Would you turn back to 1 John
chapter 3? Let's read this amazing verse
again, 1 John chapter 3. Behold. By using that word, John tells
us he's getting ready to say something remarkable and amazing. 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." It doesn't recognize us as such because it knew him
not. I've entitled this message, Sons
of God. Now, if I was the son of Bill
Gates or Warren Buffett or somebody like that, you would look at
me and you would think he has advantages that I'll never know
anything about. He's going to have opportunities
that I'll know nothing in my lifetime because of the position
he has as the son of one of these wealthy men. What is that in comparison to
being a son of God? What is that in comparison to
being a son of God? Behold the thing of wonder. See this, perceive this, understand
this. Behold, what manner of love the
Father hath bestowed upon us that we should be called the
son of God, sons of God. Now, who is this us? Who is the
we that John is speaking of when he says God has bestowed this
manner of love upon us that we should be called the sons of
God? Now, the reason this question
is important is because not everybody is a son of God. You know that
so? Not everybody is a son of God. You will remember the words of
the Lord to the Pharisees, you are of your father, the devil. A strong language, isn't it?
You are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father
you will do. In the parable of the wheat and
tares, you remember that parable? The enemy came and sowed tares
with the wheat, and the Lord tells us who those tares are.
He said the tares are the children of the wicked one. That's who
they are. They're the children of the wicked
one. Turn with me in Romans chapter
9 for a moment. I'd like to read several verses here. I want you to see these. Verse 6, not as though the word
of God has taken none effect, for they are not all Israel,
which are of Israel. Just because you're born in Israel
and born under being a Jew, that doesn't mean you're truly Israel. Let's go on reading. Neither
because they are the seed of Abraham are they all children.
But in Isaac shall thy seed be called. That is, they which are
the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God. But the children of the promise
are counted to the seed. For this is the word of promise,
at this time will I come, and Sarah shall have a son. And not
only this, but when Rebecca also had conceived by one, even by
her father Isaac, for the children, being not yet born, neither having
done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election
might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth. Now the
children of the promise. the promise of election, they're
counted as the seed. The children of the flesh are
not. And I could go on and give many
other scriptures that demonstrate not everybody's a child. I think
of what God said to Abraham when he said, take now your son, your
only son. Wasn't Ishmael his son? He wasn't
acknowledged as son, because Ishmael was born after the flesh.
He represents salvation by works. Salvation depended upon something
you do, and God does not recognize him as a son. He says, take now
thy son Isaac, thy only son, whom you love, and offer him
up as a burnt offering to me. Now, I want to know who the us
is. I want to know who the we is
and I want to know if I'm in that group. That's what I want
to know. Now who is John speaking of when he says behold what manner
of love the Father bestowed upon us that we should be called the
sons of God. And I'm going to begin with the
bottom run. That's a good place to begin.
Who is the us. Who is the we. sinners. Behold what manner of the love
the Father hath bestowed on us sinners that we evil people wicked
people sinful people should be called the sons of God. Romans chapter 5 verse 8 for
God commendeth his love toward us in the while we were yet sinners
Christ died for us. But preacher, isn't everybody
a sinner? No, not really. Well, all men are sinners. They
don't believe that about themselves. Let me remind you what a sinner
is. What's a sinner? A sinner is the one who commits
the sins. God doesn't put sins into hell. He puts the ones who
committed them into hell. A sinner is somebody who who
all they do is sin. Now see if this fits you. See
if this describes you. A sinner is somebody who all
they do is sin. They cannot not sin. Can you
keep your mind pure for five seconds? A sinner cannot not
sin. A sinner, a real sinner, can't
look down in moral superiority and judgment on any sinner living. They believe themselves to be
the worst person to ever live. And a sinner knows they have
no claims on God. You know when people start this
stuff about, well that's not fair for God to elect some and
pass by others. The only person who says that
is a person who doesn't believe he's a sinner. If you believe
you're a sinner, That kind of thinking will be gone. You know
that if you get fair, God will send you to hell, and you're
sure of that. So no, there aren't many sinners,
but I know this, Christ died for every sinner. Christ Jesus
came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief, Paul said.
That's who he came to save. Who are these people that can
be described in this group of the us and the we? First, sinners.
