What Manner of Love

The Scriptures say that God created all things, loves us, and desires to be our Father. What does that exactly mean? Open with us to First John, chapter 3, and follow along to find out.

It is good to sing of the love of the Lord and to be reminded of His great love for us. While you are standing this morning, would you take out your Bible? If you don't have a Bible, you can raise your hand, and one of our ushers will gladly bring you one. We are opening today to the first letter of John. First John, chapter 3, is where we are at. John is right near the end of your Bible, so open to almost the end, and you will find First, Second, and Third John, Jude, and then Revelation.

We will pick it up at verse 1. Moving at lightning speed, we read First John 3:1: "Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called the children of God. Therefore, the world does not know us because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are the children of God, and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be; but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself just as He is pure."

Father, we just sang of Your great love for us, and I'm not sure that we fully comprehend the greatness of it. I pray that as we look into this passage of Scripture, specifically, You would enlighten us, Lord. Remind us of the greatness of Your love, and may that reality affect us at a deep level. Lord, continue that transforming work that You began first in our minds by Your Word. Transform us by the renewing of our minds so that our lives would be a display of Your love.

Of your good and perfect will, God, do a work in us, we pray. We pray all this in Jesus' name, and all those that agreed said, "Amen." You may be seated.

Six years ago today, Andrea and I were sitting in a hospital room down at Kaiser in San Diego, Zion, waiting to be discharged after the birth of our fourth little one, Elliot. Yesterday was Elliot's sixth birthday, and we were there at the hospital. It was a Sunday, just like today, so obviously, I wasn't able to teach; somebody else was filling in for me. We were down there at Zion waiting to be discharged.

Besides being the day that we were released to go home with little Elliot, that day sticks in my mind quite clearly for two reasons. First, I remember very clearly sitting outside the hospital room as little Elliot was taken to have a little procedure that they do for little boys. While he was there, I was watching on my phone the live service at the Rock Church, where Miles McPherson was teaching through the Scriptures. A friend of mine, I was just watching the Scriptures as little Elliot came out very unhappy after that moment.

I also remember, in the afternoon six years ago today, Andrea and I were waiting for them to finally come in and say we could go. We were watching on TV as this complete nut job named Nik Wallenda was walking a tightrope. Maybe you remember this; it was live on TV, and he was walking a tightrope across a portion of the Grand Canyon. We sat there transfixed, like most people, just waiting for him to fall to his death. I have to admit, I have a wicked heart, and my heart was racing at like a hundred and fifty beats per minute. We were just watching, thinking this is insane; this guy is absolutely nuts. I remember that day for that reason.

Now, those two things have nothing to do with this passage of Scripture at all; I just remember them. However, being that we took home our fourth little child six years ago today, and considering that last week was Father's Day, this passage of Scripture before us is one of those wonderful sections dealing with a father and his children, particularly the Fatherhood of God and we as His children. Now, I don't know about you, but I cannot read First John.

Three verse one begins with a little song in my head: "Behold what manner of love the Father has given unto us." Some of you know that song; we could sing it in a round if I were John Corson, but I'm not, so we won't. That song sticks in my head, so every time I read 1 John 3:1, I hear that little tune in my mind. Frankly, I'm grateful that I know that song because it means I know this verse by heart. If you don't know this verse by heart, I encourage you to memorize it. You could write it on a little 3x5 card or maybe record yourself reading it on your mobile device and listen to it often. It is an important passage of Scripture that you should know and hold dear in your heart.

Now, the verse just prior to this, the passage that Pastor Jason preached from last week, ends with these words. If you look one verse back, in 1 John 2, the last verse says, "You know that everyone who practices righteousness is born of Him." The practice of righteousness is significant, and we will talk more about this in our next study together in 1 John 3:4 and onward. The person who practices righteousness indicates that they are born of God because they are inheriting certain characteristics of righteousness that come from the Father. Righteousness is of Him.

