1 John Episode 7 - Children of God – Living From Our Identity

In Episode 7, we explore 1 John 3:1–10 and the extraordinary love of God that welcomes believers into His family. We consider how we become children of God through faith in Jesus Christ, what it means to know God as Father even though God is Spirit, and how our identity shapes the way we live. This episode encourages us to rest in the Father’s love, grow in holiness, and increasingly reflect the character of Jesus.

Transcript

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Welcome to episode seven of our journey through the first epistle of John. Thank you for joining me again as we continue working our way through this remarkable letter. As we've travelled through John's letter, one thing has become increasingly clear. John never separates theology from everyday life. Everything he teaches about God eventually becomes intensely practical. He has reminded us to walk in the light, to confess our sins, to know Christ personally, to love one another, to guard our hearts against the values of this world, to remain faithful to the truth. Now John reaches one of the most beautiful passages in the entire letter. In fact, I think these verses reveal the very heart of the Christian life. John doesn't begin by telling us what we should do, he begins by reminding us who we are, because until we understand our identity we'll never fully understand how God calls us to live. John begins with these remarkable words See what great love the Father has lavished on us that we should be called children of God. The first word is fascinating. The Greek word is Edit. It literally means look, behold, stop and take this in. John is saying, Don't rush past this truth. Pause for a moment. Allow yourself to be amazed. Sometimes I think we become so familiar with the gospel that we stop marvelling at it. John won't let us do that. He invites us to stop and think about the astonishing love of God. The word translated love is the familiar Greek word agape. It describes God's unconditional, self giving, sacrificial love. This isn't love that has to be earned. It isn't love that depends on our performance. It isn't love that disappears when we fail. It flows from God's own character. John says the Father has lavished this love upon us. I love that expression. God doesn't love us reluctantly, he doesn't measure out his love in small portions, he pours it out generously upon his children. John then says something extraordinary that we should be called children of God, and that is what we are. The Greek word for children is techna, it describes children who belong to a family. John isn't simply reminding us that God created us. In one sense, every human being is God's creation. But not everyone is described in Scripture as one of God's children. John is speaking about something much deeper. He's talking about adoption into God's family. Earlier in the opening chapter of his gospel, John explains how this happens. He writes to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God. Notice that word become. We are not naturally born into God's spiritual family. We become part of his family when we receive Jesus Christ by faith, not by trying to be good enough, not by becoming religious, not by joining a church, not because our parents were Christians, but because we place our trust in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. The Apostle Paul describes this as receiving the spirit of adoption. Through Christ, God adopts us into his family. Think for a moment about what adoption means. Someone who had no legal claim to a family is welcomed, given a new name, a new identity, a new inheritance, they now belong. That is exactly what God has done for every believer. Our greatest identity is no longer found in our occupation, our achievements, our failures, our past, or what other people think about us. Our deepest identity is this I am a child of God. That truth changes everything. This naturally raises an important question. John continually speaks about the Father, yet Jesus also tells us in John's gospel God is spirit. So what does it actually mean to call God our Father? It certainly doesn't mean that God has a physical body, God is spirit, he is eternal, invisible, unlimited by time and space. Throughout the scriptures, God sometimes describes Himself using human language. The Bible speaks about God's hands, his eyes, his ears, his arm. These are ways of helping us understand God's actions. In exactly the same way the title father is relational language. It tells us about God's relationship with us rather than describing his physical nature. The Greek word is parter. It speaks of one who gives life, one who provides, one who protects, one who lovingly guides, one who exercises wise authority, one who desires relationship with his children. Perhaps the most remarkable truth is this God did not become Father when Jesus was born in Bethlehem. The Father has eternally been the Father. The Son has eternally been the Son. Before creation itself, there existed perfect love within the Trinity. The Father loved the Son, the Son delighted in the Father, the Holy Spirit shared in that perfect fellowship. Before there was a universe, there was relationship. Before there was time, there was love. Then, through Jesus Christ, we are invited into that eternal relationship. Think about that. The Father doesn't simply forgive us, he welcomes us, he adopts us, he brings us into his family. That is one of the most astonishing truths in the Christian faith. I've often reflected on this over the years. Many people think of God primarily as creator, others think of him as judge, others simply think of him as an all powerful being somewhere in heaven. While all of those descriptions contain truth, John wants us to know God much more personally. He wants us to know him as Father. That means we are deeply loved, we are secure, we belong, we are never abandoned. Our Father delights in his children. He provides for us, he disciplines us because he loves us, he patiently teaches us. Now I realize that for some people the word father doesn't bring happy memories. Perhaps your earthly father was absent, perhaps he was harsh, perhaps he failed you deeply. The wonderful news is that God is not a reflection of imperfect human fathers, rather every good father reflects something of him. God is the perfect father. His love never fails, his patience never runs out, his faithfulness never changes. As I look back over many decades of following Christ, I found this truth becoming increasingly precious. When I first became a Christian, I often focused on what God wanted me to do. As the years have passed, I've come to know him much more deeply for who he is, a loving father, a patient father, a faithful father, a father who has walked beside me through every season of life. That has brought tremendous security. My confidence doesn't rest in how tightly I'm holding on to him. It rests in knowing that my father is faithfully holding on to me. John now moves from identity to behavior. Everyone who has this hope in Christ purifies themselves. Notice the order. We don't become God's children because we live holy lives. We pursue holiness because we already belong to him. Children gradually resemble their parents, not only physically but often in their character, their values, their attitudes. The same is true spiritually. The longer we walk with our heavenly Father, the more his character begins shaping our lives. John says that Jesus appeared to take away our sins, the Greek word arrow to lift away or remove. Jesus came not only to forgive sin, but to break its power over our lives. Earlier in this letter, John reminded us that believers still stumble and need to confess their sins. Here his emphasis is different. He is describing the direction of our lives. Those who belong to Christ no longer make sin their settled way of living. Our desires change, our priorities change, we increasingly want to please the Father we have come to know and love. John finishes by drawing a contrast between those who belong to God and those who continue living independently of him. The evidence isn't perfection, the evidence is transformation. God's children increasingly resemble their father, they pursue righteousness, they love one another, the Holy Spirit gradually produces the family likeness. I've often noticed that people who have spent many years with Jesus begin looking more like him, not physically, but in their character there is a gentleness, a humility, a patience, a generosity, a love that wasn't there before, that is the Spirit of God quietly transforming them. I think that's one of the greatest evidences that someone truly belongs to God's family. John leaves us with an invitation. Stop, marvel, take time to consider the astonishing love of the Father. Remember who you are. You are not simply someone trying to become a better Christian. If you have placed your faith in Jesus Christ, you are a beloved child of God. Live from that identity, walk with your Father, trust him, become more like him, and allow his love to shape every part of your life. Thank you for joining me for Episode 7. Until next time, may you continue to marvel at the Father's love, rest securely in your identity as his child, and grow each day into the likeness of Jesus Christ. God bless.