The Children of God: So We Are!

1 John 2:28–3:3 NKJV

And now, little children, abide in Him, that when He appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming. If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone who practices righteousness is born of Him. Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.

Prayer

I want us to begin by refocusing a little on the entire aim of this book.

In the opening chapter of 1 John, he says that “And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.”

The last couple weeks, we have been focusing in on Christ’s coming.

We have been talking about a lot which may give the impression that joy really isn’t the aim anymore.

But as we have seen Christ’s coming, and even the antichrists, joy is being extended to us.

When we abide in Christ, not only will truth reigns but that will be maximum joy.

The guarding of deception will be for maximum joy in God.

Joy and assurance that when we abide in Christ we will have confidence at His coming.

And John just kind pauses again this week, like we have seen before, and again he is extending to us JOY.

The Crushing Effect of “Ought to”

When you think about your own journey of abiding in Christ, what comes into your minds?

Is that a joyful experience?

Is it an experience which you would recommend to your neighbor?

I once heard an approach to abiding in Christ described as “the tyranny of oughts”

“I ought to read my Bible more.”

“I ought to pray more.”

“I ought to stop looking at those websites.”

While most of those ‘oughts’ may be true in and of themselves, they lack a power to change anyone.

They create burdens and expectations without providing the power to do anything about it.

“I should pray with my family”

“I should evangelize more”

“I should have healthier habits”

And honestly, pastors are the worst at yoking people with these “should’s”

“You should read your Bible more”

“You should pray more”

These “ought to’s” and “should’s” concentrate on the behavioral matters.

While real, lasting change is from the inside out and through the grace and power of God.

I want to talk to you today about the fuel and the heart from which all real change comes from.

Since we are the children of God, our lives will be marked by familial love, and unfriendly rejection.

1 John 2:28–29 NKJV

And now, little children, abide in Him, that when He appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming. If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone who practices righteousness is born of Him.

Remember, this abiding is what John has been calling us to do.

He has called us to abide so that when Christ comes we may not shrink back and be ashamed with guilt and fear at his coming.

He is calling us to have a joy filled confidence for the arrival of our Savior.

But again, John is not just calling us to “abide” without giving the power and the strength to do it.

So like we saw in 1 John 2:12-14, he pauses his thought process to remind us the very heartbeat of our ability to abide.

We will be attempting to define that phrase “familial love”

The Children of God

“What We Are”

1 John 2:29 NKJV

If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone who practices righteousness is born of Him.

John is more or less saying that “Since you know that Christ is righteous...”

We would expect him to say, “since you have been born of him who is righteous, practice righteousness”

Notice the way this verse is structured, he says that those who have been born of God will imitate the one whom they are born to look like.

What does John mean by righteousness?

Is he just referring to good morals?

Is he just referring to living a good life?

If that is the case, anybody on the street can practice righteousness.

There are plenty of people who are outside of the Christian community who are quite moral and decent.

There are plenty of people who do good things outside of the church.

Morality ONLY is NOT what John has in mind.

Righteousness means the quality of life that was lived by the Lord Jesus Christ Himself.

The righteousness that John is referring to is a righteousness that is by faith.

It is a righteousness which does produce moral purity, but it is so much more inclusive than simply outward purity.

If you want a good demonstration of righteousness, go read the Sermon on the Mount.

The righteousness that John is talking about is righteousness which begins in the heart.

Being before Doing

Familial love entails “being before doing”

1 John 2:29 ESV

If you know that he is righteous, you may be sure that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of him.

Another way you could say it is identity always proceeds action.

The one who has been born of God, will practice righteousness.

Born of God

Once while Jesus was talking with Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews who came to Jesus at night.

Jesus told him that if a man is not born again, he cannot enter the kingdom of heaven.

John 3:5–7 (ESV)

“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.’

What Jesus is saying here is that a person does not be become a member of the kingdom of God by physical birth.

They don’t enter because they were born into the right family.

They don’t enter because they went to church or was baptized.

They ENTER the kingdom of God because they have been born from above.

John 1:12–13 NKJV

But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

In the same way a child cannot be born of his own choosing, those who are born again does not come from their own doing.

As John has said, being born again proceeds the actions of righteousness.

Being comes before Doing.

The Roots Comes Before the Fruit

The Root of the tree ALWAYS proceeds the fruit.

1 John 2:29 ESV

If you know that he is righteous, you may be sure that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of him.

John is trying to stress to us that doing what is right is the consequence of spiritual birth.

