Children of God

1 John 3:1-3

 

 

1 John 3:1 (NKJV) Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!

 

Let’s just glory in this for a minute! “How great the Father’s love for us, how vast beyond all measure!” Jesus Himself said, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

 

God has bestowed such great love and treasure on us, but the world does not know us because it did not know Him. In the Gospel of John, chapter 1, verses 10 and 11, it says:

John 1:10-11 (NKJV) 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. 11 He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.

 

Since the world did not receive our Lord, we cannot expect the world to receive us. Too often, we seek the approval and applause of the world, yet it is this world that preferred to put Jesus to death rather than acknowledge their need for Him. However, some did receive Him. Some, like us, do receive Him, and John tells us in verse 12 of the first chapter of his gospel:

John 1:12 (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.

 

Here we see that we are back to the fact that we who believe are children of God. How should we then live? If we are God’s children, how should we be in this world?

 

Well, since Jesus is the firstborn, He is our example. As He is in the world, so should we be. As a matter of fact, 1 John 4:17 says:

1 John 4:17 (NKJV) Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world.

 

Well, from all appearances, love has not been perfected in me yet, because I fall far short of this standard. Our passage today acknowledges this when it says:

1 John 3:2 (NKJV) 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.

 

Our perfection in love is a work in progress, and none of us has seen what we shall be, but we know we shall be like Him. Beloved, even though we are God’s children, we are not perfect yet. However, we have hope as God’s children. Look at what Philippians 1:6 tells us.

Philippians 1:6 (NIV) being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

 

Do you see the promise here? It is God who is at work in our lives, and it is He who will complete the work. 1 John 3:3 tells us that we who have this hope purify ourselves. But here is my conundrum: my heart condemns me because I know that I still sin. I fall short. I miss the mark. I am not there yet.

 

1 John 3:20 addresses the heart’s condemnation of oneself.

1 John 3:20 (NKJV) For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things.

 

God is greater than our heart. Let me explain how this helps.

 

We all know that we have sin. 1 John 1:8 says:

1 John 1:8 (NKJV) If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

 

And then, if we look down at verse 10, it says:

1 John 1:10 (NKJV) If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.

 

When I read the Word of God, I cannot help but agree with these statements, because the Word is a mirror that shows me myself. My heart is dismayed when I read verses like 1 John 3:7-9.

1 John 3:7-9 (NKJV) 7 Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous. 8 He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil. 9 Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God.

 

Let’s focus on verse 9, where it says, “Whoever has been born of God does not sin.”

 

Now, my heart condemns me, because I know I sin. As I just pointed out, 1 John 1:8 says, “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” This seems to directly contradict what chapter 3, verse 9, says. How can I be a child of God if I still sin?

 

We need to clarify a couple of things here so that we can understand. First, this verse that says, “Whoever has been born of God does not sin,” uses a verb form that means to be doing something continually. This means a habitual, purposeful ignoring of God’s law. So, the child of God can acknowledge that they sin, but also know that the habitual, intentional practice of sin cannot continue in their life.

 

Let’s now clarify another thing about habitual sin. A child of God can struggle with addiction. Let’s look again at 1 John 3:9.

1 John 3:9 (NKJV) 9 Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God.

 

Look carefully at this phrase: “for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin.” On the surface, this seems outrageous. What does He mean, “he cannot sin?” We all sin. Did He not give us Paul's example of struggling with sin in Romans 7? I see myself in Romans 7:15.

Romans 7:15 (NKJV) For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do.

 

Actually, 1 John is talking about this very thing. I do not want to sin because the seed of God, the Holy Spirit, is within me, because I have been born of God. Remember Philippians 1:6. “Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”

 

Many Scriptures address what is going on here. For example, consider Hebrews 12.

Hebrews 12:5-8 (NKJV) 5 And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons: “My son, do not despise the chastening of the LORD, Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him; 6 For whom the LORD loves He chastens, And scourges every son whom He receives.” 7 If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten? 8 But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons.