John makes the comment that we are born of Him, and in writing about being born of Him, John now exclaims in the very next sentence, "Behold what manner of love the Father has given to us that we should be called the children of God." John previously wrote the Gospel according to John before writing this letter. In John chapter 3, we have this famous conversation between a very religious man, one of the leading teachers of Judaism in Israel in the first century, named Nicodemus. He came to Jesus by night to inquire of Him. He had some questions, but he was never able to get to them because Jesus totally interrupted him and said, "You must be born again if you're going to see the kingdom of God." This statement completely tripped his circuits; he could not comprehend it, and they went back and forth on this.

The whole concept of being born again is introduced by Jesus, who speaks of the new birth. This idea is also mentioned in John chapter 1, verse 12, which discusses being born again. John, having been taught this concept by Jesus since the early days of his ministry, reflects on it even after sixty years have passed. At the time he writes this letter, First John, he is probably about seventy-five years old. Despite the decades that have gone by, John is still utterly amazed by the reality of the new birth. He remains in awe of the Fatherhood of God and the fact that we are called the children of God. This concept continues to astonish him, particularly in light of God's love.

I love my children very much, and I have loved them with a love that is almost hard to articulate fully since the moment they came into this world. It’s an amazing thing. In fact, it may be a stretch to say it, but I’m not entirely sure that we can fully comprehend the love described in the New Testament under the Greek word "agape." I believe we only begin to understand the fullness of that word when we become parents ourselves. There is a sacrificial component to the love between a parent and child that is only fully realized through the experience of parenthood.

I love my kids with a kind of love that is different from the love I have for other children. While I can say that I love all kids, it is not in the same way that I love my own. Parents understand this connection; the love you have for your kids and your parents is profound. It is a unique bond that is both awesome and great. I also love your kids, but only in so far as they are nice to my kids. If they are not, my feelings may change. Nonetheless, we love our kids, and I believe that God created this connection so that we could begin to comprehend this kind of love. It is truly helpful as a foundation for understanding our relationship with Him.

As Christians, we need to step back and recognize the love with which God has loved us. Just as we have a love for our children, I have a love for my kids that is instant. When they come into this world, there is a connection that is not easily broken. I would say it's very, very hard to break that love, even when they do things that bother me. If you're a parent, you know your kids do things that can be challenging from day one, like crying and going to the bathroom all over the place. It can be annoying.

There are things that our kids do that challenge our love for them, but we still love them. God has loved us with a love that is so much greater. Ephesians chapter 2, verse 3, says we were children of wrath. Ephesians chapter 2, verse 2, says we were sons and daughters of disobedience. That's like a great name for a band: Daughters of Disobedience.

So, when we were children of wrath and sons and daughters of disobedience, God loved us. This is exactly what Jesus said to Nicodemus in that great conversation recorded in John chapter 3, verse 16, the most famous verse in the Bible: "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."

The Apostle Paul picks up on this in his letter to the church in Rome. In Romans chapter 5, verse 7, he writes, "For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man some would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His love toward us, that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

John, at seventy-plus years old, some six decades after learning of this love and the Fatherhood of God, is still blown away by it.

Point number one on your sermon guide: God's great love has overshadowed the greatness of my sin. That's a good thing to meditate upon. Take a moment to think about it sometime today or sometime this week: God's great love has overshadowed the greatness of my sin.

Now, some of you, like me, grew up in church, and in growing up in church, you didn't really have a...

There may have been a period of time in your life where you were what the Bible would describe as prodigal or wayward. However, there is a significant number of you who came to faith in Jesus later in life after experiencing prodigal living. As a result, your concept of the greatness of God's love, in spite of your sin, may be greater than that of someone who grew up without that experience.

This is not to say that we do not fully enjoy the love of God, but there is a conceptualization of His love that seems to be deeper when a person has seen the vast distance they ran away from God and how He took care of that. We sing about this when we express, "Oh, how He loves us," during worship. For some of you, there is a real stir of emotion in that worship because you realize the greatness of the love of God.

Even if you haven't had that experience of being wayward and seeing God pursue you, there is a song that has caused a lot of discussion in churches due to its lyrics about the reckless love of God. Many people stumble over that word "reckless." While that topic deserves further exploration, I only have 28 minutes, so I cannot delve into it now.

