1 John 3:1 (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.
It may seem strange that a command would be necessary for us to “see” the manifestations of the Father’s love, but some things are easy to forget in the busy or unfair lives of different people. The aorist imperative means to “immediately decide to stare at” literally, and metaphorically, “take heed, perceive or become acquainted with by experience.” The idea is that the fact of the love of the Father for us must be ever present in our minds. It must be unforgettable. It must become sufficient for us. It must fill our soul.
John had just told the readers how to see the reality of the new birth as it transforms godly behavior, and now he commands the reader to meditate on the greatness of God’s love, which the new birth displays.
The specific focus of God’s love is that He has graciously decided to call us His "children"(teknon, "genuine descendants or offspring") The privilege of being born to earthly royalty pales in comparison to being part of the family of God. John 1:12 says, “Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right [privilege] to become the children of God.”
The expression “what sort of love” translates the word, potapen, “how great, exotic, something beyond what has previously been experienced.” How could the holy and majestic God of all creation welcome into His family the vilest of sinners (me) who has done everything that He abhors? Man can never imagine how much He must have afflicted His Son on the cross so that He could be just in forgiving us. We can only marvel in the fact that He was willing to allow His Son to suffer in such unfathomable ways so that He could accept us as His children and be just in doing so.
John concludes with the warning that we should not draw a wrong conclusion. This indescribable privilege does not mean that we will be treated like royalty in this life. We should not expect any different treatment than His Son, Jesus, received in this world because, “it did not know him.” Now we are as different from the world, as He was. The world is not interested in knowing Christ as God’s Son, so believers cannot expect the world to understand their special relationship with God as His children. When the unbelieving world persecutes us for His name’s sake, it is because we are unashamedly associated with Him, However, He is with us through it all and promises to make it worthwhile for all eternity. Our self-worth does not come from the world’s acceptance, but it comes from the assurance that God has taken us into His family as His beloved children. Having this relationship as our reality is the indescribable joy of the believer. Is this enough to satisfy your heart's needs today?
Psalms 36:7, “How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God! Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of Your wings.”
For a year's daily devotional of these Bible studies, order a copy of the book Truths to Live By at Branches Publications for your copy.
It may seem strange that a command would be necessary for us to “see” the manifestations of the Father’s love, but some things are easy to forget in the busy or unfair lives of different people. The aorist imperative means to “immediately decide to stare at” literally, and metaphorically, “take heed, perceive or become acquainted with by experience.” The idea is that the fact of the love of the Father for us must be ever present in our minds. It must be unforgettable. It must become sufficient for us. It must fill our soul.
John had just told the readers how to see the reality of the new birth as it transforms godly behavior, and now he commands the reader to meditate on the greatness of God’s love, which the new birth displays.
The specific focus of God’s love is that He has graciously decided to call us His "children"(teknon, "genuine descendants or offspring") The privilege of being born to earthly royalty pales in comparison to being part of the family of God. John 1:12 says, “Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right [privilege] to become the children of God.”
The expression “what sort of love” translates the word, potapen, “how great, exotic, something beyond what has previously been experienced.” How could the holy and majestic God of all creation welcome into His family the vilest of sinners (me) who has done everything that He abhors? Man can never imagine how much He must have afflicted His Son on the cross so that He could be just in forgiving us. We can only marvel in the fact that He was willing to allow His Son to suffer in such unfathomable ways so that He could accept us as His children and be just in doing so.
John concludes with the warning that we should not draw a wrong conclusion. This indescribable privilege does not mean that we will be treated like royalty in this life. We should not expect any different treatment than His Son, Jesus, received in this world because, “it did not know him.” Now we are as different from the world, as He was. The world is not interested in knowing Christ as God’s Son, so believers cannot expect the world to understand their special relationship with God as His children. When the unbelieving world persecutes us for His name’s sake, it is because we are unashamedly associated with Him, However, He is with us through it all and promises to make it worthwhile for all eternity. Our self-worth does not come from the world’s acceptance, but it comes from the assurance that God has taken us into His family as His beloved children. Having this relationship as our reality is the indescribable joy of the believer. Is this enough to satisfy your heart's needs today?
Psalms 36:7, “How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God! Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of Your wings.”
For a year's daily devotional of these Bible studies, order a copy of the book Truths to Live By at Branches Publications for your copy.
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