January 6, 2017
What marvelous love the Father has extended to us! Just look at it, we’re children of God! That’s who we really are. But that’s also why the world doesn’t recognize us or take us seriously, because it has no idea who he is or what he’s up to.
– 1 John 3:1 (The Message)
A group of 4 to 8 year-olds were asked this question, “What does love mean?” Here are their answers which are are gems. See what you think.
“When my grandmother got arthritis, she couldn’t bend over and paint her toenails anymore. So my grandfather does it for her all the time, even when his hands got arthritis, too.” – Rebecca, age 8.
“When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different. You know that your name is safe in their mouth.” – Billy, age 4.
“Love is when a girl puts on perfume and a boy puts on shaving cologne and they go out and smell each other.” – Karl, age 5.
“Love is when you tell a guy you like his shirt, then he wears it everyday.” – Noelle, age 7.
“Love is what makes you smile when you’re tired.” – Terri, age 4.
“Love is when my mommy makes coffee for my daddy and she takes a sip before giving it to him, to make sure the taste is OK.” – Danny, age 7.
“There are two kinds of love. Our love and God’s love. But God makes both kinds of them.” – Jenny, age 4. I bet she learned that in Sunday School.
Today’s devotional is about God’s love. It’s about a father’s love for his child. No, it’s much greater than that. It’s a story about a father’s love for his children, so many children that only he knows the exact number and he wants even more. It’s a love story between God and us and how we received the right to be called “his children.” I call it “Amazing Love” and I must admit to you, I don’t fully understand it.
The first part of the verse above may be literally translated, “Behold, what peculiar out-of-this-world love the Father has bestowed upon us.” While we were his enemies, God loved us so much that he sent his son to die for us (Romans 5:8).
A few years ago some of the men in our church were doing a Bible study using J.I. Packer’s wonderful book, Knowing God as our guide. In chapter 19, Packer begins with this question and answer: “What is a Christian? The question can be answered in many ways, but the richest answer I know is that a Christian is one who has God as Father. If God is our Father, then we are his sons and daughters.”
But how can this be since God has only one Son, the Lord Jesus Christ? Packer continues, “The gift of sonship to God becomes ours not through being born, but through being born again (1 Peter 1:23). Sonship to God is a gift of grace. It is not a natural but an adoptive sonship.”
The apostle Paul wrote this to the Ephesian church in this regard, “In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will, to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given to us in the One he loves” (Ephesians 1:5-6). This is called the doctrine of adoption and it is one of the greatest truths in the whole Bible.
Packer concludes, “Adoption is a family idea, conceived in terms of love, and viewing God as father. In adoption, God takes us into his family and fellowship he establishes us as his children and heirs. Closeness, affection and generosity are at the heart of the relationship. To be right with God the Judge through justification is a great thing, but to be loved and cared for by God the Father through adoption is even greater.”
There are many wonderful, heart warming stories of children being adopted into families. Perhaps you have enjoyed that experience in yours. Some say adoption is the next best thing to having a child born naturally into a family but isn’t it interesting that God chose adoption as the means to increase his family and promises his adopted sons and daughters equal privileges with his only begotten Son (Romans 8:17)?
Christianity is a personal and intimate relationship with the God of the universe. It is absolute and eternal and unlike any other religious system. God’s love makes us his own. We are his children. It’s amazing isn’t it? Does that include you? Maranatha!
WORSHIP WHILE YOU’RE HERE
TO THIS GREAT SONG
