(The audio version of this concludes better)
What does this chapter say about Children of God?
The Old Testament describes a privileged relationship between God and his chosen people in terms of “covenant.” God made a covenant with Noah, with Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and the children of Israel through Moses. This chosen, covenant relationship between God and Israel was initiated by God himself. It had contingencies with it that gave clear responsibilities to God’s people. Covenants must be kept. At least the kind of covenants we read about in the Bible do. God always keeps his promises, and he always tells His people to keep theirs.
I’m reading the Bible in 90 days again, and have just finished Kings and am in the Chronicles. These scriptures remind us again and again of God’s patience and grace, but also they remind us of God’s wrath against those who rebel against Him and disobey his laws and break the covenant He establishes. God desires to be close with His people, but He will not tolerate sin and defiance of His authority. He punishes those that reject Him, first, in hopes that they will return and be restored, but finally – if there is no repentance – God gives them over to their own devices and allows them to suffer the consequences of their own destructive behaviors.
When we come to the New Testament we discover a new kind of relationship with God through Jesus Christ, God’s only begotten Son. Jesus Christ came here and took on flesh so that He could establish this new relationship between us and God. The new relationship is described in the terms “born again” or “adoption.” This new relationship with God is possible only because God initiated it and redeemed us from that which separated us from Himself- our sins- and he did it through the death of Jesus Christ on the cross.
John speaks about this in the first few verses of chapter 3 and I believe this to be the theme of the chapter. “Behold, what manner of love the Father has given unto us, that we should be called the children of God, and that is what we are.” How amazing is this privilege? I doubt that it is possible to comprehend or describe the awesome gift these words speak of.
On your handout notice the highlighted words that refer to the Children of God: The very first thing we see in the scriptures here is that this condition is a gift of God’s love to us. Then there are three aspects of being children of God that follow: first, it is a present condition. That is what we are! Now! Not something we will be, or hope for, but a present, real provision of God’s grace to us. Second, it is for this reason that there is a separation between us and the world. It does not know us. The world is no longer ours and we are no longer of the world. We have a new citizenship in heaven. But, we still reside in this world and that brings us several challenges. John simply informs us and reminds us that the world didn’t know Jesus Christ either. We can take comfort in this realization that while we face troubles in this world, our Lord did too, and He is with us throughout the journey home. Third, John tells us again that we are presently, actually, really children of God, but there is much more to come that we will not experience or even be able to grasp until Jesus Christ appears. That is when the ultimate blessing and glory will come for us. When Jesus appears in glory we who are the children of God now, will become just like Him. This, John says, is our hope. It is something we know is coming. The song says, “When we see Jesus, coming in glory, when he comes from his home in the sky, then we shall meet him in that bright mansion, we’ll understand it all by and by. “ More than that… John tells us, we’ll be just like him! Now that is a hope worth living for! That is a hope worth dying for! Paul wrote to the Philippians, (3:7-15).
Just as the covenant relationship with God had stipulations and laws, this new testament adoption relationship or new birth relationship also has clear stipulations and boundaries. John has already given us several of these boundaries in the first two chapters and he will continue to describe them as the book continues. Today, as we study through this third chapter together, let’s listen to God’s word and let Him speak to our hearts and minds and give us clear instructions as a Father teaches His children.
God desires for us to be with Him. Jesus didn’t die on the cross so you and I would be condemned. Jesus died to destroy the devil’s work and to take away our sins. He rose to give us new life and new birth from above. These glorious gifts and blessings are freely offered to us. They are ours in Christ, when we receive them as God’s word instructs us. And remember, this is not a democratic process. We are not called by God to vote on what we want. God’s instructions are not negotiable and they do not need our improvement. Our input would only mess things up. I say that to bring into focus that our proper response to God’s grace is always praise, thankfulness, humility and fully surrendered obedience. As the eyes of the maid look to the hand of her master, we are to fix our gaze on Jesus Christ our Lord and seek to discover what pleases Him. Losing ourselves, looking to Him, listening to Him, learning from Him, loving like Him, living in Him, we discover our new life through Him. In doing so, we will be more and more like Him. The world becomes more and more estranged to us.
There are four “This is how we know” statements that are here and that I will use to help us divide the rest of the chapter. Verse 10 says, “This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are…” Verse 16 says, “This is how we know what love is…” Verse 19 says, “This is how we know we belong to the truth…” Verse 24 says, “This is how we know that he lives in us…”
First: verse 10 actually sums up what he has talked about in verses 4-9. The key word in those verses is sin. What about sin? This is the first challenging issue John deals with. Notice on your paper how many times this word “sin” occurs. What does the Bible say here about sin? What does this say about sin and its relationship to the child of God? Some of the things God’s word says here are difficult. It is almost too clear! (read 1 John 3:4-10) Any questions? Sin is what? Lawlessness! God’s children are not lawless! We can’t be, if we are God’s children! God’s laws define God’s character and God’s children MUST be pursuing the likeness of their Father. This is not optional. God’s grace is not given so we can sin and get away with it. God’s grace has been poured out through the blood of God’s Son so that we can be saved from sin. Not saved to sin! Saved and delivered from sin so that we would repent and no longer practice sin. How can you tell the difference between a child of God and a child of the devil? God’s children do what is right, the devil’s children do not.
Here John introduces the next thing we know. Love. (read verses 11-19). Back in verse one John wrote about God’s love given to us to make us His children. Here we begin to see how we are to show God’s love to one another. This comes in two parts: first is how the world responds to us as we practice God’s love. That is what we just read in verses 11-16. The second is in verses 17-19 that describe exactly what that love looks like in practical day to day activities.
The example of Cain demonstrates that we should not expect the world to applaud us for loving like God loves. In fact, the righteous love of God makes the world angry because it operates on a different standard.
1 Peter 4:1-4 describes this well. 1Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because he who has suffered in his body is done with sin. 2As a result, he does not live the rest of his earthly life for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God. 3For you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do—living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry. 4They think it strange that you do not plunge with them into the same flood of dissipation, and they heap abuse on you.
Peter continues: 12Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. 13But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. 14If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. 15If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler. 16However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name. 17For it is time for judgment to begin with the family of God; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God? 18And,
"If it is hard for the righteous to be saved,
what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?”
19So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.
So how can loving your brother get the world angry at you?
Two ways – first, God’s love shines as a light that convicts the world of sin. God’s love strips away pride and selfishness and sinfulness. It irritates those who love evil and enflames those who are self-righteous. Second, God’s love invites the lowly and outcast, as well as the privileged and famous into full recognition and equality. In God’s love there is no prejudice, because in Christ there is no Jew or Gentile, rich or poor, slave or free, male or female, all who are God’s children are coheirs together. While there are roles of authority, and maturity levels in Christ, none of God’s children are better or above any others in God’s family.
When you live like Jesus, you can expect to be treated like Him in this world.
Finally, the last two have to do with confidence and will go together. This is how we know that we belong to the truth, and this is how we know that he lives in us. Let’s read 1 John 3:19-24.
Notice that he tells us what gives us confidence and sets our hearts at rest. Two things: 1. God, who is greater than our hearts and knows all things answers our prayers, and 2. We obey His commands and do what pleases Him. We respond to God’s love and God responds to our prayers and needs.