What is important is understanding the way in which God has pursued us, which may appear, in one sense, to be quite reckless. We need to grasp the fullness of His love. If you are not amazed by the love of God today, I encourage you to do exactly what John says: "Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed upon us, that we should be called the children of God."

Take some time to consider this. Think about it, and perhaps even pray, "God, would You reveal to me, either through the pages of Scripture or through the work of Your Spirit, the understanding of the greatness of Your love?" What kind of love gives the ultimate sacrifice for one who is no better than an enemy? Not just someone who is no better than an enemy, but one who is an enemy.

Romans 5:6 tells us that Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely will anyone die for a righteous man; perhaps for a good man, someone might dare to die. But God demonstrates His love for you and for me in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. This is the demonstration of the love of God.

Now, consider the verse from 1 John 3:1: "Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed."

Upon us that we should be called the children of God. I love how it's translated in another version. I generally teach from the New King James Version, but the HCSB, some refer to it as the Hardcore Southern Baptist Bible, translates this verse: "Look at how great a love the Father has given us that we should be called God's children." And we are.

Now, that little addition, "and we are," is important. Why is it there? It's there because there are different manuscripts from which translators translate the New Testament. There are many different manuscripts—over 25,000 different document evidences from the New Testament. The King James and New King James are translated from a group of documents called the Textus Receptus, while the HCSB is translated from another group of documents that includes this little addition, "and we are."

Behold what manner of love the Father has given to us that we should be called the children of God, and we are. Why is that little phrase "and we are" important? Because it speaks to us of this very important truth: we are not just called by a mere title; we are the children of God by adoption, by God's grace. This is according to the spiritual blessings that God has given to us. Paul writes about them in his letter to the Ephesians in Ephesians chapter 1, where he states that we have received every spiritual blessing in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. One of those blessings is adoption—to be fully fledged members of the family of God.

You are not just called a child of God when you put your trust in Jesus; you are a child of God. What kind of love makes an enemy a child? Only a divine love can do that. This is who we are presently if you have put your trust in Jesus today.

Now, as an important side note, if you have not put your trust in Jesus Christ for salvation, to be found in Christ according to the love of God, by grace, to be adopted and redeemed as sons and daughters of God, then you are, as Ephesians chapter 2 says, a child of wrath, a son or daughter of disobedience. That's a frightful thing. There is a clear separation, a clear difference. But if you have put your trust in Jesus, you are a child of God, and this speaks to identity—one of the most fundamental aspects of our faith.

Philosophical questions that every human being must answer to truly experience life as it is intended to be revolve around the deep question of identity. There are five important questions that we philosophically need to address: identity, purpose, origin, destiny, and morality. Among these, identity is extremely important.

We see this around us because we are living in a culture where pop culture and secular education have, for a very long time, raised an entire Western society that lacks a solid basis for identity. As a result, many people are confused about their identity, and it is a devastating and sad situation. Our hearts should break for those who are struggling and wrestling with this question of identity. You will always wrestle with this question until you come to the reality of identity in Christ.

In Christ, we are the children of God, which presents a dilemma. "Dilemma" may not be the best word; I wrestled with the right term, but it works. There is a challenge, and John identifies it in the second half of 1 John chapter 3: "Behold what manner of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called the children of God." Therefore, the world does not know us because it did not know Him.

This leads to point number two on your outline: God's great love separates me from the world. When we receive the love of God and become the children of God, there is a separation. If you are a child of God, you are estranged, at a certain level, from this world. This presents a challenge because, while we are still in this world, Jesus even says we are not of this world.

If you are a follower of Jesus, you have experienced the tension between these two realities. You have a new identity in Jesus; you are not of this world, but you are of the Father. Yet, you are still in this world, and it is a challenge. This challenge arises because, though we may not recognize it, admit it, or even accept it, a certain part of us does not really like to be estranged from this world. Why is that? Because there is a certain part of us that...

