Please pause and ruminate on our divine sonship described in 1 John 3:1-3

Look with wonder at the depth of the Father’s marvelous love that he has lavished on us! He has called us and made us his very own beloved children. The reason the world doesn’t recognize who we are is that they didn’t recognize him. Beloved, we are God’s children right now; however, it is not yet apparent what we will become. But we do know that when it is finally made visible, we will be just like him, for we will see him as he truly is. And all who focus their hope on him will always be purifying themselves, just as Jesus is pure. 1 John 3:1-3 (TPT)

The world cannot recognise us now, but in the time to come, the world will have no choice than to reckon with who we are as sons of God. What a grace, what hope! I have found no clearer manifestation of what every believer must make the focus of living.

Hebrews 11:33-38 (TPT) tells concerning the power of faith that is needed to attain this focus:

Through faith’s power they conquered kingdoms and established true justice. Their faith fastened onto their promises and pulled them into reality! It was faith that shut the mouth of lions, put out the power of raging fire, and caused many to escape certain death by the sword. Although weak, their faith imparted power to make them strong! Faith sparked courage within them and they became mighty warriors in battle, pulling armies from another realm into battle array. Faith-filled women saw their dead children raised in resurrection power. Yet it was faith that enabled others to endure great atrocities. They were stretched out on the wheel and tortured, and didn’t deny their faith in order to be freed, because they longed for a more honorable and glorious resurrection! Others were mocked and experienced the most severe beating with whips; they were in chains and imprisoned. Some of these faith champions were brutally killed by stoning, being sawn in two or slaughtered by the sword. These lived in faith as they went about wearing goatskins and sheepskins for clothing. They lost everything they possessed, they endured great afflictions, and they were cruelly mistreated. They wandered the earth living in the desert wilderness, in caves, on barren mountains and in holes in the earth. Truly, the world was not even worthy of them, not realizing who they were. Hebrews 11:33-38 (TPT)

Then know that whatsoever affliction comes while waiting is not only light, and time bound, but also works to produce or make us ready for the glory to come. The question is whether we individually are allowing the affliction to achieve this purification? You can only know by intentionally checking the inner man’s thoughts and responses to the challenging external stimuli (2 Cor. 4:15-18). Focusing on such externals produce discouragement and despair. O Lord, help us.

As Peter exhorted in 1 Peter 3:3-4, beloved there is much more to you than clothes, hairstyle etc. It is a mistake to focus on the outside, nor yet on the things we see or what people draw us to see. We are reminded by Paul that those things we see pass away ultimately (1 Cor. 7:31 (MSG) just as 2 Peter 3:7 and Revelation 21:1 reaffirm.

But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. 2 Peter 3:7

And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. Revelation 21:1

Beloved, while we work and trust God for His promise in Matthew 6:24-34, can we with the faith of Christ in us focus on the things that are above? Shalom.




Pastor Afolabi Oladele