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About-Him.Com Devotional 08-09-2008
http://about-him.com/ The Sons of God - Part 2 The World Doesn't Know Us) Last week we used the first phrase of I John 3:1 that tells us that we were made sons of God because of the love that He freely bestowed on us, as unworthy as we are. I John 3:1a Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God:.... Just as we carry the characteristics of our earthly father, we were endowed with the characteristics of our heavenly Father at our new birth. We are now new creatures in Christ Jesus and partakers of His divine nature. The second phrase tells us that because the world didn’t recognize Jesus as God when He came, they won’t know us, his children, either. I John 3:1b ..... therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. Of whom is John speaking? Who is the “Him” of this verse? God! It is God who made us His sons and God whom the world did not know. If the world didn’t accept Him, they won’t accept us. John amplifies on this in his gospel (John 1:1-14) paraphrased below. “Jesus, the logos, the living word of God, who was in the beginning with God and who was God, created this world by the power of His word. He made everything that we see, and there is nothing of this creation that was not made by Him. He is eternal life (I John 1:2) and His light is the light of men. He came to His creation to redeem them and they turned Him away. They rejected and crucified Him, the very Lord of glory (Isaiah 53; I Cor. 2:8). However, there are a few, and thank God we belong to that chosen few, who received Him. When we received Him we were born of God, born anew, born from above. Man had nothing to do with our new birth, we were born of God. Being born of God, we now see with the eyes of the Spirit and we behold the glory of the Living Word of God who was made flesh and dwelled among us. His glory is the glory of the only begotten Son of God, full of grace and truth.” Who/what is the world? Certainly not God’s beautiful creation or the people in it. Rather, everything and anything that exalts itself above Almighty God, be it culture, media, political systems, false religions or whatever. All constitute the world and their ruler is Satan. Satan is the prince of this world who offered all of it’s kingdoms to Jesus, if only He would bow and worship him (Luke 4:5-7). The kings of the world are united against our Lord and His Christ trying to break their bands asunder (Psalms 2:1-3). No, the world doesn’t know us. We are different in that having escaped the corruption of the world that is through lust (II Peter 1:4) we were made a partaker of the divine nature. We have been set apart and purchased with the precious blood of Jesus (I Cor. 6:20) and sanctified by His name (I Cor. 6:11). The Blood and the Name are indelible marks that we carry and that we can’t hide, even if we try. They are there for all to see. The world wants nothing to do with His blood, His Spirit or His Name. As Paul said in Gal. 6:14, the world is crucified to us and we to the world, in other words, we have mutual disdain for each other. We glory in nothing except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. The world doesn’t like that! We are the church, the blood bought, Spirit filled, called out, sanctified, separated children of the living God. Lest we be spit from the mouth of God like the lukewarm church of Laodicea (Rev. 3:14), it’s time to act the part of who and Whose we are. We need not be making accommodation with our enemy. Ephesians 5:14 Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light. II Corinthians 6:17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean [thing]; and I will receive you, Our song is the song of the redeemed (Rev. 5:9) , rather than the songs of the world that magnify everything that is contrary to God’s word. Considering the signs of the times, we may be singing that song at the throne of God, sooner than we think. We carry the DNA of our heavenly Father. We are the salt of the earth and the light of the world (Mt. 5:13-14). We are the hand of God extended. We have a message for this sick and dying world: Jesus Saves, Heals and Delivers! John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. A New Recording: This World is Not My Home Keep Looking Up! Don and Marie Spooner About Him! Ministries Your thoughts and Inquiries Contact@about-him.com Subscribe to this devotional? Subscribe@about-him.com
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