1 John 3:1

DISCOURSE: 2441
BELIEVERS ARE SONS OF GOD

1 John 3:1. Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God.

RELIGION is altogether a mystery: every part of it is deeply mysterious. The restoration of a fallen soul to God! The means of effecting that restoration — the death of God’s only dear Son, as a sacrifice for sin; and the operation of his Spirit in the sinner’s heart! The effect produced—the translation of a soul from the family of Satan to the family of Almighty God! This is the point which the Apostle is contemplating in my text: and it fills him, as we might well expect, with the profoundest wonder and admiration: “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God!”
That we may enter into the Apostle’s views, and attain somewhat of his spirit, I will endeavour to shew,

I. What is comprehended in the relation of sons—

No one need to be informed on this subject, as far as it relates to men. But in the relation as borne to God, there is much which needs to be elucidated. In it are comprehended,

1. An adoption into his family—

[By nature, we belong to a far different family: for “we are of our father the devil:” and, being “children of disobedience,” we are also “children of wrath.” But God takes to himself a people out of that wretched mass, and adopts them as his own; giving to them the name of sons, the privileges of sons, the endearments of sons, and acting towards them in all respects as a loving Father — — — It is in and through the Lord Jesus Christ that he effects this. In “sending his Son to redeem them that were under the law,” he did it, “that we might receive the adoption of sons [Note: Galatians 4:4.].”]

2. A participation of his nature—

[When man adopts any person, he may deal with the adopted person as his son; but he can never really make him a son. But when God sets apart any for this high relation, he creates them anew, and makes them entirely “new creatures.” He imparts to them his Holy Spirit, and makes them “partakers of the divine nature [Note: 2 Peter 1:4.];” so that they become, in reality, his sons; being “begotten of him,” and “born unto him [Note: 1 John 5:1; 1 John 5:18.].” Hence, with the new relation, there spring up in their souls new views, new dispositions, new desires, new habits altogether [Note: Galatians 4:6 and Romans 8:15.]: and in God also there arises, not a mere arbitrary good-will, but a paternal interest, a special regard, such as exists in every part of the creation between the parent and the progeny. All this, then, is comprehended, (this change of nature on their part, and this peculiar regard on his,) when we speak of any as made “sons of God.”]

3. A title to his inheritance—

[This does not necessarily exist among men; but with God it does. Every one that is born of him, is begotten to an inheritance, even an inheritance that “fadeth not away [Note: 1 Peter 1:1; 1 Peter 1:3.].” “If we are sons, we are also heirs, heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ [Note: Romans 8:17.].” There is this peculiarity also attaching to the children of God: they are all his “first-born [Note: Exodus 4:22.Hebrews 12:23.].” They are the brethren of Christ; and partakers with him in all that he himself inherits—his throne, his kingdom, his glory [Note: Revelation 2:21. John 17:22.]

And now let us contemplate—

II.

The wonderful love of God, in bringing us into that relation to himself—

When it is said, “We are called the sons of God,” it means that we are really made so. And this change is altogether the effect of God’s unbounded love. Behold, then, what manner of love this is:

1. How sovereign!

[It is wholly unmerited on our part. There never was, there never could be, any thing in us to attract the Divine regards, since “every imagination of the thoughts of our hearts was only evil continually.” In the selection of his objects, God was as free as in the choice of Abraham from amidst an idolatrous world, or of Isaac and Jacob in preference to their elder brethren. In conferring this high honour, God has respect only to his own will, and to the glory of his own name. This is marked with peculiar strength and force by the Apostle Paul, when, speaking on this very subject, he says, “God has predestinated us to the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved [Note: Ephesians 1:5.].” In truth, “He loved us because he would love us [Note: Deuteronomy 7:7.]:” and because “he loved us with an everlasting love, therefore with loving-kindness hath he drawn us [Note: Jeremiah 31:3.].”]

