The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, and majestic in his radiant splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in 1 John 3:1a,
“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!”
As I think of my participation in the kingdom of God, many thoughts come to mind. In some ways I can liken it to membership in other organizations where I am “accorded the rights, privileges and responsibilities thereto.” But, as we all know, our participation in the kingdom of God is so much more than simply that.
We consider ourselves disciples of Jesus Christ. We are followers of him – his students. We think in terms of ourselves as God’s servants, belonging to him and hopefully available for his purposes to serve him and one another. As the subjects of God’s kingdom we populate his kingdom and participate in his objectives. Jesus told his disciples, “You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.” John 15:14-15. And, so, we consider ourselves “friends” of Jesus Christ.
All these things we are, but there is much more! Here John exclaims that we are called children of God! Jesus told Nicodemus, “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.” John 3:3. In 1 John 3:9 John makes a point that we have been “born of God”. It is hard to miss the excitement in John’s voice as he says, “How great the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called the children of God!”
This word the translators have used in this verse in the NIV says it so well, “lavished”. God has “lavished” his love on us by calling us his children! The online Merriam-Webster dictionary defines “lavished” as “expending or bestowing profusely; expended or produced in abundance; marked by profusion or excess”. John, in his excitement, claims that our God has poured out his love on us profusely by calling us his children!
How wonderful is this! Paul tells us in Romans 8:29, “For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.” To be considered as a brother, as a sister of Christ strains my ability to consider and yet that is told me what we are! In this same chapter of Romans in verses 16-17a we read, “The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ…” Wow!
As I think of my participation in the kingdom of God, many thoughts come to mind. In some ways I can liken it to membership in other organizations where I am “accorded the rights, privileges and responsibilities thereto.” But, as we all know, our participation in the kingdom of God is so much more than simply that.
We consider ourselves disciples of Jesus Christ. We are followers of him – his students. We think in terms of ourselves as God’s servants, belonging to him and hopefully available for his purposes to serve him and one another. As the subjects of God’s kingdom we populate his kingdom and participate in his objectives. Jesus told his disciples, “You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.” John 15:14-15. And, so, we consider ourselves “friends” of Jesus Christ.
All these things we are, but there is much more! Here John exclaims that we are called children of God! Jesus told Nicodemus, “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.” John 3:3. In 1 John 3:9 John makes a point that we have been “born of God”. It is hard to miss the excitement in John’s voice as he says, “How great the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called the children of God!”
This word the translators have used in this verse in the NIV says it so well, “lavished”. God has “lavished” his love on us by calling us his children! The online Merriam-Webster dictionary defines “lavished” as “expending or bestowing profusely; expended or produced in abundance; marked by profusion or excess”. John, in his excitement, claims that our God has poured out his love on us profusely by calling us his children!
How wonderful is this! Paul tells us in Romans 8:29, “For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.” To be considered as a brother, as a sister of Christ strains my ability to consider and yet that is told me what we are! In this same chapter of Romans in verses 16-17a we read, “The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ…” Wow!
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
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