福音的重要信息：作神儿女（一）
约翰壹书三章1至9节
1你看父赐给我们是何等的慈爱，使我们得称为神的儿女；我们也真是他的儿女。世人所以不认识我们，是因未曾认识他。
2亲爱的弟兄阿，我们现在是神的儿女，将来如何，还未显明；但我们知道，主若显现，我们必要像他、因为必得见他的真体。
3凡向他有这指望的，就洁净自己，像他洁净一样。
4凡犯罪的，就是违背律法；违背律法就是罪。
5你们知道主曾显现，是要除掉人的罪；在他并没有罪。
6凡住在他里面的，就不犯罪；凡犯罪的，是未曾看见他，也未曾认识他。
7小子们哪，不要被人诱惑，行义的才是义人，正如主是义的一样。
8犯罪的是属魔鬼，因为魔鬼从起初就犯罪。神的儿子显现出来，为要除灭魔鬼的作为。
9凡从神生的，就不犯罪，因神的道（原文作种）存在他心里；他也不能犯罪，因为他是由神生的。
信息分享
许多人相信，全人类都是神的儿女并互为手足。你是否这样相信？对此你有甚么看法呢？
当我们接受基督之前，我们只是神所创造的人。亚当在犯罪之前，当然也是神的儿子；但因着他的犯罪堕落，神与人之间的关系便告破裂。基督责备当时的法利赛人是假冒为善，并直言他们是「出于你们的父魔鬼，你们父的私欲，你们偏要行」（约八44）。
只要你静下来，细想神为你做了甚么，以致使你成为祂的儿女，你便不得不承认祂的爱是何等的奇妙。假如你的雇员偷了公司的钱而潜逃，你会怎样做呢？如果他又回来求你说：「请你再次聘用我。」你会答应吗？
若有人代他偿还了欠你的债项，你能原谅他吗？并且，还进一步认他作儿子吗？这个比喻实不足以形容神为我们所做的一切，因为神为我们所付出的代价远超于此──祂甚至差祂的独生子来到世上，为偿还我们的罪债而为我们舍命，以致我们能成为神的儿女（约一12）。
而且，神更将作神儿子的一切特权赐予我们。英文的引申译本将约翰壹书三章1节译得很好。它说：「看父赐给我们或向我们显明的爱是何等不可思议，以致我们得称和被算为神的儿女。」
祷告：父啊，求你教导我如何作你的儿女，使我能活出作你儿女的应有样式。
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.'