The Wonder of Being Called God's Children

There's a truth so staggering, so beyond comprehension, that even after decades of walking with Jesus, it still leaves us breathless with wonder. It's the reality that the God who spoke galaxies into existence, who sustains every atom in the universe, who is worshipped ceaselessly by angels crying "Holy, holy, holy"—this very God calls us His children.

Not servants. Not subjects. Not merely forgiven sinners.

Children.

Pausing to Marvel
The Apostle John, writing in his first epistle, interrupts his flow of teaching to do something remarkable. He stops issuing commands and warnings. He pauses his tests of genuine faith. Instead, this aged disciple—a man who had walked with Jesus for over sixty years—does something we all need to do more often: he marvels.

"See how great a love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God," John writes in 1 John 3:1.

That word "see" is a command to slow down, to look carefully, to not rush past something extraordinary. John is essentially asking, "What kind of love is this?" It's a love so unlike anything we've experienced that it seems to come from another world entirely.

And that's exactly what it is.

A Love Unlike Any Other
We know human love. We understand the devotion of parents, the bond between spouses, the loyalty of faithful friends. These are beautiful expressions of love, gifts from God Himself.

But this love John describes is fundamentally different.

This isn't one sinner loving another. This is the holy, perfect, righteous God pouring out His love on guilty, rebellious sinners who were His enemies and deserved His judgment. Instead of wrath, He sent His Son. Instead of condemnation, He offered forgiveness. Instead of merely pardoning us, He adopted us into His family.

Think about the magnitude of that for a moment. The Creator of the universe—the One who hung the stars, who carved out the oceans, who breathed life into humanity—this God doesn't merely tolerate us or allow us into heaven. He brings us into His family.

The Difference Between Servants and Children
There's a world of difference between being a servant and being a child.

A servant may work in the house, but a child belongs there. A servant may know the master's commands, but a child knows the father's heart. A servant may receive wages, but a child receives an inheritance. A servant serves because he must; a child belongs because he is loved.

The Apostle Paul captured this beautifully when he wrote that we have "received the spirit of adoption as sons by whom we cry out, 'Abba, Father.'" That word "Abba" is intimate—it's the equivalent of "Daddy." Not a distant deity, but a loving Father who welcomes us into His presence.

This is our identity. Not what we do, not our accomplishments or failures, not what the world says about us. We are children of God. That's who we are right now, in this very moment.

Why the World Doesn't Understand
If you've ever felt misunderstood for your faith, John explains why: "For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him" (1 John 3:1).

The world looked at Jesus—watched His miracles, heard His teachings, witnessed His love—and still failed to recognize who He truly was. They rejected the very One who came to save them. John's Gospel tells us, "He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him."

If the world failed to recognize the Son of God, we shouldn't be surprised when it fails to recognize the children of God. Sometimes doing the right thing, living with integrity, loving your neighbor—these things will be misunderstood. You might be seen as out of touch or self-righteous.

But that's not because something is wrong with you. It's because the world never understood your Savior.

The Promise of What We Will Become
John doesn't stop with our present identity. He lifts our eyes to an incredible future promise: "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" (1 John 3:2).

Notice the certainty in those words. John doesn't say "if" Jesus appears or "perhaps" we'll be like Him. He says we know. This isn't wishful thinking; it's confident expectation grounded in God's promises.

When will this happen? When Jesus returns. And what will happen? We will be like Him.
Let that sink in for a moment.

Not that we'll become divine—we'll always be human, created beings. But every trace of sin will finally be gone. Everything sin has distorted, God will restore. Everything the fall has broken, God will make new.

No more sinful thoughts. No more pride, jealousy, or selfishness. No more fear or shame. No more battle with temptation. No more struggle with the flesh.

For the first time in our lives, we will love God completely, perfectly, forever.

The Transforming Power of Seeing Jesus
What makes this transformation possible? John tells us: "because we will see Him just as He is."

Throughout Scripture, no one has seen God in all His unveiled glory. Moses saw only a glimpse. Isaiah saw the Lord high and lifted up. The disciples saw Jesus veiled in human flesh.

But one day, every believer will see Jesus exactly as He is—not through shadows, not by faith alone, but face to face. Paul wrote, "For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I will know fully, just as I also have been fully known."

Hope That Produces Holiness
Here's where the rubber meets the road. John doesn't give us this glorious hope so we can sit back and wait passively. He writes, "And everyone who has this hope set on Him purifies himself just as He is pure" (1 John 3:3).

Hope changes us.

Think about it: What we anticipate tomorrow influences how we live today. A couple preparing for their wedding day makes plans and preparations. An athlete disciplines his body because competition is coming. A student intensifies studying as final exams approach.

In every area of life, our expectations about the future shape our actions in the present.
If we truly believe Jesus is returning and we will be like Him, that belief should transform how we live now. Not out of fear or obligation, but out of love and longing. We don't ask, "How close can I get to sin?" We ask, "How can my life look more like Jesus today?"

This isn't about completing a spiritual checklist—reading your Bible, praying, attending church, serving, giving. Those are all good and important, but they're tools for relationship, not the relationship itself. The Christian life isn't built on a checklist; it's built on a relationship.

The more our hearts are captivated by Jesus, the more our lives become like Him.

Living in Light of Who You Are
Here's the practical application: When you're tempted to find your identity in success or discouraged by failure, remember who you are. When the world tells you to define yourself by your career, accomplishments, relationships, or past, remember who you are.

You are loved by the Father. You are His child. And one day, you will be like Him.

Don't spend your life trying to become someone God has already declared you to be. Instead, live every day in the light of who you already are.

Keep your eyes fixed on Jesus. It's easy to lose sight of Him—to get caught up in circumstances, temptations, or the pursuit of worldly things. Like Peter walking on water, we look at the waves and begin to sink.

But when we fix our eyes on Jesus, when we set our hope on His return, when we pursue a life that reflects the Savior we're waiting to see—that's when we truly live as the children our Father has declared us to be.

Before God ever called you to live as His child, He first made you His child. That's the foundation of everything. That's the wonder we should never lose. That's the love that changes everything.