Bible class this morning was on the beginning of 1 John 3, particularly how we have the status as the children of God because we are IN the Son of God by virtue of His baptizing us.
Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. (3:1)
Melynda asked about that, and somehow the old song came up. "And they'll know we are Christians by our love, by our love, yes, they'll know we are Christians by our love." And Pastor made an interesting point. THEY will know we are Christians by our love. It isn't that WE will know we are Christians by our love. When we look at ourselves, we see only sin and corruption and struggle. We will look only to Christ and what He has done. That is where we see hope and salvation. WE "know we are Christians" by the declarative Word, in baptism and in the preaching of the absolution. If WE are looking to ourselves to see our love that is oh-so-winsome to the unbelievers (or not!) then we won't have the love such that THEY can be looking at us to see love. It is when our eyes are on Jesus that others will look at us and see the love that we may not be able to see in ourselves.
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