Chapter 3 of 1 John we're going
to be in this morning. One more time, and this is going
to be primarily in the first verse
of 1 John 3. And we're going to title this
today, if we have to have a title, His Sons and Daughters. I'd like to start by reading
1 John 3, the first three verses. It says, "...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. Beloved, now are we the sons
of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be, but we know
that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall
see him as he is. And every man that has this hope
in him purifieth himself even as he is pure." And this morning
the part that we're going to look at the thought of is chapter 3, 1 John, the second
half of verse 1 that says, Therefore the world knoweth us not, because
it knew him not. A couple of things to begin with
here. Last week we looked at, Behold
what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we
should be called the sons of God. And we looked at that, that
that is quite a calling, quite a position
that says, the Father bestowed upon us love, that He had called
us the sons of God. And indeed, that is quite a change
from the sons of Adam, and what our nature is by Adam, from Adam and what it is with life in the
Lord when he regenerates his people and calls us the sons
of God. And that's quite a place and
a different spot to be. And we looked at some about adoption
and what that had to deal with and
has to mean. And because it says, therefore,
in verse one of chapter three, it says, therefore, the world
knoweth this not, because it knew him not. And we're going
to look at several passages that speak to that. And I think a
thought that we need to keep in mind about this, because it
did not know him and it does not know God's people, that we
have to keep one of the thoughts that the scripture is very plain
on, it's ruined by the fall. And that sums up in very short
order why where it says, the world knew him not, and why it
knows us not is because, ruined by the fall. We have to go clear
back to the beginning, as it were, with Adam and Eve in the
fall, and the position that that fall what it did when they had
their eyes opened and they knew there was an issue there, but
they didn't know-they were instantly spiritually dead. There was no
connection there in a spiritual manner with God at all. they were hiding from Him. And
then the Lord clothed them with skins of animals, as it said.
And I think through that and His teaching, we don't have the
whole dialogue that God had with Adam and Eve about that, but
He instilled in them. And we have in chapter 3 of Genesis
speaking about the Messiah coming. that He connected those together
for them. And we have in plain Scripture
that we hold that the connection of the Messiah, the Christ to
come, the one that's coming to deal with that issue, that they
were taught of God about that. And we have a difference that
starts out with Cain and Abel, the one Cain's sacrifice was
not, God had no regard for that, and it did have regard for Abel's.
And it wasn't simply that just the sacrifice that they brought
that was the problem, it was the heart, condition that God
only alone could teach Abel that. I believe that Adam and Eve taught
their children the same thing and taught the picture there.
And because of the fall and going through that and being shown the need for a substitute
by God, that they taught their children that, and what that
lamb meant. Not just simply that God says,
bring a lamb, and you bring vegetables, and so God doesn't like vegetables,
and so there you're. That's not the issue. The issue
was the not the right sacrifice because the heart was not right.
The issue was not seen as need than the sacrifice, the blood
sacrifice. And as their eyes were open to
that, as Abel's eyes were open to that, and Cain's not, We see
that we see that there's a there's a problem there that that has
to be dealt with. And because of that problem,
the fall spiritually dead. And we're going to like say we're
going to look into some of what the scriptures say about that.
That is why when he came, it says the world knew him not. And it says, you know, the world
will know you not because it knew him not. And so we're going
to look into that. start in the book of John. We're going to be at several
places in the book of John this morning, but in chapter 1 of
John, wonderful, wonderful book that
we have, the Book of John to open, beautiful passage that we're
going to look at to start with in some other places, but starting
with the first verse of chapter one of John. It says, In the beginning was
the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The
same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by
him, and without him was not anything made that was made.
In him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the
light shineth in darkness, and the darkness comprehended it
not. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. The
same came for a witness, to bear witness of that light, that all
men through him might believe. He was not that light, but was
sent to bear witness of that light." Stop for just a second,
and notice that here the light in this passage, you're starting
with verse 6, is capitalized in that light, the Lord himself
being that light that came to earth and came and lived among
us, and he was that true light. And it says, he came witness of that light
that all men might believe, He was not that light, but was witness.