 

This is what 1 John means when it says we cannot go on sinning because God’s seed remains in us. God deals with our sin. He is not cruel. He is not vindictive. Some of us had parents who were not perfect. Some of us have been parents who were not perfect. And sometimes, we might not have corrected our children the right way. Just maybe a little anger, vindictiveness, or a need to control might have crept in. But this never happens with God. His love and His correction are perfect, and we can rely on Him 100% to deal with our sin. This is why John says God is greater than our heart. We have absolute confidence that our sin is not beyond God’s ability to correct. And thus we know that we will be like Him.

 

I want to share with you part of this truth that breaks our hearts.

 

I want to point you to John chapter 15. Jesus is telling us, His disciples, that He is the vine and we are the branches. He explains that apart from Him, we can do nothing. And, in this, He speaks of the discipline that God works in our lives. He says:

John 15:2 (NKJV) “Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every [branch] that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.

 

Read that again, carefully. What does He mean, “Takes away?”

 

Look now at 1 Corinthians 11, where we will find an example.

1 Corinthians 11:30-32 (NKJV) 30 For this reason many [are] weak and sick among you, and many sleep. 31 For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged. 32 But when we are judged, we are chastened by the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world.

 

In Corinth, as in the USA, some of God’s children would not be corrected. So, God removed them. They died. Now, please, please take special note of what the Word says in 1 Corinthians 11:32. When a child of God dies because of sin, they go home to be with the Lord. It says we are chastened so that we may not be condemned. He takes us home to save us. Now, here is a glorious truth. We all will die (except those of us who are alive and remain when Jesus returns). None of us will reach sinless perfection this side of seeing Jesus.

 

However, some of us will be taken home early because of sin that controls us and keeps us from being fruitful. Please, please, please be careful here. When you or somebody you know is sick or suffering, do not think that you are sinning more than anybody else, or that God is punishing you. He is pruning you to make you more fruitful, and know that He loves you and is working for your good. James 1:2-4 tells us how to view our suffering.

James 1:2-4 (NKJV) 2 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. 4 But let patience have [its] perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.

 

Jesus taught a lesson about thinking that someone is being chastened because of sin. Luke 13:1-5 tells us:

Luke 13:1-5 (NKJV) 1 There were present at that season some who told Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. 2 And Jesus answered and said to them, “Do you suppose that these Galileans were worse sinners than all [other] Galileans, because they suffered such things? 3 “I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish. 4 “Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, do you think that they were worse sinners than all [other] men who dwelt in Jerusalem? 5 “I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.”

 

People are not singled out because they are worse sinners. You are not being singled out because you are worse than anyone else. Even though I shared with you some scary thoughts about how sin can affect our lives, my purpose is to encourage you. God is greater than our heart. He knows us better than we know ourselves. We can absolutely trust Him to deal with our sin. We need to focus on the fact that the Father loves us and has given us the right to be called Children of God because that is what we are. The Holy Spirit within you will say, “You are my child, and I love you. Trust Me.”

 

The accuser, the devil, will constantly try to tell you. “You are a sinner. You can’t possibly be a child of God.” If you believe in your heart that Jesus is Lord and that God has raised Him from the dead. You are saved. You are a child of God. Even if your heart condemns you, remember, God is greater than your heart. You can have confidence before Him, because the blood of Jesus Christ, His Son, cleanses us from all sin. When the devil tries to tell you that you are hopeless and you’ll never be free, you have an answer. “I am still here.” If God has not taken you home, He is still working, and you are not beyond His ability to heal.

 

Do you remember I shared with you from Romans 7 how Paul struggled with sin? Let’s close by looking at the conclusion that Paul comes to.

Romans 7:24-25 (NKJV) 24 O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? 25 I thank God--through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin.

 

God will deliver you. Call upon Him. Ask Him to deliver you.

Concerning the Word of Life 1 John 1:1

1 John 1:1 (NKJV) That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life--

"Concerning the Word of Life" tells us what John is writing about. "Concerning" means "related to or about," according to Google Dictionary. John has seen, watched, and touched something that was from the beginning related to the "Word of life."

What is he talking about?

What is the "Word of life?"

