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“See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.” (1 John 3:1-3 ESV)
What did God the Father and his only begotten Son Jesus Christ (God the Son) do for us to show their love for us? Well, Jesus Christ left his throne in heaven, came to the earth, and was born as a human baby to a human mother, but conceived of the Holy Spirit. So while Jesus lived on this earth he was fully God and fully human, but without sin. And while on the earth he fed the hungry, delivered people from demons, healed the sick and afflicted, raised the dead, and comforted the sorrowful.
But that was not all. He preached repentance for forgiveness of sins, called all people to forsake their sins and to follow him in obedience, and he warned of divine judgment if they did not follow him with their lives, but if they continued to go their own way, instead. Thus, the religious leaders hated him and they harassed him continuously and they plotted his death which they carried out with the help of the Gentiles, at which time they also beat him, mocked him, spit on him, and lied about him, too.
But that was not the end of it. Jesus did not remain dead. He was resurrected on the third day, as he said he would be, and he showed himself to many people, including to his disciples, before returning to the Father in heaven. Then he sent his Holy Spirit to indwell his followers. For by God-persuaded faith in him, because of what he did for us in putting our sins to death with him on that cross, we can now die with him to sin and live to his righteousness daily in the power of God and in his strength and wisdom.
Therefore, by God-gifted faith in Jesus Christ, whereby we are crucified with him in death to sin, and raised with him to walk in newness of life in him, no longer as slaves to sin, but now as slaves to God and to his righteousness, we become the children of God, born of God and not of the flesh of man (Ephesians 2:8-10; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14). But as his children we must grow in our walks of faith in him to spiritual maturity, and we must no longer walk in deliberate and habitual sin, but now we must walk in obedience to our Lord and to his commands (Ephesians 4:1-32).
For, everyone whose hope in him is genuine, and of the Spirit of God, and not of the flesh of man, “purifies himself as he is pure.” For the grace of God, which is bringing us salvation, is training (instructing) us to renounce (say “No!” to) ungodliness and worldly passions and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives while we wait for our Lord’s return. For it isn’t those who profess faith in Jesus Christ who are God’s true children, but they are all those who are doing the will of God (Titus 2:11-14; Matthew 7:21-23).
Now when this says that the world does not know us, it isn’t that the people of the world have no knowledge of us at all. But it is that they will not understand us and why we believe what we believe and why we do what we do, and for what purposes. But this isn’t just the ungodly who make no profession of faith in Jesus who won’t “know” us, but it is also the ungodly who profess faith in Jesus Christ but who do not truly know Jesus, because they don’t obey him, and so they do not know (understand) us, either.
Now the Christian faith and practice is not a one-time thing and now we are good to go for eternity regardless of how we live. To believe in Jesus with genuine God-persuaded faith in him requires that we are crucified with him in death to sin and raised with him to walk in newness of life in him, no longer to live as slaves to sin but as slaves to God and to his righteousness. And Jesus said that if anyone would come after him he must deny self, take up his cross daily (die daily to sin) and follow (obey) him (Luke 9:23-26).
So, while we are waiting for our Lord’s return we walk by faith and not by sight, and we walk in fellowship with our Lord in daily walks of obedience to his commands and in communion with him in prayer and in the study of the Scriptures, and then in putting those New Covenant teachings into daily practice in our lives. And we are being conformed to the likeness of Christ as clay in the hands of the Potter (God). And we will not be complete until Jesus Christ returns and he takes us to be with him for eternity.
[Matt 7:21-23; Lu 9:23-26; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14; Rom 12:1-2; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 1 Co 10:1-22; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; Gal 5:16-24; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-32; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:1-17; Titus 2:11-14; 1 Jn 1:5-10; 1 Jn 2:3-6,24-25; 1 Jn 3:4-10; 1 Pet 2:24]
How Deep the Father’s Love for Us
By Stuart Townend
How deep the Father's love for us
How vast beyond all measure
That He should give His only Son
And make a wretch His treasure
How great the pain of searing loss
The Father turns His face away
As wounds which mar the Chosen One
Bring many sons to glory
Behold the man upon the cross
My sin upon His shoulder
Ashamed I hear my mocking voice
Call out among the scoffers
It was my sin that held Him there
Until it was accomplished
His dying breath has brought me life
I know that it is finished
I will not boast in anything
No gifts, no power, no wisdom
But I will boast in Jesus Christ
His death and resurrection
Why should I gain from His reward
I cannot give an answer
But this I know with all my heart
His wounds have paid my ransom
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