That was the true light which lighteth every man that cometh
into the world." In verse 5 where it says, the light shined in
the darkness, and the darkness comprehended it not. And we're
going to see that all the way, we see that all the way through
the scriptures, that when the light came, God, the Lord said
this or that, whatever, during the, in the Old Testament we
have a lot of that, that He spoke directly to them. They had the
light. the word of the light, but there
were those that believed, and there were those that believed
not, that didn't see the light. It just shows the division right
there of what God is like and what man is like, and the darkness
comprehended it not. In verse 10, he was in the world,
and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He
came into His own, and His own received Him not. But as many,"
verse 12, but as many as received Him, to them gave He power to
become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name,
which were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh,
nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word was made flesh
and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory as of the only begotten
of the Father, full of grace and truth. And this is quite
a foundation to start not only this book on, but I think when
the Lord reveals Himself to people, to new believers, that it's quite
a foundation to start with the book of John and others too. But the book of John is very
plain. It brings out, to start with,
it brings out who God himself was, who the Lord himself was.
And here, it bears directly on 1 John when it said, they knew
him not. When it said he was in the world,
the world was made by him, the world knew him not. He came to
His own, and His own received Him not. But as many," verse
12, "'as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons
of God, even to them that believe on His name, which were born,
not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will
of man, but of God.'" And that where it speaks in 1 John of
Beloved, we are His love, what love He bestowed on us that we
could be called and are called the sons of God. And here it
says, as many as received Him, He gave power to become the sons
of God, to them that believe on His name. Don't stop there. That's where a lot of religion
will stop there, that believe on His name, which were born
not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will
of man, but of God. We've spent some time in chapter
3, chapter 6, other places in John that speak about the new
birth, and being born from above, and not just something that can
be taught in catechized into religion or to
salvation, but it has to be from above, born from above. And here
it says not by the will of God that this takes place and this
happens. And that is the, without this taking place, there is no
There's no seeing the light, no seeing the Lord Himself, no
receiving Him, as it were, or believing on Him. It's all by
God's doing. So that's the ones where it says there in 1 John, they
won't receive us because they didn't receive Him. They don't
know us because they didn't know Him. That's what we see here. In John
16, things that are said to us, John 16 and verse 3, starting with verse 1. I'm going to read the first three
verses here, and then we're going to read a little bit more. But it
says, These things have I spoken unto you, that ye should not
be offended. They shall put you out of the synagogues. Yea, the
time cometh that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth
God's service. And these things will they do unto you, because
they have not known the Father, nor me. And these things it says
will happen to you, that there'll be, it says you'll be put out
of the synagogues. A time will come, whoever killeth
you will think that he doeth God's service. And we have a
prime example of that, that he points out himself, Brother Paul,
who was of that of that type of religion, and he thought he
was doing God's work by getting rid of those that talked about
the Christ, and that especially that this Jesus that they knew
was the Christ. And he thought he was doing a
real favor to, service to God. But I'd like to back up to verse,
in chapter 5, and starting with verse 26. just above here where we read
John chapter 5, just a bit here. Let me make
sure I got that right. I'm sorry. in John 16. Okay. Okay, in 5.26, that was correct,
or 15.26. But when the Comforter is come,
whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of
truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify
of me. And ye also shall bear witness,
because ye have been with me from the beginning. And these
things have I spoken unto you, that ye should not be offended.
And then they shall put you out of the synagogues, yea, the time
cometh that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth
God's service. And these things will they do
unto you, because they have not known the Father, nor me." And
he says, obviously, and has not known him or the Father, they
cannot know who we are, cannot know
us. And in John chapter 17, while we're right here, turn the page
to John 17, and starting with verse 6. This
is the Lord speaking, and it says, John 17, 6, it says, I have manifested thy name unto
the men which thou gavest me out of the world. Thine they
were, and thou gavest them me, and they have kept thy word.