John assumes his readers are familiar with the gospel he wrote. The opening paragraph of John's gospel is incredible.

John 1:1-5 (NKJV) ¹In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ²He was in the beginning with God. ³All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. ⁴In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. ⁵And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.

This passage shows that the Word was with God, and the Word was God. From verse two, we see that the Word is a person. "He was in the beginning with God." The Word has gender along with personality. In John's gospel, as in his letter, John starts with "the beginning." In addition, in the gospel account, John includes, "All things were made through (or by) Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.

The "Word" is not necessarily the spoken or written word. John was writing in Greek, and Greek has a specific word for the spoken or written word. Instead, John uses a word that means "the concept or idea carried by the spoken word." John uses the word "λόγος" (logos). Logos carries the notion of reason or logic. The idea is that there is a meaning behind any spoken word, and logos is the expression of that meaning.

As the Logos (Word), Jesus is the expression of God. Hebrews 1:1-3 tells us:

Hebrews 1:1-3 (NKJV) ¹God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, ²hasin these last days spoken to us by [His] Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; ³who being the brightness of [His] glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,

Hebrews reiterates the fact that the Father made all things through the Son. Notice especially the beginning of verse three. "Who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person." This expression or revealing of God is the "Logos."

The revealing of God through Jesus Christ is also part of the truth expressed in John 1:4. "In Him was life, and the life was the light of men." John is not trying to confuse us by using terms only a few understand. Instead, he is trying to communicate saving truths concerning the nature of the relationship between Father and Son.

John refers to Jesus as the "Word." We understand that calling Jesus "the Word" points to His revelation of God to us. Without Jesus, we could not know the character and nature of God since it is through Jesus that these things are made known. We can see God's mighty power and wisdom in the things He has made, but to know His person, we must know Jesus Christ.

Because of this connection between knowing God and Jesus Christ, John calls Jesus "the Word of life."

Here again, we must understand the word "life."

The Greek word used by John in 1 John 1 is "ζωή" (zōē). A synonym for zōē in Greek is "βίος" (bios). Both are translated as "life," but zōē has more to do with existence, and bios has more to do with duration. A biography records a lifetime. Zoology studies life in its various forms.¹ Another way to state the distinction is that bios refers to the means of existence, and zōē refers to the fact of existence.

When the Bible speaks of eternal life, it refers to our continuing existence even though our "biological" life ends. As far as Scripture is concerned, every human soul will continue its existence forever. God breathed into man the "breath of life" (Genesis 2:7). As a result, man became a "living being." This gift from God will never end. However, the Scripture speaks of those who reject the Son of God as being cast into the Lake of Fire and calls this the "second death." Death is not the cessation of existence. It is a change in the place of existence. This is why John says in John 17:3,

John17:3 (NKJV): "And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.

True life is knowing God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Eternal life, life that will never end, is found in the "Word of Life." To be outside of that life is to perish. Jesus said,

John 14:6 (NKJV) Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

Until we come to Jesus for life, we are dead, separated from God and His promises. The more we enter into Jesus, the more we enter into life. Jesus taught us to abide in Him, and then our joy will be made full.

We spend our biological lives pursuing things that will not satisfy us. Things will grow old and rust. Our bodies will break down. All the riches we gather on earth and the skills and knowledge we collect will be meaningless if our biological life ends and we don't have the true life given by the "Word of Life."

Gaining this life is as easy as asking. Just call on the name of the Lord and say, "Jesus, I want the life that you offer." Then, set about learning about Jesus through the Bible.

1 Biology is also the study of life, but it is the study of the organisms and systems that function within a living being. In contrast, Zoology classifies different kinds of living beings.

From the Beginning 1 John 1:1

 What was from the beginning? 

From my beginning, I  remember patches, little glimpses of activity: Being held by my mother…crying in the middle of the night as my father held and comforted me. But I do not remember my “Beginning.” I just was. At some point, I came to understand that my parents came before me and my grandparents before them. My parents talked about my great-grandparents. As age has crept up, I have become increasingly aware of the many generations that have gone before.

