If you have, you were probably, like most people, surprised when you actually saw that person. Why? Because that person probably did not look at all like you had thought from the way he/she sounded.
I want to ask you another question. Have you ever read your Bible and tried to imagine what the character you were reading about looked like? For example:
• What do you think the apostle Paul looked like?
• What do you imagine Peter looked like?
• What do you think Samson looked like?
• And yes, what do you think Delilah might have looked like?
I would venture to say we could all develop mental pictures of what these characters looked, but would be quite shocked to see what they really looked like.
All of them probably looked different than we might have imagined.
Today we would like to focus in on the apostle John. The Bible gives no clues as to what he might have looked like. We do not know...
• If he was tall, short, fat or skinny.
• The color of his eyes, nor the color of his hair.
Yet there are some things about him that we do know. For instance...
When he wrote 1, 2, and 3 John, to those Christians, he was quite elderly.
• He was a godly man
• He was concerned about his fellow brothers and sisters in the Lord
• He was concerned about our Lord’s church
• He wanted the Christians of that day to come to know God in all His greatness
His concern for those Christians is obvious in our text.
I. HE WANTED THEM TO DISCOVER SOMETHING
WHAT DID HE WANT THEM TO DISCOVER? He wanted them to discover GOD’S LOVE.
Look at 1 John 3:1. We read, “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.”
One of the tragedies in so many lives is that they live them out and never discover the great love God has for us! Look at the word, “bestowed.” This is translated from the Greek, “didomi,” which means: “Commit, deliver, give, grant.”
God HAS NOT COME to DELIVER HIS WRATH.
HE CAME TO DELIVER HIS LOVE TO US! Some would have you believe God is mean and enjoys watching mankind suffer. They believe the more we suffer, the more He is delighted.
Illus: They seem to believe God is like the cruel boys who find pleasure in holding a worm over a fire and watching him squirm.
These people who believe this about God do not know the God of this Bible. They remind us of a man who lives a reckless life and bad things happen to him as a result, but he wants to blame all his bad circumstances upon others.
The Bible tells us clearly what God is to be blamed for. He has BESTOWED SUCH LOVE on us, notice the honor that is “bestowed” upon us, “...that we should be called the sons of God...”
In this world many honors are bestowed. It would indeed be an honor to be...
• The CEO of a large corporation
• An Ambassador to a foreign country
• A member of the royal family of Britain
But the greatest honor possible to be bestowed upon anyone would be the honor of being called A CHILD OF GOD!
And the only reason we can be called THE CHILDREN OF GOD is BECAUSE OF GOD’S LOVE!
Something that most Christians have not DISCOVERED yet is the great love God has BESTOWED UPON THEM TO MAKE THEM THE CHILDREN OF GOD!
The apostle Paul was one of God’s choice servants, and it was primarily because he had discovered this truth. Look what he says in Eph. 3:14-21. We read, “For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.”
WHAT KIND OF LOVE DID GOD BESTOW UPON US?
A. IT IS AN UNCONDITIONAL LOVE
Not any of us are children of God because of our own merits.
Romans 5:8, “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
God doesn’t wait for us to “clean up our act” before He begins loving us. He loved us before we ever had a clue Who He was.
Illus: The book of Hosea contains the story. God asked his prophet to do a strange thing. He asked Hosea to marry a HARLOT. After they had been married a while and had a couple of children, she did what many wives do. She went back to work. She went back to being a harlot. God told Hosea how to handle the situation. Instead of telling Hosea to dump her, God told Hosea to take her back. Why? Because God wanted Hosea’s entire marriage to be a picture of God’s relationship with His people, and wanted them to see HIS UNCONDITIONAL LOVE.
The reason God has not dumped us a long time ago is because He loves us with an UNCONDITIONAL LOVE.
God’s love is an UNCONDITIONAL LOVE. Also,
B. IT IS A SACRIFICIAL LOVE
The world’s idea of love begins with, “What are you going to give me?” God’s idea of love is all about how much He wants to give you.
Illus: At Christmas we give gifts to each other. Most of the time, this is not a time for giving, it is a time of SWAPPING GIFTS. WHAT DO YOU MEAN? I mean, we call it giving, but many, will take you off of their list if you do not give them a present, that’s for sure, and it has to be a present of equal value to what you gave them! You see, there is a difference between SWAPPING GIFTS, and GIVING GIFTS.
God loves us with a SACRIFICIAL LOVE. He gave all because He loved us. Look at John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
Illus: The story is told of a man who had the duty of raising a draw bridge to allow steamers to pass on the river below and lower it again for the trains. One day this man’s son visited him, desiring to watch his father at work. Quite curious, as most boys are, he peeked into a trapdoor that was always left open so his father could keep an eye on the great machinery that raised and lowered the bridge. Suddenly, the boy lost his footing and he tumbled onto the gears. As the father tried to reach down to pull him out he heard the whistle of an approaching train. He knew the train would be full of people. He also knew it would be impossible to stop the fast-moving locomotive, therefore, the bridge must be lowered! A terrible dilemma confronted him: if he saved the people, his son would be crushed in the cogs. Frantically, he tried to free the boy, but to no avail. Finally, the father put his hand to the lever that would start the machinery. He paused and then, with tears he pulled it. The giant gears began to work and the bridge clamped down just in time to save the train. The passengers, not knowing what the father had done, were laughing and making merry; yet the bridge keeper had chosen to save their lives at the cost of his son’s.
