1 John 3:1
See the kind of love the Father has given us that we should be called children of God, and that is what we are! The world does not know us, because it did not know him.
Dear Heavenly Father,
These words are incredible: that we should be called Your children. We wonder why You would adopt us and restore us to Your good favor, especially as we see ourselves, because nothing in us makes us worthy of being with You. We are continually bombarded by our pride and temptations that try to pull us away from You. We can be very unloving towards You and others in everything we think, say, and do. Despite all this, the fact that You would go to such great lengths to restore us to You shows the magnitude of Your love for us.
Because of our sins, we deserve to be cast into hell; however, through Jesus’ suffering and death, all our sins—which should separate us from You—are forgiven. We understand this through the faith You have given us through Your Holy Spirit as we hear Your words of truth. Thank You for restoring us by Your grace and mercy; we are confident that we are reconciled to You.
As John wrote, the world does not know this; they don’t believe it because they do not know or trust in Your Son as their Savior or You. Let our response to Your love for us be to share the good news of Your salvational plan with those who do not know You. May they be welcomed into Your family by faith. Please send Your word out into the world so many more will trust Jesus as their Savior. Amen.
Written through Pastor Roger Emmons
Being adopted into a family stems from the parents’ love for the adoptee. Similarly, God loves us; we brought nothing to the table. He loved us despite all our flaws and gave His one and only Son to pay our adoption price—Jesus paid with His blood spilled on the cross.