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Bible Study........................................................................Pages
from His Grace Magazine
by His Grace
Page 18 His Grace Magazine! September 2021 Bible Study...1 John 3:1
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Have you ever thought about how great God's love is for us? People were strangers to God. We were sinners and His enemies because we chose to be. He created humans, gave them the perfect life in paradise, only to have them rebel and sin against Him. Prophets were sent by God, who were mocked, ridiculed, beaten and killed. Miracles were performed, saving the people of Israel time and time again only to have them rebel against Him and worship false gods. Finally, He sent His own Son. Jesus performed miracles, healed the sick, brought the dead back to life, fed the multitudes, taught people how to live and encouraged them to turn back to their loving Father. But He was crucified. Yet He forgave the very people who killed Him on the cross. Jesus demonstrated His profound love when He forgave the very people who killed Him. Still, God offers His enemies the opportunity to be adopted as part of His family. Becoming a child of God is a great sign of God's amazing love for us. It is the love of God that caused the Father to give His only begotten Son as the perfect sacrifice for the sins of the world. It is the love of God that caused Jesus to take the sins of the world upon Himself on the cross of Calvary. It is the love of God that sent the Holy Spirit to abide in us to
comfort, guide and teach us. And it is the love of God that has bestowed on all that believe on Christ Jesus to be called God's children. This is what we are ... sinners, saved by the grace of God, through faith in His Son ... and that grace proceeds from the Father. Believers truly do become God's children. John 1:12 says, "But to all who did receive Him, who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God." In other words, those who both receive Jesus as Lord and believe in His name as the risen Messiah are God's children. We can be sure of this because of Romans 8:16: "The Spirit Himself bears witness with our
spirit that we are children of God." When we become children of God, we progressively bear our Father's likeness. Some transformation is immediate, but not everything we will be has been revealed yet. Only when Christ returns will we see everything He has in store for us. When God appears in glory, how will we be like Him? In eternity, Christians will be morally without sin, intellectually without falsehood or error, physically without weakness or imperfections, and filled continually with the Holy Spirit. Though we bear His name and likeness now while we remain on this earth, we still sin and our bodies age. However, in His appearing, there will finally be an end to our struggles. We will finally be able to enjoy our God as we were intended to. It is important to understand what it means to be a child of God. God's love is expressed to everyone in the giving of Jesus for the sins of the world (John 3:16), but this does not make all of humanity children of God. Because unbelievers do not have a relationship with Christ, they do not connect with His children. The world rejected Jesus and crucified Him. Jesus came unto His own
September 2021
His Grace Magazine! Page 19 Bible Study...1 John 3:1 people as their King and paid the ransom price for the sin of the whole world. But the world did not recognize Him, for it had been blinded to truth by the evil prince of this world system... so He was despised and rejected by the world. Some thought He had a demon (Matthew 11:18, 9:34). Jesus Himself said they didn't know where He came from or where He was going (John 8:14). And because the Lord Jesus was rejected, we will also be rejected by the world. If the world didn't accept Jesus, even though He performed many miracles and taught love and forgiveness, will the world understand or accept believers? NO. We will be rejected as well. They won't like us because we point out their sin. John 3:20 says, "For everyone practicing evil hates the light, lest his deeds should be exposed." And they won't understand us because they don't see like we do. John encouraged his readers to be living the right way so that we would not be ashamed when Christ returns. His return is motivation for us to make use of our time and stay far away from sin. The next time you are facing temptation, remind yourself that Jesus could come back any second. Be ready to meet your Maker! "See what great 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." (1 John 3:1)
