WEBVTT 00:00:01.569 --> 00:00:04.929 I suppose that there are a few words that are 00:00:04.929 --> 00:00:13.029 so packed with emotion as the word family. That 00:00:13.029 --> 00:00:17.989 word family reaches down to the very core of 00:00:17.989 --> 00:00:22.629 our being and brings up a wealth of feelings, 00:00:23.609 --> 00:00:29.250 memories, and expectations. After all, family 00:00:29.250 --> 00:00:34.329 is where you belong. Family is where you are 00:00:34.329 --> 00:00:39.270 accepted and loved. Family has to do with our 00:00:39.270 --> 00:00:44.909 basic identity as people. It has to do with our 00:00:44.909 --> 00:00:48.189 essential self -understanding, that is, who we 00:00:48.189 --> 00:00:53.369 are. Family is really important. I believe that 00:00:53.369 --> 00:00:59.950 God intends for every person to have the security, 00:01:00.950 --> 00:01:06.629 the love, and identity of a family. Unfortunately, 00:01:06.750 --> 00:01:10.250 some are denied that to varying degrees because 00:01:10.250 --> 00:01:14.349 of the sinfulness of mankind. But I think you 00:01:14.349 --> 00:01:16.890 would agree with me that this family kind of 00:01:16.890 --> 00:01:22.349 identity is really important to us. The greatest 00:01:22.349 --> 00:01:27.590 family that there is, is the family of God. What 00:01:27.590 --> 00:01:30.349 a privilege it is to be called the children of 00:01:30.349 --> 00:01:36.549 God. Philip Bliss in his hymn, Once for All, 00:01:37.030 --> 00:01:40.489 says it this way, children of God, O glorious 00:01:40.489 --> 00:01:45.269 calling. And he's right. What a glorious calling 00:01:45.269 --> 00:01:50.890 we have to be called the children of God. Together 00:01:50.890 --> 00:01:55.409 as his children, then we constitute God's family. 00:01:56.489 --> 00:01:59.390 I'm going to ask you to turn with me to a couple 00:01:59.390 --> 00:02:02.150 of passages of scripture as we set the stage 00:02:02.150 --> 00:02:05.629 for the theme today, which is the church, the 00:02:05.629 --> 00:02:11.789 family of God, a royal family. First turn to 00:02:11.789 --> 00:02:17.930 Ephesians chapter 2 verse 19. This is another 00:02:17.930 --> 00:02:22.409 of the metaphors of the church that can be found 00:02:22.409 --> 00:02:28.900 in the New Testament. Ephesians 2, verse 19, 00:02:29.939 --> 00:02:34.039 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, 00:02:35.300 --> 00:02:38.300 but you are fellow citizens with the saints, 00:02:39.000 --> 00:02:44.639 and are of God's household. No longer strangers, 00:02:45.419 --> 00:03:03.909 you are of God's household, God's family. We 00:03:03.909 --> 00:03:09.409 are God's household, His family. John comments 00:03:09.409 --> 00:03:12.150 on it this way by the inspiration of the Holy 00:03:12.150 --> 00:03:17.210 Spirit, See how great a love the Father has bestowed 00:03:17.210 --> 00:03:21.789 upon us. that we should be called children of 00:03:21.789 --> 00:03:27.009 God, and such we are. For this reason the world 00:03:27.009 --> 00:03:30.449 does not know us, because it did not know him. 00:03:31.330 --> 00:03:36.889 Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has 00:03:36.889 --> 00:03:41.169 not appeared as yet what we shall be. We know 00:03:41.169 --> 00:03:45.150 that when he appears we shall be like him, because 00:03:45.150 --> 00:03:49.419 we shall see him just as he is. And everyone 00:03:49.419 --> 00:03:54.099 who has this hope fixed on him purifies himself 00:03:54.099 --> 00:03:59.419 just as he is pure. Everyone who practices sin 00:03:59.419 --> 00:04:03.360 also practices lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness. 00:04:04.159 --> 00:04:07.560 And you know that he appeared in order to take 00:04:07.560 --> 00:04:13.300 away sins, and in him there is no sin. No one 00:04:13.300 --> 00:04:18.420 who abides in him sins. No one who sins has seen 00:04:18.420 --> 00:04:22.519 him or knows him. Little children, let no one 00:04:22.519 --> 00:04:26.279 deceive you. The one who practices righteousness 00:04:26.279 --> 00:04:31.839 is righteous, just as he is righteous. The one 00:04:31.839 --> 00:04:35.519 who practices sin is of the devil, for the devil 00:04:35.519 --> 00:04:39.139 has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God 00:04:39.139 --> 00:04:41.720 appeared for this purpose that he might destroy 00:04:41.720 --> 00:04:43.800 the works of the devil, that is, render them 00:04:43.800 --> 00:04:47.920 powerless or inoperative. No one who is born 00:04:47.920 --> 00:04:51.480 of God practices sin because his seed abides 00:04:51.480 --> 00:04:54.540 in him, and he cannot sin because he is born 00:04:54.540 --> 00:04:58.959 of God. By this the children of God and the children 00:04:58.959 --> 00:05:02.959 of the devil are obvious. Anyone who does not 00:05:02.959 --> 00:05:06.420 practice righteousness is not of God, nor the 00:05:06.420 --> 00:05:10.920 one who does not love his brother. The church 00:05:10.920 --> 00:05:15.790 is the family of God. In 1 Timothy 3, 15 it says, 00:05:16.069 --> 00:05:19.449 I write so that you may know how one ought to 00:05:19.449 --> 00:05:23.610 conduct himself in the household or the family 00:05:23.610 --> 00:05:27.509 of God, which is the church of the living God. 00:05:28.769 --> 00:05:31.230 I'd like for us to examine this morning several 00:05:31.230 --> 00:05:36.389 aspects of the family of God. First, entrance 00:05:36.389 --> 00:05:41.110 into the family, then evidence of being in the 00:05:41.110 --> 00:05:45.620 family. Then, maturation in the family and finally 00:05:45.620 --> 00:05:49.399 the inheritance for the family. Let's talk first 00:05:49.399 --> 00:05:53.160 about this aspect, the entrance into the family. 00:05:54.019 --> 00:05:57.319 I would draw your attention in 1 John chapter 00:05:57.319 --> 00:06:02.720 3 to those words in verse 2 that say, now we 00:06:02.720 --> 00:06:08.540 are children of God. The emphasis here in this 00:06:08.540 --> 00:06:13.319 word children is on relationship. It means those 00:06:13.319 --> 00:06:20.040 who are born of God, the born ones of God. He 00:06:20.040 --> 00:06:24.240 says, we are the born ones of God. But notice 00:06:24.240 --> 00:06:27.819 that he uses a three -letter word before that 00:06:27.819 --> 00:06:33.339 statement. He says, now we are the born ones 00:06:33.339 --> 00:06:38.579 of God. That is significant. It means that we 00:06:38.579 --> 00:06:46.720 are something now. that we were not before. Now 00:06:46.720 --> 00:06:51.339 we are the children of God, but we weren't before 00:06:51.339 --> 00:06:56.699 is the implication. Furthermore, it means that 00:06:56.699 --> 00:06:59.000 this is something we don't have to wait on in 00:06:59.000 --> 00:07:01.699 the future. I don't have to wait to become a 00:07:01.699 --> 00:07:06.339 child of God. He says now we are the born ones 00:07:06.339 --> 00:07:11.870 of God. Verse 10 tells us that there are two 00:07:11.870 --> 00:07:17.990 families in this world. I remember someone saying 00:07:17.990 --> 00:07:20.470 that there are two families in the world, the 00:07:20.470 --> 00:07:24.870 haves and the have -nots. Well, spiritually speaking, 00:07:24.949 --> 00:07:28.050 there are two families in the world, but they 00:07:28.050 --> 00:07:31.769 are delineated in verse 10 as the children of 00:07:31.769 --> 00:07:36.949 God and the children of the devil. These two 00:07:36.949 --> 00:07:42.389 families live side by side and outwardly speaking 00:07:42.389 --> 00:07:47.089 one may not be able to tell which is in the family 00:07:47.089 --> 00:07:49.470 of God and which is in the family of the devil. 