A Child of God's

Scripture:

1 John 2:29-3:3 29 If you know that he is righteous, you may be sure that everyone who does right has been born of him. 3 1 See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and that is what we are. The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2 Beloved, we are God’s children now; what we will be has not yet been revealed. What we do know is this: when he is revealed, we will be like him, for we will see him as he is. 3 And all who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.

The Holy Bible: New Revised Standard Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1989), 1 Jn 2:29–3:3.

Introduction:

Today is All Saint Day.

What is a Saint

When some people think of Saints they imagine some form of super Christian; however what would the bible define Saint. So scholars suggest that in the New Testament saint is the way to describe all Christians.

Ephesians 1:1 Paul’s Salvation reads: Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints who are in Ephesus and are faithful in Christ Jesus:

Paul’s greeting to those in Ephesus would suggest that all who faithful in Christ are consider saints.

So maybe just maybe a saint is those who has been sanctified (sit aside) by baptism into the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

As Paul says to those in Corinth (1 Corinthians 6:11) But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.

So according to the New Testament usage of the word saint. A saint is a Christian and a Christian is a saint—one who has been made holy by Christ. All Christians are saints and all saints are Christians.

As the author Rolf Jacobson states in an article from WorkingPreach.com;

All Saints Sunday is not a day to celebrate a sort of “Christian Hall of Fame.” Rather, All Saints Sunday functions best as the church’s memorial day. A day to celebrate that all of us are sanctified in Christ Jesus not by our own merits, but by the free grace of God in his son Jesus. It is a day to remember those saints who are living now—including those separated from us. It is a day to remember those saints who are dead in Christ—especially those very dear to us and those who have died in the past year

So today All Saints Day can be seen as the Christian Memorial day. A day when we remember those saints who not longer have earthly bodies but also those who still have earthly bodies and continue to do the work of buildings God’s kingdom. Those who through baptism die to their old self and became a new creation in Christ. Or as today text says a child of God.

I believe this text is fitting to our times of a pandemic when we have lost so many and many die with out loves ones by their side. I especially want to send prayers the family of Rosa Sims and her recent passing. Also to Josh Johnson in the passing of his Margret Johnson. I don’t not have words that will taking the pain of losing a love one. Know that I pray that you all receive God’s peace that surpass all earthly understanding during you time of grief and mourning. May you continue to look to hills for wench your help comes. In Jesus name I pray.

What it Means to be a Child of God

The author of 1 John starts the third chapter expressing the type of love the God has for us to call us his children.

He does not call us his children to make us feel good. He call us his children because that is truly who we are “A Child of God.

To be call a Child of God come with some a form of status.

To be called a child of God gives us our relationship status with God. We are not a grandchildren, nephews, or cousin. We are his children. As a child entitles us to certain privileges.

no matter what we do God always love us

with a repented heart God’s always forgive us

No matter what with God we always have a home.

Even thought we don’t live with God now (but one day we will) we will always have the key to his kingdom.

These are just some of the privileges that we have as a child of God.

How to we come into this relationship with God.

First as men and women we can see are selves as God’s children after all was it not God who created us. Are we not born from God’s images?

While we can make that argument let us not forget what scripture tells us.

Scriptures are careful to differentiate that from those who come into a special relationship of sonship to God as a result of the work of Jesus Christ.”

If you would read further in this chapter verse 9 lets us know that when we place our faith in God, God places his seed in us.

We must understand our identity. If we don’t know who we are and who we belong to we can not life out our authentic lives.

Explain how as children growing up we are shape by our relationship especially those of our parents. We have their DNA

See John is letting us know don’t wait for others to verify you identity because they probably can’t because for real they don’t know him.

We must stop allowing others to tells us who we are. This only can be done if we learn for ourselves who we belong to and what we are in that relationship.

A Child of God’s is only the beginning.

In 1 John the author says Yes we are God’s children now but what we will be has yet to be revealed.

For me this says yes you now know who you are in Christ/Jesus/God. but more with be reveal.

Don’t think small and take God of the box and allow him to blow your mind. More will be reveal.

But know this what is yet to come, know that it will only make you more like God/Christ/Jesus.

Also know that when we reunited with him we will truly see him as he is and if you have faith in this, for all who have this hope in him purify themselves just as he is pure.

The Good News.

John 14:1-4 John 14:1–4 (NRSV)

1“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me.

2In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?

3And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also.

4And you know the way to the place where I am going.”

Talk about how translation use the word Mansion

Talk about how as a kid I dream of becoming a pro football player and to but a Mansion and build my mother a guest house connected to the Mansion so she can come and go as she please.

but always have access to the main house.

Earth is God’s also God’s Mansion with many guest house.

And we can build God’s guest house for his children

How You say.

John 14:6-7 I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you know me, you will know my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.”

The Holy Bible: New Revised Standard Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1989), Jn 14:6–7.