Now they have known that all things whatsoever thou hast given
me are of thee. For I have given unto them the
words which thou gavest me, and they have received them, and
have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have
believed that thou didst send me." I pray for them, I pray not for
the world, but for them which thou hast given me, for they
are thine, and all mine are thine, and thine are mine, and I am
glorified in them. And now I am no more in the world,
but these are in the world, and I come to thee, Holy Father,
keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that
they may be one as we are. While I was with them in the
world, I kept them in thy name. Those that thou gavest me, I
have kept, and none of them is lost but the son of perdition,
that the scripture might be fulfilled." And then the last couple of verses
of chapter 17, if you would please, verses 25 and 26, he says, O
righteous Father, the world hath not known Thee, but I have known
Thee, and these have known that Thou hast sent me. And I have
declared unto them thy name, and will declare it, that the
love wherewith thou hast loved me, we may be in them, and I
in them." And here speaking about, his own, and that he is kept
in his keeping. And hear at the last, hear these
verses, that the world hath not known thee, but I have known
thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me. And they,
through his word and through the Spirit, we know the Father,
we know the Son. We are known by him, and we are
known to him. and we know him, and the world
does not know him. This is not just, there were
many that were in his presence, his own family that did not recognize
who he was. They knew who he was day by day,
but they did not know, could not see the light, could not
see him, did not know who he was. Several things here. that we read in John that natural man does not know except
by the Spirit, cannot know and is blind to the nature and perfections
of God, can't know who God is. We can read the words of that,
and we can know the knowledge of that, but we cannot understand
any of the nature and perfections of God. We cannot know what sin
is. We do not have a consciousness
of sin. We have a consciousness when
we do something bad to somebody, but the sin by nature and the
sin that we are by birth, we have no knowledge of. have no
knowledge of Christ and salvation by Him. That is not something
that man comes to on his own. We can be taught the words of
it. We can know the words of it, but only He can reveal that
to us. the Spirit of God and His work
in salvation. It isn't something that comes
by teaching. We can know the words of it.
Again, we can know the language of it, but we cannot understand
and know that without His revealing that. And we cannot know the
true truth or light of the scriptures and the gospel without him revealing
it to us. There's a man that we knew years
ago that, and I think I've mentioned this before, that knew just about
the Bible by memory. I mean, he knew the scriptures,
knew the words, but he didn't know who he was talking about.
And you know, you say, how can you know that and not know what
he's talking about? We can be taught the words of what the
scriptures say, but only God can teach us that, can reveal
that to us. Were it as easy as teaching people
the meaning of the words, the physical words, but that is not
salvation. Only God can deliver those things
to us. And later that man did realize that he had something
when he understood what the Bible who it was speaking about and
who it was talking to, then those things that he had memorized
meant something to him because then he understood what value
they were, true value they were. In the book of 1 Peter, turn to the book of 1
Peter, if you would, please. A couple of passages that speak
to us about what God does in his people. and for His people. Chapter 1, starting with verse
1, it says, Peter says, Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to
the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia,
Asia, Bithynia, elect according to the foreknowledge of God the
Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience
and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ, grace unto you,
and peace be multiplied. Blessed be the God and Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy
hath begotten us again to a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus
Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled,
and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept
by the power of God through faith under salvation, ready to be
revealed in the last time. And here, elect according to
the foreknowledge of God and of the working of God, and it
says, according to His abundant mercy, have begotten us again
to a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.
This, what it speaks of here, is far different than presenting
a Jesus in the usual gospel sense of that, and then say, do you
believe on that? Do you believe on this Jesus? And people say,
yes. Then they assure you that now you know all that there is
to know. and how many people have been
talked into a decision or a thought or whatever with no knowledge
of who God is. And again, the words of it are
not yet, but here it says, with His abundant mercy hath begotten
us again to a lively hope." It's as we read before, not by the
will of man, but by the will of God and the power of God that
this comes about to His people, and that we can be, and are called,
and are sons and daughters of God. And then also in 1 Peter,
in the second chapter, in the second chapter of 1 Peter, starting with the first verse.