00:07:50.769 --> 00:07:53.689 But of this I can be assured that every person 00:07:53.689 --> 00:07:57.410 listening to me at this moment is a member of 00:07:57.410 --> 00:08:02.870 one family or the other. All of us are members 00:08:02.870 --> 00:08:06.490 of either the family of God or the family of 00:08:06.490 --> 00:08:11.490 the devil. You say, well, how do you get into 00:08:11.490 --> 00:08:16.730 these families? We are born by our natural birth 00:08:16.730 --> 00:08:21.290 into the family of the devil. We are his children. 00:08:22.449 --> 00:08:25.529 We are what are called in Ephesians chapter 2, 00:08:25.730 --> 00:08:30.610 the sons of disobedience, who are by nature the 00:08:30.610 --> 00:08:34.590 children of wrath or of judgment. That is the 00:08:34.590 --> 00:08:37.629 natural birth. We are born into the world of 00:08:37.629 --> 00:08:41.669 sinners. We have the devil's spiritual seed in 00:08:41.669 --> 00:08:45.309 us, the seed of rebellion and independence from 00:08:45.309 --> 00:08:52.830 God. But we can by a supernatural birth be born 00:08:52.830 --> 00:08:56.789 into the family of God and become His children. 00:08:58.169 --> 00:09:01.789 Turn back with me to John chapter 1, where he 00:09:01.789 --> 00:09:05.580 tells us himself, how we become a part of the 00:09:05.580 --> 00:09:09.940 family of God. John 1 -12, as many as received 00:09:09.940 --> 00:09:15.460 him, Jesus Christ, to them he gave the right 00:09:15.460 --> 00:09:20.220 to become children of God, even to those who 00:09:20.220 --> 00:09:26.379 believe in his name, who were born not of blood, 00:09:27.139 --> 00:09:29.659 nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will 00:09:29.659 --> 00:09:34.070 of man, but of God. Notice, we do not gain entrance 00:09:34.070 --> 00:09:38.090 into the family of God by our own effort, or 00:09:38.090 --> 00:09:41.529 by our own will, or by natural birth and descent, 00:09:41.750 --> 00:09:45.830 by blood. But rather, in order to gain entrance 00:09:45.830 --> 00:09:48.909 into God's family, we have to be born, verse 00:09:48.909 --> 00:09:55.629 13, of God. Born of God. That is defined for 00:09:55.629 --> 00:09:58.230 us in the previous verse, where it says those 00:09:58.230 --> 00:10:02.419 who receive Jesus Christ In other words, those 00:10:02.419 --> 00:10:08.399 who believe in His name. It is through that act 00:10:08.399 --> 00:10:11.820 of receiving Jesus Christ and believing on Him 00:10:11.820 --> 00:10:18.259 that we are then born of God. Someone asked the 00:10:18.259 --> 00:10:20.720 question, perhaps you've asked this question 00:10:20.720 --> 00:10:24.399 of others, are you a Christian? And the person 00:10:24.399 --> 00:10:28.059 responded, I've always been a Christian. Have 00:10:28.059 --> 00:10:32.730 you ever heard that? Is it not the natural thought 00:10:32.730 --> 00:10:36.970 of a man? Of course I'm a Christian. I'm an American, 00:10:37.070 --> 00:10:41.590 aren't I? I go to church, don't I? I have been 00:10:41.590 --> 00:10:45.070 baptized, haven't I? My name is on the church 00:10:45.070 --> 00:10:50.549 roll, isn't it? Of course I'm a Christian. And 00:10:50.549 --> 00:10:53.669 yet the fact is that we do not gain entrance 00:10:53.669 --> 00:10:56.929 into the family of God and become genuine Christians. 00:10:57.360 --> 00:11:00.539 until that point in our life where we cease our 00:11:00.539 --> 00:11:04.179 rebellion against God and we receive Jesus Christ. 00:11:05.460 --> 00:11:08.240 When we stop rejecting Him and we invite Him 00:11:08.240 --> 00:11:11.080 to come into our lives and we believe on Him 00:11:11.080 --> 00:11:15.980 in that personal saving way, it is possible for 00:11:15.980 --> 00:11:19.620 a person to be very moral and religious, as well 00:11:19.620 --> 00:11:24.879 as irreligious or immoral, and yet either way 00:11:24.879 --> 00:11:29.960 to be in only in the family of the devil. What 00:11:29.960 --> 00:11:33.700 is needed is a supernatural new birth to be born 00:11:33.700 --> 00:11:35.779 into the family of God. And I'm talking to some 00:11:35.779 --> 00:11:38.659 people here today who perhaps have never experienced 00:11:38.659 --> 00:11:43.259 that supernatural birth. Paul wrote to the Galatians 00:11:43.259 --> 00:11:46.240 and he talked to them about the family of the 00:11:46.240 --> 00:11:50.259 faith, Galatians 6 .10. The family of the faith. 00:11:51.340 --> 00:11:55.049 Those who by faith have trusted in the Lord Jesus 00:11:55.049 --> 00:11:56.889 Christ. You say, well, I've always believed in 00:11:56.889 --> 00:12:00.590 Jesus. My friend, it's not enough to have a mere 00:12:00.590 --> 00:12:06.490 intellectual knowledge about Jesus Christ. You 00:12:06.490 --> 00:12:10.009 see, the devil has that too, but he's not saved. 00:12:12.210 --> 00:12:15.370 We must come to the place where we recognize 00:12:15.370 --> 00:12:20.179 our inner sinfulness. our natural rebellion against 00:12:20.179 --> 00:12:22.919 God, and we repent of that, we change our mind 00:12:22.919 --> 00:12:26.019 about it, we turn from it, and rather we turn 00:12:26.019 --> 00:12:29.519 to the Lord and say, Lord, I receive you. I give 00:12:29.519 --> 00:12:34.600 you my life. I believe on you. And when we do 00:12:34.600 --> 00:12:38.600 that, we are born of God. Not by our effort, 00:12:38.720 --> 00:12:43.840 by our determination, by our works, by our natural 00:12:43.840 --> 00:12:48.549 descent, we are born of God. When that takes 00:12:48.549 --> 00:12:52.909 place, we change families. You say, yes, but 00:12:52.909 --> 00:12:56.009 haven't I read somewhere in religious literature 00:12:56.009 --> 00:12:59.950 about the fatherhood of God and the brotherhood 00:12:59.950 --> 00:13:04.629 of man? As a matter of fact, you may well have 00:13:04.629 --> 00:13:09.529 read about those phrases. The teaching is that 00:13:09.529 --> 00:13:13.950 God is the father of all men, and therefore all 00:13:13.950 --> 00:13:19.159 men, irrespective of their religious beliefs 00:13:19.159 --> 00:13:26.519 are brothers. God is the father of all, and we're 00:13:26.519 --> 00:13:30.580 all a part of the same brotherhood. God accepts 00:13:30.580 --> 00:13:34.840 us, you see, without any respect of persons. 