“See how great a love[1] the Father has bestowed on
us, that we would be called children of God; and we such we are. For this
reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we
are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know
that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He
is. And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is
pure.”
Of course the world does not
know the children of God; it did not know Jesus, it cannot know us. Jesus says
that if we were of the world that the world would love us (John 15:19). Twice
in John 17 Jesus says that we are not of the world, even as He is not of the
world (verses 14 and 16). Yet, as the Father has sent Jesus into the world
Jesus sends us into the world (John 17:18; 20:21).
We can be identified with our
Father and Lord Jesus, or we can be identified with the world, but we cannot do
both without losing our center of gravity; we cannot rightly claim to be the children
of God and also the children of the world – for the children of the present age
are subject to the prince of the power of the air…why would we align ourselves
with the enemy of our Father God?
We should not expect to be
recognized by the world, for the world did not, and does not, recognize Jesus.
Any Jesus that the world recognizes, any Jesus that the world pays homage to, is
not likely to be the real Jesus of the Gospel, is not likely to be the Jesus of
the Resurrection who commands worship and obedience.
As children ashamed of a
parent, or ashamed of a sibling, how often do we portray our Father and Lord
Jesus as something they are not? How often do we gloss over their demands for
righteousness? For repentance? For total obedience? How often do we portray God
as a sugar daddy, indulgent, looking the other way, making excuses for our
behavior? How often is Jesus represented as wishy-washy anything-goes nebulous
love?
As we love one another and as
we are one in Christ we pray that the world will see and hear the Gospel (John
13:34-35; 17:21); but we also know that until the end of the age the world, in
and of itself, not only will not know us but that it will often persecute us.
In one sense the measure of our witness might be the measure of our persecution
– of the resistance that we encounter. Let us be thankful when we are permitted
to live in peace, but let us not flinch when that peace is removed.
The idea that the world does
not know us comes with us being objects of the Father’s love, it comes with us
being called children of God. Our Father bestows an identity upon us that is
His own, we are called by His Name and by the Name of His Son, Jesus Christ. We
are sealed with the Holy Spirit. We are children of the Trinity. The Name of
our God, of His City, and the Name of Jesus are being written upon us and
within us (Revelation 3:12). Adopted into the family of God we are being formed
into the image of His firstborn Son (Romans 8:29).
The world needs us to be who
we are in Jesus Christ, it needs us to live as the children of God. How sad
that we should not fulfill our role as sons and daughters of God in our
generation. How glad that we should. Some people recognized Jesus, some did
not. Some caught a glimpse and then lost it, they turned away. Some were
captured by His light and life.
The world may not recognize us;
what is important is that our Great Shepherd recognizes us and calls us by
name. After all, it is vital that others see Him and not us; and we can pray
that through us they will see Him.
It is an amazing thing that
God loves us, that He calls us His children – quite amazing.
To quote an old hymn:
“I’d rather have Jesus than
silver or gold;
I’d rather be His than have
riches untold;
I’d rather have Jesus than
houses or lands;
I’d rather be led by His
nail-pierced hand
Chr: Than to be the king of a
vast domain
Or be held in sin’s dread
sway;
I’d rather have Jesus than
anything
This world affords today
I’d rather have Jesus than men’s
applause;
I’d rather be faithful to His
dear cause;
I’d rather have Jesus than
worldwide fame;
I’d rather be true to His holy
name
He’s fairer than lilies of
rarest bloom;
He’s sweeter than honey from
out the comb;
He’s all that my hungering
spirit needs;
I’d rather have Jesus and let
Him lead
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