2. How beyond all human expectation!

[If man adopt any one, it is because, having no progeny of his own, he feels a want of some one to succeed to his estates: and in conferring this favour, he has respect to some qualities in the person selected by him. But God has no need of us. We can never add either to his happiness or glory. Or, if he needed any creatures to be objects of his favour, he could create any number, either of angels or men, as it should please him, and make them the happy objects of his choice. But it is not thus that he has acted. He has chosen from amongst men, corrupt and sinful men, multitudes, who shall in time, be born to him, and in eternity enjoy him. Nor is it of the best of men that he has made his selection, but often of the vilest. Even a murderous Manasseh has been made a vessel of honour, and a monument of grace; whilst millions of persons, less guilty, have been passed by. If we ask the reason of this, our Lord assigns the only reason that can be given: “Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in thy sight.” The potter has power over the clay, to do with it as seemeth him good: and “shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus [Note: Romans 9:20.]?” True it is, that, in reference to this matter, we must say, as David did in reference to the favours conferred on him, “Is this the manner of men, O Lord God [Note: 2 Samuel 7:19.]?” No; it is not the manner of men; nor ought it to be: because man has a claim on his fellow-man; but we have no claim whatever on God. He might have left us to perish, precisely as he did the fallen angels, and never have saved so much as one: and, if he have saved one, that person has reason to exclaim with wonder, ‘Why have I been taken, whilst so many others have been left?’ God, in all this matter, does as it pleaseth him; and “he giveth not account to us of any of his matters:” “His ways are not as our ways, nor his thoughts as our thoughts: but as the heavens are high above the earth, so are his ways higher than our ways, and his thoughts than our thoughts [Note: Isaiah 55:8.].”]

3. How utterly incomprehensible!

[So the Apostle declares the love of Christ to be: it has “a breadth, and length, and depth, and height, that passeth knowledge [Note: Ephesians 3:18.],” and defies the search of the brightest intelligence of heaven. To all eternity will the wonders of this grace be unfolding; and to all eternity will it remain as far from being fully comprehended, as it was at the very first moment it was revealed. Indeed, we must comprehend the infinite distance between the glorious Creator and his rebellious creatures; and then go on yet further, to comprehend all the wonders of redemption, before we can comprehend the smallest portion of this mystery. We must close our meditations, after all, with that with which we have commenced them: “What manner of love is this which the Father hath bestowed upon us!”]

“Behold” then, brethren, “behold” it: “Behold” it, I say,
1.

With due solicitude to ascertain the fact—

[God has bestowed this favour upon millions: but hath he bestowed it upon us? In this inquiry we are deeply interested: nor should any one of us leave it as a matter of doubt for one single hour. But you will ask, ‘Can this point be ascertained?’ By the world around us, I readily acknowledge, it cannot be ascertained: and, if we profess to have been brought into this relation to God, we must not wonder that the world ascribe our pretensions to the workings of pride and presumption. For they know nothing of God, or of his operations upon the souls of men: how, therefore, should they be able to judge of our claims in this matter? The Apostle, in the words following my text, justly adds, “Therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.” But we may ascertain the point ourselves; for we have a standard by which to try ourselves; and we may examine ourselves by it without any difficulty. St. John elsewhere says, “To as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name; who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God [Note: John 1:12.].” Here are the very relations of which we are speaking, and the means by which we are brought into it, and the test whereby we are to try ourselves. Inquire, then, whether you have ever “received the Lord Jesus Christ” into your hearts by faith, and whether you are “living altogether by faith on him?” — — — If you have never come to Christ as lost sinners, and cast yourselves wholly upon him, you know infallibly that you are not yet brought into this relation of “sons of God.” But if Christ be “all your salvation and all your desire,” then you possess this high privilege; for “we are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus [Note: Galatians 3:26]:” and, if you look up to God for the gift of his Holy Spirit, he will shine upon his own work, and “give you his Spirit, to witness with your spirits, that you are indeed the children of God [Note: Romans 8:16.].” Again then I say, Leave not this matter in suspense; but “examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith, and try your own selves: and never rest, till you can adopt the words of our text with a special reference to your own souls.]

2. With a becoming zeal to walk worthy of this high calling—

[Certainly, this relation brings with it corresponding duties. If you are made sons of God, it is that you may serve and honour him as dear children. How this is to be done, St. Paul informs us: “Be blameless, and harmless, as sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, amongst whom ye shine as lights in the world, holding forth the word of life [Note: Philippians 2:15.].” Well, indeed, may the world cry out against your vain conceit, if you are not walking worthy of your high calling. God has called you, that you should be holy: and “if you have in you the hope of which we have been speaking, then will you purify yourselves, even as Christ is pure [Note: ver. 3.].” Look to it, then, that you walk as becometh saints, in all holiness and righteousness before God and man. By this test will you be tried at the last day; and all your professions of faith in Christ will be found a delusion, if you shew not your faith by your works. But, if God have, indeed, bestowed this honour upon you, then will his love have a constraining influence upon your souls; and you will strive to be “holy, as he is holy,” and “perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.”]