Examining Apostle John’s Response to being Born Again

From the heart of Dr. R. L. Taylor, Th.D., Bible Teacher & Expositor. John tells us, “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” (1 John 3:1). We become children of God by being born again. Jesus said to Nicodemus, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3). In our passage, the word, “See” is translated, “behold.” It is both an exclamation and a command. As an exclamation, it shows that the Father’s great love should amaze and excite us! Many experiences grow commonplace, ordinary, and unremarkable over time. We’ve heard about them and known them for years. Maybe at first, when it was new, an idea or experience affected us. But over the years, the effect diminishes, growing weaker and weaker, until finally it’s just a far-distant memory! But the Father’s great love for us is the kind of experience that should grow stronger and stronger over the years, until it totally dominates every aspect of our lives. It should consume our thoughts and control our behavior. God’s great love should motivate us to serve God and to live holy lives. It should give us comfort in all our trials. It should fill us with the eager hope of being with Him in heaven. It should fill us with awe and worship, that He, the holy sovereign of the universe, would set His love on a sinful, self-willed rebel like me! “Amazing love, how can it be, that Thou, my God, should die for me!” That’s John’s response to being born again. Don’t let yourself ever hear of the Father’s great love and think, “Ho hum!” It ought always to amaze you! But, also, “See” is a command. This shows that the Father’s great love should instruct us. The command is, “Stop everything else! Look at this! Think about it! Ponder the significance of it!” The word translated, “how great” is, literally, “what kind.” It originally meant, “of what country,” and always implies astonishment. It’s as if John thinks about the Father’s great love and says, “Where does this come from?! It must be from heaven, because there’s nothing like it in this world!” Be encouraged!