The Lord may graciously help
me. I'll turn your prayerful attention to the first epistle
of John and chapter 3 and the verse 2 verses 1, John 3 verses
1 and 2. 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. John's epistle gives us many
tests to know where we are in the things of God. For example,
one of the things that we read, we know that we have passed from
death unto life because we love the brethren. Earlier on he says
in 1 John 1 verse 9, if we confess our sins he is faithful and just
to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Very clear, simple test to know
how we stand before God. And John here in this epistle
is seeking to get the people of God to appreciate something
of the wonderful blessing of being a child of God. He opens with, Behold, what manner
of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called
the sons of God. We think of the plan of redemption.
Now clearly here it's talking about sons of God in the sense
of those that have been redeemed. not father to all. We read later
on in the same chapter about the children of the devil and
the children of God. Well, here it's talking about
those that the sons of God are those who have been redeemed,
those who have been justified by the finished work of Christ,
those who have come to lay hold upon the hope set before them
in the gospel. Justification is that which clears
them in the criminal court of heaven so that they are no more
guilty of those crimes. But you see what is spoken of
here is something separate from that, although it's always accompanied
with justification. You can't have, you can't be
a son of God in this sense without being justified. It's vital that
they're together. And also then there's the regeneration,
there's the new birth, that which takes place inside of us, creating
us to have that new heart that hungers and thirsts after righteousness. God works in us, you see, to
make us all that we ought to be. But in justification, He
declares us and treats us by imputation. He's taken our sin
away so that we're justified, so that we're right with God.
But you see, you could have the situation where a judge on earth,
you could be cleared of your crime and the judge could take
somebody else's payment on your behalf. But that does not mean
that you have then any particular relationship with that judge.
But you see, what we have here is something far beyond that. Perhaps another example is in
Africa sometimes you get these schemes whereby you can adopt
a child in Africa and you can pay for their education and pay
for their food and things like that. And so you can support
them and be a blessing to those people. But that is very different
than taking the African and making them your child and giving them
all the privileges of your own children. This is why what we have before
us in this doctrine of adoption, we have really a wonderful display
of God's loving kindness. Behold what manner of love. The Father hath bestowed upon
us that we should be called the sons of God." Not just called
and not be that, but truly are the sons of God. So the people
of God are brought in, you see, into a relationship. Like I said
with that judge, you may have a judge that's cleared you, but
that doesn't not mean that You then sit at his table. It does
not mean that you enjoy all the privileges of his household.
But you see, when God saves his people, it is not just to pluck
them out of the mire and to set their feet upon a rock and then
leave them to their own devices. He's brought them out of the
mirey clay and set their feet upon a rock that they may be
sons and daughters of the Most High God. You see, there's friendship
here, there's love, there's protection, there's safety, there's inheritance,
there's so much here for the people of God. And it's all wrapped
up in God's wonderful blessing to his people. If we just, if
we look in Ephesians, Ephesians chapter 1 verse 5 it says, having predestinated
us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself according
to the good pleasure of his will. And then in Galatians, where
we read in the Galatians chapter 4, we had also that text, Galatians
4 verse 5, to redeem them that were under the law that we might
receive the adoption of sons. And then in Romans It goes through
this in Romans chapter 8. It speaks also of this idea of
adoption. Romans 8 verse 15, For ye have
not received the spirit of bondage again to fear, but ye have received
the spirit of adoption whereby we cry, Abba, Father. Well, you might say, well, Why
do we need to be adopted into the family of God? Surely if
we're born again, then isn't that, aren't we in the family?
But you see here, there's a different picture. The picture is here, you see.
