Dave spoke this evening from 1 John 3:1-3, verses which remind us of our identity as Christians – we are children of God. Dr Martin Lloyd-Jones once said that we are unhappy because we fail to realise what a Christian is; we need to understand that those who believe in Jesus are born of Him (1 John 2:29) and that to be His children is a truly amazing fact which affects our lives right here and right now. So often, we assume that things will only happen in the future (when we see Jesus), and it’s true that until that day, we will not be totally like Jesus, but we are right now children of God and can enter into eternal life now and not just in the future.
Paul prayed for the Ephesians to have their spiritual eyes opened (Eph 1:17-19), and we need our eyes opening to understand that being born again is not just a fashionable or popular term but an experience whereby God’s Spirit leads us into God’s family. (John 3:3-6) Being a child of God is not just a label; it is a description of who we are and that description leads to changes in our lifestyle. The world may not understand us or recognise us, but we know who we are and that knowledge is meant to lead us on a quest towards personal holiness. We no longer desire the things of the world (see 1 John 2:15-17) and as we fix our eyes on Jesus, we realise that we are undergoing a personal transformation now that will be completed when we see Him (see 2 Cor 3:18). We have the hope of one day being just like Jesus and this journey should motivate us towards change right here and right now.
