“First John 3:1-3”

Tuesday, October 17, 2017

“See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is. And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.”

--- End of Scripture verses---

In the previous sentence, John had written,, “If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone also who practices righteousness is born of Him” (1 John 2:29). In Christ Jesus God has given us new life, new hope and new reasons to rejoice with a heart filled with gratefulness. “See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us” (verse 1)! Behold! What a wonderful thought to consider! God loved us enough to send His own Son to die for us so that we can be born again, saved eternally and added to His spiritual family! Just the thought of such an astonishing reality filled John’s heart with wonder and joy! It should do the same for us as well!

But, being members of the family of God makes us strangers to the world. Even though we can know with certainty that we are God’s children through faith in Christ, the people of the world will not readily recognize us as such, and many will even hate us for the profession of a life devoted to the Lord. Jesus said as much in John 15:18-19: “If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you.” We should let our lights, shine just the same, so that some WILL see our good deeds and recognize that we do them by the strength of the Father and through our love for His Son. We do this with the hope that some will be drawn to God and have reason to glorify Him along with us (Matthew 5:15-16).

“Now we are the children of God,” which is an amazing fact of itself, but, “it has not appeared as yet what we will be” (verse 2). That He actually calls us His children and we can call Him our father boggles the feeble, limited human mind, and the life of righteousness that we live in Christ Jesus is the best and most blessed manner of existence here on earth. But for the Christian, the best is yet to come. Our appearance right now gives no indication of how glorious things will be for us (Philippians 3:20-21; Romans 8:23). “For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.” (Colossians 3:3-4)

When Christ returns the true identity of the children of God will be fully revealed, and not until then. Here on earth we must share in the ridicule and persecution that the Lord experienced when He was in bodily form, and do so willingly. But, when He returns to reclaim His own, we will share in the glory with which He has possessed for all eternity (Colossians 3:4). If we truly have our “hope fixed” on Christ’s return and our future, eternal glory, this will motivate us to live morally sanctified lives in imitation of His perfect holiness (Colossians 3:5-13). The Christian’s hope is a call to doctrinal purity and moral excellence.

Please read 1 John 3:4-10 for tomorrow.

Have a godly blessed day and live a purified life!

-Louie Taylor

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