1 John 3:1, commentary and pictures

Behold is a call to wonder at the Father's love that makes sinful people to be called His sons and daughters, whom the world does not recognize because it did not know Him. That love is infinite and beyond measure or words, constant toward a rebellious race that did not love Him. It was bestowed at infinite cost through the gift of His only Son, who left heaven, took humanity, and bore sin and death on Calvary so sinners might live and be pardoned. By it believers are now brought into the royal family as heirs with Christ, though what they shall be has not yet appeared, for when He appears they shall be like Him. This sonship is received by receiving Christ and believing on His name with repentance and obedience, and it purifies the life into His likeness and separates it from the world.

Call to Behold Love

Behold is a summons to contemplate and admire the love the Father has bestowed, to make it the theme of thought rather than dwelling on discouragement, complaints, corruption, defects in others, or the world. It is a call addressed to the church and to the world, and to every person individually, to keep that love and Christ uplifted in view. Beholding means looking to Christ as revealed in prophecy and in the record of His earthly life, and living so that others can see the testimony. Keeping this love in view leads to uplifting Christ instead of dwelling on what disheartens.

The exclamation over what manner of love this is expresses wonder at being called sons of God, springing from a nature longing for love, sympathy and companionship. That longing is satisfied by pressing close to Jesus, sitting by His side and leaning upon His breast, drinking in divine light and life as a flower drinks sun and dew. Beholding the Saviour in adoration and love until likeness to Him and fellowship with Him becomes the one desire causes the character to reflect the Master's character. The measure of that bestowed love is seen only by beholding the cross of Calvary, where God gave His only beloved Son to die for sinful humanity, an astonishment and marvel to all heaven. It brings sinners and aliens back to God and adopts them into His family, so that they address Him by the endearing name Our Father and the Son is not ashamed to call these heirs of grace His brethren, holding through faith a close connection with Christ by the enlightening and renewing work of the Holy Spirit that gives light, peace, joy, a clear conception of His character, and discernment of Satan's deceptions.

That love is beyond human comprehension, language and measure, so deep, so broad, so high, so great and tender that words fail and tongue and pen cannot portray it. It amazed even the angels of heaven. Its height, depth and breadth are shown toward the perishing, fallen, godless and corrupted race in the infinite sacrifice of giving His beloved Son, equal with the Father, the Majesty of heaven, the King of glory, as a freewill offering to die so sinners might live, be transformed through obedience, and be acknowledged as sons of God in the Lamb's book of life. That gift did not begin with human love for God but with God loving first and sending His Son as the atoning sacrifice for sins, not for believers only but for the whole world. It is to be searched out in Scripture and meditated upon daily with every power given, yet with infinity still beyond, never fully comprehended in its length and breadth and depth and height even through ages of study or eternity itself, while opening more and more through studying the Bible, meditating on the life of Christ and the plan of redemption, and looking to the Man of Calvary.

Nature of Father's Love

The Father's love is infinite, immeasurable, matchless, constant and untiring in its height and depth and breadth, with no line to measure it, no plummet to sound its depths, no chain to encompass it and no standard to compare it. It was bestowed in the infinite sacrifice of giving His Son to die as the price of redemption, and that gift to a race so undeserving demonstrated love beyond all dispute and outweighed all else. It is too great and tender for human language, beyond expression and computation, filling the beholder with adoration and reverence and calling the church and the world to behold it. It is without parallel even toward a world that did not love Him, and contemplating it subdues the soul, awakens and elevates it, brings the mind into harmony with His will, places great value on man and gives exalted conceptions of what men may become through Christ.

Though by transgression the sons of Adam had become subjects of Satan, through faith in the atoning sacrifice of Christ they may become sons of God, because Christ by assuming human nature elevates humanity. Through connection with Him fallen men receive another trial and may grow and improve so as to become worthy of the name sons of God. That love was shown to a fallen, sinful and rebellious race at infinite cost, for at the darkest crisis when sin had become a science and human hostility to heaven was most violent, when rebellion was deep-rooted and vice was consecrated as religion, God instead of destroying the world sent His Son to save it. Then Satan exulted that God would destroy the world and unfallen worlds watched expecting Jehovah to sweep away its inhabitants, while Satan stood ready to use that destruction to excuse his rebellion and win the allegiance of unfallen worlds, yet though abundant evidences of love had been given before, the gift of Christ proved love that cannot be measured.

