Truth That Empowers Living. -Who You Really Are.

Truth That Empowers Living. -Who You Really Are.

1 John 3:1-2NLT

Hear this powerful testimony, “I’m not who I once was. I’m a new person.” Those simple words from my son, spoken to students at a school assembly, describe the change God made in his life. States Godfrey’s dad, reverend, James Banks.

Once addicted to heroin, Godfrey previously saw himself through his sins and mistakes. But now he sees himself as a child of God.

I wonder if I can be honest, “Do you see yourself through your sins?’ ‘Through your previous mistakes?”

“If you love Jesus there is only one way to see yourself, and that is through Jesus’ finished work.” P.H

In other words, “Do you identify yourself to your previous, or do you see yourself as a child of God?”

I want to take for a text, 1 John 3:1-2, we will look at verse 1. -1 John 3:1 ”See how very much our Father loves us, for He calls us His Children, and that is what we are! But the people who belong to this world don’t recognize that we are God’s children because they don’t know him.

The 3 greatest words in the world, God loves you. However, these 4 come back.

-I already know that.

The apostle John was called, Jesus’ beloved, John gives the believer a powerful secret.

Here’s the secret, those who belong to this world cannot discern that we are God’s children. “Don’t be too hard on them, they’re blind.” P.H

2 Corinthians 4:4NLT  Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God.

Before we go to verse 2, Remember ‘you' could be the ‘blinds’ only hope!

Vs.4, They don’t understand...

Back to the text, 1 John 3:2 Dear friends, we are already God’s children, but he has not yet shown us what we will be like when Christ appears. But we do know that we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is.“

I wonder if we can see Jesus as our Elder Brother, I wonder if we can see the Father?

And If we are Gods children, His offspring, and if we truly understand our inheritance, in return, we begin to think, we say, we act and we do things differently! PH

Again verse 2, John, the beloved writes, “Friends, dear believers, dear Saint of God.” Please understand, that you are now children of God.

Listen, this is not a cliché, “I am a child of God.”

However, at this time, just as the apostle John writes in verse 2, “We are unsure what we’re going to be like, but when Jesus appears we’re gonna be like Him!”

Can you picture Jesus? Can you see Jesus for Who He really is? He’s Creator, He’s judge, He’s love, He’s forgiveness, He’s joy, He’s peace, He’s grace, He’s wisdom, He’s fruit, He’s gifts, and He is eternal!

Hear me, “And He’s coming back again!”

Scripture is clear, believers who die by the grave will be coming back with Jesus at this time.

-Then they will receive their new body and those on earth will be caught away and changed!

Sound far fetched? “Jesus will not allow His bride to go through the tribulation."

The imagery and symbolism of marriage is applied to Christ and the body of believers known as the church.

The church is comprised of those who have trusted in Jesus Christ as their personal Savior and have received eternal life.

Jesus Christ, the Bridegroom, has sacrificially and lovingly chosen the church to be His bride.

Ephesians 5:25–27NLT For husbands, this means love your wives, just as Christ loved the church. He gave up his life for her 26 to make her holy and clean, washed by the cleansing of God’s word. 27 He did this to present her to himself as a glorious church without a spot or wrinkle or any other blemish. Instead, she will be holy and without fault.

Hear this word, “Just as there was a betrothal period in biblical times during which the bride and groom were separated until the wedding, so is the bride of Christ separate from her Bridegroom during the church age.”

The Brides responsibility during the betrothal period is to be faithful her groom.

That’s why God’s Word points to this same fact time and time again.

Habakkuk 2:4. The just shall live by faith...

There is no single text in the Old Testament that play a more vital role in the doctrinal discussions of the New Testament.

Again, Romans 1:17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.”