Tell me something that you’ve created with your hands.
What would happen if someone came in and destroyed your creation?
How would you feel?
Imagine how God felt, when Satan did that very thing. He attempted to destroy what God created beings. And although he can’t, because ultimately God holds the power of life and death, He does wreak havoc with it and it all started in the garden.
But thinking about someone destroying something that you created helps us grasp what it is about God’s love for us. We are created beings. designed exclusively for His purpose but with free will.
So let’s look at God’s love for us through 1 John Chapter 3
(1)
Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.
When we see the word “Behold” it means there’s something noteworthy here.
John is about to tell us, what manner, what kind of love God has for us. It’s the same love that He has for His only begotten Son. because He calls us the sons (or daughters as the case may be of God. And that God not only sees us as He sees His son, but the world sees us as they see His son.
And how does the world (those who don’t know Christ as Savior) see Him?
Unimportant. Of no significance to their lives. And that’s the same way the world sees Christian people. We’re not important to them. Even though they’re important to us. It doesn’t hardly seem fair, and that’s likely how God feels too.
What if that thing you created could talk. and it tells you that it likes your friends better than you, and wants emancipation (no longer to be yours.) How would that make you feel. Life and love is all about perspective. we need to be able to identify with God. And the only way to do that is to learn more about Who He is. He already knows us, He created us, but we don’t know Him unless we read His word. Because there in lies the image and character of God.
He loves us like sons and daughters. How should we love Him? (Like our Father)
How can that image get messed up? What if you don’t have a good relationship with your earthly father, do you think that will affect how you feel about your Heavenly Father.
(my relationship with my dad)
I was loved, but my dad was very Passive. Non confrontational. laid back.
Too often I look at God in the same light. Which is so far from Who He is.
(2) Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
John continues on to tell us that we not only are the children of God, there will come a day when we will be like God
What’s going to be one of your favorite parts of being like Jesus?
For me I think it’s got to be living without sin. To never have an ugly or evil thought. To never fear.
(3-5)
And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure. [4] Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law. [5] And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin.
I think that may have been John’s favorite thing too. And this is what we have faith for… that one day we’re not going to be messed, and we’re not going to live in a messed up world. It’s why we study the word, and work on having a relationship with Christ, because through the word we are purified.
My friend John said that the Bible is like a spiritual washcloth. It’ll clean you up? How does it do that? What happens if we don’t read it?
We feel dirty, and often times unlovable.
Dick Jarvis found this little dog one day at Bakers mart. It was skiddish and wouldn’t come to anyone. Scraggly mutt. But Dick started feeding it, and it became his friend. He took it home and cleaned it up, and it was the cutest little critter. It made a home with his purebreds dogs. That’s a good example of what it’s like to be a child fo God. The Jews were the purebreds. We were the mutts, but God adopted us into His family, and now we are loved every bit as much as the children of Israel. But no body lost their position .
That purity (cleanses) that we experience is something the unsaved will never experience. They do not know what it’s like to live guilt free.
Jesus manifested (made Himself known) to the world so that we could be forgiven. He has never sinned. There fore He was the perfect blood sacrifice for our forgiveness of sins. By having a relationship with Jesus, we get to experience what it’s like to be without sin. We’re not. We do sin. But when God looks at us. He sees nothing.
The world can’t understand that, because they’ve never experienced it. And they won’t unless they get a relationship with God. Without having a relationship with God, you’ll never understand the depth of His love. How could we ever believe that our family loves us, and we love them if we never spoke.
(6)Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him.
Abide means to continue in a place. To wait patiently.
As a little child, or with my own children, I remember what it was like to wait until one of my parents got home. I can remember how excited my children were when I got home from work. That’s the very same attitude we should have when waiting for the return of Jesus Christ. But too many Christians or church goers know just enough bible to be dangerous. They fear the coming of the Lord, because they’re not ready for His return. If we’re ready, and in a good relationship with Him, we can’t wait until He comes back. Because it’s then that we know we’re going to experience that purity and perfection in our own bodies that Christ has in Him.
Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. [8] He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. [9] Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.
John sends us a warning not to be deceived.
How do we become deceived in this world? Where do we see deception?
Television
Hollywood certainly gives us a jaded view of what our lives “should” look like. What we should have to make us happy.
Social Media
Everyone’s family is perfect except yours, right? Wrong.
Our brains are inundated with lies so many times a day that we begin to buy it. And then we buy what ever it is they’re selling, because that will make us happy. We believe that nobody can disagree with us, or they’re not fully committed to us. If we get our feelings hurt, its because those people didn’t love us enough.
But the truth is, this world is broken, nobody or nothing will make you happy. Only Christ can do that in a way that leaves you satisfied. If it’s in the world, there will be a new version before the day is over that you bought whatever it was that you thought would make you happy.
But there is no new and improved version of God. He has never changed. And Christians shouldn’t waver either. There is an emotion of love, but there should also be an action of that love.
[10] In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother. [11] For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. [12] Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother’s righteous
Just as Christ made himself known to the world. We have to make ourselves known to the world too. It’s not to puff ourselves up, but rather to point people to Christ.
Just as Gods hasn’t changed, neither has His message. It’s one of great love. And that’s exactly what the world needs to see now. They don’t need to see hatred, and animosity towards each other and the unsaved. they need to experience the love of Christ through us, so that they’ll desire to know that love themselves.
13] Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you. [14] We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death. [15] Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him. [16] Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. [17] But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? [18] My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.
There should always be evidence of God’s love in our life. And it has to be with action. But when the world sees Christians hating on each other and the lost, that’s how they view God. And Christians are going to stand accountable for that.
THE CONCLUSION
(19] And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him. [20] For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things. [21] Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God. [22] And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight. [23] And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment. [24] And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.
If we want people to understand the love of Christ, we have to share what Christ’s love looks like.
Christ’s love
LISTENS TO OTHERS
OBEYS THE SPIRIT
VALUES THE CREATOR AND THE CREATED
EMPOWERS AND ENCOURAGES PEOPLE
