Today I would like you to turn
in your Bible to 1 John chapter 3. 1 John chapter 3. Let's read the first three verses
of 1 John chapter 3 verse 1. Behold what manner of love the
Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called sons
of God. Therefore the world knoweth us
not, because it knew him not. Beloved, now are we sons of God,
and it doth not yet appear what we shall be. But we know that
when he shall appear, when Christ shall appear. We shall be like
him, for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath
this hope in him purifies himself even as he is pure." Now, this
scripture, like many other scriptures, calls our attention to the amazing,
indisputable fact and glory of God's sovereign, electing love
toward his church, toward his beloved. We read in scriptures,
he loved the church and gave himself for it. He's a good shepherd
that gave his life for the sheep. Now notice several things about
this first verse. Behold what manner of love. Here we see the quality of this
love. Now behold, look at this love. Think about it. Don't merely
glance at it and go on your way, but stop, rest, and consider. Pry into this secret. Study,
examine it, and wonder at the glory of it. Behold what manner
of love. Notice the second thing. that
the Father hath bestowed upon us. Now, what does the word bestowed
mean? It means simply to give. We've
not earned His love, nor have we sought His love. We love Him
because He first loved us, but rather God freely loved His people
without any cause found in us. That is, we didn't merit or earn
or deserve His love. He loved us freely. Thirdly,
notice this, that we should be called. considered, made, adopted,
regarded as sons of God. Now listen to me carefully. It's
just as much a miracle for a sinner to be made a son of God as it
was for the Son of God to be made Sin for us, for the Son
of God to be made the Son of Man, for the Son of God, the
Lord Jesus Christ to be made a substitute for sin when God
laid on Him the iniquity of His people. This is a privilege and
blessing that exceeds all others that we, us, sinners, guilty
that we are. guilty as we are to stand before
God and be considered and called and adopted and regarded as sons
of God. Behold what manner of love the
Father hath bestowed upon us that we should be called sons
of God. And then he says in verse 2,
Beloved, now, right now, God considers believers right now,
His chosen, His elect in Christ, Beloved, now, are we sons of
God. Now, that's an absolute amazing
fact and glorious truth. that God would love us, guilty
as we are, sinful as we are, and consider us as sons of God.
Now, two things this morning. The first thing is this, the
glory and wonder of being called the sons of God. Now you just
consider this for a minute. Who calls us sons of God? It says, Behold, what manner
of love the Father, the Father, God Almighty, It's one thing
for us to call ourselves sons of God, but it's totally another
matter for God himself to call us and consider us and regard
us as sons of God. Listen to this scripture in Galatians
chapter 4. But when the fullness of time was come, Galatians 4.4,
God sent forth his son. made of a woman, made under the
law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might
receive the adoption of sons. And because you are sons, God
has sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying,
Abba, Father. Wherefore thou art no more a
servant, but a son. And if a son, then an heir of
God through Christ Jesus." God Almighty, the Father, calls us
sons of God. But not only that, the Lord Jesus
Christ himself calls his people the sons of God. In Hebrews 2.10
we read, the captain of our salvation is bringing many sons unto glory. The Holy Spirit himself bears
witness that we are the sons of God. He says in Romans 8.14,
for as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons
of God. Even the holy angels minister
to us as the sons of God. Sons of God. their ministering
spirit sent forth to minister to them who shall be the heirs,
the sons of salvation." You see the glory and wonder of this,
being called the sons of God, the Father, the whole Trinity,
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, even the holy angels
call us believers, sons of God. Secondly is this, what's all
involved in calling His people, sons of God, His children. Now
look at the manner, the quality and quantity of this love. God
Almighty loved us while we were yet sinners, undeserved. We read in Ephesians 2, verse
4 and 5, but God commended, but God who is rich in mercy for
his great love wherewith he loved us even when we were dead in
sin hath quickened us together with Christ. God Almighty loved
us while we were yet sinners. That's what's involved the manner
and the quality and quantity of this love. His love toward
us was electing love. We are bound to give thanks always
to God for you, brethren, beloved of the Lord, because God has,
from the beginning, chosen us to salvation. This love of God
is electing love. It's undeserving love. God loved
us when we were sinners. His love toward us was saving
love. We read in 1 John 4.10, He earned his love, not that
we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his son to be the
propitiation, the sacrifice, the atoning victim for our sin. His love was electing love, undeserving
love. His love toward us was dying
love. Having loved his own, he loved them to the end. Now, you
consider, you see what I'm saying about the manner and the quality
and quantity of this love? What manner of love is this?
