Called to Be Children
Notes
Transcript
Text: 1 John 3:1–7
Introduction:
Have you ever pondered the profound reality of being called a child of God? Imagine a child who has just been adopted into a loving family. The child’s life is transformed from loneliness and uncertainty to security and love. In a similar way, the Gospel invites us into the family of God as His beloved children. Today, we’ll explore what it means to be called to be children of God through the Gospel of Christ.
- Today, we’ll explore what it means to be called to be children of God through the Gospel of Christ.
I. The Divine Adoption
I. The Divine Adoption
See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him.
If we are called to be children of God, how are then are we called to be children?
I know this sounds almost a bit circular, or a bit redundant. What I mean is this is all too often we hear that all of mankind are children of God, while this in one sense is true, the problem is that all have fallen away. We talked about this last week, all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Thus in another sense has put us out of the perfection called to be right before God, a Holy and perfect God.
But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.
That last part of that, he gives the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh, that is through natural means of procreation, but of God.
John 3:5–8 (ESV)
Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’
The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
Just as we did not choose to be born, it was our parents will, and ultimately Gods will that you should even be born, the same goes when we are born again. That too is God’s working, the third person of the Trinity the Holy Spirit, bringing you to the waters of baptism, drowning you to your self and raising you to new life, in Christ Jesus. When we are called children of God. It is not merely a theological concept but a transformative reality. When we were adopted into God's family we become His sons and daughters. Coming back to John 1:12 tells us, "But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God." It is through this divine adoption that we are called children of God. Romans 8:14-17 further emphasizes our status as heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ.
How then did we believe? It begins when we first hear the word, and then that word manifested in us through the working of the Holy Spirit, giving us a spirit of adoption, bringing us into the one true body, the church, where we are joined with our fellow believers. One faith, one baptism, one Holy Christian and apostolic Church.
There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift.
II. The Identity of Children
II. The Identity of Children
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.
All too often today people talk about identity, how they identify, what they identify as, and they have all kinds of letters to go with it. The problem is these identities are based on feelings, not facts. How they feel, and as you grow older the more you realize, feelings come and go. Some mornings I feel great, ready to get up and face the world, other mornings, I feel I should just stay in bed. I need Christ on those days I am ready to face the world, and even more so on the days I want to just stay in bed.
The truth is our identity is not found in feelings, but who we are in Christ, and if heirs with Christ then we are God’s children. This passage then tells us as Children we will see Jesus, as he appears the second time, when the whole world will see it, and we will know its him because when this happens we too will be like him, resurrected like him and a new creation like him. This is the hope of the promise of salvation.
Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality.
We are heirs of God's promises. Our identity is not defined by our past or circumstances but by our relationship with God. Galatians 3:26 declares, "for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith." Ephesians 1:5 reminds us that God predestined us for adoption to Himself as sons through Jesus Christ. Our identity is grounded in our status as children of God.
III. The Transformational Power of the Gospel
III. The Transformational Power of the Gospel
And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.
This is how the Gospel changes us from the inside out. We are called to pursue holiness because we are God's children, because we have hope beyond this world. Our desire for righteousness stems from our new identity in Christ. 2 Corinthians 5:17
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
and
to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.
encourages us to put off our old self and put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.
IV. The Assurance of Salvation
IV. The Assurance of Salvation
Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. You know that he appeared in order to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him.
We are now given a warning by John, to not turn back to our old ways, to the old Adam that wants to keep coming up, that serpent that keeps telling us lies and causing doubts.
Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned—
If we are a new creation is Christ, if we have been adopted as sons and daughters, then why do we continue to sin. That struggle between being a saint and a sinner at the same time.
Simul estus et peccator
This passage on its on can almost be troubling, for what then if we keep on sinning does that mean we are not truly saved, does that mean that we are not adopted, or worse that we have not believed as we should? Again that enemy is always looking to see whom he can accuse, and loves nothing more than to cause doubt, to get you to turn away from that free gift, that is found in Jesus Christ.
Again this is an example of context and why it is so important, this is a warning going the other way thinking that because we have the free gift, because Jesus so freely give us salvation that we begin to think that I can go on sinning that grace may abound all that much more.
Romans 6:1
What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound?
By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?
John is warning about going back to the habit of sinning, where we were before our transformation, before our adoption, where sin becomes a habit that we live in, where it was our identity. This identity is incompatible with the new creation that we receive in baptism.
Romans 6:3–4 (ESV)
Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.
I am sure many of you seen the commercial during the super bowl, or may have at least heard of it, that says “He gets us.” This is the problem with it, sure Jesus gets us, this is scriptural that he was tempted in every way we are, yet without sin, it misses that part. It also misses this transformation, that we are new creation, when the gospel is proclaimed, when we hear it, when the Holy Spirit does it work through this word it changes us, it makes us new, daily then we repent and turn back, confessing our sins, and hearing that sweet forgiveness.
V. The Fruit of Sonship
V. The Fruit of Sonship
Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous.
What does it mean to practice righteousness?
To practice righteousness we must go back back to 1 John 1:9
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Our reading from last week, this is what it means to practice righteousness, that we confess our sins and are absolved of those sins through the proclamation of the gospel. That Christ died for you, taking your sins with him into death and then defeating that death and sins he rose again from the dead, he ascended into heaven from where he will come again. Where the dead will rise, where we will be changed int he twinkling of an eye, and where every knee will bow and every tongue will confess. Do not doubt, but believe, believe in this promise, believe in this forgiveness of sins, and know that eternity awaits for us on the other side.
As we ponder the profound reality of being called children of God. Just as a child imitates their parent, let us imitate Christ daily picking up our crosses and following after him, dying to ourselves and rising to new life in Christ. Embracing our identity as children of God and live in a manner worthy of the Gospel we have received. Let the Gospel shine through in our lives, so that when they see your good works they glorify our Father in heaven. As the Gospel has set your free, as Christ has been proclaimed, trust in the promise and rest assured that nothing in this life can separate you from the love that is in Christ Jesus.
Romans 8:38-39
For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Amen