00:13:36.320 --> 00:13:42.179 My friend, that is the devil's lie. That is a 00:13:42.179 --> 00:13:47.639 counterfeit doctrine. And it leads people by 00:13:47.639 --> 00:13:52.659 the scores to hell. For they think that just 00:13:52.659 --> 00:13:56.220 by their natural birth they are a part of God's 00:13:56.220 --> 00:14:01.340 family. My friend, we are only a part of God's 00:14:01.340 --> 00:14:05.039 family. We can only call God Father when we are 00:14:05.039 --> 00:14:09.940 born of Him. Jesus spoke to the very religious 00:14:09.940 --> 00:14:15.019 Pharisees of His day who rejected Him. And he 00:14:15.019 --> 00:14:18.679 said to them, you are of your father the devil, 00:14:20.519 --> 00:14:26.639 and your father's works you do. They said, we 00:14:26.639 --> 00:14:30.059 are born of Abraham. He said, you are of your 00:14:30.059 --> 00:14:36.720 father the devil. You may feel as though that 00:14:36.720 --> 00:14:41.220 by your baptism or your confirmation, or the 00:14:41.220 --> 00:14:43.740 rituals that you have done in your church that 00:14:43.740 --> 00:14:47.100 surely God accepts you. My friend, God cannot 00:14:47.100 --> 00:14:51.259 accept you unless you are a part of His family. 00:14:52.480 --> 00:14:56.139 By your natural birth, you were born into this 00:14:56.139 --> 00:14:59.159 world as a child of the devil. His spiritual 00:14:59.159 --> 00:15:03.779 seed is in you. Your need is to be born anew 00:15:03.779 --> 00:15:07.159 into God's family, to become His child, and He 00:15:07.159 --> 00:15:11.740 will receive you. If you've never made that commitment, 00:15:11.919 --> 00:15:14.399 I hope that before you leave here today, you 00:15:14.399 --> 00:15:19.379 will. That's how we gain entrance into the family. 00:15:19.480 --> 00:15:24.460 What is evidence of the family? When you go to 00:15:24.460 --> 00:15:28.320 the store to buy your groceries, you may write 00:15:28.320 --> 00:15:32.539 a check. When you write a check, the store clerk 00:15:32.539 --> 00:15:35.919 will often require a driver's license or some 00:15:35.919 --> 00:15:40.200 form of identity. Why does he or she do that? 00:15:40.960 --> 00:15:44.659 In order to confirm that you are who you say 00:15:44.659 --> 00:15:49.159 you are. It is not enough to say that I am Galen 00:15:49.159 --> 00:15:53.419 Call to that clerk. The clerk says, can you prove 00:15:53.419 --> 00:15:57.220 it? What is the evidence that you are who you 00:15:57.220 --> 00:16:00.559 claim to be? And so I get out of my wallet my 00:16:00.559 --> 00:16:03.480 driver's license with my thumb over the picture, 00:16:03.679 --> 00:16:10.960 if possible. and I prove that I am who I claim 00:16:10.960 --> 00:16:16.019 to be. What are the proofs that one is a member 00:16:16.019 --> 00:16:19.980 of God's family? What evidence should we look 00:16:19.980 --> 00:16:23.720 for? You say, well, we should be able to look 00:16:23.720 --> 00:16:26.460 back and to know that we went forward in some 00:16:26.460 --> 00:16:30.159 crusade or we made a definite decision on a certain 00:16:30.159 --> 00:16:33.720 night at a certain hour. And I don't knock those 00:16:33.720 --> 00:16:36.080 who are able to do that. I'm grateful they can 00:16:36.080 --> 00:16:39.320 look back to that point in their lives when they 00:16:39.320 --> 00:16:42.740 made that definite commitment. I talked to someone 00:16:42.740 --> 00:16:44.759 here just recently, in fact, and he named the 00:16:44.759 --> 00:16:46.919 day and the very hour and where he was when he 00:16:46.919 --> 00:16:49.539 received Jesus Christ as his Savior. That's marvelous. 00:16:50.519 --> 00:16:52.860 But not all of us can do that. I can't do that. 00:16:55.220 --> 00:16:57.379 We have to be able to look back to something 00:16:57.379 --> 00:17:01.570 more than a time of decision. After all, there 00:17:01.570 --> 00:17:03.450 are some people who can look back to a point 00:17:03.450 --> 00:17:05.890 of decision in their lives, and there's been 00:17:05.890 --> 00:17:09.049 nothing at all since then to prove that that 00:17:09.049 --> 00:17:13.069 decision was genuine. They can just look back 00:17:13.069 --> 00:17:16.250 and say, well, I prayed this prayer. So what? 00:17:17.690 --> 00:17:21.890 A lot of people pray prayers. What should be 00:17:21.890 --> 00:17:24.950 the evidence that one is a member of the family? 00:17:25.990 --> 00:17:28.329 Well, John suggests at least three of them right 00:17:28.329 --> 00:17:31.900 here in this epistle that we're looking at. One 00:17:31.900 --> 00:17:40.220 is our practice toward sin. In chapter 3 we read 00:17:40.220 --> 00:17:45.740 some very difficult verses. In verse 6 it says, 00:17:55.700 --> 00:17:58.140 Little children, let no one deceive you. The 00:17:58.140 --> 00:18:00.980 one who practices righteousness is righteous, 00:18:01.319 --> 00:18:04.640 just as he, Jesus, is righteous. The one who 00:18:04.640 --> 00:18:09.259 practices sin is of the devil. For the devil 00:18:09.259 --> 00:18:12.660 has sinned from the beginning. Turn back a page 00:18:12.660 --> 00:18:16.359 or two to chapter two and look at these verses, 00:18:16.420 --> 00:18:20.140 beginning in verse three. By this we know that 00:18:20.140 --> 00:18:23.380 we have come to know him if we keep his commandments. 00:18:24.299 --> 00:18:28.740 The one who says, I have come to know him and 00:18:28.740 --> 00:18:33.380 does not keep his commandments is a liar. That's 00:18:33.380 --> 00:18:38.579 strong language. And the truth is not in him, 00:18:39.200 --> 00:18:41.799 but whoever keeps his word in him, the love of 00:18:41.799 --> 00:18:45.740 God has truly been perfected. By this we know 00:18:45.740 --> 00:18:51.119 that we are in him. he abides in him, ought himself 00:18:51.119 --> 00:18:57.160 to walk in the same manner as he walked." One 00:18:57.160 --> 00:18:59.200 of the evidences that one is in the family of 00:18:59.200 --> 00:19:02.599 God is his practice toward sin. The first thing 00:19:02.599 --> 00:19:04.880 I want to say about this is that John is not 00:19:04.880 --> 00:19:07.579 declaring here that one who is a member of the 00:19:07.579 --> 00:19:12.579 family of God cannot sin. What he is saying is, 00:19:12.579 --> 00:19:17.619 because of the tense of the verbs, that one who 00:19:17.619 --> 00:19:25.619 practices as a lifestyle sin is showing that 00:19:25.619 --> 00:19:27.839 he is not a member of the family of God, he is 00:19:27.839 --> 00:19:31.940 a member