Now, you consider this. To take a malicious enemy, who
has wronged us, wounded us, defiled us, and make Him our beloved
Son and adopt Him into our family and to make Him His own. That's
love worth beholding. And my friend, that's exactly
what God has done for us. God commended His love toward
us in that while we were yet sinners, we wronged Him, we wounded
Him, we defiled Him, we killed the Son of God, and yet God commended
his love toward us, and that while we were yet sinners, Christ
died for us." Something else about this love, this love toward
his people, toward his own, is everlasting and infinite. Nothing
can separate us from the love of God, which is in the Lord
Jesus Christ. He doesn't love us as servants,
but as sons. Grace brings us into the family
and keeps us there eternally. You see the wonder and the glory
of being called the sons of God. Now consider this thirdly. Who
were these people who were called sons of God? Now he mentions
two things in the text. Behold what manner of love the
Father hath bestowed upon us that we should be called sons
of God. Now, here's the people who he
calls sons of God. By nature, we're fallen sons
of Adam. By nature, we're children of
wrath, even as others. By nature, we're dead in sin,
dead in trespasses and in sin, and yet he has taken us from
a dunghill of sin, washed us in the blood of the Lord Jesus
Christ, and made us to sit at his royal table. How could a
holy God love such a vain, frail, sinful, and troubled creature
as such as we are? Well, my friend, the reason is
not found in us, but the reason is found in Him. He loved us
simply because He would. Remember what he said in Romans
9? Jacob have I loved, Esau have I hated. And the reason that
God loved Jacob and hated Esau is not found in Jacob and Esau.
The reason's found in God himself. What shall we say then? Is there
unrighteousness with God? God forbid. For he said to Moses,
I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy. I will have compassion
on whom I will have compassion. So then, it's not of him that
willeth, nor of him that runneth, but it's God that shows mercy. This causes every believer to
sit down and behold this glorious truth. God loving, saving, calling,
redeeming his people is indeed amazing grace. You see what John's
saying in this text? Behold what manner of love the
Father hath bestowed upon us that we, such as we are, that
we should be called the sons of God. Now look at verse 2.
He said, Beloved and now. Beloved now are we sons of God. And it does 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. Here we see in
verse 2 the reality and the experience the believer enjoys right now
as the sons of God. God Almighty by His grace has
adopted us into His family, made us heirs of God, joint heirs
with the Lord Jesus Christ. This is made known and revealed
under the believer in regenerating grace when we're born of God,
when we're born of His Spirit, when we're begotten of God by
the word of truth. We actually experience this relationship,
this loving, Father and son relationship in the gospel, in the Lord Jesus
Christ. Now I want to ask you this question.
Are we? Are we? Are we really children
of God? Are we? Do we really believe
and trust the Lord Jesus Christ for everything in salvation? Well, if we do, and if we do,
if we trust the Lord Jesus Christ for everything in salvation,
then the Word of God says we are sons of God. 1 John, or rather
John 1, verse 12 says, but as many as received him, that is,
as many as believed him. bow to Him, submit to Him, and
love Him, to them gave He power to become, that's the right and
the privilege, to become sons of God, even to them that believe
on His name, which were born, neither will of flesh, nor the
will of man, but they were born of God. Are we really children
of God? We are, if we really, truly believe
and trust the Lord Jesus Christ for everything in salvation. Is He all our confidence, or
do we trust the flesh? Do we trust in the experience
that we've had in the past, or are we looking to the Lord Jesus
Christ right now? The scripture said we are The
true Israel, which worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ
Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh. Are we sons of
God? Well, we are if we trust Him.
We are if we have total confidence in Him. We are if we trust His
sacrifice for cleansing. Are we sons of God? Well, do
we trust His sacrifice for our cleansing? Do we find our redemption
through His blood, the forgiveness of sin according to the riches
of His grace, or are we trying to go about to put away our own
sin by our own sacrifice, or are we looking to that effectual
sacrifice that Christ made on Calvary's tree? Are we really
sons of God? Well, do we rely upon His righteousness
for our acceptance or are we busy going about to establish
our own righteousness rather than submitting ourselves unto
the righteousness that the Lord Jesus Christ has perfected for
us and that He imputes to us? Are we really sons of God? Well,
do we love our Lord and Savior above everything else? Do we
find in Him, can we say with Paul, that Christ is all and
in all? Are we sons of God? Well, if
we love Him above everything else we are. Are we really sons
of God? Does the Lord Jesus Christ have
all the preeminence in our daily life? Do we look to Him for everything
in salvation? He's our hope, He's our rest,
He's our peace, He's our righteousness, He's our redemption. Do we live
for His glory or do we live for self? Who do you live for? Well, the sons of God live for
His glory. They say with Paul, God forbid I should glory save
in the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ. The believer can say
and the son of God can say with Job, though he slay me yet, I'll
trust him. Are we sons of God? Well, if
we believe Him, if we trust Him, if we rest in Him, if we look
to Him, Yes, we are the sons of God. I pray God will give
us grace just to do that, to trust Him, to trust the Lord
Jesus Christ, to trust His righteousness for forgiveness, to trust His
blood for cleansing. I pray that God will give us
grace to trust Him and we can say with confidence and boldly
say, according to the Word of God, yes, now are we the sons
of God. And may God give us the full
assurance of faith that we truly are sons of God. When we're depressed
and blue, I hope God will bring this text to your mind. Yes,
now we are the sons of God. When temptation assails us, I
hope God will remind us that yes, now are we sons of God. When the world assaults us for
the gospel of God's free grace, may God give us a scripture and
say, now are we sons of God. Well, if you'd like a copy of
this message, Behold What Manner of Love the Father Hath Bestowed
Upon Us, absolutely free, you can call me at 631-9053, 631-9053,
or you can write to me at Zebulon Baptist Church, 6088 Zebulon Highway,
Pikeville, Kentucky.