In adoption, it's a handover between your old family and your
new family. You see, there's a picture here
of what God does in rescuing sinners from Satan's grip. You see, later on, we read in
this same chapter, it says, and the children of the devil. Well,
you see, the devil has his children, and he, it's his desire to take
those children, to be with him forever in a lake that burneth
with fire and brimstone. But you see, we have a father
in heaven that had thoughts of love and mercy to his church,
and he was going to take those children amongst whom also we
all had our conversation in time past, fulfilling the desires
of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature the children
of wrath, even as others. That's us by nature. It's God's
plan. to bring those children who were
going headlong to hell and to adopt them, take them out of
that family and put them into the family of God. And you see here we have a lovely
picture of adoption. You see in adoption in Roman
times I understand that all legal rights were severed with your
old parents and all the legal rights and privileges went to
the new parent in adoption. And you see you had to put away
your old family connections and you had to have new family connections
with that one that had been adopted. And there's another picture also
in adoption you see. You see, if you're born into
a family, the natural children, they're given by the Lord and
they're a great blessing. But in a sense, the father does
not choose his children, does he? They're born into his family. But you see, in this idea of
adoption, there's a picture of choice, how that we were chosen. in Christ. There's a picture
of the choice you see, the choice that God has given and exercised
that loving kindness to his people. Chosen them, lost and ruined
in the fall. He chose them not because they
were beautiful in and of themselves, but he chose them that he might
make them vessels of mercy. Behold, what manner of love the
Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the
sons of God. You think that's a, it's a very,
very high privilege. And you see often it's spoken
of as the Lord Jesus speaks of us as his brethren. And it's
the same picture, isn't it? He is the son of God. He said,
afterwards, I ascend up unto my father and your father, unto
my God and your God. He's not ashamed, it says in
Hebrews, to call them brethren. You see, we have a new father.
And in that sense, we are to embrace that father. We are to
recognize him as such. We are to live according to that
way. Because in verse 2 it says, Beloved,
now are ye, are we the sons of God? It's now, not just some
future, wonderful occasion, although it will be. Eye hath not seen,
nor ear heard, nor hath entered into the heart of man the things
that God hath prepared for them that fear him. There is a wonderful
hereafter. But Beloved, now are we, the
sons of God. It's current, it's now. And you
see, we need to lay hold of these things and realise what God has
done for his people. You see, in this adoption, we've
been adopted into his family. Therefore we have a new father.
Our father used to be the devil. Our father used to be the father
of lies. But now we have one that is truth. one that is righteous, one that
has our best interest in hand, a father. And what a blessing
it is to have a good father in a family, a father to care for
his children, to protect them, to love them, to nourish them,
to embrace them, to comfort them. We have a father in heaven, beloved. Now are we. the sons of God. You see, this is something that
John wants us to lay hold on. Those who have been justified,
those who have felt something of that love of Christ in their
hearts and the epistles are seeking so much to try and bring us to
that place of assurance where we are able to say that we do
know these things so that we can lay hold on these great privileges
and great blessings. not that we should walk in presumption,
but clearly here it's the intention of John to encourage us to lay
hold upon these great and wonderful truths. So we have a Father in
heaven, the Lord God the Father, who chose us in eternity past,
who who agreed and God so loved the world that he gave his only
begotten son, he gave his beloved son to lay down his life, our
Christ, our elder brother, so that our brothers, so that his
brothers and sisters in Christ could be set free. Of course,
it's spoken in so many pictures, isn't it? Sometimes the Church
of God is spoken of as the bride and Christ as the bridegroom.
But here, it's spoken of a picture of a loving family where the
father loves his sons and cares for
them and provides for them. So we have Christ the elder brother
and you see he is that one that goes before us and that one that
we seek to be like him. And of course, then when we come
into this family, you see, if you come into, be adopted into
a family, it's a wonderful thing if people start to take on the
family characteristics, to really bed into the family. And of course,
when we come into the family of God, what a blessing it is
if we start to manifest the characteristics of the family of God. that love,
that long-suffering, that gentleness, that holiness, without which
no man shall see the Lord. So we want to see, as we have
this lovely picture of adoption, how that one is brought, who
was before, far off. but they come into the family
and therefore they have the family privileges. The spirit of adoption,
that's another great blessing that we have. Romans 8 speaks
much of the spirit. For ye have not received the
spirit of bondage again to fear. That's Romans 8 verse 15. But
ye have received the spirit of adoption whereby we cry, Abba,
Father. And this seems an endearing term,
to speak to our Father respectfully, but very endearingly. To know
that he is our Father. Yes, he's still our judge. Yes,
he's still that great lawgiver. He doesn't lose those things,
but he's also our Father in heaven, one that loves us, one that seeks
our good. With adoption, certainly there
was in the Greek and Roman culture, adoption
was very much to do with who was going to be the heir of your
estate. You see, if you had no children
or perhaps they were not up to looking after the estate that
a rich person would have, they would adopt this one who they
chose to come into their family and to be an heir, to be one
that would be a recipient of all the privileges and all the
blessings that were associated with that family. Of course,
when you are choosing such a one, you choose somebody who is very
honorable, no doubt, and very worthy. But of course, here it's
so different with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. He said of Israel, I chose not
Israel because it was greater than all the nations, for it
was least. But he loved Israel because he
loved Israel. The cause of love was in himself.