of the family of the devil still. And 00:19:31.940 --> 00:19:34.759 one who has the bent of his life and his lifestyle 00:19:34.759 --> 00:19:38.720 practices righteousness proves that he is a child 00:19:38.720 --> 00:19:45.009 of God. But earlier in chapter 1, he makes it 00:19:45.009 --> 00:19:47.130 clear and he tells us that if we say that we 00:19:47.130 --> 00:19:52.450 have no sin, or if we say that we have not sinned, 00:19:52.710 --> 00:19:56.109 then we're deceiving ourselves. The truth is 00:19:56.109 --> 00:19:59.150 not in us. We make him a liar and his word is 00:19:59.150 --> 00:20:03.490 not in us. John is not saying that it's impossible 00:20:03.490 --> 00:20:07.450 for a Christian to sin. But he is saying that 00:20:07.450 --> 00:20:10.410 the general description of his life, the bent 00:20:10.410 --> 00:20:13.390 of his life, the direction of his life will be 00:20:13.390 --> 00:20:17.930 toward righteousness. That is his point. When 00:20:17.930 --> 00:20:19.849 you've run up against a person who claims to 00:20:19.849 --> 00:20:23.210 be a Christian, but his lifestyle is totally 00:20:23.210 --> 00:20:28.569 sinful, and there is no desire to repent of that, 00:20:28.890 --> 00:20:32.289 there is no confession of sin, then you can write 00:20:32.289 --> 00:20:34.650 it down that that person is still in the family 00:20:34.650 --> 00:20:38.960 of the devil. because the practice of righteousness 00:20:38.960 --> 00:20:43.180 moving in that direction is evidence that one 00:20:43.180 --> 00:20:47.640 is a member of the family of God. Nor is John 00:20:47.640 --> 00:20:50.079 saying here that a Christian may not struggle 00:20:50.079 --> 00:20:57.140 with a sinful habit. It may be anger, or the 00:20:57.140 --> 00:21:01.799 habit of lust, or one may have a habit of greed 00:21:01.799 --> 00:21:06.470 and covetousness, or drunkenness. and still be 00:21:06.470 --> 00:21:12.430 a Christian. John is not saying it's impossible 00:21:12.430 --> 00:21:15.390 for a Christian to have a habit that he struggles 00:21:15.390 --> 00:21:17.210 with, but the point is he will struggle with 00:21:17.210 --> 00:21:21.130 it. It will not be something that he enjoys. 00:21:23.730 --> 00:21:25.809 It will not be something that he does and then 00:21:25.809 --> 00:21:31.299 forgets about. When he commits sin, he is aware 00:21:31.299 --> 00:21:33.579 of it, he is grieved by it, and he does what 00:21:33.579 --> 00:21:36.099 chapter 1 verse 9 tells us to do. He confesses 00:21:36.099 --> 00:21:40.880 his sin. He confesses it. You see, part of the 00:21:40.880 --> 00:21:42.720 evidence that one is a child of God is this, 00:21:42.799 --> 00:21:45.160 that when he does sin, he confesses his sin. 00:21:47.019 --> 00:21:49.140 John tells us in this book that he writes these 00:21:49.140 --> 00:21:53.470 things so that we stop sinning. We should not 00:21:53.470 --> 00:21:56.650 take a casual attitude about sin. I'll tell you 00:21:56.650 --> 00:21:58.829 if we have a casual attitude about it. We better 00:21:58.829 --> 00:22:01.089 examine whether we are genuinely in the family 00:22:01.089 --> 00:22:06.829 of God He says I write these things that you 00:22:06.829 --> 00:22:11.130 stop sinning, but I'm glad he went on He says 00:22:11.130 --> 00:22:15.490 if any man does sin We have an advocate with 00:22:15.490 --> 00:22:19.670 the Father Jesus Christ the righteous one You 00:22:19.670 --> 00:22:23.359 see the fact is that we are still in our humanness, 00:22:23.720 --> 00:22:28.720 and we still have flesh, and we do sin. And God 00:22:28.720 --> 00:22:31.279 has made marvelous provision for us when we as 00:22:31.279 --> 00:22:35.799 His children sin. And one of those provisions 00:22:35.799 --> 00:22:41.599 is conviction and guilt. And we confess our sins, 00:22:41.700 --> 00:22:44.220 not because we are afraid of the consequences. 00:22:45.940 --> 00:22:49.339 Even one who's in the family of the devil. does 00:22:49.339 --> 00:22:53.099 not like the consequences of his sin, but we 00:22:53.099 --> 00:22:57.579 confess our sins because we do not enjoy the 00:22:57.579 --> 00:22:59.839 knowledge that we have displeased our Father. 00:23:01.960 --> 00:23:04.460 So one evidence as to whether one is in the family 00:23:04.460 --> 00:23:09.880 or not is what is his practice toward sin. A 00:23:09.880 --> 00:23:12.819 second one is one's practice toward other believers. 00:23:15.400 --> 00:23:18.200 Where in chapter 2 look at verse 9 the one who 00:23:18.200 --> 00:23:21.319 says he is in the light that is who is saved 00:23:21.319 --> 00:23:26.960 and Yet hates his brother is in darkness until 00:23:26.960 --> 00:23:30.819 now in other words. He has never been saved He 00:23:30.819 --> 00:23:35.000 is still in darkness The one who loves his brother 00:23:35.000 --> 00:23:37.619 abides in the light and there is no cause for 00:23:37.619 --> 00:23:40.619 stumbling in him, but the one who hates his brother 00:23:40.779 --> 00:23:44.220 is in the darkness and walks in the darkness 00:23:44.220 --> 00:23:47.319 and does not know where he is going because the 00:23:47.319 --> 00:23:53.880 darkness has blinded his eyes. Chapter 3, verse 00:23:53.880 --> 00:23:58.400 15. Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, 00:23:59.259 --> 00:24:03.240 and you know that no murderer has eternal life 00:24:03.240 --> 00:24:08.720 abiding in him. Chapter 4, verse 7. Beloved, 00:24:08.720 --> 00:24:11.380 let us love one another, for love is from God, 00:24:11.480 --> 00:24:14.259 and everyone who loves is born of God and knows 00:24:14.259 --> 00:24:18.720 God. The one who does not love does not know 00:24:18.720 --> 00:24:23.759 God, for God is love. Then verse 20 of this same 00:24:23.759 --> 00:24:27.539 chapter, if someone says, I love God and hates 00:24:27.539 --> 00:24:32.279 his brother, he is a liar. For the one who does 00:24:32.279 --> 00:24:34.500 not love his brother whom he has seen cannot 00:24:34.500 --> 00:24:38.339 love God whom he has not seen. Now listen, those 00:24:38.339 --> 00:24:43.680 are strong words, folks. One of the evidences 00:24:43.680 --> 00:24:46.500 that I'm in the family is my practice toward 00:24:46.500 --> 00:24:52.980 other believers. If a person has a hateful attitude, 00:24:53.940 --> 00:24:57.380 a disposition of dislike and disdain for Christians, 00:24:58.240 --> 00:25:00.039 he's in the family of the devil. He's not in 00:25:00.039 --> 00:25:04.480 the family of God. If a person says, I would 00:25:04.480 --> 00:25:06.980 rather be with unregenerate, unsaved people, 00:25:06.980 --> 00:25:10.200 I have more fun with them than with those stuffed 00:25:10.200 --> 00:25:14.359 -shirted Christians, then he's giving evidence 00:25:14.359 --> 00:25:16.619 that he's of the family of the devil and not 00:25:16.619 --> 00:25:19.500 of the family of God. Because you see, one who 00:25:19.500 --> 00:25:23.720 is born of God loves God's family. He cannot 00:25:23.720 --> 00:25:27.240 say, I love God and hate Christians. He cannot. 