Category: The Children

1 John 3:9 NIV
⁹ No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God.

“Here John summarizes what it means to be the children of God by adding the word ‘seed.’ Meaning that because God’s DNA is now in us, we cannot go on sinning, because we’ve been born of God. We are now to live loving God and loving others—for this is what we’ve been loved lavishly to do as THE Children of God.” (P. Gus)

Cape Town Commitment: We love because God first loved us
The love of God is covenantally faithful, committed, self-giving, sacrificial, strong, and holy. Since God is love, love permeates God’s whole being and all his actions, his justice as well as his compassion. God’s love extends over all his creation. We are commanded to love in ways that reflect the love of God in all those same dimensions…Such love means to be like Christ himself: robust in endurance, yet gentle in humility; tough in resisting evil, yet tender in compassion for the suffering; courageous in suffering and faithful even unto death. Such love was modelled by Christ on earth and is measured by the risen Christ in glory.

Prayer: Help us to love you and love others as we have been loved lavishly by you. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Let’s worship to “Your Love Never Fails” by Jesus Culture. (click here)

-DP

1 John 3:5-6 NIV
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.

“And this is John’s message to us—that we as we come to know the father’s love, and having real encounters with Jesus (when he appears), these fears, and the inability to respond appropriately, rationally and lovingly are uprooted, and transformed.  I still remember the day that it clicked for me—that this Christian life was not about my feelings, my anxieties, or ultimately about myself—for I have died with Christ. That instead, in the innermost part of who I am, is the righteousness of God!

That the life of salvation is to be about loving God and loving others. Oh the joy, the freedom, and the rightness of it all! That I can live free from my anxieties, self-focused concerns. Instead, I can live loving God and loving his church! This is John’s exhortation, that we are no longer “known” by the world, but now we are known by the Father—from whom all of our thoughts, actions, responses arises/originates from.” (P. Gus)

Prayer: Father, may all our thoughts, actions, and responses arise from the assurance of being known by you. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Let’s sing “Pursue Me” by Worship Central (click here)

-DP

1 John 3:1-2 NIV
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, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.

“This is what it means to be the children of God through and through—we now have a new nature (who we are, and what we do)—which no longer originates with the desires and impulses and habits that were formed in this world, but with the righteousness/holiness/love of God! But our desires, thinking, feeling, and ways of being (sinful patterns) are not fully there yet. How are we to see/respond to this?  When Christ appears: there is the dimension of this being about when Jesus returns, we will be like him, for we will see him as he is. However, this wording also means that Jesus has already come and appeared/revealed himself to us—through Jesus’ life, death and resurrection. So when ‘Christ’ appears is about those moments of encounter that we have with Jesus that transforms us in the here and now!” (P. Gus)

Prayer: Thank you that you have set me free! I do not belong to the world. I need an encounter with you today. Transform me Lord. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Let’s sing “No Longer Slaves” by Bethel (click here)

-DP

1 John 3:1 NIV
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 actual words are ‘What kind of love is this?’ meaning, there are no words in the human language to correctly capture this love—for it is beyond our comprehension and limitations.

Meaning, that the moment we feel like we got a handle on the depths of God’s love, we are shown—that it is not deep enough. When we think we’ve reached the heights of God’s love—it is not high enough… The Father: the wording very precise, for God is THE father…not A father, meaning that God is not like one of the fathers, or plays a role of a father. No, God is THE father, where no one but God can function as one… We fully belong to him, and his life (DNA) is in us.” (P. Gus)

Let’s spend a moment to take in the truth that we have God as THE father whose love for us is immeasurable.  Read aloud 1 John 3:1 several times prayerfully remembering who we are, children of God.

Prayer: Father, thank you for your immeasurable love for me. My heart is full knowing that I belong to you and to you alone. Help me to recognize your loving hand upon my life today. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Let’s worship to “Love Like Fire” by Hillsong (click here)

-DP

Let’s read aloud the following scripture and be renewed in his love.

1 John 3:1-2 NIV
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, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.

Galatians 4:4-7 NLT
⁴ But when the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law. ⁵ God sent him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that he could adopt us as his very own children. ⁶ And because we are his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, “Abba, Father.” ⁷ Now you are no longer a slave but God’s own child. And since you are his child, God has made you his heir. 

Prayer: Father, how great is your love that you lavished upon me! My heart is overflowing with thanksgiving to know that I am your child. Drench me in your love today. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Let’s sing “Thank You Jesus” by Hillsong. (click here)

-DP