See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are! 1 John 3:1a NLT
Read 1 John 3:1-10.
Do you have any idea just how much God loves you?
It is impossible to put it into terms we can truly understand because His love is infinite, and our minds are limited by mortality. We have a tendency to associate the love of God with our own personal experiences, because we have nothing else with which to relate. But we have never experienced such a magnificent love in any human relationship. Human love will always disappoint, but God’s love is perfect. We just cannot comprehend how much He loves us!
The closest thing we have to compare is the love between a parent and child. Whether you view this from the perspective of the parent or the child, this is something of which we all have had a taste. The moment we gaze into the eyes of our newborn, or into the eyes of our mother when we are born, there is an intense measure of love that is unexplainable.
Unfortunately, that love doesn’t retain its purity since human failures and emotions get involved, but there is an intensity of love present that helps us understand to a degree the love the Father has for us. In 1 John 3, John explains the amazing love God has for us in that He calls us His children. He looks at us with the same kind of love and affection we feel for our children. However, God’s love is exponentially stronger, and it is infallible.
Yes, that is how He loves you!
Unfortunately, the rest of the world will never understand this relationship because they do not know Him. They don’t recognize us as the children of God, nor do they understand that they too are invited to join the family. They need to know how much God loves them too!
While it is an awesome thought to be loved as God’s child, it is also awesome that as His children, we begin to take on the “family” resemblance! We were created in His image, and we have been adopted into His family. We belong to Him! But then, we have the hope that one day we will totally be like Him. One day, when Christ appears, we will finally get to see Him as He is, in His true nature, and we will also take on that nature. We will be transformed into His glorious image! (Verse 2)
John has been talking quite a bit about how we are to live as followers of Christ, and He continues with this thought in the next verses. This time, his perspective is to recommend how we should be living in light of our eager expectation of Christ’s return. For those of us who are looking for His appearing, we will keep ourselves pure. (Verse 3)
John then goes on to talk more specifically about sin. He warns that all sin is breaking the law; yet, Jesus came to take away our sins. He is able to do that because He is the only one who is truly without sin. Therefore, if we are living in Christ, we will not continue a lifestyle of sin. Keep in mind, as we learned earlier in this study, he is not talking about losing our salvation over one sin, but he is talking about the habitual practice of sin, or the continual indulgence of a sinful lifestyle. If our relationship with Jesus is genuine, it will show with righteous living.
Although it sounds harsh, John is making a valid point in saying that those who continue practicing sin as a lifestyle do not know really know Christ or understand who He is.
In verses 7 and 8, John makes it clear that the way we live our lives shows to whom we truly belong. When we do what is right, it is proof that we are righteous, just as Christ is righteous. In other words, it shows that we belong to Him because we are behaving according to His nature. Again, he is not saying that we must do righteous acts in order to be righteous, but it is the other way around. Because we are taking on the righteous nature of Christ, we will act righteously as a result.
On the contrary, those who continue sinning as a practice prove that they belong to the devil. Yes, I know that sounds brutal, but John is right. John describes the nature of Satan as one who has been sinning habitually from the very beginning. But, praise the Lord that Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil! (Verse 8)
To further his point, John continues to explain that as children of God, we actually cannot, not just do not, but cannot continue a life of sin. He also adds that if we do not love other believers, we do not belong to God.
So now we can tell who are children of God and who are children of the devil. Anyone who does not live righteously and does not love other believers does not belong to God. 1 John 3:10 NLT
That is some pretty tough medicine to swallow! But, the joy is that since we have been adopted into the family of Christ, the change will occur naturally as a result. It does not mean that we have to make the effort to change our lives on our own. The Holy Spirit gives us the power and the desire to live a life that is pleasing to Him (Philippians 2:13). He removes our sin and does a perfecting work to make us more like Christ. Thankfully, we will one day be completely like Him!
