1 John 3: We Are God's Children
“But all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.”
John 1:12
We are seeing a common theme for the book of 1 John, love. This week we get the privilege of focusing on God’s love for us as His children. We are a part of God’s family. Everything about us is driven by this fact that we are God’s children, His chosen people. Before we go any further this week, I want us to fully grasp how we are God’s children and what this means. 1 John tells us we are God’s children, let’s look and see where else in the Bible we are told we are children of God.
“For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.” Romans 8:14-17
“So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God though faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.” Galatians 3:26-27
“Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir.” Galatians 4:6-7
As we discern this fact that we are children of God, I want us to see how God is our Father and we are His children. If we look at the way we are parents and our children belong to us, we can understand it a little better.
We are all loved equally. God loves everyone and sees everyone as equal. He does not see a certain race better than the other. He does not think one child is prettier than the other. He does not think a certain profession is better than another. He made us each to be different and to bring something unique to the world. He made our personalities different and our appearances different so that our gifts may be used to glorify Him. He sees beauty in each person and will use our unique beauty for our good and His purposes. We have to accept the way God made us and grow in the strengths He gave us. We are all gifted with skills and abilities that can be used for God’s kingdom work. 1 Samuel 16:7 says, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” God knows His children’s hearts and He loves the hearts that are for Him. 1 John 3:1 and 13 tell us that the world will not know us and will hate us because we are children of God. The world does not know God, so it will not know us. We are not to be discouraged when the world hates us. That should be an encouragement because it is proof that we are seen as different from the world. Remember, we are light in the darkness.
Do you see yourself as equal to everyone else? How does God make you feel like you are a special child of His?
What gifts has God given you that can be used to grow His kingdom?
We are loved unconditionally. No matter what we may do that we are ashamed of or feel guilty about, God forgives and forgets. There is nothing we can do that will make God stop loving us. God will never turn His back on His children. He will never say we are not welcome in His presence. God always has His loving arms open to receive us through confession and repentance. He forgives and forgets. Take that in, my friend. He forgets. You are wiped clean of your sins. He is not a Father that holds your mistakes over your head and brings them back up when He needs to use them. Nothing can separate us from God’s unconditional love. Romans 8: 38-39 says, “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” What a beautiful gift from God! As children of God, we cannot live a life full of sin and shame. God has planted a seed in us, the Holy Spirit, that helps us reject evil and delight in the truth. 1 John 3:7 tells us, “The one who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous.” We have to rely on Christ, the Pure One, to overcome sin. We are not capable of doing this on our own, it is only through Jesus Christ that the battle of sin and death is won.
Is there something you need to confess to God today? Can you fully accept that He forgives and forgets?
Are you afraid something will separate you from God? Can you offer that up to Him in complete surrender and faith?
As we mature, we become more like our Father. We are always told that as we get older we become more like our parents. Some of us may be happy to become like our parents and others cringe at the thought of becoming like your parent. There is one parent we can strive to become like and that is our Heavenly Father. Our goal is to be like Christ and our self-worth is rooted in this. This is the process of maturing in our faith and walk with Christ. Of course, this process will not be complete until we see Jesus face-to-face, but knowing that is our ultimate destiny is what motivates us to purify our hearts and minds. 1 John 3:2 says, “Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.” By purifying our hearts and minds we grow more like Christ. James 4:8 tells us that as we come near to God, He comes near to us. We are to wash our hands of sin and purify our hearts so that we may persevere in this sinful world and grow more like Christ. 1 Peter 1:22-23 says, “Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply, from the heart. For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.” Part of maturing in our walk and becoming more like Christ is loving others. A sign of maturity is seen through loving your fellow brothers and sisters in Christ.
What steps can you take to become more Christ-like?
What is God asking you to do in your walk with Him that is helping you mature?
We are heirs to His kingdom. This is a huge statement to take in. Romans 8:17 says, “and if children, also heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer together with him so that we may also be glorified together with him.” An inheritance is the portion of possessions that transfers to an heir upon the owner’s death. When the Bible talks about us being an heir, it is talking about us inheriting the Kingdom of God. Everything truly belongs to Christ, but by His grace we share in what is His. This does not mean that we share in Christ’s glory. He is the One and Only King and is the only One who is worthy of glory and praise. This means that it is fact that as Christians we presently suffer but we can be confident that there is a future entrance into God’s Kingdom inheritance. We can be confident and have faith in what is to come. We will one day rest for eternity in the New Earth that God will create for His children. Galatians 3:29 tells us that if we belong to Christ then we are heirs according to the promise given to Abraham. Our faith is what makes us true, spiritual descendants of Abraham. The work of Christ is the fulfillment of God’s covenant with Abraham.
The Lord says to Abram in Genesis 12:1-3, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you. ‘I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”
This is our promise from God, our Father. This begins the story of how God created us to be His children, His heirs to His Kingdom. This is a blessing beyond words.
How do you respond to this promise?
Are you confident that you are an heir to God’s Kingdom? If not, ask God what He needs you to do so that you are confident. Ask Him to give you the confidence and faith in Him, the One True God.