Many are going through life laughing and making merry. They have no idea the GREAT SACRIFICIAL LOVE GOD HAS BESTOWED UPON THEM. Also,
C. IT IS AN UNENDING LOVE
People who base their idea of love on what they see on television believe love is something that just kind of comes and goes like a twenty-four hour flu. One minute they have it, the next it is gone.
Illus: Young people often have this kind of love. Today they may be madly in love with a certain boy or girl, and the next day they may not remember the name of the one they were supposed to be so madly in love with.
God’s love is not that way. It is UNENDING! Look at Romans 8:35-39, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
One commentator suggested this be translated, “What kind of crazy, peculiar kind of love would this be that we could be called the children of God!”
Illus: Richard Armstrong, in “Make Your Life Worthwhile, reports the story about a man in Wales who sought to win the affection of a certain lady for 42 years before she finally said “Yes,” to marriage. The couple, both 74, recently became, “Mr. and Mrs.”
• For more than 40 years, the persistent, but rather shy man, slipped a weekly love letter under his neighbor’s door. But she continually refused to speak and mend the spat that had parted them many years before.
• After writing 2,184 love letters, without ever getting a spoken or written answer, the single-hearted old man eventually summoned up enough courage to present himself in person.
• He knocked on the door of the reluctant lady and asked for her hand in marriage. To his delight and surprise, she accepted.
Because of God’s love, Christians have become the CHILDREN OF GOD. This is absolutely the highest honor that can be bestowed upon mankind.
But, when we tell the world who we are, notice, what John said, “...therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.”
When Christ told lost mankind Who He was, they accused Him of blasphemy and finally crucified Him. And when we tell them that God’s love has been bestowed upon us, and now we are the children of God, they push it aside NOT RECOGNIZING THE HONOR THAT HAS BEEN BESTOWED UPON US.
John was telling the Christians that it is essential that they DISCOVER THAT GOD HAS BESTOWED HIS GREAT LOVE ON US AND NOW WE ARE THE CHILDREN OF GOD.
Look at verse 2. We read, “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.”
Notice, this is in the present tense. John did not say that one day we shall be the children of God. He said, “Beloved, now are we the sons of God...”
But there is more to it than that. He went on to say, “...and it doth not yet appear what we shall be...”
From verse 1 to verse 2, John takes us to the future. When the Lord Jesus raptures His church, everything we CLAIM TO BE TRUE SHALL BE MANIFESTED.
That is, we shall see Him AS HE IS, and we shall become LIKE HIM.
Now listen, if the lost world could see us in that position, then they would say, “YES, THE GREATEST HONOR THAT MAN CAN HAVE BESTOWED UPON ONE IS TO HAVE THE HONOR OF HAVING GOD’S LOVE BESTOWED UPON HIM AND BECOME A CHILD OF GOD!” We read, in 1 Cor. 13:12, “For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.” But we who have had this love bestowed upon us must go on to something else John wanted the church to discover.
II. HE WANTED THEM TO BEWARE OF SOMETHING
Look at verse 3. We read, “And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.” Where does God place the responsibility of our purity?
God’s Word says since we are HIS CHILDREN, every man who has this hope in him “...PURIFIETH HIMSELF, even as he is pure.” So we see, with this great blessing comes responsibility.
Illus: We have heard many scandals reported about the royal family in Britain in recent years. Why? Because many of the young members of the royal family have not taken their RESPONSIBILITY, THAT COMES WITH THEIR POSITION, SERIOUSLY. Because of this, much disgrace has been brought upon the royal family.
The same thing can be said of the “royal family” of God. Because we have not taken the responsibility that comes with our POSITION seriously, disgrace has come upon the name of God, the Father and His children.
Illus: For example, during 1998, Larry King had the former president of the PTL Club, Jim Bakker, on his program. Here is what he said as a commercial was coming on, “Stay tuned. We will have more of Jim Bakker in a minute and we will introduce you to his new wife.” Oh how the critics make mockery of any who claim to be part of the family of God because many have not taken their responsibility, that goes along with being a child of God, seriously.
Verse 3 says, “And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.” Often we hear Christians state, “I am praying that God will take away my bad habits.” Listen, God did not give them to you, why should He have to take them away from you? You, as a free moral agent, made the choice to do the things you have done, now, as a child of God, it should be your choice to purify yourself, “...even as he is pure.”
He has bestowed this love upon us to make us the children of God, and now, out of gratitude, we want to do the things that will please Him.
Illus: A group of teens were enjoying a party. Someone suggested that they go to a certain restaurant for a good time. “I’d rather you took me home,” Jan said to her date. “My parents don’t approve of that place.” “Afraid your father will hurt you?” one of the girls asked sarcastically. “No,” Jan replied, “I‘m not afraid my father will hurt me, but I am afraid I might hurt him.” She understood the principle that a true child of God, who has experienced the love of God, should understand. We should have no desire to sin against God’s love. I John 2:6 says, “He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.”
Look at 1 John 3:4-10. We read, “Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law. And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin. Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him. Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.”
What was John saying? Simply this, IF you have discovered that abundant love that God has so freely bestowed, and now you are a child of God -- along with that POSITION COMES RESPONSIBILITY!
Conclusion:
I. HE WANTED THEM TO DISCOVER SOMETHING
II. HE WANTED THEM TO BEWARE OF SOMETHING
