See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are! 1 John 3:1a
Many of us today operate as performers. We say and do things in order to earn people’s approval, and even their love. Additionally, when we make mistakes, which we are bound to make at times, we are extremely hard on ourselves. We often think that our mistakes lead people to approve of us less, and, even more heartbreaking, to love us less. Scripture teaches us that this is not the way with God. Scripture calls out the false narrative that we have to perform to earn love and approval, because we are already deeply, unconditionally loved by our perfect Heavenly Father, who does not love us because of anything we have done (or have not done). He loves us because He simply loves us!
In our Bible study yesterday, we learned from Romans 8 that if we have placed our faith in God, we are children of God and He is our Heavenly Father. As a result, we can rest confidently in His perfect love. John, one of Jesus' disciples who was so confident that he was loved by God that he called himself “the disciple Jesus loved” in John 13:23, wrote about the deep, never-ending love of God, our Heavenly Father, in 1st John 3. He wrote in this passage of Scripture, “See how very much our Father loves us, for He calls us His children, and that is what we are” (verse 1). If we need proof of the extent to which God loves us, we need look no further than how He refers to us as “His children.” Notice that this verse does not explain that He loves us because we live and behave perfectly without fault, nor does it say that God loves us because of any of the things we can do for Him on this earth. Why does He love us? He loves us because we are His children. This kind of love cannot be earned or deserved. It is freely given to us by God, our Heavenly Father, who simply loves us.
Later on in 1 John 3, John gave a picture of just how deep God’s love is for us. You see, a good father would do absolutely anything to rescue and save his child if they were in trouble. Because of sin, we were certainly in deep trouble, lost, and headed in the direction toward death and an eternity separated from Him. Scripture teaches that God saw the mess we were in and, at just the right time, He sent Jesus, His one and only Son, to save us. That is why John wrote these words later on in 1 John 3, “We know what real love is because Jesus gave up His life for us” (verse 16). My friend, we are loved to the fullest extent. After all, there is no greater love than love that will lay one’s life down for another person.
My friend, you are truly, deeply loved by God. You are not loved based on your performance or because you have earned His love. You are loved simply because God loves you. This kind of love brings deep peace and rest from a life of striving to gain love and approval. You can rest in God’s love today. You already have His deep, unconditional love for you as His beloved child whom He stopped at nothing to rescue when all hope seemed lost.
Take a few moments to answer this question honestly: Have you been living as if you have to earn God’s love and approval? If your answer is “Yes,” then ask Him to help you truly understand the depths of His great love so that you can rest and walk as someone deeply loved by Him. If your answer to this question is “No,” write a prayer of praise to God, thanking Him for His perfect, never-giving-up, and unconditional love for you.
“God, I recognize Your perfect, never-giving-up love for me. I love You for…”
1 John 3:1-24
1 See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are! But the people who belong to this world don’t recognize that we are God’s children because they don’t know him. 2 Dear friends, we are already God’s children, but he has not yet shown us what we will be like when Christ appears. But we do know that we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is. 3 And all who have this eager expectation will keep themselves pure, just as he is pure.
4 Everyone who sins is breaking God’s law, for all sin is contrary to the law of God. 5 And you know that Jesus came to take away our sins, and there is no sin in him. 6 Anyone who continues to live in him will not sin. But anyone who keeps on sinning does not know him or understand who he is.
7 Dear children, don’t let anyone deceive you about this: When people do what is right, it shows that they are righteous, even as Christ is righteous. 8 But when people keep on sinning, it shows that they belong to the devil, who has been sinning since the beginning. But the Son of God came to destroy the works of the devil. 9 Those who have been born into God’s family do not make a practice of sinning, because God’s life[a] is in them. So they can’t keep on sinning, because they are children of God. 10 So now we can tell who are children of God and who are children of the devil. Anyone who does not live righteously and does not love other believers does not belong to God.
11 This is the message you have heard from the beginning: We should love one another. 12 We must not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and killed his brother. And why did he kill him? Because Cain had been doing what was evil, and his brother had been doing what was righteous. 13 So don’t be surprised, dear brothers and sisters, if the world hates you.
14 If we love our brothers and sisters who are believers, it proves that we have passed from death to life. But a person who has no love is still dead. 15 Anyone who hates another brother or sister is really a murderer at heart. And you know that murderers don’t have eternal life within them.
16 We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters. 17 If someone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need but shows no compassion—how can God’s love be in that person?
18 Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions. 19 Our actions will show that we belong to the truth, so we will be confident when we stand before God. 20 Even if we feel guilty, God is greater than our feelings, and he knows everything.
21 Dear friends, if we don’t feel guilty, we can come to God with bold confidence. 22 And we will receive from him whatever we ask because we obey him and do the things that please him.
23 And this is his commandment: We must believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as he commanded us. 24 Those who obey God’s commandments remain in fellowship with him, and he with them. And we know he lives in us because the Spirit he gave us lives in us.
©2026 Sagebrush Church
