Children of God, 25 May 2025
Children of God
Kirk Schneemann
College First Church of God
Series: 1 John
May 18, 2025
1 John 3:1-10
Series Big Idea: One of Jesus’ best friends offers timeless teaching on following Jesus.
Big Idea: Children of God are loved beyond measure.
Scripture Reading: 1 John 3:1-6
Who are you? This is one of life’s two most important questions, I believe, the other being who is Jesus? The older I get, the more I value the importance of identity. There’s a primal dimension to self-awareness and how we view ourselves. I am pastor, husband, dad, papa, son, Findlayan, entrepreneur, musician,…but my primary identity is child of the Most High God.
If you’re a follower of Jesus, you’ve been adopted into God’s family (Galatians 4:5; Ephesians 1:5). You are His precious son or daughter, and any identity you attach to yourself above child of God is an idol. I’ve met so-called Christians whose primary identity is their politics, sports teams, or occupations. I appreciate those affiliations, but nothing compares to being a child of God.
We’ve been studying John’s first epistle or short letter written to early Christians. Today’s text in chapter three begins with two beautiful sentences:
See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! (1 John 3:1a)
Great love.
Lavished.
Children of God.
What we are.
If we could grasp this, our lives would be transformed. College First would be transformed. Jesus died for us while we were his enemies. That’s crazy love!
The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. (1 John 3:1b)
This echoes his earlier distinction between the world’s kingdom and God’s Kingdom. The world doesn’t know God, so they don’t know us…unless we introduce them to Him!
Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. (1 John 3:2)
John drops more zingers in what may be the best verse in today’s text:
He repeats our identity as children of God.
We have a bright, hopeful future.
Christ will appear.
We will be like Jesus.
We will clearly see Jesus.
Hallelujah!
There is so much hope in this verse! I’ve mentioned new, resurrected bodies, but a glorious future, being in the presence of Jesus…I can’t wait! As the old song says,
It will be worth it all
When we see Jesus!
Life’s trials will seem so small
When we see Christ
One glimpse of his dear face
All sorrow will erase
So, bravely run the race
Till we see Christ.
All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure. (1 John 3:3)
Jesus is pure, so we must purify ourselves and become like him. That’s the goal…to become like Jesus. The word Christian was originally a term of contempt or scorn or disdain by Gentiles from the Greek word christianos. But does it describe you? Do people confuse you with Jesus? In contrast to the purity of Jesus…
Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness. 5 But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin. 6 No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him. (1 John 3:4-6)
This does not mean Christians are perfect (see 1:8-10). We all sin, but are you proud of your sin or repentant? Children of God desire to follow Jesus, though we fail, at times. Children of the world have no interest in pleasing God and live for themselves. Sin is living in a state of rebellion against God.
Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. The one who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous. 8 The one who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work. (1 John 3:7-8)
I love that last sentence! Jesus came to destroy the devil’s work! The victory is underway, though not yet complete. But if I can skip ahead for a moment, in chapter 4 we will read,
You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. (1 John 4:4)
Hallelujah! This is good news. This is great news! This raises some questions for me:
Why are victorious Christians often so downcast and discouraged?
Why are victorious Christians walking in darkness rather than light?
Why are victorious Christians often engaging in gossip, slander, pride, and greed?
Why are victorious Christians often filled with fear?
Why are victorious Christians often duped by conspiracy theories and fake news?
No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God. (1 John 3:9)
A true child of God does not live in habitual, deliberate sin. They know God and repent when they sin. If you struggle with sin, if you want victory over sin, that’s the sign of a true child of God. If that’s you, get help. Tell a friend. Talk to a pastor. Join a support group. There are many in our community and some here at College First. Jesus died for your sins. He wants to set you free. The power of the Holy Spirit is available to you.
Followers of Jesus are regenerated, born again. They have a new nature. They become new creations. They are justified with a new, right standing before God. They are playing a new song and even though they may play a wrong note occasionally, they have a new piece of music now, a new page, a new life. The “seed”—God’s word—is alive in them.
This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not God’s child, nor is anyone who does not love their brother and sister. (1 John 3:10)
Are you a child of God or a child of the devil? John doesn’t indicate it’s based upon beliefs, theology, or church attendance. Do you love God and your neighbor? Prove it! What if they vote differently? What if they are here legally from another country? What if they speak a different language, lack a good education, smell different, look different? Love is the test of our faith, our identity, our adoption. It’s not religious activity, but love for God and others. There are counterfeit Christians…children of the devil.
So What?
Who are you? If you’ve said “yes” to Jesus, you are a child of God, created in His image with dignity, value, and worth. That means you are no longer of the world. You do what is right. You stop sinning. You love well.
Today, some of you need to repent. Confess your sins and turn from darkness. Jesus is waiting for you to say yes and follow him. We’re here to help you on your journey. Don’t go alone.
