See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him.
I John 3:1
The love of God came to us in the life of Jesus. He taught us how to properly live in heaven’s own kingdom. The love of God came to us in the death of Jesus. He died for our sins so that death would not be the end of us because of those sins. The love of God came to us in the resurrection of Jesus. He gave us the very real certainly of eternal life, of life forever with the Father, in a place He has prepared for us to be with Him because He loves us. And that love brings us into relationship with the Father as His beloved children. In Jesus, we are forgiven and made holy. It is what we now are. Christians enjoy the relationship of being God’s kids!
And because we now are children of our Father, as we look more and more like our family, serving our Lord, loving our Father, and proclaiming to others how they can be brought into His family, the world sees something very different. Sin is always opposed to what is holy to the Lord. It makes truth and righteousness its enemy. And so, this world that tried to silence Jesus in a grave will also fight God’s children. We should not be surprised when this happens. We have no “right” to be unopposed and embraced by a broken, sinful, God-hating system. It does not know God. It does not recognize us.
Nowhere in the New Testament do Christians protest against their mistreatment. They instead, make it an opportunity to advance the love of God by proclaiming the gospel, sometimes suffering greatly for the gospel, and sometimes dying for the gospel. And that love actually advances the truth and shows us as the children of God. We are worthy of being treated like Jesus was treated. The world may not know Him, but we do! The world may not love Him, but we certainly do! And nothing can stop us or change us from forever being in God’s family.
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