The Children of God
Notes
Transcript
Opening Illustration
Opening Illustration
“Many unregenerate men consider themselves to be God’s children, or ‘sons of God.’
But being a product of God’s handiwork does not qualify one for a sonship relationship.
A cabinetmaker constructs a cabinet.
But this does not make the cabinet a ‘child’ of the cabinetmaker.
A birth process would be necessary for this.
The unregenerate man who claims sonship with God ‘because he made me’ is basing his claim merely on the fact that he is a product of God’s handiwork.
Like the cabinet, he lacks the new birth necessary for a sonship relationship.”
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So, please turn your Bibles to 1 John.
We will be conducting our study in Chapter 2 and focus on verses 28 through 29.
Our message this morning is called, “The Children of God”
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Today we will be focusing the characteristics of the Children of God...
And the evidence we have that act as proof that we are part of God’s royal family.
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Opening Prayer
Opening Prayer
Before we consider our text, please join me in prayer...
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Let’s turn to our text for today:
Reading of the Text
Reading of the Text
28 And now, little children, abide in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence and not shrink from him in shame at his coming.
29 If you know that he is righteous, you may be sure that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of him.
So, let’s look at our first point...
1) We Are To Abide in Christ
1) We Are To Abide in Christ
Verse 28a: And now, little children, abide in him,
As we have seen before in our study up to this point...
John shows the relationship he has with his readers by calling them “little children.”
We see his pastoral heart and love for those he is writing to.
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He then starts portion of the letter by telling his readers to abide in Christ.
He want his audience to know that as genuine believers we must remain in Christ.
That is accomplished by walking like Christ...
For the ones who receive Christ...
As a by product, walk with the Lord as it says in Colossians 2:6:
6 Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him,
So, followers of Christ must act like their Master...
And talk like Him...
And think like Him...
And become molded to look lore and lore like Christ.
This is the process of sanctification that all believers experience.
Sanctification starts after Justification and goes all the way up to glorification.
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So, first God regenerates our mind so we can respond to his personal call on our lives to salvation.
Once we can see the truth and surrender to christ as Lord...
We are considered justified in the eyes of the Father.
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At the end when Christ returns or calls us home...
After the final judgement...
We are glorified...
That is when we receive a new regenerated body to go with our regenerated mind...
Again our renewed mind from when we were justified.
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So the time between our justification and glorification is our sanctification.
And it is the process of sanctification that we are to walk our journey with Christ.
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Once we truly know and accept the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ...
We can’t go back to the way we lived our old lives.
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Just take a look at Galatians 4:9:
9 But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world, whose slaves you want to be once more?
Once we are known by God...
How is it possible for us to go back to worthless things?
Once we are set free from sin...
How can we go back into slavery of sin?
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As born again believers we are to seek the things above...
And no longer the things below.
We are to set our sights on heaven...
And not things of the world.
We are to have a mind like Christ...
And not a mind like the world.
Colossians 3:1–3 puts in nicely:
1 If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.
2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.
3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
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So, my brothers and sisters in Christ...
Run...
Run with endurance...
Keeping your eyes focused on our Lord and Savior...
Keeping your eyes fixed on Jesus...
Abiding in Him who saved you...
Abiding in him who paid a debt you could not pay...
As Hebrews 12:1–3 says:
1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,
2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
3 Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted.
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So, you may be wondering how does one abide in Christ?
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Well, Jesus gave us this answer...
We are to keep His commands as it says in John 15:10:
10 If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love.
Jesus modeled this for us...
He kept all His Father’s commands...
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Before Jesus laid down His life for us...
He lived a life of perfect obedience...
And this was necessary if He was to pay for our debts...
Ad a person in debt or a person in need of saving...
Can’t save themselves.
But Jesus is our sinless sacrifice for those who call upon His name.
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So, we are to keep Christ’s commands...
And that means that in order to keep His commands..
We must know His commands...