It says, Wherefore, laying aside all malice, and all guile, and
hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, as newborn
babes desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow
thereby, if so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious. To
whom coming as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men,
but precious, chosen of God and precious, ye also as lively stones
are built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up
spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. Wherefore,
also it is contained in the scripture, behold, I lay in Zion a chief
cornerstone, elect, precious, and he that believeth on him
shall not be confounded. Unto you, therefore, which believe
he is precious, But unto them which be disobedient, the stone
which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of
the corner. And a stone is stumbling, and a rock of offense, even to
them which stumble at the word, being disobedient, whereunto
they also were appointed. But you are, verse 9, you are
a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, and holy nation,
a peculiar people, that ye should show forth the praises of him
who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light, which
in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God,
which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy."
Again, showing that this is a working of God that do this. This is
of His grace and mercy that we are where we are if we are
indeed sons and daughters of His. And so, Him who hath called
us out of darkness into His marvelous light. And again, that marvelous
light is of our Lord Himself and who He is and who He died for, and those that
are His own, and indeed are not, shall be the sons and daughters
of God, but are now. And it's not a someday, it's
not a someday thing. It is now. And in those, as we
saw before by the predestination and foreknowledge of God that
these things were so, in eternity past we are the sons or daughters
of God. We're going to look a little
farther in 1 John in coming days that it says we're not yet, we're
not how we appear. We're not finished yet. When
we see Him, we'll see Him as He is and will be as He is. And we see these things now that
what we are like and what Paul says we are like and what we
know we are like by nature, That nature that we still have with
us in the flesh is going to be with us and is with us. But we
are not in God's sight. That's not what he sees us as.
In Christ, we are as Christ. We are sons and daughters of
his now and not in the future time only. And 1 Corinthians, the book of
1 Corinthians. Okay, let's see what we're going
to read here. 1 Corinthians and the second chapter,
and starting with with verse 7. Up above here,
Paul said, I didn't come to you with men's words, but with the
demonstration and the spirit of power that came unto you.
But verse 7, it says, But we speak the wisdom of God in a
mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the
world unto our glory, which none of the princes of this world
knew, for had they known it, they would not have crucified
the Lord of glory. But as it is written, I hath
not seen nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of
man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
But God hath revealed them unto us by His Spirit. For the Spirit
searches all things, yea, the deep things of God. For what
man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of a man which
is in him? Even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the
Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the
spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God, that
we might know the things that are freely given us of God. Which
things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom
teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth, comparing spiritual
things with spiritual." but the natural man receiveth not the
things of the Spirit of God. For they are foolishness unto
him, neither can he know them, because they are spiritually
discerned." Here again, they won't know you because they didn't
know me. And here it says, in verse 9, "'I hath not seen, nor
ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man the things
which God hath prepared for them that love him." And I think at
least part of what this says is the natural man, the natural
ears, the natural eyes, the natural heart cannot know these things.
It's not available. It's not possible. As it says, these are verse 14,
It says, The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit
of God, for they are foolishness, neither can he know them, because
they are spiritually discerned. We cannot spiritually discern
things unless God Himself revealed them to us. We don't have the
ability. We don't have that comprehension
of ourselves. He has to reveal that to us,
and that's what He does for His people. Back up to chapter...just before
here in chapter 1 of Corinthians, starting at verse 20, Verse 20 of 1 Corinthians 1 says,
Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is
the disputer of this world? Hath God made foolish the wisdom
of this world? For after that, in the wisdom
of God, the world by wisdom knew not God, yet pleased God by the
foolishness of preaching, to save them that believe. for the
Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom. But
we preach Christ crucified unto the Jews a stumbling block, and
unto the Greeks foolishness. But unto them which are called,
both Jews and Greeks, Christ, the power of God, and the wisdom
of God, because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and
the weakness of God is stronger than men." And here, as I said,
the natural man, again, it can't see that. The wisdom, natural
wisdom doesn't conclude with God. A number of years ago, Lauren
brought a lesson, and I can't tell you the text from that was,
but a thought that he had with part of that is, natural man
coming to the Scriptures and reading them without Him revealing
it to us, says, we're going to come up with conclusions, but
they're going to be the wrong conclusions every time, because
we see it from are from our eyes, and if it's not revealed unto
us in the new birth, we will forever have the wrong conclusion
and the wrong thoughts and the wrong ideas of what the Scripture
speaks of. I read a book, it was about the
history of wars, actually, and the man that read it should have
stayed with the history of wars, But he got off on a few things
about religion, and one of the things he said was, it shows
that God's limitations when he had to ask Adam, where are you,
Adam? And he said, it was that we've heard many times, God did
not say that so that God would know, God said that so that Adam
would know. And this meant, like I say, this,
I got so mad I had to quit reading that book for a while because
he made several other comments that were, if not blasphemous,
they were borderline on blasphemous about who God is. And it just showed me this man
has no concept, spiritual concept of what the scriptures are about.