Doing what is right is NOT the cause of spiritual birth.

This means that a person can be moral and upright, but still not be a child of God.

They may be moral and upright, but it doesn’t flow from the heart.

This is the connection between the OBEDIENCE test and the BELIEF test.

If you DON’T believe rightly then you will NEVER obey rightly.

I think our problem is though, we try to get the doing before the being.

What happens when we get the DOING before the BEING?

This is where we get the concept of moralism.

Moralism

I obey to be accepted

A kind of self-effort which tries to “white knuckle” its way to obedience.

When we start with ACTION and then move to IDENTITY, every failure will crush you because you’re working for your identity.

Perfectionism

I must obey perfectly

Your success will produce in you pride and self-confidence.

You will try and find strength from the “ought to’s” and the “should”

“I should do this… or I should do that.”

An obedience which stems from behavior modification rather than faith working through love.

And brother and sisters, we must flip this around.

We must begin with out identity.

We must begin by seeing that we earn nothing, but God in Christ Jesus has given us everything.

Who you are, produces what you do.

What is that identity?

Since we are the children of God, our lives will be marked by familial love

But John goes on to describe the origins of the children of God.

1 John 3:1 (NKJV)

Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!

Notice this phrase of “What manner of love…”

One commentator helpfully pointed out that if had you lived in the first century in a Greek seaport town.

It was common for ships to come in and out of your town.

When a ship would come in, they would look at its silhouette on the horizon.

By the sail configuration they could tell whether the ship was from their own country or a foreign nation.

You would hear people asking, “Of what country?”

This is the word translated “of what manner” in 3:1.

This word bristles with surprise, astonishment, urgency, and excitement. “… what kind of love the Father has given to us …”

The love that John is describing here from God to us is a love so astonishing, so amazing, and so foreign to our view.

That he describes it with the same word that sailors would of foreign ships on the horizon.

It is love which is foreign because it is a love which descends from heaven for us.

1 John 3:1 (ESV)

See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are.

J.I. Packer once said,

“Were I asked to focus the New Testament message in three words, my proposal would be ADOPTION THROUGH PROPITIATION.”

"Adoption Through Propitiation”

What John is talking about in these verse is what has been referred to as the doctrine of adoption.

The doctrine of adoption finds itself nestled in the doctrine of justification.

Because justification is God’s legal declaration of us as calling us forgiven, adoption is the legal declaration that we have been brought into the family of God.

In adoption, God takes us into his family and fellowship—he establishes us as his children and heirs. Closeness, affection and generosity are at the heart of the relationship.

To be right with God the Judge [justification] is a great thing, but to be loved and cared for by God the Father [adoption] is a greater.

Love so amazing, love so divine.

Example of Adoption

Maci lost her father when she was two years old to addiction.

And her mother to prison at 11 also to drugs.

Growing up, her life was anything but stable.

Continuous drug use and domestic violence marred her life for years.

Placed in the temporary custody of her aunt while her mother served a jail sentence for drug-related charges, Maci’s life began to unravel.

When Maci was 15, her aunt released her into the foster system.

Which was described to only increased her feelings of isolation.

She was placed in a strict group home that provided the basics for life: food, shelter, and medical care.

A junior in high school, Maci was quickly nearing what is called “aging out” of the system.

When children turn 18, they are no longer considered to be adoptable by the state.

Maci had already given up hope of being adopted, and redid her paperwork to reflect her dashed hope.

Maci changed her permanency plan to include only foster care, not adoption.

Maci would say, “I just need to be realistic, no one wants to adopt me. Who would want me?”

It was at this time that a family came and met Maci, and began to be drawn to adopt her.

Maci was overwhelmed, from believing that nobody wanted her to seeing that she now had a loving family.

Brothers and sister, we feel for Maci’s story because each of us understand her story to some degree.

The love that has been given to us by the Father is that he has adopted wicked and sinful rebels into His family.

Unlike Maci, we had ZERO hope, we had ZERO help from another.

We had nothing.

Completely undeserving of anything.

God gave us everything.

Romans 5:6–8 ESV

For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

This is our story!

We are tempted to believe that this is simply a title, that God just calls his children.

That we are somehow just those that God calls his children.

John goes on though...

1 John 3:1 (ESV)

See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are.

More than a Title. We Are!

This is the greatest news imaginable.

That God has loved us in Christ Jesus so much that He has called us His own children, and actually made it happen.

John clarifies, “It’s not just that we are called God’s children, we indeed are!”