If you're a sinner, God loves you. You're a son of God. The only
people who know that they're sinners are sons. Nobody else
does. They always have something they
can bring to the table. but a sinner has nothing to bring
to the table, and he is a son. Secondly, who is the us, who
is the we? Those who believe the gospel.
Look at 1 John chapter 5, verse 1. Whosoever believeth
that Jesus is the Christ is what? Born of God. They've got the
nature of a son. If you're born of God, you're
a son of God. If you've been born from above,
born again, you're a son of God. Whosoever believe it, that Jesus
is the Christ. You believe he's God's prophet.
You believe he's the Word of God. You believe he's the priest
who must be successful. You believe he's the king of
the universe and he rules and reigns and controls everything
and everybody and every event. You really believe he's king.
Whosoever believe it, that Jesus is the Christ. They're born of
God. Look in verse four. For whatsoever
is born of God, that's a child of God, they're birthed by God,
overcometh the world, and this is the victory that overcometh
the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the
world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God? Who are the us, the sinners? They're those who believe, and
like that passage of scripture I just read, Romans chapter nine,
these people are the elect of God. They are the people that
God has chosen to be saved. That's the us, that's the we,
of whom John speaks of when he says, behold, what manner of
love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called
the children of God. And I love this. Notice these
people are called the children of God. They're not calling themselves
the children of God. Somebody else calls them the
children of God. It's God himself. I'm a child
of God. That doesn't make you one, just
because you say that. Does He call you a child? what He owned
you as a child. Remember that group that said,
Lord, Lord, have we not preached in your name, in your name? Have
we not cast out demons in your name? Have we not done many wonderful
works? Then shall I say unto them, depart
from me, ye that work iniquity, I never knew you. He didn't know
these people. Didn't mean He didn't know who
they were. He knew exactly who they were and all about it, but
He never loved them. He never knew them to know Him
as Lord. Now, it is the Lord, it is God,
who calls them sons of God. The Father, behold what manner
of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called
the sons of God. The Lord Jesus Christ said to
his disciples, I go to my Father and your Father, to my God and
your God. The Holy Spirit, as many as are
led by the Spirit, they are the sons of God. This is who calls
These people, sons of God, children of God, God himself. And behold,
what manner of love? That's what I want to talk about
for just a moment now. Behold, what manner of love? The Father
hath bestowed upon us that we should be called the children
of God. Well, what manner of love is
this? First, Predestinating love. Predestinating love. Ephesians
1, 5, in love having predestinated us. Everybody in here were kids. If it was in your power to predestinate
your child to be conformed to the image of Jesus Christ, would
you do it? Of course you would. It's not
in your power. You realize that. But if it were
in my power, of course I would do that. It's in God's power. Whom he did foreknow. Predestination
is not about events, it's about persons. Whom he did foreknow,
them he also did predestinate. to be conformed to the image
of his son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Jeremiah 31 3, behold, I've loved
you with an everlasting love, a love that never had a beginning.
That said to every sinner, every believer, every one of God's
elect, behold, I've loved you with an everlasting love. I've always had personality.
before God. I love this statement. Somebody
once said, when we get to heaven, we'll find out we've always been
there. United to the Lord Jesus Christ. An everlasting love. One that had no beginning. I love predestination. I love
the God of predestination. And Any God less than a God of
absolute predestination is an idol. He's worthless. Predestinating love. Love that begins before the foundation
of the world and is carried out all the way to the end. What
manner of love is this? It's predestinating love. You've
got to begin with God whom he did foreknow. He also did predestinate.
But it's also saving love. It's saving Ephesians 2, 4, and
5. But God, who is rich in mercy
for His great love, wherewith He loved us even when we were
dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ. What
that means is, is when Christ was raised from the dead, I was
too. And I have life before God. And Paul says, this is what I
mean by all this. By grace are you saved. You see,
His love is a saving love. If I prevent the love of God
in such a way as he could love me and I could end up not being
saved, if I don't do something in order to make what he did
work, I make his love meaningless and powerless. There's no love
there. No, his love is a saving love. And it is a giving love. That's what that word bestow
is. Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon
us, what manner of love the Father has given to us. Bestowed, I
like that word, bestowed, but it's the word given. That we
should be called the sons of God. Herein is love, not that
we love God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the
propitiation for our sins. If He loves you, Here's what
he gave his son. He sent his son to be the sin-removing
sacrifice so he could have something to do with somebody like Mary.
