Cain’s offering was not pleasing to God. Cain was very upset. The Lord warned Cain that sin wanted to rule over him like a tiger crouching at the door. Cain did not listen to the Lord’s good advice.

III. Read Genesis 4:8-12 and comment. Genesis 4:8-12 continues, “Cain spoke to Abel his brother. And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him. Then the Lord said to Cain, ‘Where is Abel your brother?’ He said, ‘I do not know; am I my brother’s keeper?’ And the Lord said, ‘What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood is crying to me from the ground. And now you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. When you work the ground, it shall no longer yield to you its strength. You shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth.’”

Cain murdered his brother, Abel. Cain tried to hide his bad deed from the Lord. The blood of Abel gave a sad witness about Cain’s failure to be his brother’s keeper. Cain ended up as a fugitive and wanderer on the earth for the rest of his days.

Sadly, many more murders have been committed since that first recorded murder in Genesis 4. The history of the human race has been a sad history of sin and death and violence.

IV. The Lord needed to do something to save us. That is why the Lord needed to do something to save us from our sins and wrongs. The Lord knew that we could never save ourselves. He sent Jesus, the One and Only Son of God, to save us. King Herod tried to kill Jesus when he was a small boy. Joseph and Mary escaped with Jesus to the nearby country of Egypt. At around 30 years of age, Jesus appeared on the scene for His time of public ministry of preaching, teaching, and healing people. Jesus actively obeyed every single commandment of the Old Testament for us. Jesus did not stop there. He eventually was given a death sentence, even though He was innocent of all wrongdoing. Jesus died the cruel death of the cross of Calvary to bring about the forgiveness of all sins and wrongs. He did not stay in the grave either. Jesus arose on the third day to show He was victorious over sin, death, and the evil one.

Jesus showed amazing love for the sinners and wrongdoers of the world, including each one of us here today. Jesus offered His innocent death as a one-time sacrifice for every sinner in the world.

V. The love of God and 1 John 3:1-2. The love of God in Jesus has been given to us in a very personal way, too. When we were baptized with the water and promises of the Lord, then we became sons and daughters of God. 1 John 3:1-2 lets us know the good news, “See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. (The NIV puts things this way: How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!) The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.”

VI. Luther and difficulties and “I am baptized!” Martin Luther, the sixteenth century German reformer, used his baptism in an interesting way. When the evil one was making his life especially difficult, then he would remind the evil one and himself: “I am baptized!” In other words, no matter what challenges came his way the blessings of baptism comforted Luther and can comfort us as well.

VII. We are children of God in baptism. We are children of God. God has adopted us into His family through the water and promises of our baptism. God loves us and cares for us throughout on life on this earth. God will one day call us to our real home of heaven. As the famous hymn says, “I’m but a stranger here, heaven is my home.”

VIII. As God’s loved children we are forgiven to serve Him. As God’s loved children we trust that we are forgiven for the sake of Jesus. As God’s loved children we want to spend our time in this life doing things that are good and right in God’s sight. As God’s loved children we want to daily confess our failures to God and ask Him to have mercy on us and to help us live for Him rather than live only for ourselves. As God’s loved children we want to give God the glory and be His humble servants. As God’s loved children we live under His gracious favor and we want to point others to God and His gracious favor in Jesus Christ. As God’s loved children we know that when our earthly life is over we will enjoy the everlasting happiness of heaven with all those in the Christian faith who have gone there before us. Amen.

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.