Motives for Living.John, who twice says that no one has ever seen God and lived, also says this "Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is." (1 John 3:2).

Image via WikipediaMotives for Living.John, who twice says that no one has ever seen God and lived, also says this "Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is." (1 John 3:2).




What motives for living a holy life does John give?



"Part of the difficulty, too, lies in our own sinful natures. If we don't enjoy the full fellowship with God that we want, it is often because we went too see him only on our terms, as a possible addition to the good life we have made for ourselves. But we cannot see him that way. It is an absurd impossibility - like wanting to see the Grand Canyon on a small scale. Either we see God in grandeur and are transformed, or we do not see him at all... we cannot see God's glory through dark lenses.



"...If we purified our lives of everything that distracts from God - such as unkindness, anger, greed - and devoted our daily lives to loving and serving him, we would see God much more clearly. Prayer and careful study of the Bible would sharpen our sight further in helping us see and understand Jesus as a real person and the real God" (Knowing the Face of God-Tim Stafford).



"Father" is not in itself a name, it is a title. It is a name only to one small group, the father's children. Putting "our" in front of "Father" transforms it into something even more intimate than a personal name. A father is responsible for his children. They may leave him, as did the prodigal son, but the father cannot abandon them if he is any kind of father at all. He must feed and care for them, tenderly love them, and give them a share of the family inheritance. A father cannot change his mind and return his child to where he came from. Once in the family, the child deserves the father's care and love as long as he the child chooses to accept it and be a part of the family. Thus "father" is a uniquely personal name for God that emphasizes his unqualified commitment to us.



It was God who planted in the human heart the desire for personal growth. We have been made in his image, one of beauty, hope, love and peace.

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