That's the kind of love. God so loved the world that he
gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth in him should
not perish but have everlasting life. Romans 8 verse 32, he that
spared not his own son. Now listen to this. He that spared
not his own son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall
he not with him freely? You don't have to do anything
to earn it. How shall he not with him freely give us all things? This love is a forgiving love.
I love it when the Lord came up to that fella, fella didn't
even ask for mercy. His friends broke up the ceiling,
let him down. Guy, I would have loved to have
been there that night, wouldn't you? When all of a sudden you're listening
to the Lord preach and all of a sudden the ceiling starts breaking up and this guy's
put down on a mat, crippled, and the Lord looked at him and
he said, son, son, thy sins be forgiven. Now if you're a son of God, the
only way you can look upon your sins is as forgiven sins. Forgiven sins. Behold what manner of love the
Father hath bestowed upon us that we should be called the
sons of God. Now when I think of His love,
here are the words that come to my mind. And I know that there's
no way I can adequately describe the love of God. But the first
word that comes to my mind is intense. You know what that means? He can't love you any more than
he does. There's nothing you could do that could draw out
more love. There's nothing you can do that
would make him quit loving or stop loving. He can't love you
any more. He can't love you any less. I've
heard people say with regard to Esau, that means God loved
him less. God doesn't love less. His love
is always an intense love. It's infinite. It's undeserved. It's everlasting. It's immutable. It's a love that cannot be quenched.
Paul said, I'm persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor
angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor
things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other preacher
can separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus
our Lord. And let me say this, if it could
be lost, I would have already lost it. I'm sure of that. I'm dead sure of that. If it
could be lost, I would have already lost it. But thank God, this
is a love that cannot be quenched. Now this love, behold what manner
of love the Father hath bestowed upon us that we should be called
the sons of God. It's a love that actually makes
us sons of God. God's dear children. Now how do you feel about your
children? How do you feel about your children?
I love that where the Lord says, if a son asks for a piece of bread, will his father
give him a serpent? Or if he asks for a fish, will
they give him a rock? Of course not. And then the Lord
looks at his disciples and says, if you then being evil, I'm glad
he said that to his disciples. Because he can say that, if you
then being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children,
how much more shall your heavenly father give good things to them
that ask him? What an awesome thought to be
a son or a daughter of God. Now, there are two ways in which
we're sons. First of all, sons by adoption. Sons by adoption. When you're adopted, that means
you were selected by God to be his son or his daughter, his
child. That's what adoption is. When
you adopt, the adopted one doesn't do the choosing. It's the one
who adopts. He selects you. He chooses you
as His child. Romans 8, 15, You have not received
the spirit of bondage again to fear, but the spirit of adoption,
whereby we cry, Abba, Father. Ephesians 1, 5, Having predestinated
us to the adoption of sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according
to the good pleasure of His will. simply because He willed to do
it. To the praise of the glory of His grace, wherein He hath
made us accepted in the Beloved. Galatians 4, 5, to redeem them
that are under the law, that they might receive the adoption
of sons. Adoption is God selecting you
to be His own dear child. But not only are we sons by adoption,
we're sons by birth. Turn with me in John 1. First chapter of John. Verse 12. But as many as received him, John 112, but as many as received
him, to them gave he power, the right, the privilege to become
the sons of God, even to them which believe on his name, which
were, what's that next word? Born, birthed by God, born, not
of blood, There's no way you will be a child of God because
your mom or dad is a child of God. It doesn't run through bloodlines. Not of the will of the flesh,
not as an act of your own free will. How much did a baby's will,
how much was it involved in his first birth? You want to be born? You want to be conceived? You
say, that's ridiculous. That's crazy. Well, it's crazy
to think of a man being saved by his free will as if that is
what brings on life. Not born of the will of the flesh,
not born of the will of man. Let's say everybody in here says,
I'm going to pray for this person. We're all going to get together.
We're going to pray. We're going to pray. We're going to pray.
