1 John 3:1-6 Behold, what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knows us not… I. HOW REAL CHRISTIANS ARE TO BE UNDERSTOOD TO BE THE CHILDREN OF GOD. II. WHAT CONSIDERATIONS MAY SERVE TO HEIGHTEN AND ENDEAR THE LOVE OF GOD IN TAKING THEM INTO THIS RELATION TO HIMSELF. 1. The consideration of His majesty and supreme greatness, which thus vouchsafes to make and own us for His children, notwithstanding our infinite distance from Him (1 Samuel 18:18). 2. The consideration, how early the Divine love laid the foundation of their sonship whom it pleased to recover from the common ruin, in which it saw them lie involved with others. 3. The consideration of the means ordained to make way for their adoption, even the sufferings and death of the only-begotten Son of the Father to view. (1) Consider the person given: He is the Lord Jesus Christ — God's eternal and only-begotten Son. (2) Consider what this Person is sent for, viz., to suffer, to be put to death, even by those that He came to save. (3) This love will appear all miracle if we consider the persons Christ was given for, to do and suffer all this, even for the infinitely unworthy. (4) We have reason to admire the love of God in making us His sons upon this further consideration, if we call to mind the state He finds us in when He comes to work the blessed change, and the power and patience He exercises therein. (5) The happy difference made in the relation of such as are dignified to be children of God, both from themselves, before it was made, and from others. (6) The privileges of the sons of God, negative and positive, as to time and eternity, heighten and endear the love of God to all that are called to be and really made such. (D. Wilcox.) Parallel Verses KJV: 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. |
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