Let’s pretend that baby has been born, immediately giving great joy to his parents. But it is only a matter of months before his mother recognizes that her baby is blind. Taking him to their doctor, her fear is confirmed, and it is declared there is nothing that can be done. The family copes to the best of their ability, and their home is filled with love and faith in God. In the mean time, another family in their church has been blessed by the Lord with a healthy baby girl. As the years pass, the two children fall in love, and the teenage girl tells her blind boyfriend that she is willing to marry him if he will have her. He is not sure under the circumstances that is a good idea. Thankfully, during years since his birth, medical knowledge and skill have improved to the extent that ophthalmologists believe that a new, but dangerous, surgery can give the young man his sight. The two young people talk over the pros and cons of the surgery, concluding to go ahead with it.
And then the couple come up with a radical idea. He will have the surgery a month before the wedding, and during the wedding ceremony the bandages will be removed, enabling him to see his wife for the first time. The surgery is performed, and the doctors believe they have successfully restored the young man’s sight. They test his vision in the privacy and semi-darkness of his hospital room, and the bandages are returned. They could come off a week before the wedding, but as earlier decided, they are kept on until the big day. The families gather at their church, the preliminaries take place and the vows are made. Then the pastor tells the couple that they may kiss. At that point, the young man’s best friend comes up behind the groom and unties the temporary bandages. The new husband sees his bride for the first time. He is thrilled beyond measure at her beauty, and the ceremony ends with the first kiss of their marriage.
I will not pretend that the first three verses of this chapter are equivalent to the fictitious story I just shared. But I do hope that you will, at the very least, see a similarity. The context tells us that Christ Jesus will be returning, and “we may have confidence, and not be ashamed at his coming.” We have not seen with our eyes the beauty of our Saviour, but we have heard His voice in our hearts, and we have learned of His character through experience and through the Word of God. The Bible tells us that soon, the Lord will appear and our bandages will be removed. We shall see at that moment that – what we have known of Christ – cannot be compared to the reality. And that reality will, in reality, be a part of our eternal transformation – “we shall be like Him.”
Both John and I are speaking to Christians, encouraging ourselves in our limited eye-sight to look toward Jesus. In the light of Who the Lord is, let us purify ourselves even as He is pure – verse 3. While this scripture is designed for believers, I pray that the Holy Spirit might take a point or two and drive them into that heart which is still outside the salvation of the Lord. May the Lord give us all a hunger and thirst for the Lord and His righteousness.
Verse 1:
“Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God…” This verse speaks of a wonderful GIFT – how it was GIVEN – and who is the GIVER.
That any of us should be called the “children of God” is a gift beyond all measure. John seems to be almost beside himself as he talks about it. “Behold, behold, BEHOLD.” There is surprise in his voice, and there is surprise in the word – “that WE should be called the sons of God.” Under the circumstances – with our past and our natural condition – it is unimaginable that “that WE should be called the children of God.” That WE, who were born genetically depraved and raised under a rebel flag “should be called the sons of God” is inconceivable and naturally incredible – unbelievable. But believe it, John says, believe it. Look at it, behold it.
The word “behold” suggests the use of our eyes and our brains. Examine it; study it. This should be something we cherish, but not to hide away like some valuable in a vault. This is a gift so wonderful that it should be on display in our lives. This is so wonderful that it should be constantly on our tongues and in our thoughts.
And again, what is the gift? It is that “we should be called the sons of God.” Literally translated – “that we should be called the CHILDREN of God.” IF we were born princes and princesses, we would be called “royalty.” If we were born children of geniuses, they might hope that we’d be particularly smart. If our parents were 6′ 2″ and 6′ 8″ we might hope to one day become elite basketball players. But these things are not true of you and me. Yet, we who are mental and physical midgets, sinners by choice and birth, can be “called the sons of God.” Even more than that – we who were of our father the devil, are now children of God. We who were children of wrath are now called children of God. It is unbelievable.