I believe I could make the case that this certain part of us is what the New Testament calls our flesh, our old nature. There is a part of our old nature that wants to fit in. In fact, Abraham Maslow, a psychologist in the twentieth century, identified this in what is commonly referred to as Maslow's hierarchy of needs. There is a need that human beings have to be a part of a group, an in-group. This need is actually fueling what is being called identity politics in our nation today.

There are many different groups catering to this part of our nature, trying to get us to conform. From our youngest experiences of life, we want to be a part of the crowd. This is why some of you really hated kickball in elementary school or dodgeball, because you didn't get picked. I'm very sorry if you experienced that. We have this deep desire not to be on the outside; we want to be a part of the group. There is also a part of us that loves the things of this world.

As the Scriptures see it, there are really only two kinds of people in this world: those who are of this world and those who are of the kingdom. Those who are of this world are estranged from the kingdom of God, while those who are of the kingdom of God are estranged from this world. There is no in-between between these realities. Because you and I are still in the world and carry with us this nature, which the Bible describes as the flesh, we experience a conflict. Even though we are born of the Spirit of God, according to the love of God, and are called children of God with a new identity, we still have this part of us that wants to fit in and does not want to be on the outside.

John, the author of this letter, understood this struggle. Sometimes we can exalt figures like John and the other apostles onto a pedestal, thinking of them as beyond our human experience. Yes, he was an apostle, but he was just a human being as well. He had similar experiences of life that we do. He had the privilege of seeing Jesus in the flesh and witnessing the risen Jesus. He was an apostle sent by Jesus, but he still experienced the same struggles we all face. John was writing to a group of people who had this part of their nature that loves the things of this world. This is why he wrote, as we saw several weeks ago, in 1 John chapter 2, verse...

Just look back a few verses. In 1 John 2:15, it says, "Do not love the world or the things of the world." You only give an exhortation to people to not love the world if there is an inclination in them to love the world. If you had no tendency or inclination to love the things of this world, there would be no need for the exhortation or command to not love the world or the things of this world.

However, every single one of us loves this world and the things of this world because we are in this world, though we are not of this world. We have a new identity in Christ, which creates this conflict. The scripture continues, "If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him." In 1 John 2:16, it states that all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. We should not love it because, as verse 17 explains, "The world is passing away, and the love of it, the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever."

Given that we have this inclination and struggle in our nature, our flesh tends to love the world and the things of this world. We often go after the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life. Sometimes, we need this important reminder from 1 John 3:2: "Beloved, now we are the children of God." This reminds us of our identity.

Point number two on your outline is that by God's great love, I have been joined to Him as a child. It is not that we will be children of God; we are already His children. Some of you may have come from a certain faith background where you believed or were taught that you had to do a certain series of things to be called a child of God. You might have thought you had to follow specific rules, be baptized in a certain way, partake of the sacraments in a certain manner, and observe various practices before you could be called a child of God.

As a result, you lived your whole life trying to live up to the hope that one day you could become a child of God. But that is not what the Scriptures say. We are not merely called children of God; it is not just a title. We actually are the children of God. Now, since we are joined to Him as His children, we are disjoined from the things of this world and united with Him as the children of God.

This wonderful guarantee is ours as His children because we are the children of God. We have this identity because of the love of God and by receiving the gospel of the grace of God. We are given a new identity as the children of God, and this new identity guarantees us a future destiny.

Look at what it says in 1 John 3:2: "Beloved, now we are the children of God." What does that mean practically for us? It has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know what we are: we are the children of God. We don't exactly know what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.

What exactly is John saying? Simply this: my present standing in His love guarantees my future glory in His presence. Think about that. If you have trusted in Christ and the gospel of grace, by God's grace, you are a child of God. That is your new identity. You are in Christ; you are a child of God. As a child of God, that present standing in the moment, according to His grace, has guaranteed you future glory in His presence.

Again, these are deep truths. They may be things you have heard before. You might have been in church for a long time and think you understand, but sometimes we can so quickly pass over the reality and importance of this. Paul writes about this in Romans chapter 8. He states in verse 15, "For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, 'Abba, Father.'"

