Reference

1John 3:1-6
The Father's Great Love

The Father’s Great Love

1 John 3:1-6

Emmanuel Christian Church

12.24.23

INTRODUCTION: The best Christmas presents are the ones that are given in love. That’s what makes God’s gift of Jesus so special! John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” PROPOSITION: The Apostle John, also known as “the disciple whom Jesus loved”, became known as the “Apostle of Love” for having written so much about that subject in all his letters. When we hear the words of John 3:16, we ought to immediately think of Baby Jesus born in the manger of Bethlehem! His birth, was God’s supreme act of love toward us. John simply states that as a fact. Moving from the third chapter of John’s Gospel to the third chapter of his first letter, we discover John’s explanation of what that means for us when he said “God so loved the world”! Let’s listen for that explanation… 1 John 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. Transformed

  • We have been, as Christians, transformed into the children of God!

  • We can’t really appreciate what we are unless we remember what we WERE! The Apostle Paul gives us a good description as he writes to the Corinthians: “Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things–and the things that are not–to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God– that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption” 1 Corinthians 1:26-30

  • TRANSFORMED! From “foolish, weak and lowly” to “Children of God”, righteous, holy and redeemed!

  • John uses a word that reminds us how children get here: it is by BIRTH.

  • Our first birth made us children of our earthly parents.

  • Our “second birth” or re-birth through Christ has made us God’s children.1 Peter 1:3-4 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade–kept in heaven for you… 1 Peter 1:23 “For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.” APPLICATION: Where would you be right now if NOT for your second birth? Jesus birth, made our second birth possible, and it was our second birth that made us CHILDREN OF GOD! Look at the phrase: “We shall be – like Him!”

  • The final chapter in our story has yet to be written! John says in verse 2: “Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known.”

  • In describing the future work of God’s transforming love, John simply says “we shall be like Him”!

  • This likeness of God is the kind wherein we will one day perfectly reflect the glory of our Creator! APPLICATION: “Patience” is a good word for us to hang on to! Life can be painful and frustrating at times, but remember this- God is not done with His work in us. Yes, Jesus’ came that we might become God’s adopted children, but even more than that- He came so that we might BE like HIM! That’s a PROCESS. That takes PATIENCE! God’s Word promises us… Philippians 1:6 He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. Let’s look at just a few more verses from John’s first letter: 1 John 3:4 Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness. 5 But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin. 6 No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him. Liberated (vs. 4-6)

  • Jesus appeared to “take away” our sins- to liberate and set us free from their death sentence upon our life!

  • I love the words God uses to describe the work of Christ in taking away our sin- for it conveys the idea of a COMPLETE removal!

  • WE may choose to deny our sin, rationalize our sin, or minimize our sin…

  • God chooses to remove it altogether!

  • God’s plan for our sin liberation covers the past, present and future!

  • God removes the sins of our past by allowing the sacrifice of His Son to serve as the complete penalty for our guilt.

  • God disarms the sin of our present and future by giving us His indwelling Spirit Who directs us into the path of right living each day.

APPLICATION: Jesus came that we could be transformed from God’s enemies to His dearly loved children. Jesus came that we could be liberated from our sin that had sentenced us to death row. And when He freed us from our sin, He gave us His very own Spirit to live within us! Freedom and adoption! The greatest Christmas gifts ever given by a loving Father! That’s what Baby Jesus brought to us almost 2,000 years ago!