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1 John 3: 1-3
Our text this morning deals with the wonderful love of God and the eternal blessings bestowed on those who have been adopted into the family of God through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ our Lord.
There is no greater comfort than knowing one has been accepted into the beloved and made a partaker of the divine inheritance.
As I considered this passage, I immediately thought of the love found within the home.
When a home operates as God intended, love is felt and shown by all.
The home is a place of comfort, security, hope, and love.
It is a place where all are accepted because of who they are, not what they possess or perform.
The home, surrounded by a loving family, is indeed a special place.
It is proven that children excel and acclimate to life better within a stable home.
The benefits of the home and family are more than we can number, and being a part of God’s family is no exception.
Every believer belongs to the family of God.
I want to examine the certainties revealed in the text regarding Christians as we consider: The Comfort and Confidence of Children.
I. John Speaks of our Adoption
(1) Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.
Consider:
A. The Reality
– Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed…
Take a moment to consider the abundance of that thought.
Consider the manner of love that is offered to humanity from God the Father.
This carries the idea of “from what country and of which sort it is;” it speaks of “the character and quality possessed.”
The love that we enjoy is much greater than the love offered by the world.
The love of God is not of the world; its character and very essence is much different than that known of the world.
We know that love is one of the great attributes of God.
This speaks of Agape love, love that is unique to God.
It is love without merit or boundary.
It is love that exceeds all sin.
It is God giving what we could never deserve, and maybe not even desired, but given freely.
Oh what manner of love He has for us!
B. The Reception
– Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us.
Isn’t that amazing when you think of it?
God has bestowed such wonderful love on us.
If you are born again you are a recipient of such love!
This has the idea of “giving of one’s own accord, with the intent of good will.”
God purposely chose to extend such love to us.
He chose to love us of His own accord.
He was not forced to do so, but willing chose to love us!
Jesus makes an interesting statement in John 17:23
You see that word “as”?
That little word, just a conjunction, has a big meaning.
In the greek (kathos) means according to or just as.
So what Jesus is saying is, God the Father loves me, a sinner by birth, but now adopted into the family of God, the same as He loves His only begotten Son.
I stand amazed that such love has been freely given to me.
I certainly am not worthy of such love.
There is no way I could ever earn such love, and yet He chose to love me!
When I consider all that God is, (and my mental capacity presents a feeble effort at best) I am amazed that God would love me.
I am amazed that He would love sinful humanity, and yet He does!
C. The Relationship
(1) Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God:
Because of His great love and the sacrifice of His Son, the saved are now the children of God.
We are literally and eternally part of God’s family.
If I may, I would like to summarize the thoughts of John Phillips from his commentary of 1st John.
He states there are three ways one can become part of the family.
1) We can be born into the family, the life principle.
2) We can be adopted into the family, the law principle.
3) We can marry into the family, the love principle.
All the saved enjoy all three.
We are born into the family: John 3: 5-7.
We are adopted into the family: Rom.8: 14-15.
We are married into the family: Rom.7: 4.
Jon Courson’s Application Commentary (Chapter 3)
The story is true, I’m told, of the brothers who wanted to play Little League.
As they signed up, the registrar was puzzled when, according to their papers, he noticed they were six months apart.“You’re
brothers?” he asked.“Yep,”
they answered.“But
you’re only six months apart,” the puzzled official countered.“Well,
one of us was adopted,” said one of the boys.“Which
one?” asked the registrar.“We
ask our dad all the time,” said the boys, “but he says he can’t remember.”
This is how God sees His children.
We are co heirs with Christ.
D. The Rejection
(1b) therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.
Our relationship with Christ is special, but sadly it is not universal.
All do not enjoy kinship with Him, all do not belong to the family of God.
We are not known, or embraced of the world because the world doesn’t know or embrace Christ.
This reveals a sad truth.
Just as Jesus and the early believers were rejected, we too will be rejected.
Just as many in Jesus’ day refused Him as the Messiah, the majority today deny Him as the Christ.
Our spiritual family will endure for eternity, but sadly there will be separation from some whom we knew as family in this life.
This ought to challenge us to do all we can to reach those apart from Christ before it is eternally too late!
II.
John Speaks of our Presentation
(2) 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.
Yet again, what comfort and confidence we find.
Consider:
A. Our Position
– Beloved, now are we the sons of God.
John speaks of the current state of the believer.
Right now we are the children of God.
This isn’t something that we look forward to becoming reality in the future; it isn’t something we hope will one day transpire.
Right now, even as we study this passage, we are the children of almighty God.
This affords great comfort now, but it also brings security and confidence when we near death.
Children do not have to wonder whether they will be welcome at home.
I have been Away from home now for 23 years and married for 15 and I am still welcome at my mother’s house.
Why?
Because I am family.
The same is true for the Christian.
We are currently God’s children, and all the children will be welcomed home!
B. Our Anticipation
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