SeniorSeeker
Active member
Sons of God (1 John 3:1)
Read 1 John 3:1. What wonderful promise is found in there? What does that promise entail? What hope should it give us? See also John 1:12, 1 John 2:29, 3:9.
First John 3:1 points to a spiritual birth; John 1:12 stresses the faith in Christ by which we become children of God. First John 3:1 stresses that believers are already God's children. God has taken the initiative to do this for us. The new birth is His work, not ours. We can bring about neither our own birth nor our adoption as God's children. Also, we do not need to worry about our status as children of God as long as we maintain our relationship with Him. This relationship is described as one between a father and a child; thus, it is very close. The ideal father takes care of us, loves us, and would give his life for us.
Stop and dwell on the implications of the promise that we are the children of God. At last count there are more than four hundred billion visible galaxies in the universe, each one containing billions of stars. Who knows how many planets are among those stars and how many are inhabited with intelligent life? Given the size of the universe in contrast to our planet, much less to each of us individually, how can we not be astonished that the God who created all this loves us and has made us His children? What a wonderful perspective this should give us on what our lives mean! What hope, what assurance, what confidence we should have for the future, regardless of whatever difficult circumstances we now face. God, the Creator of all that is, loves us, cares for us, and calls us His children. The New International Version translates 1 John 3:1 freely but catches its meaning well, when it says that the Father lavished His great love on us.
Dwell on the implications of the notion that not only does God exist but He loves us, cares for us, and even died for us. How should this reality impact how we live? Why should it impact it?
Read 1 John 3:1. What wonderful promise is found in there? What does that promise entail? What hope should it give us? See also John 1:12, 1 John 2:29, 3:9.
First John 3:1 points to a spiritual birth; John 1:12 stresses the faith in Christ by which we become children of God. First John 3:1 stresses that believers are already God's children. God has taken the initiative to do this for us. The new birth is His work, not ours. We can bring about neither our own birth nor our adoption as God's children. Also, we do not need to worry about our status as children of God as long as we maintain our relationship with Him. This relationship is described as one between a father and a child; thus, it is very close. The ideal father takes care of us, loves us, and would give his life for us.
Stop and dwell on the implications of the promise that we are the children of God. At last count there are more than four hundred billion visible galaxies in the universe, each one containing billions of stars. Who knows how many planets are among those stars and how many are inhabited with intelligent life? Given the size of the universe in contrast to our planet, much less to each of us individually, how can we not be astonished that the God who created all this loves us and has made us His children? What a wonderful perspective this should give us on what our lives mean! What hope, what assurance, what confidence we should have for the future, regardless of whatever difficult circumstances we now face. God, the Creator of all that is, loves us, cares for us, and calls us His children. The New International Version translates 1 John 3:1 freely but catches its meaning well, when it says that the Father lavished His great love on us.
Dwell on the implications of the notion that not only does God exist but He loves us, cares for us, and even died for us. How should this reality impact how we live? Why should it impact it?
God Bless! Betty