We're going to pray until that person is saved. We're not going
to give God any sleep. We're not going to give him any
rest. We're going to keep praying until that person is saved. Doesn't
work that way. Now pray for people. Pray for
people. We're encouraged to pray for
one another. But someone is not born from above because a bunch
of people desired it. How are they born? Which were
born not of blood, not of the will of the flesh, not of the
will of man, but of God. Now I say this reverently. To be born of God is to have
his genes. To be born of God is to have
his genes. Now, I know God doesn't have
genes, but the point is, this is a supernatural thing. And
to be birthed by God, Peter called it in 2 Peter 1, four partakers
of the divine nature. 1 John 3, 9, turn with me there,
1 John 3, 9. Whosoever, 1 John 3 verse 9,
whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin. You see, if God
birthed you, you've got his nature, a holy nature, a new nature. Can God commit sin? No. No, it's not possible. It's not within the realm of
possibility. He's impeccable. He cannot commit
sin. And that which is born of God
in the new birth cannot commit sin. Somebody's saying, well,
I commit a lot of sins. As a matter of fact, it feels
like that's all I do. Well, that's the old man. That's the old man. The new man does not commit sin. This is a great mystery, but
it's the truth. born of God. This is what takes place in the
new birth. You're born from above, a new
creation, a new creature with the nature of the Son of God.
And you know, there's something very powerful about a child coming
from you. Now, I love your children. I love your children. I want
to see them saved. I want to preach the gospel to
them. I want to be their pastor. I love your children. And I suppose
I ought to love them just as much as I love this one. But there's something special
about the child that comes from you, that has your genes, your
characteristics, that came from you. And that's how God feels
about his children. They come from Him, born of God. We're of God. And the whole world,
life and wickedness, John said, we're of God. That's where we're
from. That's our origination. He birthed
us. So we're children by adoption.
God picked us out. And we're children by birth.
born of God, and how the father loves his children, as a father
pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him. He knoweth our frame, he remembereth
that we are dust. Aren't you glad your father remembers
that you're dust, and he loves you anyway, in the beloved. Now, there are evidences of being
in the family of God. There are divine evidences of
being a child of God. All of his children manifest
the family likeness. Now, what are those evidences?
I want to know. I want to see if I have the evidences
of a child of God. And we're getting these from
the scripture. I'm not just pulling things out and say, well, here's what
I think the evidence is. You read the scriptures and you
pray and you're able to suppress sin more and you get better and
more holy and less sinful. No. Turn to John chapter 8. We have two right here. John chapter 8. Beginning. In verse. 41. The Lord is speaking. to some people who claimed to
believe on him, but they didn't really, and he's finding them
out. And he says in verse 41 to these people, you do the deeds
of your father. You're somebody's son. Then said
they unto him, we be not born of fornication. We have one father,
even God. God is our father. Jesus said
unto them, if God were your father, you'd love me. That's simple
enough, isn't it? If God were your father, you'd
love me. You'd love every attribute of
mine. You'd love me in my holiness.
You'd love me in my sovereignty. You'd love me in my control of
everything and everybody. You'd love me in my justice.
You'd love me in my meekness and in my humility. You'd love
everything regarding me. Now, with regard to the Lord
Jesus Christ, do I feel like I love him as I ought to? Of
course I don't. I love him more than I do, and you should too.
Amen? You ought to love him a lot more than you do. Me too. But
I tell you what, I love him, and I wouldn't change anything
about him. I love his character. I love his attributes. You know,
I love the way he talked to the Pharisees. I do. I love the way
he hated human religion and hates human religion. I just love everything
about him. He is the Lord Jesus Christ.