When you received the gospel, you received the Spirit of God, and He made you a child of God, whereby you now call out to God, the eternal one, the creator of all things seen and unseen. You cry out to Him as Abba, Father. This may not mean much to you until you go to Israel and hear people speak in Hebrew, where you hear little children running around calling their daddy "Abba," which is the Hebrew word for daddy. Think about that. We don't relate to God as this great...

God is not a cosmic judge who will one day pour out wrath. We do not have to do all these things to appease Him and make Him happy because we are afraid that He is going to destroy us. No, in Christ Jesus, we are His children. We cry out to Him as Abba Father, Daddy. We have received the spirit of adoption, whereby we cry out to Him as Abba Father.

In Romans 8:16, the Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are the children of God. Paul says it again, just like John says: we are the children of God. What does this mean? In verse 17, he continues, "If children, then heirs; heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together."

John, in 1 John 2:17, states that this world is passing away. It is temporary and it is passing away. Every single one of us is well-acquainted with the transient nature of this world. We feel it in ourselves every single day, and more and more as we get older. I have recently been reminded of this at a greater level than I was in previous years. All of a sudden, my eyes don't work like they once did.

I have heard people say for years that when you turn 40, your eyes don't work. I will be 40 at the end of this year, and now my eyes don't work. I thought, "That's for you," but now it is me too. Not only do my eyes not work, but my hearing doesn't work either. When I get up in the morning, every step I take for about the first hundred steps sounds like every bone in my body is going to fall apart. What in the world is happening here? It is all passing away.

However, the child of God is promised a life beyond this life and a world beyond this world. Paul talked about this in his letter to the Corinthians, and I want you to see it in the text. So, I'd like you to turn with me. You are in 1 John; turn to the left to 1 Corinthians.

In Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts, Romans, and then 1 Corinthians, we find 1 Corinthians 15. This chapter is the resurrection passage of the Bible. In 1 Corinthians 15:51, Paul reveals this great mystery: our present standing and His great love guarantees our future glory.

Presence is mysterious to us; it's a mystery, something we don't fully comprehend. John didn't fully understand what it means or the particulars of that future glory that the Bible talks about. What does it actually look like? John says, "I don't know; it has not yet been revealed what we shall be." However, we know this: when we see Him, we shall be like Him.

While we don't know the full particulars, we have passages throughout the Scriptures that talk about a future state beyond this life. Paul expresses it like this in 1 Corinthians 15:51: "Behold, I tell you a mystery." A biblical mystery is like a Christmas present; you don't know what it is until it is revealed, until it is opened. There is a mystery about a future existence beyond this life, and we don't fully grasp what it is. Even all the writers of Scripture indicate that it's a mystery we don't fully comprehend. But when we leave this life, we will understand, because Paul says, "I tell you a mystery: we shall not all sleep."

He uses "sleep" here to mean "die." We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed—transformed, metamorphosed. I heard of one church that put this on the nursery wall: "We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed." There is going to be a transformation; it's mysterious, and we don't grasp it all.

In verse 52, it states, "In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet." This uses prophetic language—biblical, eschatological, apocalyptic end-times language. What is the last trumpet all about? That's for another day, not today. For the trumpet will sound, and what will happen? The dead, those who have slept, will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

Whether you are taken up before you die, the Bible indicates that there will be a group of followers of God who, when Jesus returns, will not experience physical death; they'll just be taken up to be with the Lord. Some people refer to that as the rapture. But the dead will be raised; those who haven't been put in the graves will be raised, and we shall be changed—metamorphosed.

For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible has put on incorruption and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: "Death is swallowed up in victory."

The good news of the gospel is rooted in Jesus's resurrection power. One day, death will be destroyed, and we will be with the Lord. A transformation will take place. Why? Because Paul says in Philippians 3:20 that our citizenship is in heaven. We are not of this world; our citizenship is in heaven, from which we eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. He will transform our lowly body so that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able to subdue all things to Himself.

