“See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.
“Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. You know that he appeared in order to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him. Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous… The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God. By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother.
“For this is the message that you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.” 1 John 3:1-7,8b-11
Looking at Jesus reveals what kind of love He embodies and exhibits, and how we are to live as His children. God gave Christ in amazing love to the end that we become and behave like His children. What we see in the generosity of the Father He expects to see in us.
But we have a pesky adversary who wants none of this kind of love to be recognized, received, or expressed. The father of lies and deception wants to convince us we are stuck in old habits and sin impulses, unable to have victory over greed, jealousy, callous attitudes, and snippy remarks. The promise of God comes with good news: we no longer belong to the devil but are God’s children, born of and kept by Him, free to love and work righteousness. (John 8:44)
Where will we choose to look? To whose message will we listen? How determined are we, as God’s children with a deposit of His character, to purify ourselves and practice love and all that is good? (John 8:36; 1 Corinthians 13:4-7; Galatians 5:22-23; Ephesians 1:13-14
“Love divine, all loves excelling,
joy of heav’n to earth come down,
fix in us Thy humble dwelling;
all Thy faithful mercies crown!
Jesus, Thou art all compassion,
pure, unbounded love Thou art;
visit us with Thy salvation;
enter every trembling heart.
Breathe, O breathe Thy loving Spirit
into every troubled breast!
Let us all in Thee inherit,
let us find the promised rest.
Take away our bent to sinning;
Alpha and Omega be;
end of faith, as its beginning,
set our hearts at liberty.” ~Charles Wesley (1747)
Lord, help me behold the kind of love You are and extend, and go and do likewise in Your honor.
As the rain and snow 