And if you are a child of God, be reminded of who you are…
Video: https://www.fathersloveletter.com
Kirk Schneemann
College First Church of God
Series: 1 John
May 18, 2025
1 John 3:1-10
Series Big Idea: One of Jesus’ best friends offers timeless teaching on following Jesus.
Big Idea: Children of God are loved beyond measure.
Scripture Reading: 1 John 3:1-6
Who are you? This is one of life’s two most important questions, I believe, the other being who is Jesus? The older I get, the more I value the importance of identity. There’s a primal dimension to self-awareness and how we view ourselves. I am pastor, husband, dad, papa, son, Findlayan, entrepreneur, musician,…but my primary identity is child of the Most High God.
If you’re a follower of Jesus, you’ve been adopted into God’s family (Galatians 4:5; Ephesians 1:5). You are His precious son or daughter, and any identity you attach to yourself above child of God is an idol. I’ve met so-called Christians whose primary identity is their politics, sports teams, or occupations. I appreciate those affiliations, but nothing compares to being a child of God.
We’ve been studying John’s first epistle or short letter written to early Christians. Today’s text in chapter three begins with two beautiful sentences:
See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! (1 John 3:1a)
Great love.
Lavished.
Children of God.
What we are.
If we could grasp this, our lives would be transformed. College First would be transformed. Jesus died for us while we were his enemies. That’s crazy love!
The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. (1 John 3:1b)
This echoes his earlier distinction between the world’s kingdom and God’s Kingdom. The world doesn’t know God, so they don’t know us…unless we introduce them to Him!
Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. (1 John 3:2)
John drops more zingers in what may be the best verse in today’s text:
He repeats our identity as children of God.
We have a bright, hopeful future.
Christ will appear.
We will be like Jesus.
We will clearly see Jesus.
Hallelujah!
There is so much hope in this verse! I’ve mentioned new, resurrected bodies, but a glorious future, being in the presence of Jesus…I can’t wait! As the old song says,
It will be worth it all
When we see Jesus!
Life’s trials will seem so small
When we see Christ
One glimpse of his dear face
All sorrow will erase
So, bravely run the race
Till we see Christ.
All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure. (1 John 3:3)
Jesus is pure, so we must purify ourselves and become like him. That’s the goal…to become like Jesus. The word Christian was originally a term of contempt or scorn or disdain by Gentiles from the Greek word christianos. But does it describe you? Do people confuse you with Jesus? In contrast to the purity of Jesus…
Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness. 5 But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin. 6 No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him. (1 John 3:4-6)
This does not mean Christians are perfect (see 1:8-10). We all sin, but are you proud of your sin or repentant? Children of God desire to follow Jesus, though we fail, at times. Children of the world have no interest in pleasing God and live for themselves. Sin is living in a state of rebellion against God.
Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. The one who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous. 8 The one who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work. (1 John 3:7-8)
I love that last sentence! Jesus came to destroy the devil’s work! The victory is underway, though not yet complete. But if I can skip ahead for a moment, in chapter 4 we will read,
You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. (1 John 4:4)
Hallelujah! This is good news. This is great news! This raises some questions for me:
Why are victorious Christians often so downcast and discouraged?
Why are victorious Christians walking in darkness rather than light?
Why are victorious Christians often engaging in gossip, slander, pride, and greed?
Why are victorious Christians often filled with fear?
Why are victorious Christians often duped by conspiracy theories and fake news?
No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God. (1 John 3:9)
A true child of God does not live in habitual, deliberate sin. They know God and repent when they sin. If you struggle with sin, if you want victory over sin, that’s the sign of a true child of God. If that’s you, get help. Tell a friend. Talk to a pastor. Join a support group. There are many in our community and some here at College First. Jesus died for your sins. He wants to set you free. The power of the Holy Spirit is available to you.
Followers of Jesus are regenerated, born again. They have a new nature. They become new creations. They are justified with a new, right standing before God. They are playing a new song and even though they may play a wrong note occasionally, they have a new piece of music now, a new page, a new life. The “seed”—God’s word—is alive in them.
This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not God’s child, nor is anyone who does not love their brother and sister. (1 John 3:10)
Are you a child of God or a child of the devil? John doesn’t indicate it’s based upon beliefs, theology, or church attendance. Do you love God and your neighbor? Prove it! What if they vote differently? What if they are here legally from another country? What if they speak a different language, lack a good education, smell different, look different? Love is the test of our faith, our identity, our adoption. It’s not religious activity, but love for God and others. There are counterfeit Christians…children of the devil.
So What?
Who are you? If you’ve said “yes” to Jesus, you are a child of God, created in His image with dignity, value, and worth. That means you are no longer of the world. You do what is right. You stop sinning. You love well.
Today, some of you need to repent. Confess your sins and turn from darkness. Jesus is waiting for you to say yes and follow him. We’re here to help you on your journey. Don’t go alone.
And if you are a child of God, be reminded of who you are…
Video: https://www.fathersloveletter.com