1 John 3_1_3

Story of a family waiting 15 years for a child that never came by the natural way. However they were approached one day with a lead of a newborn not yet born. Standing in front of the judge on the day of adoption, the Judge pointed his finger and asked, “Is anyone coercing you to adopt this little boy?” After assuring him they were doing so out of love, he made this statement. “From today on, he is your son. He may disappoint you, even grieve you but he is your son. Everything you own one day will be his and he will bear your name.” Then he looked to the clerk and gave this command. “So order a change in this child’s birth certificate and may it reflect that these are the parents of this child.”

It was then that I realized that my Heavenly Father loved me so much that, without coercion, He loved me and gave His all to me. On that day, He changed my name and I gladly bear His name and His image

Context: New theme, Son-ship but a repeating of 2:28 when He shall appear!

What we are in Christ Jesus vs. 1

Sons of God

Behold – look with wonder

Manner – Out of this World. What otherworldly kind of love, what love not from this planet, what indescribable, unknown quality is this love! Romans 5:6-10

Children of God; John 1:10-12

Strangers in the World

Ill. When I got saved many of my friendships changed. I no longer cussed and carried on. I no longer drank and partied. I no longer lived a life of debauchery. I tried to live a new life, a clean life, a pure life and they didn’t understand. They may have questioned “what happened to John?” I have passed out of the worldly and into the holy.

The world doesn’t understand / knows us because they didn’t Him! What a pitty! What will we do about that?

What we shall be in Christ Jesus vs. 2

Not fully revealed yet - We don’t know exactly what we will be like, we won’t have angel wings.

Revealed when we see Him

We will not see Him as He was (on earth) but as He is in Heaven. Glorified! So magnificent that no eyes could gaze upon Him and survive.

What we ought to be in Christ Jesus (How we should live now) vs. 3

Our fixed hope (future) - Hope “absolute certainty mingled with anticipation.”

Our strive for purity (now)

1 John 2:6

Illustration: Jan and her teenage friends were hanging out one day, when one their friends suggests they go to a certain bar and grill in order to have a good time. “I’d rather you take me home” Jan replied to her friends, “My parents don’t approve of that place.” “Afraid your father will hurt you” one the girls asked sarcastically. “No, on the contrary, I’m afraid I will hurt my father.

An unbeliever who sins is a creature sinning against his Creator. A Christian who sins is a child sinning against his Father. The unbeliever sins against law; the believer sins against love.

Conclusion: All this is to remind us of the Father’s love. Because the Father loved us and sent His Son to die for us, we are children of God. The provision for our salvation was originated in the love of God. And since we have experienced the love of the Father, we have no desire to live in sin.