As the elder statesman of the early church, John’s writing is almost paternal. He writes that the children resemble the Father in the way they live: righteously. God’s righteousness is incompatible with sin. All who belong to God’s family will live righteously, pursue purity and love their Christian brothers and sisters.

One of the reasons John wrote this letter was to confront a group of false teachers who were trying to lead Christians astray. Called “gnostics” these heretics believed that Jesus only appeared to be human, and that a person needed special knowledge to be saved. John affirmed Jesus as God’s Son and told his readers that the Holy Spirit confirmed their salvation.

When God completed creation He said, “It is very good.” It’s natural for us to enjoy the things of this earth. We stray into idolatry, though, when we love the things of this earth. Rich Mullins wrote, “Stuff of earth competes for the allegiance I owe only to the giver of all good things.” John puts it more plainly: “Do not love the world nor the things it offers you.”

Whether you’re a new Christian or have followed Jesus your entire life there are times when doubt creeps in and you question your relationship with God. But we can be assured that forgiveness in Jesus name is the reality for every person who recognizes God as Father. If God’s word lives in you, you have victory!

A person can know a lot about God without really knowing God because the difference between knowing God and knowing about God is in obedience. You demonstrate you know God by obeying his commandments. The surest way to obey the Father is to live the way his son, Jesus, did.

Just as light and dark are incompatible, fellowship with God and the nurture of sin are incompatible. Fellowship with the Father depends on you stepping out of darkness and into the light. Doing so means being honest with God and with yourself about our sin, so you can experience forgiveness.

John was an eyewitness to the pivotal event in history: the incarnation of Jesus. He saw God with his eyes; he touched God with his hands. There was no doubt in his mind that Jesus was fully God and fully human. He wanted his readers to know that God became flesh so we could fellowship with Him so we might experience joy.

Your family may need your encouragement and support. Your family may need you to show them grace so they can see Jesus. But you also have friends who need a child of God to show them God’s Family. Whether you are a son, daughter, mom, dad, brother, sister or friend, they call you family. Every Family Needs a Child of God.

Sometimes our family doesn’t look like the perfect family on social media or store bought picture frames. No matter what our family looks like, God calls us to live as members of His fam within our families. Peter shows us how we can live as obedient children of God the Father and point others to His family.

Sometimes our family doesn’t look like the perfect family on social media or store bought picture frames. No matter what our family looks like, God calls us to live as members of His fam within our families. Peter shows us how we can live as obedient children of God the Father and point others to His family.