The light of the cross reveals what God felt and did for fallen man, for to behold this love is to behold the Man of Calvary who is equal with the Father, the Majesty of heaven, the King of glory. The Father did not withhold His only beloved and darling Son but gave Him as a freewill offering to a life of self-denial, self-sacrifice, shame and ignominious death, to live among sinful people and to die so that sinners might live, be made rich in salvation and be called the sons of God. This wonderful condescension is often overlooked when attention rests only on the love of Christ, yet the gift of the Son proves that with Him the Father will freely give all things. It is amazing grace because Christ came to save and not to destroy or condemn, and its greatness fills hearts with glowing inspiration while the whole universe gives expression to it and to God's unbounded benevolence.

This love reveals God as near, good and willing to bless, with atoning blood that is efficacious and unfailing promises that belong to sinners. He is not a stern judge, not unloving, severe, revengeful, a constant restraint, a severe judge and avenging tyrant whose character is only Thou shalt not and whose service is gloom and hard requirements, but a merciful and loving Father who pities His creatures and draws near under the endearing name of Father. Jesus' life and teaching reveal the Father's own grace and character, so that in Christ's actions people can recognize the Father, and when Jesus is seen on the cross as the gift of God because He loved men the eyes are opened to see things in a new light, with a right sense of sin and of the far-reaching claims of God's law. Nothing more decidedly distinguishes the Christian from the worldly man than the estimate he has of God.

The matchless love brings sinners and strangers back to God and adopts them into His family, and to call God Our Father expresses affection for Him and assures believers of His tender care and relationship with them. Christ is not ashamed to call them His brothers and sisters, and their relationship to God is even more sacred than that of angels who have never fallen. He is a Father waiting with yearning love to receive the returning prodigal, not hurling accusations in wrath but preparing a festival of joy to welcome his return, so grace and love must be put in the foreground rather than denunciations against the sinner. This love is the one great center of attraction to be beheld by meditating on it, beholding it more critically, talking of it in the family and becoming familiar with it, allowing no human affection to interpose between love for God. When taken in its full significance and brought into life's experience its breadth and depth and height are known, it is answered in willing service and love for the Lord with all the heart and soul and strength with everything earthly secondary, it gives implicit confidence that God's promises will surely be verified, and it calls unbelievers to living faith that claims those promises, risks salvation on them and seeks the Lord with broken heart, confession of sins with tears, prayer and praise for the revealing of His power.

Love Given Through Christ

The love spoken of is bestowed by the giving of the Father's beloved, only-begotten Son for a fallen people, that through Him they might be transformed and acknowledged as His children. That giving was at infinite cost for a fallen world, and its greatness is beyond human comprehension, language, and measure, so deep and broad and high that it amazes even the angels of heaven. Its measure is seen only by beholding the cross of Calvary, where God gave His only beloved Son to die for sinful man, an astonishment and marvel to all heaven. The Son left the courts and glory of heaven, took human nature, and lived among sinful people, and the call to behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed is a call to church and world to behold, admire, and contemplate it.

That gift is the infinite sacrifice of Calvary, displayed at the cross as the price of redemption for the perishing race. There the Father did not withhold His only beloved Son but gave Him as a freewill offering, equal with the Father, the Majesty of heaven and King of glory, to die so that sinners might live, be pardoned, and be called the sons of God. In that death Christ, the infinite Son, gave His life for the salvation of the world, bearing human sin, shame, sorrow, temptation, guilt, wrath, and death, and by assuming human nature He elevates humanity so that the sons of Adam, though by transgression become subjects of Satan, may through faith in His atoning sacrifice and connection with Him receive another trial and become worthy of the name sons of God. When He is seen on the cross as the gift of God because He loved men, the eyes are opened to a right sense of sin and of the far-reaching claims of God's law, and God is known not as severe, revengeful, and tyrannical but as a merciful and loving Father waiting with yearning love to receive the returning prodigal with joy.

