We Are God’s Children

God’s children remain in Him until the end We Are God’s Children God’s children remain in Him until the end

1 John 2:28–3:3 (NET Bible) 28 And now, little children, remain in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence and not shrink away from him in shame when he comes back. 29 If you know that he is righteous, you also know that everyone who practices righteousness has been fathered by him.

1 John 2:28–3:3 (NET Bible) 3:1 (See what sort of love the Father has given to us: that we should be called God’s children – and indeed we are! For this reason the world does not know us: because it did not know him. 2 Dear friends, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet been revealed. We know that whenever it is revealed we will be like him, because we will see him just as he is. 3 And everyone who has this hope focused on him purifies himself, just as Jesus is pure).

1 John 2:28-29 (NET Bible) 28 And now, little children, remain in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence and not shrink away from him in shame when he comes back. 29 If you know that he is righteous, you also know that everyone who practices righteousness has been fathered by him.

We can have confidence when Jesus returns. 1 John 2:28-29 (NET Bible) 28 And now, little children, remain in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence and not shrink away from him in shame when he comes back. 29 If you know that he is righteous, you also know that everyone who practices righteousness has been fathered by him. We can have confidence when Jesus returns.

We Are God’s Children “Those who remain faithful to Christ will not have to withdraw from the Judge in shame or fear. Instead, they can stand with confidence before him at his coming.” –NAC

1 John 3:1 (NET Bible) 3:1 (See what sort of love the Father has given to us: that we should be called God’s children – and indeed we are! For this reason the world does not know us: because it did not know him.

We will face persecution until Jesus returns. 1 John 3:1 (NET Bible) 3:1 (See what sort of love the Father has given to us: that we should be called God’s children – and indeed we are! For this reason the world does not know us: because it did not know him. We will face persecution until Jesus returns.

John 1:10-13 (NET Bible) 10 He was in the world, and the world was created by him, but the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to what was his own, but his own people did not receive him. 12 But to all who have received him – those who believe in his name – he has given the right to become God’s children 13 – children not born by human parents or by human desire or a husband’s decision, but by God.

We Are God’s Children “The author wants his readers to know that approval by the world is to be feared, not desired.” –Frank E. Gaebelein

1 John 3:2-3 (NET Bible) 2 Dear friends, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet been revealed. We know that whenever it is revealed we will be like him, because we will see him just as he is. 3 And everyone who has this hope focused on him purifies himself, just as Jesus is pure).

We will be glorified when Jesus returns. 1 John 3:2-3 (NET Bible) 2 Dear friends, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet been revealed. We know that whenever it is revealed we will be like him, because we will see him just as he is. 3 And everyone who has this hope focused on him purifies himself, just as Jesus is pure). We will be glorified when Jesus returns.

Philippians 3:20-21 (NET Bible) 20 But our citizenship is in heaven – and we also await a savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who will transform these humble bodies of ours into the likeness of his glorious body by means of that power by which he is able to subject all things to himself.

God’s children remain in Him until the end We Are God’s Children God’s children remain in Him until the end

God’s children remain in Him until the end We Are God’s Children God’s children remain in Him until the end God’s children resemble their righteous Father

1 John 3:4-10 (NET Bible) 4 Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness; indeed, sin is lawlessness. 5 And you know that Jesus was revealed to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. 6 Everyone who resides in him does not sin; everyone who sins has neither seen him nor known him. 7 Little children, let no one deceive you: The one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as Jesus is righteous.

1 John 3:4-10 (NET Bible) 8 The one who practices sin is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was revealed: to destroy the works of the devil. 9 Everyone who has been fathered by God does not practice sin, because God’s seed resides in him, and thus he is not able to sin, because he has been fathered by God. 10 By this the children of God and the children of the devil are revealed: Everyone who does not practice righteousness – the one who does not love his fellow Christian – is not of God.

1 John 3:6, 9 (NET Bible) 6 Everyone who resides in him does not sin; everyone who sins has neither seen him nor known him. 9 Everyone who has been fathered by God does not practice sin, because God’s seed resides in him, and thus he is not able to sin, because he has been fathered by God.

1 John 1:8–2:1 (NASB) 8 If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us…10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us. 2:1 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous…

We Are God’s Children John is not expecting sinlessness, but life-characterizing righteousness.

We Are God’s Children “born again”

We Are God’s Children Those who are “born again” will resemble their righteous God who fathered them.

We Are God’s Children Every human bears God’s image as His creature, but not every human bears His resemblance as His child.

We Are God’s Children “This specific righteousness is a distinct characteristic of the one who has been born of God. Likewise, it is a continual, life-characterizing righteousness that comes from having a personal, saving knowledge of him who is absolutely righteous.” –NAC

We Are God’s Children “A person’s righteousness is thus the evidence of his new birth, not the cause or condition of it.” –John Stott

John 8:41-44 (NET Bible) 41 “You people are doing the deeds of your father.” Then they said to Jesus, “We were not born as a result of immorality! We have only one Father, God himself.” 42 Jesus replied, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I have come from God and am now here. I have not come on my own initiative, but he sent me. 43 Why don’t you understand what I am saying? It is because you cannot accept my teaching. 44 You people are from your father the devil, and you want to do what your father desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not uphold the truth, because there is no truth in him. Whenever he lies, he speaks according to his own nature, because he is a liar and the father of lies.”

God’s children resemble their righteous Father. We Are God’s Children God’s children resemble their righteous Father. Do we?