00:25:29.759 --> 00:25:33.140 By his attitude of hatred. He is evidencing that 00:25:33.140 --> 00:25:35.599 he's still in darkness and does not know God. 00:25:38.700 --> 00:25:40.680 One of the evidences that one is in the family 00:25:40.680 --> 00:25:42.779 of God is that he loves his brothers and sisters 00:25:42.779 --> 00:25:46.819 in Christ. He wants to be with them. Had a man 00:25:46.819 --> 00:25:49.519 say to me one time, well, I'm a Christian, but 00:25:49.519 --> 00:25:51.640 I don't like to go to church. I worship God out 00:25:51.640 --> 00:25:56.240 in my backyard every Sunday morning. You know 00:25:56.240 --> 00:25:59.440 what he was saying to me? He was saying, I say 00:25:59.440 --> 00:26:02.700 I love God, but really I don't. I'm not saved 00:26:02.700 --> 00:26:04.599 because I don't like to be with other Christians. 00:26:08.799 --> 00:26:12.339 One's practice toward other believers gives evidence 00:26:12.339 --> 00:26:17.240 as to which family he's in. And then there is 00:26:17.240 --> 00:26:20.019 a third evidence of the family, and that is one's 00:26:20.019 --> 00:26:24.400 practice toward the world. Look in chapter five, 00:26:24.519 --> 00:26:28.660 verses four and five. Whatever is born of God 00:26:28.660 --> 00:26:32.470 overcomes the world. And this is the victory 00:26:32.470 --> 00:26:35.690 that has overcome the world, our faith. And who 00:26:35.690 --> 00:26:38.549 is the one who overcomes the world but he who 00:26:38.549 --> 00:26:42.930 believes that Jesus is the Son of God? Now the 00:26:42.930 --> 00:26:48.250 overcomer in John's terminology is one who is 00:26:48.250 --> 00:26:50.670 genuinely saved. He's a real Christian as opposed 00:26:50.670 --> 00:26:54.029 to one who's not a real Christian. He's the overcomer. 00:26:54.730 --> 00:26:57.869 And John says the one who is born of God, his 00:26:57.869 --> 00:27:03.339 child. in his family overcomes the world. Turn 00:27:03.339 --> 00:27:06.880 back to chapter 2 and verse 15. That is why he 00:27:06.880 --> 00:27:10.900 says to God's children, do not love the world 00:27:10.900 --> 00:27:15.039 nor the things in the world. What do we mean 00:27:15.039 --> 00:27:17.579 by the world? We talked about this briefly last 00:27:17.579 --> 00:27:22.779 week, so let's review. It simply means the system. 00:27:23.879 --> 00:27:28.619 the organized worldwide system headed by Satan, 00:27:29.400 --> 00:27:34.500 which controls unregenerate unsaved people. When 00:27:34.500 --> 00:27:36.940 we talk about the world in this context, we're 00:27:36.940 --> 00:27:39.619 not talking about the world of unsaved people 00:27:39.619 --> 00:27:41.940 per se, but we are talking about that system 00:27:41.940 --> 00:27:47.599 of thought, of motivation, of activity, of entertainment, 00:27:48.680 --> 00:27:53.759 of education, et cetera, that enslaves unsaved 00:27:53.759 --> 00:27:56.759 people. people, and which is anti -God. That 00:27:56.759 --> 00:28:01.079 is the world. And one who is genuinely born of 00:28:01.079 --> 00:28:04.519 God is one who overcomes the world. It doesn't 00:28:04.519 --> 00:28:06.900 mean that he can't become worldly at some given 00:28:06.900 --> 00:28:14.619 point. We can. But we confess that. And our Father 00:28:14.619 --> 00:28:18.140 chastises us and brings us back to obedience. 00:28:18.680 --> 00:28:23.769 We can become worldly. But the general direction, 00:28:24.170 --> 00:28:27.289 the bent of the life, is one of overcoming the 00:28:27.289 --> 00:28:30.950 world system. One who wants to be with the world 00:28:30.950 --> 00:28:34.230 and be like the world is one who is really still 00:28:34.230 --> 00:28:40.109 of the world and is not of God. For one who is 00:28:40.109 --> 00:28:44.190 born of God overcomes the world. So what is the 00:28:44.190 --> 00:28:47.369 evidence that I am in the family of God? Is it 00:28:47.369 --> 00:28:50.170 that I'm a member of a church or that I've always 00:28:50.170 --> 00:28:53.619 believed in Jesus? or that I do good things or 00:28:53.619 --> 00:28:56.039 that I've been confirmed or baptized or whatever. 00:28:56.160 --> 00:29:00.319 No, no, no. It's not even that I can look back 00:29:00.319 --> 00:29:02.359 to a date and say, I prayed a prayer in that 00:29:02.359 --> 00:29:04.359 Baptist church at the end of that evangelistic 00:29:04.359 --> 00:29:09.500 meeting. The evidence that I am a child of God, 00:29:09.859 --> 00:29:12.960 that I'm in his family, is my practice in my 00:29:12.960 --> 00:29:19.240 life. My practice towards sin, my practice toward 00:29:19.240 --> 00:29:22.359 my brothers. and sisters in Christ, my practice 00:29:22.359 --> 00:29:25.759 toward the world. And it is that which then gives 00:29:25.759 --> 00:29:30.039 me assurance that I'm in the family of God or 00:29:30.039 --> 00:29:33.059 convicts me that I'm not in the family of God. 00:29:35.799 --> 00:29:39.960 Are you in the family of God? What evidence? 00:29:40.559 --> 00:29:43.880 What evidence do you have? What evidence can 00:29:43.880 --> 00:29:47.839 you look to and say, here's proof, here's my 00:29:47.839 --> 00:29:53.130 ID? Here is the evidence that I am who I claim 00:29:53.130 --> 00:30:01.730 to be. Don't be deceived. One of the great fears 00:30:01.730 --> 00:30:07.349 I have is that so many of us, especially in this 00:30:07.349 --> 00:30:11.410 western world in which we live, where we grow 00:30:11.410 --> 00:30:15.130 up with Christian concepts and words and ideas, 00:30:16.650 --> 00:30:19.339 that there are so many who think they're on their 00:30:19.339 --> 00:30:22.460 way to heaven because of something they've done 00:30:22.460 --> 00:30:25.680 or some experience they've had or some words 00:30:25.680 --> 00:30:28.640 they've prayed, but who have never truly been 00:30:28.640 --> 00:30:34.019 born of God. I'm not trying to shatter anybody's 00:30:34.019 --> 00:30:37.019 security blanket here today, but I can tell you 00:30:37.019 --> 00:30:40.220 this, if your security blanket is not of God, 00:30:40.960 --> 00:30:43.539 I mean, if you're trusting in yourself or in 00:30:43.539 --> 00:30:45.920 your religion or your church background or whatever 00:30:45.920 --> 00:30:49.059 to get to heaven, I hope I do shatter it so that 00:30:49.059 --> 00:30:50.880 you will no longer be deceived into thinking 00:30:50.880 --> 00:30:54.440 those things will somehow bring you to heaven. 