What Is Real Love? A Guide to 1 JohnSample

1 John 2:28-29, 3:1-3

28 And now, dear children, remain in fellowship with Christ so that when he returns, you will be full of courage and not shrink back from him in shame. 29 Since we know that Christ is righteous, we also know that all who do what is right are God’s children. 1 John 2:28-29 NLT

1 See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are! But the people who belong to this world don’t recognize that we are God’s children because they don’t know him. 2 Dear friends, we are already God’s children, but he has not yet shown us what we will be like when Christ appears. But we do know that we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is. 3 And all who have this eager expectation will keep themselves pure, just as he is pure. 1 John 3:1-3 NLT

Pray:Father God, you are a good and loving dad. You care about me more than I’ll ever fully understand. I belong to you. And I want to live for you. Help me to keep my eyes on you and your Kingdom. Give me the wisdom to reject the temptations of this world so I can keep myself pure as you are pure. In Jesus’ name, amen.

After a few days of looking at the threats to our faith, John reminds us who we are in Christ. We must never forget that God cares so much more about who we are than what we do. Let’s take a closer look.

28 And now, dear children, remain in fellowship with Christ so that when he returns, you will be full of courage and not shrink back from him in shame. 1 John 2:28 NLT

God is our Father, and we are His kids. That’s the identity we exist from. Beloved children of our good and loving Dad. Until Jesus, our Savior-King, returns, we’ve got to keep our relationship with Him strong. Because when our relationship with Him is strong, we will be full of courage and freed from shame.

29 Since we know that Christ is righteous, we also know that all who do what is right are God’s children.1 John 2:29 NLT

Jesus is perfectly righteous. From the top of his head to the soles of His feet, He is totally good, loving, and pure. When we are living rightly in our relationship with Him, we will do rightly as God’s kids. In the family of God, Jesus is our older brother. That’s why we don’t have to worry if we aren’t always sure what we’re supposed to do. Because Jesus will show us the way.

1 See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are! But the people who belong to this world don’t recognize that we are God’s children because they don’t know him. 1 John 3:1 NLT

God is not a distant ruler directing the universe from a far-away place in the outer reaches of space. God is close and compassionate. He came close enough to know when He walked on this earth in the person of Jesus. And one of the most powerful things Jesus taught us is that God is our Father. He loves us more than we can ever imagine. And we are His children. Being a child isn’t something we have to earn. It’s something that comes from simply being born. And no matter how rowdy or rebellious we are, God never stops being a loving Father who wants what’s best for His kids.

For some of us, this can be a really hard truth to believe. Maybe because we’ve never actually experienced a love that sees past our wins and losses. Don’t let the shortcomings of people mess up your view of God.

But, what about the people who don’t know God and have never experienced His love? How much harder is it for them to get a handle on the radical nature of God’s love? Let alone what it means for us to be children of the Creator of the universe. It’s the kind of thing that, until you’ve experienced it, it won’t make sense. But when you’ve experienced it, you see for yourself just how real it is.

2 Dear friends, we are already God’s children, but he has not yet shown us what we will be like when Christ appears. But we do know that we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is. 1 John 3:2 NLT

In the Present Age, through faith in Jesus, our original identity as children of God has been restored. But what we’re experiencing now is only a preview of what things will be like when Jesus returns. While we can’t understand it all fully, we can understand it truly. Because as disciples of Jesus, we are in the process of becoming like Him for the sake of others. When the day comes where we see Him in all His glory, our transformation into people who love God with all we are and who love others the same way He has loved us will be complete.

3 And all who have this eager expectation will keep themselves pure, just as he is pure. 1 John 3:3 NLT

Until that day comes, we commit ourselves to the way of life He modeled. A life shaped by the love of God and moved by love for others. We resist the temptations of the devil, the flesh, and the world that want to pull us back into the darkness. We choose to live in the light as God is in the light because we know that life in the light is so much better and more beautiful than anything the darkness can ever offer.

We’re children of God. And Jesus is showing us how to enjoy the love of our Father and become contributing members of His family.

Application: Pray through and discuss your answers to these questions:

1. Do you really believe you are a child of God and your Heavenly Father loves you? Why or why not?
2. Do you really live like you are a child of God loved by your Heavenly Father? Why or why not?
3. What false beliefs or bad ideas do you need to clear out to see your relationship with God truly?