Then be his name adored. But in Romans 8 verse 17, we
read, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God, and joint heirs
with Christ. So to be an heir, we know that
naturally, if you're heir to the throne, that means that you
have, naturally, you are close in line. If the queen should
die, if you're next in line to the throne, then you would be
the next king or the next queen. If children, then heirs of God. not heirs to the throne of England,
but heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ. You see this union,
this communion, this fellowship. It's interesting here, it says,
heirs of God. to have that inheritance. It's interesting when Abraham,
after he fought with those kings to free Lot from his captors,
he freed also the king of Sodom. And after that, God came to Abraham
with a blessing. This is Genesis 15. Verse 1. After these things the word of
the Lord came unto Abraham in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abraham,
I am thy shield and thy exceeding great reward. What was Abraham
going to get from God? Abraham was going to receive
God. I am thy shield. and thy exceeding
great reward. And there seems to be a link
to that in Romans chapter eight. And if children then heirs, heirs
of God, you'd say heir of a great estate, heir of the throne of
England, but heirs of God, this is what they are going to inherit.
And we're reminded here that that is for the child of God,
that is everything, isn't it? To be with Christ, which is far
better. He is the express image of his
person. That's why God is revealed in
his son when he came to earth. But you see here, heirs. So these that are beloved now
are we, the sons of God. To be a son of God is to be an
heir of God, to inherit God. to inherit all that God has and
all that he possesses. And indeed, the great desire
of a Christian is to be like him in those communicable attributes. Obviously, in some ways, we cannot
be like God, and it would be wrong to be so. Think of what
Satan desired to be as God, and he became the devil. But you
see, there are those, that holiness that we are to seek after and
to be made like unto him, to be all, to glorify him. But thinking of this picture
of a family, and thinking of what it means to be part of that
family, you see, if you have a good father in a family, he
will supply the needs of that family, won't he? You know that if the father is
there, and that you go and tell him, you communicate your needs,
and you have here a father that is not an impoverished father.
This is not joining, we've not been adopted into a poor family. We've been adopted into the family
of God, whose father fills the throne, whose father owns everything,
and everything is at his control. He is completely and almightily
rich, eternally rich. So you see this Father, as we
read in Philippians, that beautiful text, but my God shall supply
all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. You see this is 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 that's the great blessing,
you see, that God will provide for all that we stand in need
of. But think of another thing that's very important in a family,
naturally. And God has made it clear that
it's true of his family spiritually. And that is, there is to be family
discipline. And that is right. In a natural
family, there is to be discipline, there is to be chastening, there
is to be correction of the children when they are not walking rightly. And you see, we see that this
is also true of God's family. Whom the Lord loveth, we read
in Hebrews chapter 12, I think it is. Whom the Lord loveth,
he chasteneth. And he scourgeth every son whom
he receiveth. And if ye are without chasing,
then are ye bastards and not sons. You see, it's those who
are illegitimate children. They're the ones that don't get
chastened. They're the ones that can stay up as late as they want.
They're the ones that can go where they want, can watch what
they want, can eat what they want, can do what they want.
They're the ones that do not have a good father, but the ones
that have a good father, a father in heaven that cares for them.
He corrects them. And you see, this is a mark of
sonship, isn't it? If we do wrong things and we
never get picked up for it by God, we never get corrected,
there's a mark against us. But you see, whom the Lord loveth,
he chasteneth. Beloved, now are we the sons
of God. What a blessing to have this
adoption. It's a wonderful thing to be justified. It's a wonderful
thing to be sanctified, but to be brought into the family of
God. Surely, if you think of that
lovely example of Mephibosheth, that one who was lame on both
his feet, he was given pardon, wasn't he? Because he was from
the enemy household and he could have expected that David would
kill him because he was of the enemy household. But he received
that fear not. But that was not all, you see.
