First Things First # 5 – Children Of God
Since we have looked at the dinstinctions of cases of love last week, let’s deepen last week’s article with “C. H. Spurgeon’s Morning and Evening: Daily Readings” [SME] for….
Morning, February 13
“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. Beloved, now are we the sons of God.”
1 John 3:1,2
What were C. H. Spurgeon’s thoughts about the passage mentioned above?
“Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us.” Consider who we were, and what we feel ourselves to be even now when corruption is powerful in us, and you will wonder at our adoption. Yet we are called “the sons of God.” What a high relationship is that of a son, and what privileges it brings! What care and tenderness the son expects from his father, and what love the father feels towards the son! But all that, and more than that, we now have through Christ. As for the temporary drawback of suffering with the elder brother, this we accept as an honour: “Therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.” We are content to be unknown with him in his humiliation, for we are to be exalted with him. “Beloved, now are we the sons of God.” That is easy to read, but it is not so easy to feel. How is it with your heart this morning? Are you in the lowest depths of sorrow? Does corruption rise within your spirit, and grace seem like a poor spark trampled under foot? Does your faith almost fail you? Fear not, it is neither your graces nor feelings on which you are to live: you must live simply by faith on Christ. With all these things against us, now—in the very depths of our sorrow, wherever we may be—now, as much in the valley as on the mountain, “Beloved, now are we the sons of God.” “Ah, but,” you say, “see how I am arrayed! my graces are not bright; my righteousness does not shine with apparent glory.” But read the next: “It doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him.” The Holy Spirit shall purify our minds, and divine power shall refine our bodies, then shall we see him as he is.
Please read the following UKJV Bible passage in context below, after you read Spurgeon’s comment from the [SME ] daily readings.
1 John 3:1-3
[1] Behold, what manner of love (o. agape) the Father has bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knows us not, because it knew him not.
[2] Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it does 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.
[3] And every man that has this hope in him purifies himself, even as he is pure.
Note: Quoted from the “Updated King James Version”. After reading the Bible passage above in context, let’s have a look at the free non-commercial Kingcomments, below.
Children of God
1Jn 3:1. In chapter 3 John continues describing the characteristics of the new life by which you can identify the children of God. Before he goes on with that it seems like he is overwhelmed by the thought that we have become children of God. Does that ever happen to you, that it suddenly dawns on you how wonderful it is that you are a child of God? If you think about it like that, it can deeply touch you. That you are a child of God is a gift of the love of the Father! The Father expresses His love to you by calling you His child. He openly declares that you are His. You could never and would never have thought of that yourself. The fact that you definitely are a child of God, can overwhelm you with feelings of gratitude and admiration. You are really a child of God!
I address you as a child of God, in order to bring the message closer to you. Nevertheless it is right to point out that John speaks always about “children of God”, in plural. You are a child of God together with others who also are. Together with them you form the family of God. You belong to a company that is not known by the world. It doesn’t mean that the world would not know who you are, but that the world does not recognize you as someone who belongs to its company. That is because the world did not know the Lord Jesus. Since you belong to Him, the world doesn’t know you either.
However, that notably applies not only if you are faithful to the Lord and go your way separated from the world. It also applies if you – which is hoped not to be – would become unfaithful. You see that with Lot, who I believe is the most unfaithful believer that you meet in the Scripture. When he makes a disgusting proposal to his wicked fellow citizens whom he even called ‘my brethren’, to stop them from committing a disgusting deed, they refer to him by calling him ‘a resident alien’ or one who ‘came to sojourn’ (Gen 19:4-9). But also Peter, who has found himself in the company of enemies of the Lord Jesus, is being recognized as a person who does not belong there, but that he belongs to the Lord (Mt 26:69-75).
1Jn 3:2. Once again John speaks out the assurance of the fact that we are children of God. He emphasizes that it is indeed “now” already. By addressing them as “beloved” he underlines their common blessing. He loves them, and the Father and the Son love them even more. It is a love that is enjoyed in the family circle of God. That’s something the world does not know anything about or has any insight in.
That will change when the Lord Jesus “appears”. Then the world will recognize that He has loved us (Jn 17:22-23). That recognition is, because “we will be like Him”. When the world will see us then, they will see Him. And that we will be like Him, is because we then “see Him just as He is”.
To be able to see Him just as He is, it is necessary for us to be like Him. When we are like Him, the result will be that we will radiate His glory. Beholding Him will cause that transformation (2Cor 3:18).
1Jn 3:3. This hope that we have in Him, to see Him, can have nothing else than a purifying effect. If you think of Him and look forward to Him, you will definitely want to be pure “just as He is pure”. You will inwardly sense that certain things cannot go hand in hand with the coming meeting with Him. Therefore, you will remove all those things from your life. By doing so, you are already rejoicing His heart.
Now read 1 John 3:1-3 again.
Reflection: What effect does the thinking about the coming meeting with the Lord have on you?
Do you want to know more about the Bible and how to purify your thinking and heart?
You can take your Bible and read 1 John 3 in context and listen to the following sermon about that chapter, below. If you do not have a Bible with you, you can install the Xiphos Bible program and install the KJV, or UKJV Bible along with the [SME] C. H. Spurgeon’s Morning and Evening: Daily Readings and the free non-commercial Kingcomments to start your spiritual growth, today.
Original Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MfcVEw0vk_M Channel link for your RSS feed reader: https://www.youtube.com/feeds/videos.xml?channel_id=UC3X8sYjKJuDefK1kiY9H4LA
Note: The commentary for the chapter above, was made for Prophecy Watchers by Ken Johnson. You can copy and paste the channel link above and insert it into your RSS feed reader, to follow their channel. Ken Johnson made a series about 1 John 1-5 some time ago. You can watch the series below and read the corresponding chapters in the Bible 1 John 1-5 in the coming days, if you feel inclined to do so.
Dead Sea Scroll Studies with Ken Johnson: 1 John 1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KVvb-vhXiA8
Dead Sea Scroll Studies with Ken Johnson: 1 John 2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQ_LLcBggdM
Dead Sea Scroll Studies with Ken Johnson: 1 John 4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vpboz2bIi94
Dead Sea Scroll Studies with Ken Johnson: 1 John 5
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OACjT61Vs4A
You can add Ken Johnson’s Youtube channel https://www.youtube.com/feeds/videos.xml?channel_id=UCNfF5IREQ_9hiRm47UX0E5g to your RSS feed reader and follow his weekly study of scriptures, or visit his website at Biblefacts.org.
Why is daily bible reading important, besides inner purification and spiritual growth? Please have look into the supplemental podcast by Pastor Patrick Hines….
Original Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Mn0P7RaJNk Channel link for your RSS feed reader: https://www.youtube.com/feeds/videos.xml?channel_id=UClW5Qzh27Zx7HO2fKkCcR5g
So much to listen and to read, you might think. Don’t panic, take your time, step by step. Let’s conclude this article with the following recommendation by Pastor Jesse Randolph….
Original Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Mn0P7RaJNk Channel link for your RSS feed reader: https://www.youtube.com/feeds/videos.xml?channel_id=UCev72UrymIypJCH0SRFdwCw
Don’t forget to bookmark and check the section https://open-fab.org/spiritual/ on this website, if you want to see more sermons, fresh on a daily basis….
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