How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 1 John 3:1
The Father has lavished his love on us in many ways and through his grace he has given his Son us a foundation in the form of eternal life. It’s through his grace that God devised a way so mankind may not remain separated from him. Those who are humble embrace the gift of God by receiving Jesus Christ into their heart.
Mankind is hopelessly self-centered and makes every decision for his own comfort mostly at the cost of another person. Without any form of accountability he naturally rejects every kind of higher authority beginning with his parents, his teachers and the laws of mankind. In the progression of time man eventually rejects the authority of the God that gave mankind life. Every person has authority but without a personal discipline that respects another person’s authority there can be no peace among anyone you associate with.
Authority would be meaningless without imposing a punishment on those violating the laws of God and mankind. Let’s remember the penalty exacted by mankind is temporal but the penalty exacted by God is eternal. With mankind once the penalty has been carried out the violator may return to society exonerated of previous actions. On the other hand God is eternal and his penalty for violating his laws is eternal. Ultimately man has a choice to submit or rebel against God’s authority.
Authority has the power to command; to judge and enforce laws in addition to demanding obedience. While God gave mankind dominion over the earth God remains the supreme authority over the life of mankind. Because mankind chose to rebel against his authority, God devised a plan where mankind may not be separated from him in this age and the coming age due to sin.
According to God’s plan, God chose to delegate his authority by placing the authority of his government upon the shoulders of his Son.
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6
In addition God anointed his Son Jesus Christ with the task of being a prophet, a High Priest and mediator, a judge that stands at the door, and the coming King. Each of these positions has a God given task to deal with the undeniable authority of God over his creation. Moreover God has given his Christ the title of Messiah, Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace.
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16
Jesus said “I am from above, I am the living bread, I am the light of the world, I am the door and narrow gate, I am the good shepherd, I am the Son of God, I am the resurrection and the life, I am the way, the truth, and the life, and I am the true vine. All of these attributes reveal that life is related to our belief in his divine nature in addition life begins and ends in him. Even then men did not believe but rejected him and crucified him putting him to death for the crime of being the King of the Jews.
Jesus Christ was a gift to mankind but to most he is an unopened and unused gift. Yet to those who choosing to place their trust and faith in him God gave the privilege to become children of God. This choice led to being born of God which is a birth is granted a person by virtue of grace not of human descent but according to God’s will.
Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God. John 1:12-13
The decision of being born of God opens our eyes to the things of God, changes how you see life and begins a relationship with God. Because you believe in Christ you were identified in him and guaranteed an inheritance as God's Children. It is God’s good pleasure to adopt us as his sons (descendants) through his grace and love.
Being born of God initiates a privilege of being a natural born citizen of the kingdom of God and a member of the royal family for all eternity. Jesus explains how our birth into the spirit realm occurs.
Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit John 3:5-6
We have a Father in Heaven that wants the best for his children much on the same order that we want our children to have better things, Jesus said.
If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! Matthew 7:11
Because we place our faith in Jesus and accepted him into our lives God has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing (Ephesians 1:3). In Christ we are redeemed and made holy through his blood. We have been justified and treated as if we had never sinned. Now we can stand before our heavenly father without fear or having to suffer the wrath falling upon those who sinned and rejected the salvation of God.
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16
Hebrews 11:6 tells us that it is impossible to please God without faith and because we believe in the name of Jesus Christ we have become the children of God. Belief causes us to respond to God in love and obedience which is the mark of our faith in Jesus Christ. The outcome is that God has lavished his love on us by making us his children with an advantage of living under his everlasting protection in heaven.
We cannot deny that God lavished his love on mankind by demonstrating his love while we were sinners he gave his life so we could live.
Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. John 15:13
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