Behold What Manner of Love

1 John 3:1-3

The Bible describes many attributes of God. God is just, merciful, and gracious, among many others. The one that most people are familiar with is that God is a God of love. This type of love is not based on emotion or feelings, but rather agape, a love that is selfless and sacrificial. God’s love reaches its apex in the giving of His beloved son on the cross to provide eternal life to all that believe. For the Apostle John, God’s love can be seen in various ways. We are now part of God’s family and will one day be formed into the image of Jesus. This should result in living a life that is pleasing to God.

In 1 John 3:1-3, the aged apostle reminds the believers to take time to behold God’s amazing love. To behold (horaō) means to look at and study something intently. What will they discover? First, by faith in Jesus Christ, God has bestowed (dídōmi) on them the title of a child of God. It is bestowed in the sense that it is freely given as a gift, not something earned or warranted. Prior to faith in Jesus, we were children of wrath (Ephesians 2:3), which only adds to the amazing love God has shown us.

“The thought of being born of God arrests John with wonder, and he calls on his reader to take a look at the wonderful love that brought us into the family of God. Love could have saved us without making us children of God. But the manner of God’s love is shown in that he brought us into His family as children.”[1]

Yet, the full extent of His love has not been fully recognized but will be when Christ returns. In our present condition, we are still prone to the negative effects of the fall. We still have physical bodies that decay and a nature that still sins. However, at the rapture of the church, believers will experience the completion of the work the Lord began in us at the moment we believed in Christ. In other words, we have already been justified, and the Lord is presently sanctifying us, and then one day He will glorify us.

“Can you think of anything more wonderful than seeing Jesus? We have sung about Him, talked about Him, studied about Him, communicated with Him, but the grand climax will be when we see Him.”[2]

As a result, John exhorts believers to live pure lives while awaiting the Lord’s return. Unfortunately, the subject of the Lord’s return is often neglected or sensationalized. By doing either, we miss out on many exhortations and encouragement associated with it. The positive exhortation here is that the believer should fix his hope on the Lord’s return. A believer’s hope is not in the world but in being with Christ forever. Doing so should cause them to desire to live a pure (hagnísō) life. No one wants to be caught doing something inappropriate when the Lord returns.

“John states two reasons why the Christian ought to be pure. One is related to a past work of God [v. 1] and the second to a future work [v. 3].”[3]

Like John, we should take time to study and meditate on the various aspects of God’s love. Not only did God provide us with salvation, but He has also made us a part of His family. In addition, at the Lord’s return, He will finish the work that He began in us, which should encourage us to live pure lives while we are waiting.

Lord, help me take time to simply consider the manner of Your great love for me. Although once a child of wrath, because of Your great love I am a child of Yours. Thank you that one day you will finish the work that You began in me. Help me to live a life that will not be ashamed when Jesus returns.

Blessings,

Pastor Steven

[1] The Believer’s Bible Commentary, pg. 2417.

[2] Constable’s Expository Notes – 1 John.

[3] Charles Ryrie. The Wycliffe Bible Commentary – 1 John.