A L M A C I A S

BEHOLD THE LOVE OF GOD

In the first epistle of John, chapter 3, we find a wonderful lesson on the love that God has for us. We read in this passage of Scripture several things that should be of great encouragement to all of us who are Christians and are doing our very best to be faithful unto God all the days of our lives. The apostle John wrote of God's love for us by listing several things that are spiritual blessings to all who are followers of the Lord Jesus Christ. John writes the following, "Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God; therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be; but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure."

We begin our study of the passage before us by looking at the word "behold." Behold here means to pay close attention to what is being said. It also means to take notice of something. What we were to take notice of here was the manner of love that God had bestowed upon us. Now the word "manner" is being used here in the sense of the quality of love that the Father had for all of us who are His children. This love was made manifest in us by all that the Father has done for us so that we could become His children. We read in John 3:16, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." It was because of the death of our Lord Jesus Christ on the cross that we today have the means to become children of God. Had there been no sacrifice of the Son of God on the cross there would be no salvation for anyone and there would be no means by which anyone could become a child of God.

Yes, it is a tremendous privilege for anyone to be called a son of God and all this was made possible because of the manner in which the Father has loved us. Let us never take the love of God toward us for granted.