And to know His commands that means we need to meditate on the Scriptures day and night.
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By abiding in Christ and His word we are promised a great promise.
John 15:7 says:
7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.
If we are abiding in Christ...
Then we will desire Christ-like things...
And a genuine prayer by a genuine believer will always be done.
for we no longer pray that our will be done...
Like Christ at the Garden of Gethsemane...
We will pray not my will but your will Father.
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Not only do our prayers change when we become believers...
Who we are as a whole person changes...
Mainly we no longer make a practice of sinning like we did in the past.
John will later write in his letter, in 1 John 3:6–9, that:
6 No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him.
7 Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous.
8 Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.
9 No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God.
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So, by abiding in Him...
We will look forward to Christ’s second coming...
And not dread it...
And this takes us to our next point.
2) We Are Confident Jesus Will Return
2) We Are Confident Jesus Will Return
Verse 28b: So that when he appears we may have confidence and not shrink from him in shame at his coming.
The ancient Greek word that is here translated into confidence falls short of the true meaning.
This is no fault of the translators.
This is just a limitation of our English language.
The Expositor’s Bible Commentary on the epistles of John put it this way:
“‘Confidence’ is too weak a word to translate the Greek, but there is no suitable alternative.”
Additionally, the New American Commentary on epistles of John says:
“The word ‘confidence’ connotes the absence of fear when speaking.
It carries the idea of boldness, openness, freedom, assurance, and courage.”
So, the thought of Christ coming should evoke a feeling of something beyond “super confidence” that lacks all manner of fear or doubt.
True believers should abide in Christ to such a degree that when Jesus appears again, we have a confidence...
A confidence that far exceeds any other confidence that we have in anything else.
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That is why true believers must be ready at all time for Christ’s return.
Remember what it says in Luke 12:40?
I’ll tell you:
40 You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”
So, beloved...
Be ready and know that during the time Christ ascended to heaven and until He returns again...
He is preparing a place for His followers...
And when He comes back...
He is taking us so we can be with him forever.
Jesus said in John 14:3:
3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.
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Beloved...
Look forward to the promises found in 2 Timothy 4:8 too.
Look at what Paul says about himself and what he says about other believers:
8 Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.
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The regenerated individual has confidence and looks forward happily to Christ’s return.
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But is that is not the case for you...
If you feel a sense of shame...
If you feel ashamed of Christ...
If you feel ashamed of Christ’s commands...
If you feel ashamed of the Word of God...
Then be warned...
Christ has very strong words for those with this attitude toward Him.
Mark 8:38 says:
38 For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”
Christ and His commands are pure and true...
We can’t claim to be His followers and feel embarrassed about Him.
As Jesus said in the verse we just read...
It is likewise true today...
We live in an “adulterous and sinful generation.”
The world will mock Christ and His commands.
The world will mock the Word of God.
The world will celebrate sin.
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But we are not of the world!
We are to be of the Spirit!
We are to abide in Christ!
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We are to live a life of righteousness...
For our Father is righteous.
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And this takes us to our next point.
3) We Know The Father is Righteous
3) We Know The Father is Righteous
Verse 29a: If you know that he is righteous,
We as the elect...
Know for a fact that God is righteous...
And we know this to be true based on the authority of Scripture.
Look at what the Psalmist says in Psalm 119:137
137 Righteous are you, O Lord, and right are your rules.
God is righteous...
And so are his commands.
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And His ways are so much better than our ways...
As, all His ways are right...
Psalm 145:17 says:
17 The Lord is righteous in all his ways and kind in all his works.
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The height of God’s righteousness has no limit.
There is no ceiling...
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Can you honestly think of anyone who is more faithful...
And more loving....
And more patient...
And more wise...
And more righteous than our God?
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Psalm 71:19 puts it this way:
19 Your righteousness, O God, reaches the high heavens. You who have done great things, O God, who is like you?
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However, not all submit to God’s righteousness despite how clear it is...
