Scripture Reading(s)
1 John 3:1-3
3:1 See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and that is what we are. The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.
3:2 Beloved, we are God’s children now; what we will be has not yet been revealed. What we do know is this: when he is revealed, we will be like him, for we will see him as he is.
3:3 And all who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.
Reflections
Christ paid the ultimate sacrifice when He took our place on the cross. He endured pain, humiliation, and death because of an unwavering love that He has for us. As a result of that, we then have the privilege of being called God’s children. At the point of conversion we were adopted into His family and and as such we are then called to reflect Him in every area of our lives. The world is to look at us and recognize that we are different and that there is a difference in how we live our lives. Our actions, words, and deeds should represent Christ and His character.
The lives that we are living now are a gift that He gave us. Without Him, we would have remained dead in our sin, lost and facing eternal punishment. Our response to His love for us is to reflect that same love in and through our lives. We are to be an outward display of who Christ us and offer that same hope that we have to others around us.
John eagerly awaited the return of Jesus Christ so that he could be in the presence of God. Whether or not Jesus returns in our life, eventually we be face to face with our creator. This fact should both encourage us and also sober us. It is not to be taken likely.
We have a finite amount of time to prepare to meet the Lord. Let us not wait until the last hour to draw close to God. Let us seek the Lord now while are here in this life and we will be a witness to others who also long to know the truth.
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