And that's the only conclusions we can come to, and I'm sure
there are a lot of people that read that passage in Genesis
and thought the same thing. And it was for Adam's information,
not for God's information. But any information that we have
that is correct and a correct view of God has been given to
us from God, it's spiritually discerned, as it says. And then
in 2 Corinthians, just one spot here, in the book of 2 Corinthians, we'll get there. In 2 Corinthians
4, Okay, starting with the first
verse. I was going to start down a little farther, but chapter
4, verse 1, it says, Therefore, seeing we have this ministry,
as we have received mercy, we faint not, but have renounced
the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor
handling the word of God deceitfully, but by manifestation of the truth,
commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight
of God." And I wasn't going to read this part particularly,
but I think this is something that we put out there that by
by God's grace and power, that we handle the Word honestly,
and before all men, it says, commending ourselves to every
man's conscience in the sight of God, that we're not taking
God's Word to say something that we have an idea and we prove
it by God's Word. But rather, God shows us what
is the truth and how the Scriptures indeed say that. And what God
does with that is God's business. What He does when the gospel
goes forth, the sheep, He will eventually cause them to hear
it and to do it. Others, not so much. But in verse
three, It says, But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that
are lost, in whom the God of this world hath blinded the minds
of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel
of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and
ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake. For God, who commanded
the light to shine out of darkness, has shined in our hearts, to
give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face
of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in
earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God and
not of us." And I think that's the... the hope, aim, and prayer of
whenever the Word is opened and brought forth, that it's done
with this in sight, and in mind, and in intention, that we not
preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus and our servants for Jesus'
sake. Honestly, as it says in another
place, honestly handling the Word of God. And by His power
in doing, we aim to do that. We've got time for one more spot,
Romans chapter 6, if you would please join me in Romans chapter
6. Oops, let me get to chapter six. Okay. Let me see where to start here. Verse 1 of chapter 6 of Romans,
it says, What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that
grace may abound? God forbid, how shall we that
are dead to sin live any longer therein? Know ye not that so
many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into
His death? Therefore we are buried with
Him by baptism into death, that like as Christ was raised from
the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we should walk
in newness of life. For if we have been planted together
in the likeness of his death, we shall also be in the likeness
of his resurrection. Knowing this, that our old man
is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed,
that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead
is freed from sin. Now if we be dead with Christ,
we believe that we shall also live with him. knowing that Christ,
being raised from the dead, dieth no more, death hath no more dominion
over him. For in that he died, he died
unto sin once, but that he liveth, he liveth unto God. Likewise,
reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive
unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord." And that the only
way, the only standing we have that is in Him, that we have
any life or any hope of life. Verses 16 and 17, Romans chapter
6. Know ye not that to whom ye yield
yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are whom ye obey,
whether to sin unto death or obedience unto righteousness.
But God be thanked that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have
obeyed from the heart the form of doctrine which was delivered
unto you. Being then made free from sin,
ye become the servants of righteousness. through Him and by Him that we
have that standing, that we are righteous and are the sons and
daughters of God. And then, just reading the verses again,
1 John 3 says, again, behold what
manner of love the Father hath bestowed on us, that we should
be called the sons and daughters of God. Therefore the world knoweth
us not, because it knew him. Now are we the sons of God, and
it doth not yet appear what we shall be, but we know that when
he shall appear, We shall be like him, for we shall see him
as he is. And we will, that's where we
will pick up next time, is it doesn't appear what he, as it
says, does not appear what we shall be, but we know when we
see him, we will be like him, because we see him as he is. And with that, we will pick up
again next time. Thank you very much for your
attention.