Who are we to God?

Albert Bogle February 07, 2024 4 3

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1 John 3: 1-3 (NRSVA)

1 See what love the Father has given 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. 2 Beloved, we are God’s children now; what we will be has not yet been revealed. What we do know is this: when he is revealed, we will be like him, for we will see him as he is. 3 And all who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.

We are his beloved children in whom he takes great delight.

Yesterday we were considering where the confidence comes from that gives us faith. We discovered it’s to do with the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives. The writers of John’s epistle encourage us to marvel at the identity we now have. We are children of God still to grow up into our full stature. How exciting it is that we are not yet sure what we will become. Isn’t that quite a thought?

We ask children ‘What are you going to be when you grow up?’ Now the writers of the epistle are hinting that in the spiritual world — now and still to come — we have a future that is, not quite determined, but when Christ appears for the second time, we will be overjoyed because we will have God the Father’s family resemblance. We will be like him. This has implications for us. It should inspire each of us to begin to start living our our Christ resemblance in anticipation of what has still to be.

Prayer:

Lord,

Give me the eyes to see

Your grace at work in my life

I don’t want to become

Like a precocious child

Gifted but self absorbed

Let humility shape all my activities

And when you trust me with the gift of faith

To believe I can complete

the daily tasks you lay at my door

May I rejoice in your generosity

Lord,

Today I’m overwhelmed when I think

Of the trust you place in us as humans

Your love has brought my soul to life

I will never stop praising your goodness.