God loved first and sent His Son to be the propitiation, the atoning sacrifice, for sins, and not for believers only but also for the sins of the whole world. That love did not begin with human love for God but with God loving a godless and corrupted race and giving His Son in sacrifice for it. It is a gift of such magnitude that it could not be made greater, pouring out the whole treasury of heaven, even to a life of abuse, insult, mockery, and rejection, defying computation and deserving greater appreciation than it receives. Its purpose is to fill man with divine love and benevolence, to assure even the greatest sinners of pardon upon seeking forgiveness and surrendering body, soul, and spirit to be transformed and changed into His likeness, and to claim entire human affection in return.

By this condescension the Son of man gave His life to connect humanity with heaven again after sin had divorced this world from the eternal world, His arm grasping the throne of heaven for us. He volunteered to come to earth and stand at the head of fallen human beings, heirs of guilt under sentence of eternal death, buying them with a great price. In wonderful condescension He calls men to Himself as brethren, becoming their elder brother and kinsman, bringing them by adoption into the family of God as brothers and sisters of the Lord. The sinless Commander of heaven came from the royal courts in human likeness among the poor and suffering to reach fallen humanity, restore the moral image of God in them, and grant men and women as probationers another trial to learn of Him.

Privilege of Divine Sonship

By that love believers are now called and made the sons and daughters of God, granted the name, the standing and the privilege of His children. The Father's great love is shown in giving them this place as His children and in calling them by that name.

That sonship is entrance into the royal family of the heavenly King, adoption as His children, fellowship with the Father and the Son, and heirship as heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ. Christians are in the same condition in this world that Christ was, sons of God and joint heirs with Christ to whom the kingdom and dominion belong, though their union and fellowship with the Father and Son are hidden from the world which sees only humiliation and reproach and does not see what they now are or will become. To those thus exalted are opened the unsearchable riches of Christ, the kingdom of God, and an immortal inheritance, a life that measures with the life of God, dwelling in the courts of heaven where there is neither sorrow nor death and associating forever with Christ and the unfallen angels. This was not given as the riches and glory of the world, for Christ humbled Himself and gave His life to save guilty rebels and bring sinners and aliens back to God, making obedience and righteousness possible through His grace so that believers have free access to God as Father and love one another as brethren. Because God is their Father His children can trust Him through disappointment, affliction and darkness, accepting trials while remembering His care and the love expressed at Calvary, with daily consecration to His service, sacrifice for Jesus, and firm resolve not to grieve the Holy Spirit or put the Saviour to open shame.

That child-of-God identity is already theirs now, though what they shall be has not yet appeared. When Christ appears they shall be like Him, for they shall see Him as He is, and only those who are like Him can see Him as He is. To see Christ as He is is one of the greatest blessings that can come to fallen humanity, yet few truly see Jesus as personal Saviour and few know the Father, for personal knowledge of God in Jesus Christ is essential and everyone who knows Christ knows the Father. Beholding and loving Christ transforms character into His likeness, and Christ can abide in the heart only as He is constantly beheld.

To be called sons and daughters of the Most High is the highest dignity and exaltation humanity can attain, an honor far greater than being noticed by any earthly ruler or seeing an earthly royal personage whom thousands travel great distances to see. Through the merits of Jesus Christ finite man is elevated to fellowship with God and with His dear Son, with the unsearchable riches of Christ opened to him as a thousandfold more valuable than the wealth of the world. That privilege is worth more than earthly favor, wealth, name, esteem or life, and is sufficient reason to turn from worldly possessions, to choose God above every earthly treasure, and to seek union with God and an immortal inheritance. Its intensity is measured and seen in the light reflected from the cross of Calvary, where the Son bore care and perplexity, was abused and rejected as a man of sorrows acquainted with grief, and made an infinite sacrifice so sinners might become acquainted with Jesus, be drawn by His charms, love the beauty of His character and admire His purity. It is given to those who love and serve God and follow Jesus in obedience in meekness and lowliness, placing themselves on Christ's side in purity, humility and loveliness of character rather than conforming to the world, bringing the comfort of His grace now and at last likeness to Christ when He appears, seeing Him as He is, with a place in the city of God and a life as lasting as God's own life.