1 John 3:1 (NET 2nd ed.)

(See what sort of love the Father has given to us: that we should be called God’s children—and indeed we are!

Since we are the children of God, our lives will be marked by familial love…

The enjoyment of the fact that we have been included in the family of God.

The love, the friendship, the joy that it is to be a part of the family of God.

I want to present to you two barriers which I believe are too common in our circles, which actually prevent the enjoyment of God in familial love.

And then finally one solution.

Self-Hate

“Disdaining Yourself”

This category may surprise you but I think it is all too common in our Christian circles.

This voice of self-hatred elevates our sinful position over and above what God has said about us.

The voice of self-hate says: “You’re an idiot. You’re a dog. You’re worthless.”

And again, we may blush as we hear those things, but I wonder how much of our own self-talk is marked by this kind of language.

We miss out on reading our Bibles one day, “You idiot, how could God ever love you.”

We realize we are too harsh on our kids, “You’re an awful parent, you’re going to screwup this kid just like you’re screwed up.”

I’m a failure. Nobody loves me. I’m way too messed up and weird. All I ever do is make things worse. I’ll never amount to anything. I’m a disappointment to everyone. I deserve to be treated poorly. I am weak, pathetic, and too sensitive. I’m a piece of garbage.

Does that language sound familiar?

That is theological talk for: Christ’s blood is NOT sufficient for a sinner like me.

That is theological talk for: I will believe what I want to about myself over and against what You have said.

I want you to see that self-hatred is actually a barrier to the joy of our identity as children of God.

1 John 3:1 (ESV)

See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are.

By the blood of Jesus on the cross, You were adopted and brought into his family.

He then gives you a new name.

John 1:12 (ESV)

But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,

With a name comes a status.

Our new name solidifies our status as his.

The voice of God says: “You are a child of God. That is your true name. No other name is more true of you than the one I have given you.”

Isaiah 43:1 (ESV)

“Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.

Hebrews 13:5–6 (ESV)

for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?”

Another barrier is actually more pervasive in our culture.

Self-Love

“Appreciate Yourself”

This category will not surprise you because you hear it everywhere.

From TV, pop-psychology, to the mail-man at your front door.

Self-love is the rule of the day, and it undermines the familial love that God has for us.

It sounds like this, “Of course God came and rescued us, what would He have done without us.”

“You need to just love and affirm yourself more and then you will find freedom.”

“If you have the ability to love, love yourself first.”

This kind of self-love is a barrier to the familial love that God has invited us into because it undermines the very love that God has shown us.

That is theological talk for: God came for us because He didn’t want to be without us.

That is theological talk for: Of God loves me, how couldn’t he?

1 John 3:1 (NKJV)

Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!

If you think you’re great and worthy of love in that way, it actually diminishes God’s love for you.

It diminishes His compassion and mercy on us.

So what am I calling us to?

Self-Forgetfulness

“Fear and Trembling in the Family”

Here’s the thing: there is only ONE being who can have “Self-Love” and it not become idolatry.

It’s God Himself.

It is divine self-love.

Also known as HOLINESS.

The Bible says that God is Holy, Holy, Holy.

He is utterly devoted unto Himself.

And when sinful people come into contact with this thrice HOLY God...

They are consumed.

Remember little Maci?

Imagine if the family she was adopted into was the greatest KING in all the land.

In that moment, she has all the benefits of this kingdom at her disposal.

She has all the privileges!

All the people of the kingdom desire to talk to the king, at fear of their own life, she can waltz right up to him.

“The only person who dares wake up a king at 3:00 AM for a glass of water is a child. We have that kind of access.”

Philippians 2:12–13 NKJV

Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.

Since we are the children of God, our lives will be marked by familial love, and unfriendly rejection.

Why does John begin talking about the world rejecting them?

John continues...

1 John 3:1 NKJV

Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.

Stranger and Exiles

1 John 3:1 NET 2nd ed.

(See what sort of love the Father has given to us: that we should be called God’s children—and indeed we are! For this reason the world does not know us: because it did not know him.

This group that just left them did so because they were strangers to them.

They were never of them.

It was likely family members, long time friends, and others who were at one time close to them.

The world does not know them because it didn't know Him.

Hebrews 11:13 ESV

These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.

And John is saying, that the world reject them because it first rejected Him.

John 1:11–13 NKJV

He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

I think if John could, he would whisper to us what does it matter if you’re rejected?

If the KING of KING receives you, what other opinion matters?