1 John 3:1

1 John 3:1

Thoughts from Brian Cook

Dive Deeper

WYAIC Slider- wk 7
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“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.”

1 John 3:1

wk7-BTS
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The author of this verse, the apostle John, seems to really understand what it means to be loved by God. Also known as “the disciple whom Jesus loved,” John explains the love of God in this verse. He describes how great our God’s love is for us, so much so that we are now called his children.

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We are adopted into his family. He also reiterates that this is not merely an informal name change, this is a permanent and whole-hearted transformation. After receiving and believing the Word of God, then we are adopted into his family. That means we are given this gift after we hear the Gospel of Jesus, believe it to be true, and accept Jesus as Savior and Lord of our life. We are not given this new title of Child of God because of our own birthright, or even because of our achievements. We are children of God because of the love that God has for us.

wk7-MIR
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We are so blessed by the love of God, that we are children of God in every stage of our faith. Thinking about child development, there are so many distinct phases that children go through in relating to their parents. Of course, babies are so attached to their parents, needing nurturing, security, consistency, and safety. They need to learn that their needs will always be met. Beginning a journey of faith in Jesus Christ feels a lot like this. We need encouragement and nurturing, the security and consistency that God is good, and he is constantly with us and hearing us. And we begin to build trust as we see that God is our provider.

Slide

As we grow in faith, and as children grow in life, we begin to explore, develop talent, and reach out to others. We become brave and courageous, engaging with the world around us. And God, like a faithful and loving parent, is right there with us, every step of the way. I feel so encouraged in our identity of being a child of God, because I know that God will meet us here, whatever step of our journey we are in.

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I tend to think of being a child of God like learning to ride a bike. We start out with our heavenly father holding tight to the back of our bike, walking right alongside us. Giving us encouragement, love, and kindness. When we start to grow and become comfortable and ready, our heavenly father begins to show us where we will start to go. Then without us even realizing it, He takes His hands off our bike. He encourages us to go, running alongside us, cheering, encouraging, and reminding us of what to do. We can feel both His presence near us, as well as the excitement and the responsibility of the task before us. Finally, when we fall, He is the first one to pick us back up, to dust us off, tend to the scratches, and help us get back on the bike.

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Today, it might feel like you need training wheels and extra padding to handle what is set before you. You might be so excited for the adventure that awaits you and you just want to know where this path is leading. Or maybe today feels like you crashed your bike, and you need some help to stand back up. I hope that you feel in your bones the deep and incredible love of God today. I hope your identity as a child of God gives you peace in knowing that your heavenly Father is with you, loving you, and wants good things for you.

wk7-EIP
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Lord God, thank you so much for inviting us into your Holy family. I am so thankful that our adoption is not based on our own achievements or merit, but on your love and the Holy sacrifice of Jesus. Lord God, I pray that today we are surrounded by your Holy Spirit. I pray that we are both encouraged by your love and challenged to share it with others. I pray that we can see our neighbors as our brothers and sisters in Christ, loving them the way that you love us. I pray that we feel abundantly loved by you, at whatever step of faith we are in. In Jesus’ holy and mighty name, we pray, amen.

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“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.” 

1 John 3:1

Behind the Scenes

The author of this verse, the apostle John, seems to really understand what it means to be loved by God. Also known as “the disciple whom Jesus loved,” John explains the love of God in this verse. He describes how great our God’s love is for us, so much so that we are now called his children.  

We are adopted into his family. He also reiterates that this is not merely an informal name change, this is a permanent and whole-hearted transformation. After receiving and believing the Word of God, then we are adopted into his family. That means we are given this gift after we hear the Gospel of Jesus, believe it to be true, and accept Jesus as Savior and Lord of our life. We are not given this new title of Child of God because of our own birthright, or even because of our achievements. We are children of God because of the love that God has for us.  

Make it Real

We are so blessed by the love of God, that we are children of God in every stage of our faith. Thinking about child development, there are so many distinct phases that children go through in relating to their parents. Of course, babies are so attached to their parents, needing nurturing, security, consistency, and safety. They need to learn that their needs will always be met. Beginning a journey of faith in Jesus Christ feels a lot like this. We need encouragement and nurturing, the security and consistency that God is good, and he is constantly with us and hearing us. And we begin to build trust as we see that God is our provider.  

As we grow in faith, and as children grow in life, we begin to explore, develop talent, and reach out to others. We become brave and courageous, engaging with the world around us. And God, like a faithful and loving parent, is right there with us, every step of the way. I feel so encouraged in our identity of being a child of God, because I know that God will meet us here, whatever step of our journey we are in.  

I tend to think of being a child of God like learning to ride a bike. We start out with our heavenly father holding tight to the back of our bike, walking right alongside us. Giving us encouragement, love, and kindness. When we start to grow and become comfortable and ready, our heavenly father begins to show us where we will start to go. Then without us even realizing it, He takes His hands off our bike. He encourages us to go, running alongside us, cheering, encouraging, and reminding us of what to do. We can feel both His presence near us, as well as the excitement and the responsibility of the task before us. Finally, when we fall, He is the first one to pick us back up, to dust us off, tend to the scratches, and help us get back on the bike.  

Today, it might feel like you need training wheels and extra padding to handle what is set before you. You might be so excited for the adventure that awaits you and you just want to know where this path is leading. Or maybe today feels like you crashed your bike, and you need some help to stand back up. I hope that you feel in your bones the deep and incredible love of God today. I hope your identity as a child of God gives you peace in knowing that your heavenly Father is with you, loving you, and wants good things for you. 

Rebecca Dyer

Rebecca Dyer

ACF Devo Team

End in Prayer

Lord God, thank you so much for inviting us into your Holy family. I am so thankful that our adoption is not based on our own achievements or merit, but on your love and the Holy sacrifice of Jesus. Lord God, I pray that today we are surrounded by your Holy Spirit. I pray that we are both encouraged by your love and challenged to share it with others. I pray that we can see our neighbors as our brothers and sisters in Christ, loving them the way that you love us. I pray that we feel abundantly loved by you, at whatever step of faith we are in. In Jesus’ holy and mighty name, we pray, amen. 

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