1 John Chapter 3 Verse 1

· The construction of this sentence is not familiar to me, perhaps it is to you. But I don’t typically use the word “bestow.” This word is intricate. It is explosive in meaning. It doesn’t just mean that God has given us His agape love. It means that God has given us His heart. The word is scandalous. It’s a word that I ask myself if I’m even worthy to handle, thinking, have I ever done something like this. This word means that God has given Himself up, disregarding entirely His private interests, and in terms of unconditional love has (and I love this part of the definition) given as much as He ever can, at all times.

· That is how God loves you! That is how much God loves me. No matter my good days or bad. Good seasons or bad. Victories or failures. That is how much, this is what He has bestowed on us, which makes us equal to and indeed that we SHOULD be called children of God! Why does He love her that much? What does He love him that much? Oh, because they are His children…, that helps it makes sense!

· AND, as Christians, this is our unearned merit because of Jesus, AND our task because of Jesus. This is the way we are to mature to love one another. I mean just imagine, just imagine if wives resolved and committed to this is how they will love their husbands? Husbands are so moved by respect and care that they will alter their habits and behaviors just to get more of it. Exactly why Paul said in 1 Peter 3:1, “Wives, likewise, be submissive to your own husbands, that even if some do not obey the word, they, without a word, may be won by the conduct of their wives.”

· Imagine, if just alone in the home, let alone in the church, workplace or marketplace, if just in the home the husband would bestow this kind of agape on their wife? It would begin to heal every part of her… This is why Paul says in Ephesians 5:25-27, “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.”

· This is not only what we enjoy in Christ void of any merit on my part but just because God is so so good, this is not only what I have received, but in order to grasp it fully, I also must grow to give as well. That’s also wrapped in this explosive word, “Bestow.” The thought that it is only fully received by the recipient when it is requested… Reached for. There’s no forcing here. And the way to request God’s love, grace, embrace, giftings, talents, power and blessings…, is yourself to lean forward in giving God’s love, grace, embrace, giftings, talents, power and blessings…

· John says know this, think about this, ruminate, percolate and deliberate on this until you grasp it! That’s why he starts this phrase with, “Behold.” You really can’t fully go on to the next verse until you get this one…

1 John Chapter 3 Verses 2 - 3

· John makes an assuring statement to you and to me and to anyone who has received Jesus Christ that, “Now we are children of God.” Interesting and important to note, is everyone a child of God? Well, in terms of creation, yes…, however in terms of relationship, no. Jesus in John 8:44 said to the Pharisees that were accusing and rejecting Him, “You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do.” Wild, right!?

· And, check this out, we are given in John 1:12-13, “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name, who were born (family term), not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.”

· And so, we have a situation going on in humanity today. That some are relationally children of God and some are children of the enemy. No wonder there is conflict… And since the enemy is described in 2 Corinthians 4:4 as, “the god of this age/world,” we are in someone else’s front yard… And he wants us off his lawn!

· But to you and to me, to those who have received Jesus and believe on His name, you can be assured that you are a child of the Most-High. One of the greatest biblical illustrations of justification, salvation by faith alone was the salvation of the thief on the cross. No baptism, no communion, no confirmation, no speaking in tongues, no mission trips, no volunteerism, no church clothes, no bent knee repetitious prayers, no good works, no memorized scriptures, no demonstrated lifestyle change! He simply received Jesus and believed on His name! We can and God wants us to be assured that by grace we have been saved, through faith, and it is of no works lest any man should profess they themselves qualify!

· And it has not yet been revealed what we shall be. What’s that mean? Everyone of us is a work in progress and limited entirely by our flesh… So, we live and we groan and we live and we fail and we live and we succeed, rinse and repeat. Which is a tough cycle and leaves some questioning their own salvation…, BUT, your perfection is not what has made you a child of God, it’s His…

· Interesting, do you know who can see you as the finished perfect product? God can. God’s perspective of me is far beyond my own! It was said that a block of granite was brought one day to Michealangelo. And he marveled. Just a big block of granite. He walked around it, admiring it with depth and emotion in his eyes. The courier asked him what he was doing and he replied, “Magnificent, this is David!” The courier looked amazed, bewildered, and replied, “David? This is just granite…” But Michealangelo responded, “Beautiful,” because he could see what it would become…

· Do you know what God says when He sees you? BEAUTIFUL! 1 Corinthians 13:12 says, “For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know JUST AS I ALSO AM KNOWN.” That’s mirror talk… And that truth settling within you, that you are seen and known by God and the entire host of heaven as exquisite, lovely, elegant and excellent, anyone who begins to believe that about themselves in Christ (as God would have you to do), leans more towards acting like it…, the purifying affect…

1 John Chapter 3 Verses 4 – 5

· Ok, I want to give you what I believe is so very helpful in terms of understanding of sin in what John has written. He calls sin, “lawlessness.” Now, lawlessness is not freedom. It sounds like it and our nature leans towards that thought as well. But that thought is an error.

· James 1:15 says that sin brings forth death. And John says that sin is lawlessness. Listen, you almost have to take this by wisdom and by faith, lawlessness brings forth death if it is sin. Therefore, to desire lawlessness is not to desire freedom but rather to be deceived into desiring subjugation. It’s like a kite soaring in the heights of the sky on a breezy day. Majestic, fun, awesome as you hold it tight against the wind with the string. Not controlling it, just enabling it to soar. Then you cut the line, give it freedom... It immediately loses everything and is doomed to hit the ground.

· Ephesians 4:14 Paul warns us against being tossed in the wind… David said in Psalm 19:7-11, “The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul. The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. The statues of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart. The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever. The judgements of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold. Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. Moreover, by them Your servant is warned, and in keeping them there is great reward.”

· You have to take this on faith unless you’ve endured the hardship of striving against your flesh and had it paid off, then you’ve learned it by experience… Lawlessness brings the opposite of freedom. Obeying the Lord and trusting in Him and even living unto Jesus, this is what brings freedom into a heart, mind and life. And it looks like discipline… You must understand, subjugation doesn’t start out feeling like prison. Lawlessness, sin, (Hebrews 11:25) is pleasurable for a season but the end of it is control, constraint, limitation, incarceration and repression. AND you must understand that freedom doesn’t start out feeling like pleasure and prosperity. Freedom is sacrificial, hard, arduous and afflictive for a season…, honestly freedom starts out rather awful, but the end of it is liberty, opportunity, unrestraint and open doors.

· Sin when it is fully grown, brings forth death and confinement; and discipline when it is fully grown, brings forth life and freedom! Galatians 5:1, “Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage…”