◄ What Does 1 John 3:1 Mean? ►

We are saved by the grace of God, and that grace proceeds from the Father-heart of divine love. It is the love of God that causes the Father to give His only begotten Son to die as the one and only perfect sacrifice for our sin. It is the love of God that caused the Lord Jesus to willingly stretch out His innocent hands and have them driven through with cruel nails. It is the love of God that sent the Holy Spirit to be our ever-present, indwelling heavenly Comforter. And it is the love of God that has bestowed on all that believe on Christ Jesus as our sin-bearing Redeemer - to be called God's children.

This is a wonderful love, a perfect love, a unique love, a divine love, a love that bewilders our meagre understanding, but a love that is the eternal inheritance of all that believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. The old apostle John, who is so often referred to as the 'Apostle of love', in simple terms says: "See what an incredible love the Father has given us: that are should be called God's children."

But this is what we are, and this is what we remain, and none can ever pluck us out of this secure love of the Godhead, for we are accepted by the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ Who is the Beloved Son of His love. "We are God’s children and that is what we are," – sinners, saved by the grace of God through faith in His Son, and that grace proceeds from the Father-heart of a wonderful, perfect, unique, divine love.

But Jesus came unto His own people as their King and He came to pay the ransom-price for the sin of the whole world, but neither Israel nor the Gentile nations recognised Him, for the world has been blinded to truth by the evil prince of this world system - and so they cried, "we will not have this man rule over us." And because the Lord Jesus was not recognised by the world, neither are we.

Because the Lord Jesus was despised and rejected of men, so are we. But also, because the Lord Jesus is the beloved Son of God and rests in the bosom of the Father, so do we. Because we are in Christ and members of His Body, we who were dead in trespasses and sins and without hope in the world are now called God's children.

Loving Father, I praise Your name for Your great love toward me. Thank You for loving me enough to save me and thank You that in Christ, I am called Your child. In Jesus' name I pray, AMEN.