John the beloved celebrates the glorious freedom everyone who is saved enjoys in Christ. It amazes him that God takes the initiative to forgive sinners who are by nature given to wicked works. Considering the justice of God which stipulates death penalty for every sin man commits, nobody on earth – as long as he is conceived and born by a woman – would escape His judgment. But His supreme love chose to punish sin in the sinner’s substitute, thereby giving opportunity for man to enjoy His salvation.
Love made Jesus to accept this divine verdict of suffering death penalty for the sins of mankind. Truly, there is no ”greater love” than this: the righteous dying for the unrighteous. Love is strong as death.
For love, He bore the pains of crucifixion and died to rescue us from present and eternal doom. He also rose to give us strength to live a life of total freedom from sin.
”Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not”
1 John 3:1
TRANSFORMATION THROUGH GOD’S LOVE
The word behold summons our attention to the gracious work God’s love has wrought in us, by reason of which we are now distinct in character and lifestyle from the people of the world. God’s love is so deep that we cannot fathom it. It was while we were yet sinners that Christ died for us. Every one of us would have been banished to hell for ever were it not for the mercy and love of God.
Though the scripture declares that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God; and that the wages of sin is death, God planned man’s salvation even while the sinner is still relishing his sinful pleasures.
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life
John 3:16
Jesus suffered, died and rose again so as to forgive, cleanse and save every sinner from sin and make him a son of God. This gracious transformation God does in the lives of people happens when the sinner or backslider acknowledges the great love and sacrifice of Christ, prays for forgiveness and cleansing in His shed blood and receives Him as Lord and Savior.
But as many as received him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name
John 1:12
The words, become the sons of God, reveal that all are not children of God
Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others
Ephesians 2:3
Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience
Ephesians 5:6
But at the point of repentance, they are transformed from who and what they were to another spiritual state of newness of life and character.
If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed
John 8:36
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UNIQUENESS OF GOD’S CHILDREN
The unique difference of every child of god is the total freedom from sin. So, the greatest title anyone can obtain in this world is to be called a child of the Most High God.
Many religious people do not have the assurance of total freedom from sin and being called children of God; they cannot boldly declare that ”Beloved, now are we the sons of God”. Incidentally, it is the assurance that births the hope of seeing Christ at His coming, that ”we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is”.
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
1 John 3:2
Assurance of salvation is a function of faith is God’s truthfulness and power to do whatever He says. He cannot lie. When he declared in the Scriptures that He is ”…ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon [Him]”, that
”If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness”
1 John 1:9
He fulfils His part in the lives of those who do their part by genuinely repenting of their sins. And when we humbly pray to Him, He answers because He delights in our freedom from sin. We know this from His word, not from our feeling or the whispers of the devil, the liar, who seeks to confuse us.
Besides, God sends the Spirit of His Son into the heart of everyone who is converted to assure him that he is now His child.
It is this same Spirit that kindles holy passion and love for God, His word and people in the heart of the believer.
By His operation, the believer who is set free from sin hungers to know more of God through regular fellowship attendance and constant reading, study or listening, meditation and praying-in the word of God.
As a child of God, he finds the Spirit helping him in prayer, calling ”Abba, Father”. As a new creature, God hears and answers his prayer of faith as this the only communication line through which he can receive more grace for abundant and victorious Christian living. Thus set free form sin, the believer is to seek to fit into the mould of Christ, to be conformed to His life of righteousness as the express image of the Almighty God.
No sinner is a child of God. Those who are not free from sin are not His children. In the days of John the beloved, the Gnotics taught that conduct is not important to the spiritual man and that whatever actions he puts forth he can never be defiled.
But Ye are forgers of lies, ye are all physicians of no value
Job 13:4.
”Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously and godly, in this present world”
Titus 2:12.
What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein
Romans 6:1-2.
Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law
1 John 3:4.
Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness…For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness….But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life
Romans 6:18, 20, 22.
Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him.
1 John 3:6.
Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God
1 John 3:9.
If it were not possible to be free from sin Christ would not have declared ”go and sin no more” to those who received forgiveness from Him before His crucifixion.
Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him. Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee.
John 5:14.
”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.”
And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure…. Dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God
1 John 3:3; 2 Corinthians 7:1.