00:30:54.619 --> 00:30:59.640 They won't. Those things do not make us a part 00:30:59.640 --> 00:31:03.859 of God's family. We are born into God's family 00:31:03.859 --> 00:31:07.240 by the new birth of supernatural act of God. 00:31:10.829 --> 00:31:14.450 And yet when these things are in our life, what 00:31:14.450 --> 00:31:18.569 joyous assurance they give. One of the greatest 00:31:18.569 --> 00:31:20.609 assurances that you and I can have is that when 00:31:20.609 --> 00:31:23.529 we sin, we're convicted about it and we desire 00:31:23.529 --> 00:31:27.470 to confess it to our Father. One of the greatest 00:31:27.470 --> 00:31:29.789 joys we can have is that there is this inner 00:31:29.789 --> 00:31:34.009 desire in us to obey God, not to disobey God. 00:31:35.230 --> 00:31:37.970 And as much as we come short at times of that, 00:31:38.049 --> 00:31:40.269 there is nonetheless that drive within us and 00:31:40.269 --> 00:31:45.990 that desire within us, that seed within us of 00:31:45.990 --> 00:31:50.130 obedience. One of the greatest joys we have is 00:31:50.130 --> 00:31:53.410 to be together and to sense that warmth and that 00:31:53.410 --> 00:31:56.650 love with God's people and the desire to be in 00:31:56.650 --> 00:31:59.869 church and to be in that intimate fellowship 00:31:59.869 --> 00:32:02.990 with other believers. That gives assurance that 00:32:02.990 --> 00:32:06.940 I'm a child of God. The fact I don't want to 00:32:06.940 --> 00:32:10.220 be a part of the world system. I want to be in 00:32:10.220 --> 00:32:14.920 it, but not of it. I don't want to do the things 00:32:14.920 --> 00:32:16.799 the world does. I don't want to be motivated 00:32:16.799 --> 00:32:19.680 by what motivates the unregenerates. I don't 00:32:19.680 --> 00:32:22.839 want to live for what they live for. That's great 00:32:22.839 --> 00:32:25.720 assurance to me that I'm part of God's family. 00:32:26.819 --> 00:32:29.740 I know most of you can feel that same assurance 00:32:29.740 --> 00:32:38.380 in your own life. aspect of this family of God, 00:32:38.480 --> 00:32:40.759 and that is the maturation in the family, the 00:32:40.759 --> 00:32:43.720 growing, the maturing. It has nothing whatever 00:32:43.720 --> 00:32:48.119 to do with age chronologically, physically. In 00:32:48.119 --> 00:32:53.119 chapter 2, we see these words beginning in verse 00:32:53.119 --> 00:32:56.680 12, I am writing to you little children because 00:32:56.680 --> 00:32:59.180 your sins are forgiven you for his namesake. 00:32:59.920 --> 00:33:02.440 I am writing to you, fathers, because you know 00:33:02.440 --> 00:33:05.660 Him who has been from the beginning. I am writing 00:33:05.660 --> 00:33:08.240 to you, young men, because you have overcome 00:33:08.240 --> 00:33:11.319 the evil one. I have written to you, children, 00:33:11.480 --> 00:33:14.500 because you know the Father. I have written to 00:33:14.500 --> 00:33:18.960 you, fathers, because you know Him who has been 00:33:18.960 --> 00:33:21.400 from the beginning. I have written to you, young 00:33:21.400 --> 00:33:24.160 men, because you are strong and the word of God 00:33:24.160 --> 00:33:27.000 abides in you and you have overcome the evil 00:33:27.000 --> 00:33:30.700 one. Now you will notice a certain parallelism 00:33:30.700 --> 00:33:35.339 in these verses. John is not writing to those 00:33:35.339 --> 00:33:37.599 who are little children physically and young 00:33:37.599 --> 00:33:40.759 adults physically and then those who are older, 00:33:40.839 --> 00:33:47.759 more mature. What he is describing here is the 00:33:47.759 --> 00:33:51.640 level of maturity in various people in that church. 00:33:52.170 --> 00:33:55.650 In verse 12 he speaks to the born ones, the little 00:33:55.650 --> 00:33:57.829 children. That's different than the word little 00:33:57.829 --> 00:34:00.029 children to be found in the last part of verse 00:34:00.029 --> 00:34:05.210 13. Little children in verse 12 means those who 00:34:05.210 --> 00:34:07.650 are born of God. The same word that we saw in 00:34:07.650 --> 00:34:12.369 chapter 3, verse 2. Here he seems to be referring 00:34:12.369 --> 00:34:16.389 to all of those who are saved. He says that we 00:34:16.389 --> 00:34:19.289 have this knowledge that our sins are forgiven 00:34:19.289 --> 00:34:24.619 for his name's sake. One who was newly born into 00:34:24.619 --> 00:34:26.960 God's family and all of us who are born into 00:34:26.960 --> 00:34:30.179 God's family should have that assurance that 00:34:30.179 --> 00:34:33.800 our sins are forgiven. We know that. One of the 00:34:33.800 --> 00:34:36.320 things that brings us to Jesus Christ is the 00:34:36.320 --> 00:34:39.980 awareness of our guilt before God and our deserving 00:34:39.980 --> 00:34:44.440 of condemnation. And so when we are born into 00:34:44.440 --> 00:34:47.659 the family of God, for His name's sake, we know 00:34:47.659 --> 00:34:53.110 our sins have been forgiven. But then he mentions 00:34:53.110 --> 00:34:55.929 children there in verse 13, and that seems to 00:34:55.929 --> 00:35:00.829 be a level up. Not just those who are newborn, 00:35:01.050 --> 00:35:04.690 but a level up. These children are those who 00:35:04.690 --> 00:35:10.030 are children in training. It's a word for a little 00:35:10.030 --> 00:35:14.969 child, perhaps two or three or a little older 00:35:14.969 --> 00:35:18.570 than that. Those who are being disciplined and 00:35:18.570 --> 00:35:21.960 trained by the parent. who can begin to learn 00:35:21.960 --> 00:35:25.559 right and wrong. That's the word here in verse 00:35:25.559 --> 00:35:29.139 13, and he's saying that these children know 00:35:29.139 --> 00:35:34.480 the Father. So you see, when we are the born 00:35:34.480 --> 00:35:39.639 ones, we have this self -centered kind of outlook, 00:35:39.719 --> 00:35:42.900 my sins are forgiven. But as we begin to grow 00:35:42.900 --> 00:35:47.400 up a little bit, then we come to know the Father. 00:35:47.940 --> 00:35:51.210 Instead of being Focused inward, we begin to 00:35:51.210 --> 00:35:56.630 focus outward, and we learn to say, Abba. The 00:35:56.630 --> 00:35:59.110 spirit in us teaches us to say, Father. We are 00:35:59.110 --> 00:36:02.989 aware of God's fatherhood in our lives. One of 00:36:02.989 --> 00:36:05.909 the first things that a child learns as he grows, 00:36:05.929 --> 00:36:10.190 as you parents know, is parent identity. And 00:36:10.190 --> 00:36:14.269 almost always they begin by saying, Dada. Don't 00:36:14.269 --> 00:36:21.920 they? Sometimes mama. But the point is parent 00:36:21.920 --> 00:36:28.179 identity. But children don't stop there, hopefully. 00:36:29.780 --> 00:36:31.980 Neither God's children. He talks then to the 00:36:31.980 --> 00:36:38.159 young men. Twice He refers to them. He says regarding 00:36:38.159 --> 00:36:40.860 young men, they've overcome the evil one, they're 00:36:40.860 --> 00:36:44.840 strong, and the word of God abides in them. And 00:36:44.840 --> 00:36:47.739 so you see here is another level up in maturity. 