1 John 3:1 “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.”
Oh! What love, the Father hath bestowed on us. What a marvelously thought in three blessed words, love, Father, and bestowed. I think the thought of these three words I could write volumes of books. This is why, John started this verse with the word “behold” which means - to see or to know – that is to see the marvelous and wonderful love of God, a love that only God has. It took a special, one of a kind love for God to love sinners like us. Lets test our love in the flesh; God said “But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;” Matthew 5:44 are we capable in the flesh, without the blessings of God to do this? No! We are not. We may act as though we do but we do not. In this flesh we cannot even love God much less each other, or our enemies. I know what people believe, they believe they love God but I must ask how a lost person can ever love God. If they say that they do then they call God a liar. "As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: (11.) There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God." Romans 3:10 – 11 Paul also told us in Romans 8:7 “Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.” In fact the only way one can even love God is that the enmity against God be slain. Ephesians 2:15 "Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;" Abolishing the enmity and making peace with God only comes as a result of Gods grace or Gods glorious gift of salvation to us. I know there are some who believe they are saved because they chose Christ, they chose to turn over a new leaf, but I am here to say that is impossible. If those people are right then the three words spoken of here are worthless. If you are the potter of your own salvation (that is the maker of it) then God has done nothing. But please pay close attention to what God has just said thorough John, “…what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God…” The love that the Father has bestowed on us is the ability to call Him Father. The love is the love He bestowed on us, that is the love He has given to us, not to all mankind but to those He chose to give it too. That love gives us the ability to call Him Father. Jesus Christ is that love; his birth, his death, His resurrection, His ascension into heaven, His seat next to God is all that love. This is love that God sent His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to surrender His life for our sins. This love gift is what gives us the ability to call him Father. Thirdly, “…that we should be called the sons of God…” We have no right as enemies of God in the flesh to call Him Father. We are blessed with this by the same love that delivered Jesus Christ to the cross. Oh! How blessed we are if we are saved from eternal damnation and truly able to call Him Father.
This is why the world hates us and hates God. The fact that God is sovereign and saves sinners of His own choosing, and not by our choosing, the fact that He is the potter and we are simply the clay. The fact that they cannot love a God that hates things that are politically incorrect in this world. They hate the fact that God is not irrelevant and insignificant as they want Him to be. They hate the fact that they may not be included in the election of God and they might reside in hell for all eternity no matter what they do. God has bestowed his love on a remnant of people and the only way to know if you are included is to believe that Jesus Christ is your Saviour. Thank you Father for your blessed love!