Those sons bear no pride of appearance or outward display, for the love that makes sinners sons of God is so great that language fails to express it. Though the world casts their names out as evil, judges the proud and wicked as favored and counts serving God as vain, their names are written in heaven and acknowledged as sons in the Lamb's book of life. The world cannot discern spiritual things, so its estimate of Christian life and virtue is false, honoring skillful generals and erecting monuments to those who die in battle while taking no notice of one who works as Christ worked to uplift men from degradation, bind up the broken-hearted, bring life and immortality to light and benefit others, even at the sacrifice of his life. God's people now walk with Jesus in humiliation with what they shall be not yet appearing, despised and hated as weak and foolish, unknown and rejected, yet adopted heirs of Christ. In a short time the difference between him that serves God and him that serves Him not will be easy to discern, for God's children will be distinguished and honored because they honored Him, spared as a man's serving son and made up as His jewels and hidden with special care, while the wicked are burned and ashamed and confounded. Those once derided will then be seen connected with the family in heaven as crowned conquerors and more than conquerors, receiving the palm branch of victory, standing about the great white throne with crowns of immortal glory, their lives running parallel with the life of God and the joy of the Lord their joy with no shadow darkening their heavenly home, having right to the tree of life and entrance through the gates into the city by doing His commandments. That belonging to the sons of God is for those who overcome in the name of Jesus and are accepted of God in the time of solemn scrutiny, not salvation by free grace while continuing in transgression of the law, but reformed ways, loyalty to God through strength from the Saviour, and a new and purer life.

Being called children of God must be a real possession and not merely a profession, otherwise the profession mocks God and the world. God's infinite love was expressed by giving His life for the world even if only one person could have been saved, and believers are called to humble themselves before God and become one with Him and with Christ, sanctified through the truth as Jesus prayed for His disciples. Without reconversion those who reject the Lord's messages and rely on their own suppositions are not members of God's royal family, the children of the heavenly King.

World Does Not Recognize

Therefore the world does not know and does not recognize those who are now the sons of God, because it did not know Him. It did not recognize God, it did not know Christ, and it does not know His children or the source of their strength. This sonship is a Christian privilege understood by comparatively few, not gained by human power but only by receiving Christ as Saviour and believing on His name, which gives power to become sons and daughters of God through His sacrifice. It springs from a nature longing for love and companionship, satisfied by pressing close to Jesus and beholding Him in adoration until likeness to Him and fellowship with Him become the one desire and the character reflects the Master. Because the world remains in the darkness of error, the promise to all who believe is an incentive to greater effort to set the hope of the gospel before them.

As the world slighted, rejected and despised Christ, so it slights, neglects, misunderstands and misjudges His followers. It did not recognize Christ's divine identity and sonship, hiding His divine character and union with the Father, esteeming Him as a root out of dry ground with no beauty to be desired, stricken and afflicted. In the same condition, Christians are sons of God and joint-heirs with Christ to whom kingdom and dominion belong, yet their union and fellowship with the Father and Son are hidden from the world. The world sees only their humiliation and reproach and does not see what they now are or what they will become, living as strangers whose holy calling it does not understand. Their life and loyalties are distinct from the world's ways, which the world cannot enter into or discern correctly, neither their hopes, nor the heavenly attraction of Jesus as their only hope, nor the motives that prompt them to separate in spirit and dress in pursuit of heavenly things. Being thus watched critically, talked about, judged from outward observation only, commented upon and misjudged should not discourage them nor make them angry, but they should keep seeking opportunities to do good, clinging to Jesus as Helper and Fortress while God sustains those who walk in humility, meekness and lowliness.

The world cannot discern spiritual things, so its estimate of Christian life and virtue is false. Christ's deportment and character were so different from the worldly standard as to be beyond comprehension, and the life of one learning from Christ does not please the world because it rejects the qualities of genuine Christian character and does not understand the principles underlying their course. It regards the Christian life as a mystery, regarding those who fear and love God as degraded while regarding those grasping worldly wisdom as superior to be honored and glorified, counting the wicked as favored. It honors skillful generals and erects monuments to those who die in battle, but takes no notice of one who works as Christ worked to uplift men from degradation, even at sacrifice of life, though true honor belongs to those who lay aside selfish interests to glorify God, bind up the broken-hearted, and benefit others with God-given capabilities. Those thus unknown must stand before God with a conscience void of offense, following where Christ leads without going astray, trusting that God never requires without giving power to perform, and so perfecting Christian character as stewards of grace.