It was not fear not, Mephibosheth, and now go and live somewhere
in Israel, but I won't have much more to do with you. This Mephibosheth
was going to eat continually at the king's table. Picture,
you see, of God's dealings with his people. He calls them, he
brings them, he justifies them, but he brings them not to just
go somewhere else, but to be with him. And that's, of course,
so much the picture of the bride and the bridegroom. The whole
picture is the desire of wanting to be together, wanting to have
fellowship. It's a picture of Christ and
his church. Beloved, now are we the sons of God. So what a
blessing to have a father that disciplines us, that loves us
enough to correct us, loves us enough not to let us go on the
slippery road to hell, but brings us and keeps us and restores
us as we fall. But you see, if we are then to
have all these privileges. With privileges also come responsibilities. And thinking of that, if we look
in 1 Thessalonians chapter 4, we read these words. in verse
1. Furthermore, then, we beseech
you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye
have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so
ye would abound more and more. You see, if you have a well-functioning
family, There's a desire, you see, of the children to please
the father, to do that which pleases the father. And here,
this is the right response for this one who's been adopted. but has been brought into this
family of God, adopted with all these wonderful privileges, to
be able to call the God of the whole universe their father,
to be able to speak to and to pray to the Lord Jesus Christ
as their elder brother. He's not ashamed to call them
brethren. Surely our response will be that
we want to live to please him, to glorify him. This people have
I formed for myself, they shall. show forth my praise. Jesus said
in his Sermon on the Mount, let your light shine before men,
that they may see your good works and glorify your Father that
is in heaven. But you see, with then another
great privilege of being in a family, a family of God is the idea of
an inheritance, isn't it? The children often share in the
inheritance of the family, of the parents. Peter speaks of this in his epistle,
1 Peter 1. He speaks of an inheritance.
Oh yeah, that's right. 1 Peter 1 verse 4, or I'll start
at verse 3. Blessed be the God and Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy
hath begotten us again unto 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." What a family
inheritance. You think of all the family inheritances
you could obtain in this earth. None of them you could describe
as incorruptible. None of them could be described
as undefiled. And none of them could be described
as fading not away. But these three things are true.
of the inheritance of being in the family of God. You see, there's
something precious, isn't there? Something tremendously blessed. And that's what John seeks to
get through to us in this beautiful text. Behold, what manner, from
where does this love come? What manner of love? The Father
hath bestowed on us that we should be called the sons of God. We who were lost and ruined in
the fall, we who were of our father the devil, adopted into
this new family, given justification, the work of sanctification going
on our heart with regeneration. but to be called, to be brought
to this highest level of being a son of God. Therefore the world
knoweth us not because it knew him not. Thinking of that lovely
story of Joseph and his brethren. It's very touching when after
he had forgiven his brethren and they'd come and confessed
their sins and he had dealt with that, when all the Egyptians
were not present. We read then he took five of
them and presented them to Pharaoh. He didn't present them, these
are the ones that sold me. These are the ones that kidnapped
me and sold me as a slave. He didn't say that to Pharaoh.
Pharaoh, I don't think, ever knew that. Because you see, he
presented to them as it was, without blemish. And
you see, that's what the Lord Jesus does for these members
of his family. In Jude, we read of that. In
Jude, verse 24, now unto him that is able to keep you from
falling and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory. with exceeding joy. Well, you
see, we've sung in our hymn just now of the neediness of our souls,
the faultiness of us, that we come short of the glory of God
in everything. But this is part of being this
family, to be presented faultless before the presence of his glory
with exceeding joy. What is love? My soul would answer. Nought deserves the endearing
name. this love of God, behold what
manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should
be called the sons of God. May we realise the tremendous
privilege and those who cannot embrace it, those who cannot
feel at this time that they can truly say it's true of them,
may they be given a longing This is precious, to have a Father
as my Father, who is in control of everything, who has an inheritance
incorruptible, undefiled, and that fadeth not away, who is
able to give himself. My people shall be satisfied
with my goodness, saith the Lord. May the Lord have his blessing.
Amen.