OUR LORD IS GOING TO GIVE YOU DIVINE STATUS
Sakkie Parsons
As I was once again reading what John, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, tells you and me in 1 JOHN 3, such great excitement rose up in me again, and I would like to share with you what I once more began thinking about afresh.
Just read the following passage:
1JOHN 3:1-3
1 See what an incredible quality of love the Father has shown to us, that we would be permitted to be named and called and counted the children of God! And so we are! For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.
2 Beloved, we are [even here and] now 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 [in all His glory].
3 And everyone who has this hope [confidently] fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure (holy, undefiled, guiltless).
You know, my own children are not just ordinary children. In my eyes they are very special children, so special that in my heart there are no other children on earth like them. As far as it is humanly possible for me, I will do whatever I can to help and support them.
On one occasion Jesus said to us:
MAT 7:11 If you then, evil (sinful by nature) as you are, know how to give good and advantageous gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven [perfect as He is] give what is good and advantageous to those who keep on asking Him.
Sometimes we are trampled on, for example at work or by people who are supposed to love us, to such an extent that we literally think: “I am just worthless.”
Many times the trampling happens precisely because you are living out your sonship.
I know that I have experienced this often in my own life. No wonder then that John, in the same verse where he speaks about our sonship in the Lord, you could almost say in the same breath, also mentions that we are going to have problems with people who do not have our status.
1JOHN 3:1 See what an incredible quality of love the Father has shown to us, that we would be permitted to be named and called and counted the children of God! And so we are! For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.
Right after John has made it very clear to us that, as children of our Lord, we are certainly not going to be embraced by the world, he says something, in my opinion, so phenomenal that at least as far as I am concerned —
“It boggles the mind.”
First he emphasizes again that we are children of our Lord — and then he tells us what our Lord’s greatest glorious plan for us, His children, is:
1JOHN 3:2 Beloved, we are [even here and] now 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 [in all His glory].
Just think what this means: 1JN 3:2 … We know that when He appears, we will be like Him…
We are going to be like Jesus — and who is this Jesus to whom we are going to be like?
The Word says of Him —
JOHN 1:1 In the beginning [before all time] was the Word (Christ), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God Himself.
Our Lord is going to give you divine status.
No wonder Peter, on one occasion, looked in the Spirit at the people to whom he was writing — and then wrote to them:
1PET 2:9 But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A CONSECRATED NATION, A [special] PEOPLE for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies [the wonderful deeds and virtues and perfections] of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.
So, when people belittle you, especially because of your Christian status, then remember:
“So what!”
Jesus says that they also did it to the saints before you:
MAT 5:11 Blessed [morally courageous and spiritually alive with life-joy in God’s goodness] are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil things against you because of [your association with] Me.
MAT 5:12 Be glad and exceedingly joyful, for your reward in heaven is great [absolutely inexhaustible]; for in this same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Let us continue walking only in the ways of the Lord, just as John says we must do, immediately after he tells us that we are going to receive divine status.
1JOHN 3:3 And everyone who has this hope [confidently] fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure (holy, undefiled, guiltless).
Of course, he also knew what he was talking about. After all, he was there with Jesus when Jesus said —
MAT 10:22 You will be hated by everyone because of My name, but it is the one who has endured to the end who will be saved.
I certainly do not know all the wonderful things that await us when we receive our divine status, or when we become like Jesus — but I do have an idea of what some of our first tasks will be:
1COR 6:2 Do you not know that the saints (God’s people) will judge the world? …
Another part of those first things that we are going to do when we are clothed with our new status is the following:
1COR 6:3 Do you not know that we [believers] will judge angels? …
So, saint of God, who has accepted Jesus Christ as your Redeemer and Savior —
Our Lord says to you:
JHN 16:33 I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have [perfect] peace. In the world you have tribulation and distress and suffering, but be courageous [be confident, be undaunted, be filled with joy]; I have overcome the world.”
Greetings,
Sakkie