That sounds really good, doesn't it? It sounds glorious! To use some King James words, it is glorious—the glorious future state of our nature. What are the specifics about it? What will be our exact state when we are with the Lord? We don't know; it has not yet been revealed what we shall be. It remains a mystery to us. However, because of our identity as the children of God in Christ, we have this destiny.

Now, realize how important this is. Every person you know, whether they articulate it on a regular basis or not—and probably they don't—wrestles with issues of identity, purpose, origin, destiny, and morality. Those who are in Christ, or as I have said before, find that the gospel and the theology presented to us in the Bible provide the most coherent answers to these questions.

When you begin to grasp what you have received by the grace of God in the gospel, you start to comprehend your new identity. If anyone is in Christ, they are a new creation; all the old things have passed away. Behold, all things become new (2 Corinthians 5:17). You receive a new identity, a new nature.

We live in a culture filled with people who are struggling to figure out what their identity is. They often say things like, "I have to find myself." How many of you have talked with someone who has told you this? They say absurd things like, "You just have to be you." What on earth does that mean? Who am I going to be? When people say things like that, it can be frustrating. Just say it plainly: that's dumb.

Just call it for what it is. That's got to be the stupidest thing. What does that mean? I don't know what it means. They don't know what it means; they just say they heard it somewhere. They saw the hashtag "YOLO"—you only live once. People are dying to find their identity and a place to belong, a group to be a part of because of that identity. They have no hope of destiny. Why? Because we have been indoctrinated and educated by a secularly oriented, humanistic, naturalistic, materialist mindset that this is all there is. When you die, there is nothing—no destiny.

So why do we wonder that people have a crisis of meaning? We live in a culture filled with people who have lost purpose and are experiencing a crisis of meaning. They can't figure out where sustaining meaning comes from. Maybe they'll find it like Sam Harris, the atheist, says: through meditation. That's why he has put out a big meditation app. You can do it through mindfulness. Why do we see this uptick in mindfulness and meditation? Maybe people think they will find meaning in that by clearing their minds.

I don't get it. Your meaning is going to be found in your identity in Christ, from which you have this guaranteed destiny that affects, alters, and changes your purpose, meaning, and morality. Paul said it like this in 2 Corinthians 5:1: "For we know that if our earthly house"—he's using a metaphor here—"this body, this tent, is destroyed." This body is going to die. We all know that, and we have a total awareness of this every single day, more so as time goes by.

But the Christian knows, because of their identity, that we have a house not made with hands. Jesus said, "Let not your heart be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father's house are many dwelling places." He uses the metaphor of a house made for you. You are made up of more than just a body—body, soul, and spirit. That soul that resides in this body is just occupying a tent, and someday this tent, which has fallen apart, has holes, and is going to break down, will die.

And your soul is gone; it's no longer in this tent. When the soul is separated from the body, separation is death. The body is dead. Now, what?

Well, verse 2 of 2nd Corinthians 5 states, "For in this we groan." Have you been groaning lately? In this we groan earnestly, desiring to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven. We're looking forward to a body that's not broken down. Can anybody say amen? Amen! Absolutely, we're looking for a body that's not broken down.

If indeed, having been clothed, we shall not be found naked, we are not just going to be naked souls wandering around in the cosmos. That's what some people teach—that you will just be absorbed into the consciousness of the universe. What does that mean?

In verse 4 of 2nd Corinthians 5, it says, "We who are in this tent, in this body, groan." Yes, we do. We are burdened, not because we want to be unclothed. We don't want to be disembodied souls; we want to be clothed so that mortality may be swallowed up by life.

Now, He who has prepared us for this very thing is God. God made you to yearn for this. He also has given us His Spirit as a guarantee. He placed His Spirit in you to say you have a guaranteed destiny as a child of God.

So, in 2nd Corinthians 5:6, we read, "So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord." We are not with Him. "For we walk by faith, not by sight." But we are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord. To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.

The psalmist, three thousand years ago, wrote, "In His presence is fullness of joy, and at His right hand are pleasures forevermore" (Psalm 16:11).

So, as we trust in Christ, we have a new identity. We are the children of God, and this new identity as the children of God has guaranteed us an inheritance—a destiny to be with God in His presence. That's our glorious destiny.

