1 John 3:1 See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him.
What describes all that John has written about so far in this letter is summarized in the concept of becoming children of God. We have a new identity when we have accepted the Light of the world shining upon our darkened hearts, confessed our rebellion, opened ourselves to the cleansing light, and followed in his footsteps through obedience. People claim that all humans are children of God. I don’t think this is ever stated in the Bible. Only those who can call God as Father through the Son can be called children of God. It is the privilege of adoption to be part of God’s family. It is a choice we make because God has offered us the opportunity.
The rest of humanity, “the world,” cannot understand this because they are still walking in the darkness. They are blinded by the lies and false promises offered by the world and the devil. John will continues these ideas throughout this chapter. Jesus warned that the world would hate those who follow him (John 15:18-19). I have often wondered why Christians are persecuted and condemned. The darkness fights the light because the lights threatens the existence of the darkness. When light appears, darkness goes away. We should be prepared for rejection when we walk in the light. If our focus is on the light, then we can be assured of our relationship of adoption as God’s children. This verse offers us the fundamental choice of life: adoption as God’s children, or acceptance by the world.
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