About this episode
The episode explores the profound implications of being called children of God and the nature of God's love as described in 1 John 3:1.
Most of us don’t struggle to believe that God loves us. However, what we often struggle with is believing that His love actually defines us. We say the words “child of God” easily, sometimes automatically. Yet we rarely stop to consider what that means—or what kind of love would make it true. Today’s verse is 1 John 3:1. Episode Summary 1 John 3 opens with a command, but it isn’t a command to do something. Instead, John tells us to stop, to look, and to take something in. He says, “See.” That single word implies time. It implies attention. It implies stillness. In other words, John isn’t aiming for information. He’s aiming for wonder. Moreover, the phrase “what kind of love” points to something foreign and unexpected—love that is not normal, not earned, and not cautious. It is love that interrupts us and demands to be noticed. John starts with the Father because this love is not discovered through effort or unlocked by maturity. Rather, it is given. As a result, our identity flows from God’s initiative and not our performance. And that love results in something astonishing: that we should be called children of God. Not servants. Not employees. Children. In fact, that is adoption…
People in this episode
Host: Steve Webb
Topics covered
- God's love
- identity in Christ
- adoption
- spirituality
- Christianity
Keywords
- God's love
- children of God
- identity
- 1 John 3:1
- Christianity
- spirituality
- adoption
Mentioned in this episode
Books & works: 1 John 3:1
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