1 John 3:1-6

1 John 3:1-6

See what great love the Father has lavished on 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 Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears,[a] we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. 3 All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.

4 Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness. 5 But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin. 6 No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him.

• Children of God! As sinful as we are God still considers us his children. When a prince knows he is a prince he holds his head up high. He walks in confidence because he is the Kings son. Similarly we have received authority from the Almighty God and are heirs to His throne! As God's children we too should walk in confidence and appreciate what it truly means to call God father and to have him call us his sons and daughters!
• The world will never acknowledge us as God's children and that is okay. We are not seekers of the worlds approval. We live to honor and please God and knowing him calls us to give up our life of sin.
• We are trapped in our earthly bodies; however, there is coming a time when Jesus will return and we will be transformed into our true state. We should work to purify our selves and die to sin in the hope that we can be like Jesus here and now.
• By nature we are law breakers and sinners who have no hope of change. Through Jesus we are able to die to sin and live for him. In Jesus there is no condemnation for sin. Although we must strive to live pure lives and let go of our sinful desires, where we fall short, Jesus rescues us.
• Sin pulls us away from Jesus and keeps us from knowing God. This is why it is so important that we stay honest with ourselves about sin in our lives and confess to one another so that we can be held accountable and truly repent.
• What sins have been pulling you back into the world that you need to confess and repent of today?