Christians and the world serve different masters and cannot join hands in fellowship and unity any more than oil and water can mix. Those who receive sonship must stand individually in God's strength, keeping God-given individuality, belonging to Christ, looking to God and walking in revealed truth even when family members have no interest. In stepping aside from the customs and practices of the world, especially in keeping the Sabbath, they feel the cross to be endured for Christ's sake, with disharmony between those who serve God and those who serve Him not, for the world's faith is no safe faith and its practice no safe example, and its rejection of truth is no evidence against it. Those who breathe the atmosphere of the world are not regarded as strangers, but those whose affections are set on things above breathe a different atmosphere and are misunderstood, their obedience rebuking disregard for God's requirements. This brings critical watching, opposition, contempt and mockery, defamation, imprisonment, mobbing, hunting and slaying until probation closes, with even worse to come, so God's people must live by faith looking to the great beyond and choosing divine honors above earthly gain, in daily regenerating power, diligent watching, possession of grace and the Spirit rather than mere theory, and holy life manifested in every action.

Receiving Sonship and Hope

Sonship is not gained by human power but only by receiving Christ as Saviour and believing on His name, which gives power to become sons and daughters of God. Becoming sons comes by being born not of blood nor of human will but of God, through genuine trust in the righteousness and power of the Redeemer, and it is the highest calling any human being can have in this life. Those called sons must continue to receive and confess Christ as personal Saviour, being kept day by day by the power of God, humbly acknowledging in spirit and action that they are not sufficient of themselves and cannot vindicate or justify themselves, depending on the Holy Spirit alone to guide into all truth and lead into all truth as willing and obedient light-bearers. It means no longer belonging to self but having become dead to the world and come out from the world, with the whole future life set apart for the service of God under sacred obligation, every faculty of mind and body as God's property, shown by blameless lives, union with Christ as branch to parent stalk, abiding in Him, and living Christlikeness. Because the world did not know Christ it does not know His children, and the promise to all who believe is an incentive to greater effort to set the hope of the gospel before those still in darkness of error.

It comes through faith in the atoning sacrifice of Christ, provided at great cost to heaven, by which the sons of Adam who by transgression had become subjects of Satan may become sons of God. Christ by assuming human nature elevates humanity, lifts fallen humanity, and gives another trial, so that through connection with Him fallen men may grow and improve and indeed become worthy of the name sons of God. Receiving it calls for simple faith and trust in God, entire obedience, a renewed heart, and true spiritual life in which faith works through love and purifies the soul, made possible because Christ gave His life so believers through His grace can keep the holy law and practice righteousness. That privilege is known only when the Holy Spirit comes into the heart to show Christ as He is and give comprehension of His great love, and it means exhibiting the piety and righteousness of Christ, sharing His lot of not being known or favored by the world, and loving one another as Christ has loved. Contemplating this love without parallel, even toward a world that did not love Him, subdues the soul, brings the mind into harmony with His will, fills the beholder with adoration and reverence, and gives exalted conceptions of what men may become through Christ.

The surrounding promise joins present sonship to a future not yet revealed, when Christ appears they shall be like Him for they shall see Him as He is, and everyone having this hope purifies himself as He is pure. This child-of-God identity already theirs calls for deep thought, prayer, and daily practice, for cleansing from all impurity and filthiness of body and spirit, for holiness before God, for doing what is right, and for overcoming one's natural spirit and the enemy of righteousness. The privilege is joined to overcoming through the blood of the Lamb and the word of testimony, and to learning Christ's meekness and lowliness, by which His sacrifice makes it possible for human beings to grasp divinity and work for others in His strength. Christ can abide in the heart only as He is constantly beheld.

Sin is the transgression of the law, the only definition of sin in Scripture, and Christ was manifested to take away sins and in Him is no sin, not to take away the law that defines sin. Whoever abides in Him does not sin and does not continue in sin, while whoever sins has not seen or known Him. With the verses that follow, the verse plainly states that it is possible to live without sin, so believers must not carelessly continue in sin but walk in the light of the living God, confess sin and cease to transgress, purify themselves from all transgression, and meet the law in character rather than manifest a spirit opposed to being led in the Lord's way. Coming in human form Christ showed that divinity and humanity combined does not commit sin, and as the Pattern He enables humans to be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world through lust, making freedom from sin essential.

