1 John 3:1
1 John 3:1
Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.
Among all the identities that we have, the first and most important one is that we are God's children. Have you ever felt that God has given up on you because, instead of walking confidently in faith, we sometimes stumble and fall? Have you ever feared that there is a limit to God's patience for your failure and your lack of self-discipline when you are fighting your temptations? The primary truth is God's love and acceptance is unconditional. When our faith is strong, God loves us; when our faith is weak, God loves us; when we succeed, God cheers for us; when we fail, God comforts us. God's love never changes, and it never fails. Unbelievers cannot fully comprehend us Christians because they fail to fully comprehend God. Those in the world associate us with fanatics or enthusiasts, as foolish in abandoning things they enjoy, as renouncing certain happiness for something uncertain. When Jesus came into the world, the world didn't recognize Him as the Son of God. When we feel rejected by the world, we experience only what Jesus Christ has experienced. As God's children, we can be sure that He will make us just like Jesus.
Psalms 89:1
I will sing of the mercies of the Lord for ever: with my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness to all generations.
1 Peter 1:22
Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:
Luke 5:20
And when he saw their faith, he said unto him, Man, thy sins are forgiven thee.
2 Peter 3:9
The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.