Are We His True Children?

“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).

Now, it is critical that we read Scriptures like this in their context. For not everyone who says to Christ, “Lord, Lord,” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one DOING the will of God the Father who is in heaven (see Matthew 7:21-23). And if we profess Christ as our Savior with our lips, and if we claim that we are in fellowship with him, but while we continue to live in sin, and while we refuse to obey his commands, then we are liars, and the truth is not in us (see 1 John 1:5-10; 1 John 2:3-6; 1 John 3:4-10).

In other words, just because someone claims to be in Christ or to be a child of God, it doesn’t mean that person truly is in Christ or that he is a child of God. But it is true that it is only because of God’s love and grace that any of us should be called children of God. For we can do nothing in ourselves to earn or to deserve our own salvation. Only by the grace of God can any of us be in Christ and have the hope of eternal life with God. But his grace to us requires that we die to sin and live to his righteousness (Titus 2:11-14).

For Jesus said that if anyone would come after him that he must deny self, take up his cross daily (die daily to sin) and follow (obey) him. For if we hold on to our old lives of living in sin, we will lose them for eternity. But if for the sake of Christ we deny self, die daily to sin, and follow him in obedience, in his power, by his grace, then we have eternal life with him. For Jesus gave his life up for us on that cross to buy us back for God (to redeem us) out of our lives of living in sin so that we will now honor him with our lives (see Luke 9:23-26; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20; Romans 6:1-23).

So, when this says that the world does not know us, this includes the worldly “church.” It includes all who are of this world in their way of thinking, believing, speaking, and behaving, in practice. It is all who are walking in the ways of this sinful world and not in the ways of God in holy living who do not know those who truly are of God and who are his true children. And this is because they have been blinded by the lies of the enemy, and so they don’t truly know God intimately, because they live in opposition to him.

But those who are truly of God, and are his true children, according to the Scriptures, are those who are walking according to the Spirit and not according to the flesh, who are walking in obedience to the Lord and to his commands, and who are not walking (in conduct, in practice) in sin. This does not make us perfect people, though, for we are all in the process of being sanctified and being made holy, and we won’t be perfect until Jesus returns and he takes his faithful bride to be with him for eternity.

But lack of perfection is never to be used as an excuse for continued deliberate and habitual sin against the Lord. For if we walk in sin, we will die in our sins. We will not inherit eternal life with God. For notice what it says here. “Everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.” And this is consistent all throughout this book of 1 John and with the New Testament and Old Testament Scriptures. God’s true people have always been those who walk in obedience to him and who do not walk in sin.

[Matt 7:21-23; Matt 24:9-14; Lu 9:23-26; Rom 1:18-32; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14,24; Rom 12:1-2; Rom 13:11; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; 1 Co 1:18; 1 Co 15:1-2; 2 Tim 1:8-9; Heb 9:28; 1 Pet 1:5; Gal 5:16-21; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-32; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:5-17; 1 Pet 2:24; Tit 2:11-14; 1 Jn 1:5-9; 1 Jn 2:3-6,24-25; 1 Jn 3:4-10; Heb 3:6,14-15; Heb 10:23-31; Heb 12:1-2; Rev 21:8,27; Rev 22:14-15] 

Oh, to Be Like Thee, Blessed Redeemer 

Lyrics by Thomas O. Chisholm, 1897

Music by W. J. Kirkpatrick, 1897

Oh, to be like Thee! blessèd Redeemer,

This is my constant longing and prayer;

Gladly I’ll forfeit all of earth’s treasures,

Jesus, Thy perfect likeness to wear.

Oh, to be like Thee! full of compassion,

Loving, forgiving, tender and kind,

Helping the helpless, cheering the fainting,

Seeking the wandering sinner to find.

O to be like Thee! lowly in spirit,

Holy and harmless, patient and brave;

Meekly enduring cruel reproaches,

Willing to suffer others to save.

O to be like Thee! while I am pleading,

Pour out Thy Spirit, fill with Thy love;

Make me a temple meet for Thy dwelling,

Fit me for life and Heaven above.

Oh, to be like Thee! Oh, to be like Thee,

Blessèd Redeemer, pure as Thou art;

Come in Thy sweetness, come in Thy fullness;

Stamp Thine own image deep on my heart.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrYhiK2nQBg 

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