Beholding and loving Christ transforms character into His likeness, and by beholding His character the believer is changed. That sonship comes through having the Son and abiding in Christ as branches abide in the vine and as members of His body, apart from whom life and work are impossible. Belief in Christ makes it possible to overcome, and receiving and cherishing divine truth leads to moral excellence and another trial, pledged in baptism into death and resurrection with Christ. Contemplating this matchless love and Christ's character awakens love for God and gratitude for His goodness and mercy, so that no sacrifice is too great if it helps form a Christlike disposition.

Living as God's Children

Beholding this love draws mind and affection to God and separates from the world's customs and practices, which cannot be followed while serving Him. It means Christians and the world serve different masters and cannot join in fellowship and unity, and those who receive sonship must stand individually in God's strength, keep God-given individuality, belong to Christ, look to God and obey Him and walk in revealed truth even when family members have no interest. Friendship with the world can ensnare God's children toward its customs and standards, though the world may cast their names out as evil while their names are written in the book of life. Because the world did not know Christ it does not know or appreciate them, so they should not expect it to appreciate their reasons for strictness on the Sabbath, yet in this they share the treatment given to the Majesty of heaven who clothed divinity with humanity to lift the race from degradation. God's love therefore calls for a decided stand with Christ in obedience, pressing hearers to know whether they stand on the adversary's side or Christ's side who kept His Father's commandments. It calls for daily regenerating power and diligent watching against the first dimming of the lamps and spiritual slumber, with grace and the Holy Spirit in the heart rather than mere theory or spasmodic emotion, connection with heaven nourished by power, faith, love and patience in readiness to meet the Lord, and holy life manifested in every action, service, prayer, exhortation, deed and work.

This identity and the world's lack of recognition give discouraged believers reason for courage and hope, directing minds away from earthly things toward heaven. Because God is their Father, His children can trust Him through disappointment, affliction and darkness, accepting trials while remembering He cares for them and that His love was expressed at Calvary. That love, expressed by the cross, means disappointments, afflictions and trials are permitted in providence, the cross taken up and the bitter cup drunk as held to the lips by a Father's hand, trusting Him in darkness as in day to give everything for good, and lifting heart and voice in grateful praise even in the night of affliction instead of mourning and grieving. The world's lack of esteem is no reason for sorrow or despair, for Christ loves with infinite love and gave His life, so His own should dwell on His love and the Bible's promises and behold the Saviour through whom they are changed. Being children of God is an honor, not a reason to apologize for being Christian, for Christ's religion does not degrade but refines taste and sanctifies judgment, and God shares His power with His sons and daughters as members of the royal family, children of the heavenly King, a favor valued above all earthly favor that supports hope beyond present weakness. Jesus' life reveals the Father's condescending grace and makes that love visible, though the world does not recognize God's children because it did not recognize Him.

That love calls for temperance through self-denial and self-sacrifice to preserve physical, mental and moral health. It is sin that made the great sacrifice necessary, and this love demands obedience in return, loyalty and walking in the light of His perfect rule and standard by keeping the commandments, so that what was lost through Adam by disobedience is brought back by obedience and people are brought back to their Eden home. This assurance of standing as God's children is to be kept in mind while remaining faithful to God's commands even when human laws conflict with them. Sonship and love require paramount allegiance to the King of kings and obedience to God's law irrespective of conflicting man-made laws, especially obedience to the seventh-day Sabbath commandment in the last great conflict over loyalty.

Those called sons bear His name and must represent Him with manliness and firmness in Christian character, not with a cheap, thoughtless character, for a cheap professed Christian does more harm than a worldling by misleading others about Him. This privilege brings comfort and calls those who profess to be God's children to know Him and represent Him through well-ordered lives and godly speech. Those who profess to love the heavenly Father must not misrepresent Him but live in the light of His countenance and reflect His glory to all around, placing the religion of Jesus on the high plane where the Bible places it in constant forward progress. This love is to abide in the heart and make them channels of light who treat others with meekness, tenderness and care rather than wounding them. The identity calls them to pursue and show in their lives a character like Jesus'. Its sonship means walking uprightly in a crooked and perverse generation, showing the contrast between Christ's principles and Satan's, learning of Christ His meekness and lowliness so His yoke is easy and His burden light, testifying in daily life to grace with the Saviour's keeping power every moment through faithful service done as pleasure not task, placing sacred fire of God's own kindling in the censer and not common fire, never speaking a harsh, passionate, rash, ill-advised word that can ruin a soul and stir resistance but speaking as Christ spoke so youth are led to speak courteously and respectfully, keeping hereditary and cultivated tendencies under control while character is daily refined, sanctified and purified.