John starts his letter at the beginning. 1 John 1:1 says, “That which was from the beginning…” The word John uses for “beginning” is “ἀρχή” (archē).  It comes from the verb “ἄρχω” (archō), which means to be chief, to lead, or to rule. From the idea of being chief, “arche” means beginning, origin, or the person or thing that commences something, that by which anything begins to be. 

The beginning was long before you and I. It was before our parents and great-grandparents. Whenever it was, whatever John was talking about was from the “beginning.” John does not answer the question, “From what beginning?” So, we assume that he is speaking of the beginning of everything.  The words, “That which was from the beginning,” point to our (humanity’s) origin.  

Scripture assumes that God was from the beginning. We were created. The Bible opens with, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” 

Where we came from is important. It is a big deal. 

Where did humanity come from?

In Today’s world, the idea of creation is no longer given a place at the table. Even though science cannot answer everything (because science is done by human beings who are flawed), science is how we grow in knowledge. Science is applying our minds to the systematic observation of our world. Therefore, science is essential for our survival. It is necessary to examine the evidence and go where it takes us. Science includes fields such as math, and physics, sociology, and psychology. Given the essential nature of science, it is reasonable to examine the assumption of a Creator God, and it is unreasonable to rule out the possibility of creation a priori. History is not science. It is a record of what happened. And to deny God is to deny history. Most of humanity believes that the evidence is strong enough to believe at least that God exists, and the majority believe in the God of the Bible. Our purpose here is not to examine the evidence. Rather, the goal right now is to point out the battle that rages around the whole concept of “the Beginning.”

John’s claim to have heard and touched and seen “that which was from the beginning is incredible. Look at John’s opening sentence!

1 John 1:1 (NKJV) That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life--

 Consider the list that he gives. First, he identifies what he is speaking of as “That which was from the beginning.” Next, John says, “which we have heard.” 

It is necessary to notice that John does not say “which we have heard about.” To make this point clear, John says, “which we have seen with our eyes.” John and whoever was with him saw that which was from the beginning with their physical eyes. They were not there in the beginning to see it, but that which was from the beginning was made manifest according to what John says in verse 2. 

The beginning was a long time ago.

John is not saying he had a vision. John is saying that they (we) saw something with their physical eyes. The “we” implies that John was not alone. He says, “which we have seen with our eyes.” Then he emphasizes the fact that they saw with their physical eyes when he says, “which we have looked upon.” The idea behind this statement, “looked upon,” is that they studied it with their eyes long and hard. They stared at it. And then, if their eyes are not enough, he adds another statement, “and our hands have handled.” In other words, they did science on it. They carefully observed it.

Please pay attention! John is saying, “We.” He is not alone in his testimony. He is claiming to be one of a number of eyewitnesses. He has not named Jesus yet, so please pardon my jumping the gun, but it is crucial that we understand that there are more than one or two eyewitness accounts of Jesus. The most reliable records are those of the four gospels, but other writers from that day make mention of Jesus. 

We are not following clever fables. The gospels are not dreams, visions, or make-believe. They are history. John’s statement highlights the concrete reality of those who walked with and listened to Jesus. Their eyes saw Him. Their hands touched Him. They spent YEARS with Him! History has recorded Him! 

Humanity resists Him. The battle over the “Beginning” rages because we don’t want to acknowledge Him. John brings up several reasons why we fight against the knowledge of Him, but let’s consider just one right now.

In John’s Gospel, he says, “In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.” And then later, He says,

John 3:20 (NKJV) “For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.”

John 3:20 explains humanity’s fight against the knowledge of God. John and his companions saw “that which was from the beginning.” They handled it with their hands and examined it with their eyes over an extended time. However, we do not accept their testimony; even though we know in our hearts they speak the truth. This is why Romans 1:18 says:

Romans 1:18 (NKJV) For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,

In Romans 1:18, it does not say we ignore the truth. It says we “suppress the truth.” John deals with this later, but I will point out the answer to this condition of our hearts.

1 John 1:9 (NKJV) If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us [our] sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Are you suppressing the truth in your life? Each of us must ask God to help us to seek and know the truth.