Early in the 1900s a missionary on the foreign field employed a native to help him translate the New Testament into the language of the people. The missionary would read the verses. Then the native would translate and write them down. Finally they came to the epistle of First John. In chapter 3 the missionary read, “See how great a love the Father has given to us…” The man translated and wrote down the words. The missionary read on, “that we should be called children of God.”
The native bowed his head and wept.
“What’s the matter?” asked the missionary.
The man replied, “Teacher, don’t make me put it that way. I know our people. That’s too good for them. Put it this way, ‘Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we may be allowed to kiss His feet!”*
Reflect
See how great a love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God! (1 John 3:1).
Respond
You have been called to be a child of God. John 1:12 says, “But as many as received him, to them he gave the right to become God’s children, to those who believe in his name.”
This is an amazing and powerful privilege–not something you earn but something you receive in Christ. We love Him because He first loved us and true discipleship is born out of an in-love relationship with a Great God of Love.
When people “fall in love” with someone, they want to talk to the person, think about them, talk about them, look at their picture, figure out how they can make them happy, and so forth. When a person falls in love with Jesus Christ, that believer wants to talk to Him (prayer), be with Him (daily devotions), talk about what He’s doing (testimonies), be around others who love Him (church), obey Him and show Him off to the world (witnessing). Then, since true discipleship is an overflow of one’s love relationship with the Lord, your desire to grow also becomes a measure of the depth of your love for Him. How much do you desire a deeper walk with Christ? What is the depth of your love for Christ (i.e., Do you want to spend time with Him? Do you want to show Him off to the world? Do you obey Him?) On a scale of 1 to 10, how deeply are you in love with Jesus? Why do you feel this way?
Remember
“We become what we are committed to.”**
* W. Herschel Ford, Sermons You Can Preach on John, (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1958), p. 348.
**Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Life, (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishers, 2002), p 180.
Discover more evangelism resources at 330resources.org/evangelism.
If these resources bless you, consider supporting this ministry:
Share these resources:
