A few weeks ago, my son (who loves to create music) got an email through SoundCloud from a producer. He said that he would promote his songs, make him thousands of pounds and that he would be famous. My son was buzzing. He was so excited and came running upstairs to tell me.
What’s the catch? I asked him. No catch, all we need to do is pay his non-refundable signing on fee.
We live in a world where nothing comes easy or cheap. There are people who will deceive others and take advantage of them to get something from them. There is always a catch.
This was how Jews looked at the early Christians - they had been deceived by a message that was simply too good to be true. There was no way that God would open up his kingdom to just anyone and call them sons and daughters. There was no way that God would make himself available to us or provide power and resources to non-Jews. There must be a catch. So, when the early church insisted that this is exactly the promise that he makes, it caused all kinds of conflict and tension.
I have had similar conversations with friends who saw my faith as naive optimism. I could argue all day and not persuade them of the truth because they have not had an encounter with Jesus like I have. So, John encourages us to live authentic lives as sons and daughters of God. Let the truth of our faith sit in the center of who we are and purify our lives. We purify ourselves… a phrase almost certainly has as much to do as our activity as it does our inactivity… we purify ourselves because we have entered into a new life as the sons and daughters of the King of Kings.
Reflect
- What does it mean to be a child of God? How does it shape your life and distinguish you from others?
Respond
Pause and pray. Spend some time thanking God for the grace that he has given that you could be adopted into his family. Ask him to lead you today and to show you how to represent him well.