That love displayed in the cross should inspire enthusiasm, leading to accepting Christ, believing on Him, exalting Him, and making His preciousness the theme of conversation. Sonship is present now and means unity displaying the love Christ manifested to make possible life measuring with the life of God, with refined aspirations, worthy ambitions, and reflecting the divine image in all words and works by following the self-denying Redeemer in meekness, beheld with thankful praise that leaves past imperfections behind and presses forward to higher good, leaving no excuse for discontent, murmuring, faultfinding, quarreling, despondency or casting reflection on Christ, but giving a foretaste of heaven here below and rejoicing always in the sunshine of His countenance. Those who conform their lives to Jesus become light-bearers by representing Him in character in precept and example and pointing others to Him, He is not ashamed to call them brethren, God's favor in this sonship is worth more than all human praise, and Jesus should be talked about. The confession belongs to those who truly know God, and because the world did not know Christ it does not know them, so parents are to train children to know Jesus as personal Saviour, feel responsibility for their souls, teach by word and example to ask blessing and thank Him for mercy, work for the Master without presenting Christian life as wearisome service, introduce children to Christ, and lead neighbors to hope in His mercy.

The verse expresses in life and character the two great precepts of the law, to love God with all the heart and neighbor as self, upon which hang all the law and the prophets, with love to God made precious and visible in treatment of fellow men, closely linking love to God and love to brethren. By obtaining knowledge of God's word, which is His will revealed, and giving heed to it, men may rise from the lowest depths of ignorance and degradation to become sons of God, associates of sinless angels, for no other study so ennobles thought, feeling and aspiration, teaches what God expects of beings formed in His image, shows how to improve the present life and secure the future, and satisfies questionings of mind and craving of heart. To call God Father is to acknowledge being His children, to be guided by His wisdom and obedient in all things knowing His love is changeless, accepting His plan, holding His honor, character, family and work as highest interest, and finding joy in honoring relation to the Father and every member of His family. Truth received and obeyed makes receivers sons and daughters of God, children of the heavenly King, to be presented to the world in distinct holy lines by lives showing the advantage of Christianity over worldliness and the superiority of heaven's principles, working on a higher plane, manifesting purity shown in honesty in dealings and faithfulness in small as well as great things, with every provision made by grace for this demonstration in all business transactions. Those who receive the truth are children of the heavenly King whose lives should show that advantage, as channels through which God pours love and mercy.

By the mighty cleaver of truth God separates such a people from the quarry of the world and brings them into His workshop, where the Master worker hews them with axe and hammer and chisel and polishes them for a place in His kingdom, so they stand like noble pillars amid debris and confusion of useless neglected material, no longer like the mass from which they were taken, though the world does not know them because it knew Him not. This scripture applies to everyone, and recognizing its principles matters in gatherings of God's children where angels are commissioned to be around them, truths the aged apostle knew through repeated trials. It is instruction needed by instructors in schools and sanitariums and those in charge of publishing houses, and study for youth, students and workers, to be believed and practiced, having much to do with present and future happiness. It calls every soul to entire consecration and deep, vital, practical godliness as sons of God, in contrast to worldly compromise and conformity and to a Christianity bearing only the name with slightest resemblance to self-denying, cross-lifting, Christ-following discipleship. Its message is clear, simple and elevating, able to reach even prisoners and young men in sinful, lawless state with hearts calloused, that they may be called sons of God, to be given with motherly love and sympathy, with no lowering of the standard to meet sin but exalting the law and holding the cross high and showing the path of virtue and obedience. Even amid earthquake, fire and divine judgments, people were to recognize the wonder of that love and the mercy sparing lives and giving opportunity to repent.

The manner of love bestowed calls for change in life and course of action, not remaining like those who wanted no change and were ignorant of the Scriptures and power of God. Realizing the Scriptures and need of a Saviour leaves a person discontent with the little now done and leads to learning of Christ and His wisdom, bringing personal burdens to Him for rest instead of carrying them alone, asking the Master for help in perplexity and wisdom to guide when inclinations lead toward expensive luxury, learning self-denial, following Him and learning of Him to receive peace, and drawing nearer to Jesus so that self decreases and He increases.