Behold the GIVER of this incredible gift. “What manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of GOD…” Some might argue the point saying, “What gives you the right to call yourself a child of God?” It is a good question under the circumstances, because no one has the right to impersonate someone else. I heard on the news on Friday that police were looking for someone pretending to be law enforcement. Impersonating a police officer is a crime. Identity fraud is punishable in American Federal Court with up to 30 years in prison in some cases. And “Christian” identity fraud guarantees an eternity in hell – the lake of fire.
But it is not that John calls any of us children of God, and it is not a title we boldly claim for ourselves. “God, the Father, hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God…” And what God bestows is guaranteed and true. It is not a title to print on our name tag. It is reality. The true child of God has a star printed on the corner of his eternal driver’s licence. The children of God have a passport guaranteeing access into the presence of their Father for all eternity.
Notice that the Apostle John, who knew the Lord Jesus Christ, as well as any man ever has in this flesh… John doesn’t use the word “God” in this verse when speaking of the Giver of this gift. He doesn’t speak of “Jehovah,” or “Elohim” or “the Almighty.” He refers to Jesus’ Father as ours, because we are children of God, as much as Jesus was His Son. “What manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God…” Do you think I’m stepping over the line when I say that God is as much our Father as He is Jesus’? Even though the relationship is somewhat different, yet that relationship is true. God, the Father of Jesus Christ, has called a few people in this world “His children,” just as He did Jesus. He said, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” And He is pleased to call us His sons and daughters. Oh, praise His name. “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us…”
And as to the GIVING of this incredible gift; it was out of inexplicable love – inexplicable as in unexplainable. Oh how angry the Creator was with man after the sin of Adam. He was so angry He vowed to destroy every last vestige of humanity, which He did in the flood. “But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.” God chose to love that one man and his family, and that love resulted in their salvation from certain destruction. Noah was one of the early “children of God.” And the Lord has chosen to love a few other undeserving sons and daughters of Adam throughout the centuries. “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called…sons of God…”
Because of He is a God of love, the Father has willingly “bestowed” that love upon us. Nearly 90% of the time that Greek word “bestow” is used in the Bible it is simply translated “to give.” Not only has God given to us the title and position of children at His table, He has freely given His LOVE to make it possible.
There is a wonderful story in the life of King David, which wonderfully illustrates this point. David had become friends with King Saul’s son Jonathan. “And Jonathan, Saul’s son, had a son that was lame of his feet. He was five years old when the tidings came of (the death of) Saul and Jonathan out of Jezreel, and his nurse took him up, and fled: and it came to pass, as she made haste to flee, that he fell, and became lame. And his name was Mephibosheth.” When David settled onto the throne of Israel, he wondered if there were any of his predecessor’s family left. When he was told about Mephibosheth, he brought the young man to Jerusalem and treated him like one of his own sons. That is precisely what God the Father has done with millions of unworthy sinners throughout the years.
No one has been called a child of God because he or she was worthy of that title. No one has ever earned this royal title. It is unearnable. It is natural for people, when they are awakened by the Spirit to the wretchedness of their sins, to think it is their responsibility to earn God’s favor, provoking God to love them. But God will never love any of us – except as He sovereignly chooses to do so. The Apostle Peter said to the same people to whom John is writing, “Ye are a chosen generation…” Surprisingly, you are, “a royal priesthood, and holy nation, a peculiar people” only because “God hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light.” God has both chosen to CALL us out of darkness and He has chosen to CALL us His children. And, like David, He has chosen to call us to dinner, seating us all around His royal banquet table. “Behold” says John. “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God…”
In verse 1 we see the GIFT, the GIVING and the GIVER.
In verse 2 John addresses the UNKNOWN NOW, the KNOWN NOW and the NEXT NOW.
“Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.” In my Bible, the unofficial title of this book is “The First Epistle General of John.” If we went back to read the first verses of chapter 1, we’d see that it wasn’t addressed to a particular church. Here was a letter to be shared between churches throughout the world – Judea, Assyria, Asia, Macedonia, Greece and so on. It makes me wonder if John actually pictured any specific people as he was writing. There is the likelihood that he did not.
