Undeserved Title

Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! (1 John 3:1a)

Wow! What a thought right? I like to read this as ‘Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on me, that I should be called a child of God!’

How can God, the Creator of the universe, the All-knowing, Almighty God, love me and call me his child??? He knows me too well yet even if I am such a wretched, filthy, sinful and rebellious, He finds me shows mercy on me.

Why would He do such a marvelous thing?

This reminds me of the story of Hosea when God asked him to take a prostitute (Gomer) to be his bride. I couldn’t imagine myself doing such a thing! Why would I love someone such filthy and disgraceful? God wanted Hosea to do this in order to reflect His relationship to His people, Israel, and their rebellion against Him. Here are some verses I found encouraging from that book:

Hosea 2:6-8 “Therefore, behold, I will hedge up your way with thorns, and wall her in, so that she cannot find her paths. She will chase her lovers, but not overtake them; Yes, she will seek tem, but not find them. Then she will say, ‘I will go and return to my first husband, for then it was better for me than now.’ For she did not know that I gave her grain, new wine, and oil, and multiplied her silver and gold—which they prepared for Baal.”

Hosea 2:14 “Therefore, behold, I will allure her, will bring her back into the wilderness, and speak comfort to her.”

Hosea 2:19-20 “I will betroth you to Me forever; Yes, I will betroth you to Me in righteousness and justice, in lovingkindness and mercy; I will betroth you to Me in faithfulness, and you shall know the Lord.”

Hosea 2:23 “Then I will sow her for Myself in the earth, and I will have mercy on her who had not obtained mercy. Then I will say to those who were not My people, ‘You are My people!’ And they shall say, ‘You are my God!’”

Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on me, that I should be called a child of God!