Sunday, August 13, 2006

Who are you, Christian?

BELOVED CHILDREN OF GOD!
“He’ My Daddy!” - 1 John 3:1-3


1 "How great is the love the Father has lavished on us,
that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.
2 Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears,
we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.
3 Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself,
just as he is pure.” 1 John 3:1-3 (NIV)



How much love does it take for God to call us His kids?
1 “How great is the love the Father has lavished on us,
that we should be called children of God!” (NIV)


So you don’t miss it: We are God’s kids! (Eph. 1; 1 Pet. 1:1-3)
“And that is what we are!”



Being God’s child puts us at odds with the world. They didn’t know Him, they don’t know His kinfolk either (John 1:11-13).
"The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him."



Our Current status: God’s kids, though all the family traits are not yet in place. “But wait, there’s more!”
2 "Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known."



When He comes back, we will be fully like Him,
because we will see Him for all He is – whoa! (Is. 6; Ezk. 1)
"But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him,
for we shall see him as he is."



The confidence of being one of His beloved kids, of seeing Him, and fully being like Him leads us to pursue a pure life.
3 "Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself,
just as he is pure.” (NIV)


Some Final Thots:

He adopted us knowing ALL our imperfections and future failures & flailing. Warts and all. See Romans 5:1-11; 8; Psalm 103; Jer. 1.

He is not finished working on us (Phil. 1:6; 2:13; 1 Thess. 5:24).

We are not to be finished working on us either (vs. 3 & 2 Cor. 7:1)

We are to rejoice & rest in our status with him: His adopted kids!


2 Corin. 7:1 “Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.” (NIV)

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