If God were your father, you'd love me, for I proceeded forth
and came from God. Neither came I of myself, but
he sent me. Why do you not understand my speech? Even because you cannot
hear my word. You lack the ability to hear
what I'm saying. You are of your father the devil,
and the lust of your father you will do. He was a murderer from
the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there's
no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own,
for he's a liar, and the father of it. And because I tell you
the truth, you believe me not. Which of you convinces me of
sin? And if I say the truth, why do you not believe me? Now
here is the mark of being a child of God. He that's of God, what? heareth God's words. You therefore hear them not because
you're not of God. Now this I know. Every son of
God will bow to and agree with everything he says. He that's of God heareth God's
words. Doesn't matter what it is. If
God said it, I hate that saying, God said it, I believe it, and
that settles it. Oh, no. God said it, and that
settles it, whether you and I believe it or not. He that's of God heareth
God's words. Someone that doesn't bow to what
God says, they are not a child of God. Turn to 1 John chapter
4. Verse 7, Beloved, let us love
one another, for love is of God, and everyone that loveth is born
of God and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not
God, for God is love. Now, not only do they love Christ,
they love the people of God, every single one of them. And
if that love is absent, they're not God's children. Now let me
ask you a question. And this is very simple. If somebody
loves Jesus Christ, what does that make you do? You love them, don't you? If
someone loves Jesus Christ, I love that person because they love
him who is altogether lovely to my soul. 1 John chapter 5. Whosoever believeth that Jesus
is the Christ is born of God. And every one that loveth him
that beget loveth him also that is begotten of him, the other
people he begets. Now, to believe that Jesus is
the Christ means I'm born of God. It means I have God's genes. It means I've been birthed by
God. Now, this thing of believing that he's the Christ, it's not
just acknowledging it, it's needing this. You know, I need him to
bring me the word of God. I need him to represent me before
the Father. I need him to be my priest. I
need him to be my king to cause me to do his will. Remember,
a king is the one whose will is done. I need him to cause
me to believe. I need him to cause me to repent.
I need him to cause me to persevere. I need him as prophet, priest,
and king. But whoever believeth that Jesus
is the Christ, do you believe he's the Christ? You know, somebody
not that long ago was making this statement. They said, well,
that's misleading because there's a lot of people that believe
he's the Christ that aren't saved. No, there's not. There's not
one. Everybody who believes that Jesus
is the Christ, they're born of God. That's what the Word of
God says. And I'm going to take it just
as it says it. Look down in verse four of this same chapter. We've
already read these verses. For whatsoever is born of God
overcometh the world. And this is the victory that
overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh
the world? But he that believeth that Jesus
is the Son of God. Do you believe that Jesus Christ
is the Son of God? Do you believe He is the uncreated
Second Person of the Trinity? 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. You believe
that? You're born of God. That's what
the Bible says. I love what Philip said to the
Ethiopian, the Ethiopian said, here's water. What hinders me
from being baptized? He said, if you believe with
all your heart, you may. He didn't say, I believe I'm
saved. He didn't say, I believe I'm one of the elect. He didn't
say, I believe I have repented of my sin. He didn't say, I believe
I've been born again. He said, I believe that Jesus
Christ is the son of God. Anybody that believes that? They're
born of God. They're children of God. Now
back to our text in closing. And this is something that I. Seems like most people leave
this part out of the verse. There's been a lot of sermons
on. Behold, what manner of love the
father had bestowed upon us that we should be called the sons
of God. But look what he says next in
this verse. Therefore, the world knoweth
us not. Because it knew him not. The
world doesn't recognize us as sons of God. You, a son of God? Huh, where you get
off on that? You and the world doesn't get
it. You know, I've heard people say
so many times, I want people to see Christ in me. They didn't
see Christ in Christ. They saw no beauty in him. They
saw no glory in him. He's the only holy man to ever
live. And what'd they do? They nailed him to a tree. If
they see Christ in you, they'll nail you to a tree too. That's
what's going to happen. Therefore the world knoweth us not. It doesn't recognize us because
it knew him not. But let me ask you this question.
If the world doesn't recognize you, could you care less? Really? Who cares? I don't. As long as
he recognizes me as a son. I don't care what anybody else
thinks. What a wonder. Behold what manner
of love. Saving love. Predestinating love. Love that cannot be quenched.
The love of God that's in Christ Jesus our Lord. That's why it's
so perfect and complete. It's in Christ. You see, when
God loves me, All he sees is his son, Jesus Christ. I'm in
him. How much does God love Christ? That's how much he loves me.
Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us,
us sinners, that we should be called the sons of God. Sons by adoption, sons by birth. Therefore, the world It doesn't
know us, didn't know him either, but that's okay isn't it? What
an amazing blessing. Let's pray together. Lord how we stand amazed that we would actually be your
children, adopted by you, birthed by you, loved by you. That you love us as you love
your blessed son. And Lord, we wouldn't dare take
such a promise to ourselves if it wasn't written in your word. We thank you for the words of
our Lord great high priestly prayer to you when he was praying
to you and he said, thou has loved them as thou has loved
me. Lord, give us grace to believe
that, to lay hold upon it. Give us the grace to lay hold
upon these promises. Bless this word for your glory
and for our good. In Christ's blessed name we pray.