Knowing this—our identity and what we shall be—our destiny informs us and gives us a new purpose and morality. When I say morality, I'm not just talking about doing what is right and not doing what is wrong. The new morality, the new purpose we have as followers of God who know our identity and understand our destiny, is to live according to the new nature. The morality that we have from God is to...

We live in line with the new nature that He has given to us, the new identity that He has provided. John expresses this in 1 John 3:3: "And everyone who has this hope"—what hope? The hope that when we see Him, we shall be like Him. Everyone who has this hope purifies himself just as He is pure.

Point number five: His promise of future glory compels my present purification. The absolute certainty that I have in the promise of God, as His child, is that I will be with Him in His presence and transformed. When we see Him, we shall be like Him. That promise of future glory stirs me to present purification right now.

I just read from 2 Corinthians 5:8, which says, "We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord." The next verse states, "Therefore we make it our aim to be pleasing to Him."

Here’s the difference between the Christian faith and the religions of this world: the Christian faith teaches that by Christ's grace and God's love, you have been given a new identity as a child of God, and you have a guaranteed destiny to be with Him forever. Therefore, live according to that new identity now. In contrast, religion says you have to work hard to try to become a child of God, and maybe if you do it just right, then you will be accepted to be with Him in His destiny. There is a significant difference there.

This brings me back to my favorite verses in the Bible, Philippians 2:12. There, Paul says, "Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to do His good pleasure." We have this identity: we are children of God. According to God's grace, we have been adopted to be His sons and daughters, and therefore, we are guaranteed an inheritance.

With Him, destiny. So, what do we do now? Now we are the children of God, and we are to live as the children of God in this world. Work out your own salvation. You've been saved; work out what God has worked into you by His grace. Work out your own salvation. Put some energy into it, some effort into it, with fear and trembling, knowing that God is working in you to will and to do His good pleasure.

Okay, well, what does that look like practically to work out your own salvation? Philippians 2, verse 14. One of the practical things it looks like is this: do all things without complaining and without disputing. Now, Paul, why did you have to go and say something so crazy like that? Do all things without complaining and disputing? I mean, we have PhDs in complaining and disputing; we're scholars in that. We're good at that.

What's really amazing is we live in a nation that is perhaps more blessed than any other nation in any other period in time, and we are like experts at complaining and disputing about every possible thing. Paul says, "Hey, listen, you're a child of God, your kid of the kingdom, your assured destiny beyond this world, and so you ought to live differently than the rest of this world." There is a difference between us and this world.

Do all things without complaining and disputing. Why? This is the weird part. Verse 15 of Philippians 2 states that you may become children of God. Wait, what? I thought we are children of God. This means that you may be here practically what God has made you by His grace, that we may become blameless and harmless children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation. We do this among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast the Word of Life, that I may rejoice in the day of Christ Jesus that I have not labored in vain.

Beloved, now we are the children of God. If you have placed your trust in Jesus, your identity has been transformed. You are a child of God. By extension, you shall be glorified in His presence one day. Right now, you are currently called to work out the nature that God has given to you by His grace in this world, that people would see it and recognize it.

You may wonder, "How do I do that?" Well, God will work in you to will and to do His good pleasure. Beloved, 1 John 3:2 states, "Now we are the children of God; therefore, let us live as His."

Children, would you stand with me as we close in prayer?

God, thank You for Your grace that has entitled us. Sometimes we have a hard time with that word "entitled" in our day. We don't want to live as entitled people, but Lord, You want us to live as those who have received this great grace and this ultimate destiny.

So, God, would You work in us to will and to do Your good pleasure today and this week? May our lives represent in this world Your will, Your perfect will. God, do a work in us that we would shine as lights in a dark world that is in such desperate need of Your grace.

We thank You for the identity that we have received from You. We thank You for the destiny that we have been given because of Your grace. We pray, God, that we would live according to Your purpose and according to the new nature, bringing glory to You.

We praise You, Jesus. Set our hearts to worship You today. We ask this in Jesus' name. Amen.