"How Great Is That?"

Okay, now, I know my pastor is my husband which can sometimes be a bit frustrating, but I still have to say he is a great preacher/teacher. He has his "greater" and his "lesser" sermons - today was, in my opinion, one of his "greater" ones.

I John 3:1-3 was the text: (1)"How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The

reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. (2)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. (3) Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure."

My husband/pastor brought these verses alive today, for me anyway. "How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!" Yes, how great is that?! SO great. SO, SO great. Imagine - God actually DOES consider those of us who have accepted the free gift of salvation provided to us by the death and resurrection of His Son, Jesus Christ, His kids! I have, of course, read this before; thought about it before - today, though, through the words of my pastor/husband, it just seemed to jump right out at me: I AM God's child. Not a perfect one. But, still, God's child. Not a perfect one. But, still, wanted and loved by God. Not a perfect one. But always, forevermore, God's child. Not a perfect one. But a forgiven child of God. Not a perfect one. But a child of God who WILL one day, with Him, BE a perfect one.

As my pastor/husband said today: "How great is that?"