福音的重要信息：作神兒女（一）
約翰壹書三章1至9節
1你看父賜給我們是何等的慈愛，使我們得稱為神的兒女；我們也真是他的兒女。世人所以不認識我們，是因未曾認識他。
2親愛的弟兄阿，我們現在是神的兒女，將來如何，還未顯明；但我們知道，主若顯現，我們必要像他、因為必得見他的真體。
3凡向他有這指望的，就潔淨自己，像他潔淨一樣。
4凡犯罪的，就是違背律法；違背律法就是罪。
5你們知道主曾顯現，是要除掉人的罪；在他並沒有罪。
6凡住在他裡面的，就不犯罪；凡犯罪的，是未曾看見他，也未曾認識他。
7小子們哪，不要被人誘惑，行義的才是義人，正如主是義的一樣。
8犯罪的是屬魔鬼，因為魔鬼從起初就犯罪。神的兒子顯現出來，為要除滅魔鬼的作為。
9凡從神生的，就不犯罪，因神的道（原文作種）存在他心裡；他也不能犯罪，因為他是由神生的。
信息分享
許多人相信，全人類都是神的兒女並互為手足。你是否這樣相信？對此你有甚麼看法呢？
當我們接受基督之前，我們只是神所創造的人。亞當在犯罪之前，當然也是神的兒子；但因著他的犯罪墮落，神與人之間的關係便告破裂。基督責備當時的法利賽人是假冒為善，並直言他們是「出於你們的父魔鬼，你們父的私慾，你們偏要行」（約八44）。
只要你靜下來，細想神為你做了甚麼，以致使你成為祂的兒女，你便不得不承認祂的愛是何等的奇妙。假如你的僱員偷了公司的錢而潛逃，你會怎樣做呢？如果他又回來求你說：「請你再次聘用我。」你會答應嗎？
若有人代他償還了欠你的債項，你能原諒他嗎？並且，還進一步認他作兒子嗎？這個比喻實不足以形容神為我們所做的一切，因為神為我們所付出的代價遠超於此──祂甚至差祂的獨生子來到世上，為償還我們的罪債而為我們捨命，以致我們能成為神的兒女（約一12）。
而且，神更將作神兒子的一切特權賜予我們。英文的引申譯本將約翰壹書三章1節譯得很好。它說：「看父賜給我們或向我們顯明的愛是何等不可思議，以致我們得稱和被算為神的兒女。」
禱告：父啊，求你教導我如何作你的兒女，使我能活出作你兒女的應有樣式。
GREAT WORDS OF THE GOSPEL SONSHIP(1)
I John 3:1-9
1 Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.
2 Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.
3 And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.
4 Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness.
5 And you know that He was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin.
6 Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him.
7 Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous.
8 He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.
9 Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God.
Message
What does belonging to the family of God mean to you? As God's sons and daughters, we have the family name. We are to show the family likeness and we are to love our brothers and sisters in Christ. We will also ultimately share in the family inheritance. Isn't that wonderful? And John says we are children of God!
Many people believe that 'Everybody everywhere is a child of God'. They speak about the 'fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of God'. How do you answer that?
Before we came to Christ, we were only children of God in the sense that He created us. Adam was truly God's son before he sinned but the Fall produced a tragic change in the relationship. Christ said to the hypocritical Pharisees of His day, 'You belong to your father, the devil and you want to carry out your father's desires.' (John 8:44)
If you stop and think of what God has done in making you His child, you have to acknowledge how INCREDIBLE His love really is. What would you do if your employee robbed you and ran away? What would you do if he came back and said he wanted to work for you again? Would you re-employ him?
Could you forgive him if someone else paid his debt to you? Would you go further and adopt him as your son? It's a poor analogy, but God has done all that and more for us. Remember He sent His only Son to pay our debt so that He, God the Father, could make us His children. (John 1:12)
He also goes beyond even that and gives us all the privileges of full sonship. The Amplified Version of I John 3:1 puts it so well: 'See what an incredible quality of love the Father has given or shown so that we should be permitted to be named, called and counted the children of God.'
A THOUGHT FOR TODAY: 'Father, let me show our family likeness today in all that I do or say.'