00:36:48.030 --> 00:36:51.429 We started out just being born again. Sins are 00:36:51.429 --> 00:36:54.190 forgiven. Then another level, children who are 00:36:54.190 --> 00:36:58.570 beginning to know who their father is. And now 00:36:58.570 --> 00:37:01.190 we come up another level. Here are young men 00:37:01.190 --> 00:37:03.329 who are maturing. They're becoming energetic 00:37:03.329 --> 00:37:05.989 and vigorous. They get involved in the fight 00:37:05.989 --> 00:37:08.610 and the Word of God is abiding in them. You see 00:37:08.610 --> 00:37:12.630 they're growing by the Word of God. And they 00:37:12.630 --> 00:37:16.090 are entering into conflict with the enemy. And 00:37:16.090 --> 00:37:21.349 not only that, they are overcoming him. But then 00:37:21.349 --> 00:37:25.190 he speaks to the final level, and that is to 00:37:25.190 --> 00:37:31.590 the fathers. These are those believers who are 00:37:31.590 --> 00:37:36.130 maturing in a very final kind of sense. That 00:37:36.130 --> 00:37:40.809 is what he says here. They know him who has been 00:37:40.809 --> 00:37:44.510 from the beginning. So you see, we start out 00:37:44.510 --> 00:37:46.690 with just sins being forgiven. That's the lowest 00:37:46.690 --> 00:37:48.750 level. And then children become aware of who 00:37:48.750 --> 00:37:52.230 daddy is. And then as they get a little older, 00:37:52.230 --> 00:37:54.929 they become more outgoing and vigorous and strong, 00:37:54.969 --> 00:37:56.929 and they enter into the battle and overcome the 00:37:56.929 --> 00:38:00.909 wicked one. But then you pass through that phase, 00:38:01.070 --> 00:38:04.010 too, if you're growing. It's not that you stop 00:38:04.010 --> 00:38:07.409 doing that, but you go beyond that to this point 00:38:07.409 --> 00:38:13.469 of having a settled, intimate knowledge of the 00:38:13.469 --> 00:38:18.869 eternal God. Every Christian here today is on 00:38:18.869 --> 00:38:20.929 one level or another, and I say again, it has 00:38:20.929 --> 00:38:26.090 nothing to do with your age physically. It is 00:38:26.090 --> 00:38:29.010 very sad when a Christian tends to stay down 00:38:29.010 --> 00:38:33.469 on the born one level, and all he can talk about 00:38:33.469 --> 00:38:36.949 are his sins being forgiven. It is a great mark 00:38:36.949 --> 00:38:38.909 of encouragement when he begins to talk about 00:38:38.909 --> 00:38:44.079 the Father, and he begins to pray. and to appreciate 00:38:44.079 --> 00:38:48.500 what he is receiving from his father. But then 00:38:48.500 --> 00:38:51.039 it's another great victory when that person is 00:38:51.039 --> 00:38:53.659 growing so that he goes beyond that even, doesn't 00:38:53.659 --> 00:38:56.000 stop doing that, but he goes beyond that, and 00:38:56.000 --> 00:38:58.420 he begins to get involved in the work of God. 00:39:00.380 --> 00:39:02.619 And he's struggling with the enemy and overcoming 00:39:02.619 --> 00:39:05.079 the enemy, and the Word of God is abiding in 00:39:05.079 --> 00:39:09.559 him. But then, and there are many who are here 00:39:09.559 --> 00:39:12.369 on that level. But folks, we need to get on to 00:39:12.369 --> 00:39:15.829 that last level, for we've not really matured 00:39:15.829 --> 00:39:18.789 until we can say we've come to the point that 00:39:18.789 --> 00:39:23.150 we have that settled, personal, intimate knowledge 00:39:23.150 --> 00:39:27.710 of God, Him who has been from the beginning. 00:39:28.750 --> 00:39:31.190 And it's when we get to that point that we really 00:39:31.190 --> 00:39:34.070 enter into what the spiritual life is all about. 00:39:34.690 --> 00:39:40.590 That's maturation in the family. Spiritual maturity 00:39:40.590 --> 00:39:45.110 requires time and experience. Don't you get that? 00:39:46.469 --> 00:39:50.250 It doesn't happen in one bound. There are those 00:39:50.250 --> 00:39:53.309 today who are telling us that in just one experience 00:39:53.309 --> 00:39:56.909 we should jump from this level to that level 00:39:56.909 --> 00:40:00.030 and then we have prosperity and health forever. 00:40:01.429 --> 00:40:03.949 If we just have this experience, we just grow 00:40:03.949 --> 00:40:09.380 up overnight and we're mature. Wrong. Be nice 00:40:09.380 --> 00:40:11.800 if it happened that way. Be nice for just one 00:40:11.800 --> 00:40:14.920 thing you had to do or one test you had to pass 00:40:14.920 --> 00:40:18.019 through. But listen, maturity comes over the 00:40:18.019 --> 00:40:21.079 process of time. It comes through experience. 00:40:21.280 --> 00:40:24.059 It comes through trial. It comes through heartache. 00:40:24.119 --> 00:40:26.559 It comes through disappointment. It comes through 00:40:26.559 --> 00:40:33.539 defeat. Maturity takes time and experience walking 00:40:33.539 --> 00:40:37.619 with God. So don't get impatient with yourself. 00:40:38.539 --> 00:40:40.719 You may feel like that you ought to be on that 00:40:40.719 --> 00:40:43.500 mature level right now, and you've been saved 00:40:43.500 --> 00:40:47.460 a day and a half. Listen, you're going to have 00:40:47.460 --> 00:40:50.280 to work your way there. It just happens over 00:40:50.280 --> 00:40:54.320 the process of time. Don't get discouraged, but 00:40:54.320 --> 00:40:58.940 don't quit growing either. And don't excuse stagnation 00:40:58.940 --> 00:41:05.800 in your life. Press on to know Him, to be mature, 00:41:06.139 --> 00:41:09.309 to be a father. to be one who's reproducing. 00:41:10.030 --> 00:41:16.929 That's a father. The final aspect that we'll 00:41:16.929 --> 00:41:19.829 look at this morning is the inheritance for the 00:41:19.829 --> 00:41:23.670 family. John says, it does not yet appear what 00:41:23.670 --> 00:41:27.929 we shall be. Listen, for those of us who are 00:41:27.929 --> 00:41:31.530 in the family of God, the best is yet to come. 00:41:32.949 --> 00:41:36.969 It does not yet appear. It has not yet been made 00:41:36.969 --> 00:41:42.309 apparent or visible what we shall be. We have 00:41:42.309 --> 00:41:46.510 an inheritance that is coming. An inheritance 00:41:46.510 --> 00:41:49.130 in the first place is that we shall be like Him, 00:41:49.190 --> 00:41:53.869 for we shall see Him as He is. There is nothing 00:41:53.869 --> 00:41:58.050 now that particularly distinguishes us outwardly 00:41:58.050 --> 00:42:01.789 as being a part of God's family, so it was with 00:42:01.789 --> 00:42:05.670 Christ. Outwardly speaking, there was nothing 00:42:05.670 --> 00:42:10.429 to say that He was God come in the flesh. He 00:42:10.429 --> 00:42:15.909 looked to be a mere man, and yet He was the King 00:42:15.909 --> 00:42:18.789 of the universe. He was God Himself come in flesh. 00:42:18.889 --> 00:42:22.269 Let me tell you something. You are God's royalty 00:42:22.269 --> 00:42:27.550 in disguise. Outwardly, there's nothing to say 00:42:27.550 --> 00:42:31.190 you're very royal. Part of most of us, anyway. 00:42:33.230 --> 00:42:37.769 We don't look too distinguished. And yet there 00:42:37.769 --> 00:42:41.190 is a day coming when we will be distinguished 00:42:41.190 --> 00:42:51.090 because we will be like Jesus Christ. And then 00:42:51.090 --> 00:42:54.849 we shall have the inheritance of sharing all 00:42:54.849 --> 00:42:57.170 things with Jesus Christ. Not just being like 00:42:57.170 --> 00:43:01.789 Him, but sharing all things with Him. A mutual 00:43:01.789 --> 00:43:04.730 possession of all things. I'm not going to have 00:43:04.730 --> 00:43:06.909 time today to read these texts. Let me just give 00:43:06.909 --> 00:43:10.349 you the list. Romans 8, 32. How shall he not 00:43:10.349 --> 00:43:15.070 also freely give us all things with Christ? 1 00:43:15.070 --> 00:43:19.389 Corinthians 3, 21 through 23. All things are 00:43:19.389 --> 00:43:26.010 yours in Jesus Christ. Ephesians 1, 3. Every 00:43:26.010 --> 00:43:29.780 spiritual blessing is ours. in Christ in the 00:43:29.780 --> 00:43:33.719 heavenly places. 2 Peter 1 .3, everything pertaining 00:43:33.719 --> 00:43:36.960 to life and godliness has been given to us. And 00:43:36.960 --> 00:43:40.059 finally John again writes in Revelation 21 .7, 00:43:40.119 --> 00:43:47.820 he that overcometh shall inherit all things. 00:43:48.320 --> 00:43:50.460 And in the context there is the new heavens and 00:43:50.460 --> 00:43:55.519 the new earth. Do you realize what you have coming 00:43:55.519 --> 00:44:00.019 as a member of God's family? It is the glory 00:44:00.019 --> 00:44:03.739 of God being revealed in you though you're now 00:44:03.739 --> 00:44:08.760 in disguise, and it is the inheriting of all 00:44:08.760 --> 00:44:15.139 things. All things will belong to you and Jesus 00:44:15.139 --> 00:44:19.559 Christ. It is a mutual ownership and possession. 00:44:20.420 --> 00:44:30.460 We are joint heirs with Christ. I'm going to 00:44:30.460 --> 00:44:35.280 ask us to sing a cappella, these words that most 00:44:35.280 --> 00:44:40.360 of you probably know. Just the chorus, unfortunately, 00:44:40.500 --> 00:44:44.099 in our hymnal written by the Gaithers. I'm so 00:44:44.099 --> 00:44:47.639 glad I'm a part of the family of God. Just remain 00:44:47.639 --> 00:44:51.980 seated as we sing. Let's reflect the truth of 00:44:51.980 --> 00:44:53.820 what we've talked about this morning and the 00:44:53.820 --> 00:44:56.719 joy. that we ought to have bubbling in our hearts 00:44:56.719 --> 00:45:00.679 because we are a part of this royal family, the 00:45:00.679 --> 00:45:06.199 family of God. We'll do it a cappella. We'll 00:45:06.199 --> 00:45:24.460 do it a cappella without the instrument. Cleanse 00:45:24.460 --> 00:45:35.119 by His blood. Joint airs with Jesus as we travel 00:45:35.119 --> 00:45:45.539 this sod. For I'm part of the family, the family 00:45:45.539 --> 00:45:51.510 of God. Now, if that's true. I want you to turn 00:45:51.510 --> 00:45:56.210 back to Ephesians chapter 5 and let's look at 00:45:56.210 --> 00:46:00.969 the first few verses of this chapter. Ephesians 00:46:00.969 --> 00:46:04.250 chapter 5, open your Bible please and look there. 00:46:05.590 --> 00:46:08.230 If you're glad you're a part of the family of 00:46:08.230 --> 00:46:12.909 God and I trust you are as I am, let's look at 00:46:12.909 --> 00:46:44.119 what it says. Be imitators of God as beloved 00:46:44.119 --> 00:46:48.739 children. In other words, I am to imitate my 00:46:48.739 --> 00:46:54.139 Father. And walk in love just as Christ also 00:46:54.139 --> 00:46:59.219 loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering 00:46:59.219 --> 00:47:03.340 and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma. But 00:47:03.340 --> 00:47:10.340 do not let immorality or any impurity or greed, 00:47:11.300 --> 00:47:15.900 even be named among you, as is proper among saints. 00:47:16.380 --> 00:47:20.400 And there must be no filthiness, or silly talk, 00:47:20.940 --> 00:47:25.480 or coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but 00:47:25.480 --> 00:47:28.679 rather giving of thanks. For this you know with 00:47:28.679 --> 00:47:32.000 certainty that no immoral or impure person or 00:47:32.000 --> 00:47:35.960 covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance. 00:47:36.809 --> 00:47:40.809 in the kingdom of Christ and God. That no one 00:47:40.809 --> 00:47:42.829 deceive you with empty words, for because of 00:47:42.829 --> 00:47:45.110 these things the wrath of God comes upon the 00:47:45.110 --> 00:47:48.030 sons of disobedience." That's the family of the 00:47:48.030 --> 00:47:52.369 devil. Therefore, do not be partakers, fellow 00:47:52.369 --> 00:47:56.750 sharers with them. For you were formerly darkness, 00:47:56.949 --> 00:47:59.949 but now we are the children of God. He says, 00:48:00.070 --> 00:48:03.409 now you are light in the world. Walk as children 00:48:03.409 --> 00:48:07.309 of light. trying to learn what is pleasing to 00:48:07.309 --> 00:48:10.550 the Lord. He says the fruit of the light consists 00:48:10.550 --> 00:48:13.530 in all goodness, righteousness, and truth. And 00:48:13.530 --> 00:48:16.269 do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of 00:48:16.269 --> 00:48:20.710 darkness, but instead expose them for as disgraceful 00:48:20.710 --> 00:48:24.210 even to speak of the things which are done by 00:48:24.210 --> 00:48:28.789 the children of the devil in secret. Whose family 00:48:28.789 --> 00:48:35.460 are you in? Are you living like it? Heavenly 00:48:35.460 --> 00:48:40.340 Father, I pray today that those of us who are 00:48:40.340 --> 00:48:43.239 your children can look at our lives and can see 00:48:43.239 --> 00:48:46.039 there the evidence that we're in the family. 00:48:48.119 --> 00:48:50.219 And to the extent that we can't, and to the extent 00:48:50.219 --> 00:48:52.619 that we're not imitating you, to the extent that 00:48:52.619 --> 00:48:55.800 we're not walking as children of light, then 00:48:55.800 --> 00:49:00.940 bring us to repentance and confession right now. 00:49:03.789 --> 00:49:06.250 And I pray, Father, that if there are those who 00:49:06.250 --> 00:49:08.389 are here today who are still children of the 00:49:08.389 --> 00:49:10.750 devil because they've not been born into your 00:49:10.750 --> 00:49:17.750 family, may they today make that decision, to 00:49:17.750 --> 00:49:21.230 trust the Lord Jesus Christ, to receive him, 00:49:21.510 --> 00:49:29.150 and thus to be born of God. And this I pray in 00:49:29.150 --> 00:49:31.309 Jesus' name. Amen.