We are greatly lavished with God's love to be called the children of God! Lavished means to bestow upon extravagantly. In Christ, we are greatly lavished with God's love; we have been bought with Jesus' blood and reborn into God's family. We must believe we are so loved!

John writes very personally, saying, "Dear friends, now we are children of God and what we will be has not yet been known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is." Naturally, we tend to copy modern styles, ideas, or people that seem right or desirable. But our real hope is to be like Jesus and reign forever as God's children when he returns. This hope purifies us of false or lesser hopes and helps us to live on a higher plane.

Jesus sets us free from sin and the desire to sin. Those who keep on sinning have never truly met Jesus. Again, John writes, "Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray." John appeals personally to the church like his own children to watch out for the children of the devil who keep on sinning, do not love others, and lead us astray. We should not underestimate others' influence on us.


Application: Father, thank you for loving me and making me your child. I am weak. Purify my heart from sin.
One Word: Lavished with God's love as his child