“See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is. And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.” (1 John 3:1-3 NASB1995)
Let’s recap a little bit here (all quotations in the NASB1995):
We read in 1 John 1:5-9 that “This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
In summary, what this is teaching us is that if we say (claim) that we are in fellowship (relationship, partnership, participation, cooperation) with Jesus Christ, in his work of grace in our lives in saving us from our sins, and yet we walk (in conduct, in practice) in sin (spiritual darkness), we lie and we do not practice the truth. But if we walk (in conduct, in practice) in the Light (Jesus, truth, righteousness, the gospel of our salvation, death to sin, and obedience to God) then we are in fellowship with Christ and with other believers in Christ, and the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin.
Yet many people are taking verse 9 out of context and they are teaching that as long as we own up to the fact that we sinned, that God is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. But a few verses before this we learned that if we claim that we are in relationship with Christ, but while we walk (in conduct, in lifestyle) in sin, that we are liars. And this word “confess” is not a mere verbal confession of sin, but this has to do with us agreeing with God about our sin, and aligning with him, which should result in us dying to sin and obeying our Lord.
We read in 1 John 2:3-6 that “By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments. The one who says, ‘I have come to know Him,’ and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him: the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked.”
In summary this is teaching us that to know God – Father, Son Jesus Christ, and Holy Spirit – we must keep (obey) his commands, in practice. And so if we claim that we know God, via faith in Jesus Christ, but we do not obey our Lord and his New Covenant commandments, in practice, then we are liars, and the truth is not in us. But whoever keeps His word (obeys the Lord’s commandments, in practice (in lifestyle), in him the love of God has been perfected. And then we are to model our walks of faith after the way that Jesus lived when he walked this earth, for we are to be like him in character.
So, those who are called “children of God” are those who have died to sin and who are walking in obedience to our Lord and to his commands as a matter of life practice, though not necessarily in absolute perfection (see 1 John 2:1-2), in the power of God, by the grace of God, via God-gifted and God-persuaded biblical faith in Jesus Christ. And this is the reason that the world does not know us, because it did not know him, and because we are becoming like Jesus in character, and in thought, word, and deed. But this is a process of a lifetime which will not be complete until Jesus returns for us.
And then please take careful note of this last sentence: “And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.” For Jesus Christ taught that to come to him we must deny self, take up our cross daily (die daily to sin), and follow (obey) him, in practice. For if we hold on to living in sin and for self, we will lose our lives for eternity. But if we deny self, die daily to sin, by the Spirit, and we walk in obedience to our Lord and to his commands, in his power, then we have eternal life with God. For not everyone who calls him “Lord” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one DOING (obeying) the will of God (see Luke 9:23-26; Matthew 7:21-23).
[Matthew 7:13-14,21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 1:12-13; John 6:44; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Romans 1:18-32; Romans 2:5-10; Romans 3:23; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; Galatians 5:16-24; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-6; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-13; Hebrews 10:19-39; Hebrews 12:1-2; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 1:1-10; 1 John 2:3-6; 1 John 3:4-10; Revelation 2-3]
As the Deer
By Martin J. Nystrom
Based off Psalm 42:1
As the deer panteth for the water
So my soul longeth after You
You alone are my heart's desire
And I long to worship You
You alone are my strength, my shield
To You alone may my spirit yield
You alone are my heart's desire
And I long to worship You
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The World Does Not Know Us
An Original Work / September 26, 2025
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love
