Kevin Wilson 360

Our Scripture meditation is based on 1 John 3:1-3, the Epistle reading for next week.

[1] See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. [2] Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. [3] And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure. 

What a blessing! For the second week in a row our meditation is preparing us for a significant annual worship service, this time our observance of All Saints.

On All Saints our churches commemorate our brothers and sisters who have fallen asleep in the Lord in the past year. Because they were among God’s redeemed, we refer to them all as “saints”. It is a little puzzling that the appointed epistle reading does not identify God‘s people as “saints“. There is a plethora of such biblical passages. Instead, we are called the “children of God.”

That said, the phrase “children of God” could deepen our understanding of All Saints. The term “saints” refers to our status. Through faith in Christ we are, by God’s grace, made saints. The phrase “children of God” is relational. It speaks not only of God make us his children through faith in Christ, but of his love for us as our Heavenly Father. 

With the term “saints” there is always a risk that we’ll think in terms a personal piety or moral living. The  phrase “children of God” more strongly emphasizes our total dependance on God. In John chapter 3 Jesus tells a man named Nicodemus that he must be “born again” by the Spirit. Jesus’ point was that Nicodemus cannot earn anything through self-righteousness. Just as we had nothing to do with our physical birth, so we do not contribute to our spiritual birth. 

This Sunday when you remember those have been called to glory this year, keep in mind those saints were also children of God. As such, they are now in the loving embrace of the Heavenly Father.