As God's Children

THIS WEEK I had a bonfire with my Youth Group, where we sang worship songs and listened to powerful testamonies. The fire slowly melted the blackening wood, and little motes of red ember were carried weightless into the night air with our songs of praise. It was a beautiful evening, and it made me want to listen more carefully to what God is really saying. Since that evening there has been one particular passage on my mind. The beginning verses of John chapter 1 has been appearing all over the place. First, when I returned home from the bonfire there was a fun new idea for my next art piece buzzing around in my head. I don't really know why - maybe somebody referenced this passage at the meeting. The piece is based on verses 1-5.

The funny thing is that the very next morning Reverend Dan Elkins, who visited my school to speak at the FISH meeting, referenced the very same place. And today when I attended a church service at the USF campus where I was visiting, the pastor referenced John chapter 1, a few verses after the place I've been looking. So I'll write them out for you really quickly and then tell you what I've been learning from these things. It helps me to write out the verses because I start to notice things I didn't see before.

John 1:1-5
"[1] In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. [2] He was in the beginning with God. [3] All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. [4] In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. [5] And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it."

And John 1:9-14
"[9] That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world. [10] He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. [11] He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. [12] But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in Him name: [13] who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. [14] And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth."

This always reminds me of the very beginning of the Bible, when God commands things to come into existence, beginning with light. What I think it means is that Jesus, as the embodiment of God in the flesh as the Son of God, existed even before He was born into the world. Of course He did - I mean, He's God. He is the Word of God by means of which He commanded the universe to exist.

And now God comes to the world in the form of a Man, to people who refuse to hear Him. Can you imagine what that must be like? Like if you made a little clay figurine and it came to life, and it suddenly started asking "Who are you?" and denying your authority and kicking you in the shins. That was what the Jews were like to whom God first came in the form of the Man Jesus. He died, having done nothing wrong, in the place of us humans who are without exception covered in sins, so that we could be with Him. And then HE rose again to demonstrate the validity of our faith. He covers us with His blood. He made it so that anyone who believes in Him could be His own. His own!

What I'm learning this week is that it really is something quite amazing to be God's adopted child. It means He listens when we talk to Him, and that He wants us to listen to Him. It means there is nothing that will stop Him from loving us, like the father in Luke 15 who showers welcome on his repentant son. It means He would die for us, and He did, and now He lives. It means He disiplines us expects us to obey, just because He loves us so much and knows what's good for us. Hebrews 12:5-6 says "[5] And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as sons: 'My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him; [6] For whom the Lord loves He chastens, and scourges every son whom He receives.'"

As children of God, who are we supposed to be? My understanding is that we are supposed to imitate Christ and keep His commandments. John 13:34-35 "[34] A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. [35] By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."

Could somebody please explain to me the cause for a disturbing sight I saw on Saturday? I was just leaving the historic district of Tampa called Ybor, when on a street corner I observed a man and a woman armed with a bullhorn and a red-lettered sign. The man was making announcements of anger and condemnation, something about "getting the hell you deserve." As I passed by these people my mom said to me, "And that's why people think Christians are crazy." It really impacted me.

Where's the love? Didn't Jesus command love? A Christian is a child of God, a child of love, not a proclaimer of doom. Fear does not make converts. We're drawn to God by His astounding love and grace, by His willingness to save us from "the hell we deserve." People with bullhorns and hate aren't making it any easier for those of us who'd like to reach the world with love.

God invites us to be His children! The beauty of such a thought is too much to wrap our minds around. His own children, to be loved and protected and disciplined and taught. To be rescued from certain destruction and led in the ways of righteousness.

As I kept walking down the street, I saw a homeless man whom I had seen several hours before in exactly the same place. He's a man who needs some love, whatever his problems may be, exactly like the rest of us do. But he's not getting it from any man with a bullhorn.

I thank God that I can be His, and that the Body of Christ, which reaches over much of the world, can celebrate together the fact that He Himself will love us forever. It's something to stay amazed about all the time. And I'm hoping and praying that we never get used to this: that the same God who created everything by means of His Word, and who came to the world to fish us out of our own self-destruction, has poured out His grace over the whole face of the earth. He has poured it over anyone at all who will receive Him, and who will give himself to Him who gave Himself for us.