We discussed in our earlier blogs that love by nature is giving. The world has perverted the understanding of love in many ways, but one of the ways it has done so, is by making love to a mere response. It is given freely and responds so, irrespective of what the person did. John talks about it in 1 John 3:1
See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.
The Love We Received
John begins by emphasizing the incredible love the Father has given us—the divine love that allows us to be called children of God. Reflect on this: we were once enemies of God, and as Paul writes, while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Through His sacrifice, we have been made God’s children. This ties to the previous verse, which highlights that those who practice righteousness are born of Him. John marvels at the greatness of the love the Father has bestowed on us, making us His children. Not only has God withheld the punishment we deserved by making Jesus our substitute and paying our debt, but He has also poured out blessings we could never earn by exalting us to the status of His children—joint-heirs with Christ (Romans 8:17). It would have been extraordinary simply to be spared punishment, but to be exalted as children of God because of Jesus is far beyond what we could ever imagine. Mercy spares us from the judgment we deserve, while grace gives us the unearned goodness of God. All, this while we were still sinners.
The World Doesn’t Love Us
When John declares that we are children of God, he also explains why the world doesn’t recognize us: because they don’t know Him. The world sees us as mere humans, but we are more—we are of divine origin, though this truth is lost on them. Being sons and daughters of God isn’t just a future reality reserved for heaven; it is our present truth. Some may struggle to grasp this because they judge based on outward appearances and their carnal understanding. However, those who are truly born again have new spirits, identical to Christ’s (1 John 4:17; Hebrews 10:10, 14; Hebrews 12:23). In the spirit, our sonship is already complete. Our task is to work out this spiritual reality into our daily lives through the renewing of our minds (Romans 12:2).
If our true nature as children of God were fully revealed, the world might respond with awe and admiration. Yet the reality is often the opposite—we are mocked, misunderstood, and sometimes even despised. Does it trouble you that the world doesn’t understand you? Don’t let it. They won’t. Their inability to recognize who we are shouldn’t shake our confidence, because our identity is rooted in God’s love and truth, not in the world’s perception. I remember during the Olympics in 2024, there were such furore over the mockery of Jesus, but what do we expect from people who do not know Him? (Read Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ – About the opening cere..)
Expressing Love To Others
John’s point is that the Father’s love has not only given us a new name but has transformed us entirely. Love has the power to change those who receive it. He says that we love because God loved us first (1 John 4:19). This love has been perfected within us. Our love for the people is not in response to what they did, but rather in response to the love we have received in Christ.
If someone is hard-hearted toward you, love them anyway, and that love can begin to soften and change them. Think of this: the greatest man who ever lived—Jesus—is largely misunderstood by the world. While He is famous, celebrated, and even the foundation of religions, most people don’t truly know Him. If they did, they would recognize us, His children. But we love because He first loved us, and it is His love that defines who we are.
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