Some are blind and ignorant of the righteousness of God...
This lack of true understanding leads to destruction.
For instead of glorifying God rightly...
We see those who are in the dark glorifying themselves as it says in Romans 10:3:
3 For, being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness.
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But the Children of God...
They know...
The Holy Spirit has shown them...
The Father is in fact righteous...
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And so are His followers.
This takes us to our final point.
4) We Are Born of The Father
4) We Are Born of The Father
Verse 29b: You may be sure that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of him.
Church, I want you to know this...
If you are living a life today that lines up with Scripture and you have made a practice of righteousness in your daily life...
If you have been transform after surrendering your life to Jesus as your Lord and Savior...
If you are truly genuine...
Then I can assure you...
That you have been born fro above...
You have been born of God...
And that makes you a child of God.
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Your past doesn’t matter...
Your past sins don’t matter...
What family you came from doesn’t matter...
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If you have been born of God...
You have a new family...
A royal family...
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You now have the Holy Spirit in you...
Who protects you from the evils of this world.
Just look at what is says in 1 John 5:18:
18 We know that everyone who has been born of God does not keep on sinning, but he who was born of God protects him, and the evil one does not touch him.
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But I warn you of this too, Beloved.
Do not boast in yourself that you have been born of God.
For it is not your doing at all.
You did not in any way earn or merit the right to be born of God.
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Your bloodline didn’t give you the right to be born of God...
Your own human will didn’t give you the right to be born of God...
Someone else’s human will didn’t give you the right to be born of God...
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Instead...
It was the will of God and God alone that you were born of Him.
John 1:12–13 is clear on this matter is there is any confusion:
12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,
13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.
So, let me put it this way for you...
You didn’t choose God...
God choose you...
And it had nothing to do with who you are...
Or what you would do in the future.
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God choose you for His purpose and his purpose alone.
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You only followed God because He first had mercy and grace on you first.
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Again, let me repeat the Word of God...
You “were born...
Not of blood...
Nor of the will of the flesh...
Nor of the will of man...
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That kind of eliminates every other possible answer except for one...
But of God...
You are Born of God’s will and no one else’s.
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John focuses on another attribute that provides evidence that we are truly children of God...
This can be seen in the way we love one another...
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Look with me at 1 John 3:10 as John later in his letter says:
10 By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother.
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This should not be a shocker...
For were is true love from?
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True genuine pure love is from God.
So, if we are born of God wouldn’t it only make sense that we love in the same manner of God?
Wouldn’t it only make sense that we lone one another?
As 1 John 4:7 says:
7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.
And like wise what 1 John 5:1 says:
1 Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him.
Closing Illustration
Closing Illustration
As this message comes to a close I want to share this:
A new mother stayed with her parents for several days after the birth of her first child.
One afternoon she remarked to her mother that it was surprising the baby had dark hair, since both her husband and she were fair.
Her mother said, “Well, your daddy has black hair.”
To which the daughter replied, “But, Mama, that doesn’t matter, because I’m adopted.”
With an embarrassed smile, that mother said the most wonderful words her daughter had ever heard: “I always forget.”
All Christians are adopted children of God who are accepted by God with the same unconditional love that this mother had for her daughter.
There is no greater love than the love of God...
All other loves will fail in comparison.
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And there is no greater family to be a part of...
Than the royal family of God...
For to be in the royal family of God...
Is to be adopted...
And this adoption is so amazing....
Because we were previously enemies with God...
Waging war on Him foolishly...
Yet instead of giving us what we deserve...
He adopted us to be co-heirs with Christ...
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What a beautiful picture of unconditional love.
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So, remember 1 John 5:4:
4 For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.
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So, if you haven’t already...
Put your faith in Him today...
And join the royal family...
And be one of the children of God.
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To God be all the glory.
Amen.
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Please join us for one more song from the Praise Band.