And yet, in absolute honesty, he addressed his readers as “Beloved” – “agapetos” – “dearly beloved.” No matter who was reading this letter, they were all loved by John because John was loved by the same Saviour who loved them. No matter where they lived at the time or what language they spoke when they were at home, they were Christian brethren. And John, who’s heart was nearly as big as Jesus’, loved them in the same fashion as Christ did.
And, “beloved, NOW are we the sons of God…” At the beginning, when God cursed the ground for Adam’s sake, the ground became cursed – and that made it difficult for sinful man to feed himself. God spoke and the words became reality. When God said there would never be a world-wide, life-destroying flood, there never has been another flood. God spoke and it was so. And when God said to your heart, “I have begotten you, and you are born again my child” that became your reality for all eternity. “Beloved, now ARE we the sons of God…” Satan may so rile up your heart in your sinfulness that you may doubt your sonship, but don’t listen to him. Nothing can undo what God has done.
“Beloved, NOW are we the sons of God…” We will not some day become the children of God, when we are finally perfected and glorified. We will not some day become children of God after spending enough time in some fictitious “purgatory.” “Beloved, NOW are we the sons of God…” And there is not a thing on earth – or in hell – that can negate that sonship.
But in saying that let me remind you that this sonship doesn’t give us permission to dishonor our Father through on-going sin. Following these wonderful words, John adds “Whosoever abideth in (the Saviour) sinneth not.” Whosoever is born of God doeth not commit sin…” in the sense of deliberately, perpetually and willful sin. “For his seed remaineth in him; and he cannot sin (like that) because he is born of God. In this the children of god are manifest, and the children of the devil; whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.”
“Beloved, NOW are we the sons of God…” This doesn’t mean there isn’t still a lot to learn about sonship and even more to become as God’s children. There may be dozens of personal sins which we need to overcome today by God’s grace and in His power. And “it doth not yet appear what we shall be…” We have just begun this journey of spiritual sonship. We are just beginning the growth process and the reality is – it shall never end.
It is fun to look at the wedding pictures of people who have been married 30, 40 and 50 years. Sometimes, some of the people in those pictures are difficult to recognize until we put in a little study. Oh, that is you? In reverse, if there was some way to see into our own future, after the Lord comes for us and we are glorified by His presence, we might have a hard time recognizing our future us.
But here is the resolution of the unknown now – “we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is.” One of the great verses from one of the great chapters of the New Testament says: “We know that all things work together foe good to them that love, God, to them who are the called accord to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son, that he might be the first born among many brethren” – Romans 8. It is a part of our destiny, because it is a part of the eternal decree of God, “that we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.” “He shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself” – Philippians 3.
And this brings us to the NEXT big thing – “We know that…” our Saviour is coming again. “And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and be ashamed before him at his coming” – 2:28. Christ is coming again. The angel said to those disciples who saw Jesus ascend into Heaven, “Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, which take up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven” – Acts 1:11. “Christ, who was once offered to bear the sins of many… shall appear the second time without sin unto salvation” – Hebrews 9:28. “Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep (that is, we shall not all die), but we shall all be change. In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump for the trumpet shell sound and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.” We shall be changed into his likeness when “we shall see him as he is.”
Conclusion:
These are some of the blessings God has promised to them that love Him. These are blessings to those who have put their faith in Christ for forgiveness and deliverance from sin. These are blessings which God gives to those who humble themselves before His holiness and His grace.
Don’t you want to have a part in them? Don’t you want the blessing of knowing no matter how evil and violent the children of the world become, you are one of the children of God? Don’t you want the knowledge that Christ is coming again to be something that comforts you and not concerns you? Join the Philippian jailor and so many others, and cry out to God; “Lord, what must I do to be saved?” The answer is: “believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.” Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will hear the words of God Himself – “Come my child into the blessings I have for those I love.”