What He Wants
A Perfect Father’s Day Present
“Greater joy have I none than this, to hear of my children walking in the truth.” 3 John 4.
When John wrote these words he had his spiritual children in mind, that is, those whom he had taught and brought up in the faith. What John has to say here is worthy for us to consider when thinking about our fathers according to the flesh, or our physical offspring.
As a father, nothing makes me more happy than to see my children and grandchildren doing what is right in the sight of the Lord. As a son, there is nothing that I want to do more than please both my heavenly Father and my earthly father, both of whom love me and want to see me go to heaven. They are worthy by virtue of who they are.
There are some other things that John writes to his students as his children that apply to the earthly relationship, too.
“My little children, these things write I unto you that ye may not sin.“ And if any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” As John has no greater joy than to hear of his children walking in the truth, there was no greater disappointment than when a child sinned. So it is with us. A friend remarked to me the other day that it was like a death – and it is. When a child sins it is a disappointment. When a child falls away, it is devastating. So a father’s chief desire for his child is that no sin come into his or her life.
The tragedy of sin, as seen by father’s goes beyond the consequence to the “ought.” When we think about our children, we think not only in terms of what may happen to them, but what they have turned out to be. Are they the kind of people they “ought to be?” If they are, that lessens the worry considerably. We don’t want sin to invade and ruin their lives – we love them too much.
“I write unto you, my little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name's sake.” I want my children to know that Jesus loves and forgives. Nobody is worthy of heaven. Sin has ruined the possibility that we might deserve to go there (Rom. 3:23; 6:23). All of us sin, but all have access to forgiveness through the blood of Jesus. We don’t go to heaven on the basis of merit, but on the basis of grace.
Throughout the years, people have minimized the role of grace in our salvation. There are those who elevate themselves, the seeming belief is that they are good enough to go to heaven. Others have minimized the role of grace by minimizing the awfulness of sin. Often they are heard to say of some offense, “Well, I don’t see what is so bad about …______________.” This individual often responds to the tender pleading of his brethren by talking about how tough the Bible is, or how hard their interpretation is. “I feel so bad when I hear the preaching, I just don’t know if I can go to heaven or not. I don’t know if anyone is going to make it when I hear that kind of preaching” (preaching against specific sin – issue preaching). The joy of the Lord (Phil. 4:4) is not based on earthly relationships or social activities. It is not even the product of “good singing.” The Eunuch went on his way – by his lonesome – rejoicing. Why? His sins were forgiven (Matt. 9:2).
We should never accept sin in our lives or the lives of our loved ones, but the solution to sin when it is found is not to reject the gospel, or deny the sin. It is to repent and accept the love of Jesus and his forgiveness. The devil is out there. We must know these things.
“And now, my little children, abide in him; that, if he shall be manifested, we may have boldness, and not be ashamed before him at his coming.” A source of shame to every child is to be discovered in some wrong they could have helped. It is not always easy to walk the straight and narrow. We all get off course all the time. But like children who stumble learning to walk, our Father picks us up.
It is quite a different thing if we go off course on purpose or out of carelessness. “For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more a sacrifice for sins” (Heb. 10:26). If we abide in him and his word (John 8:31), there is no need for shame.
“My little children, let no man lead you astray: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.” A concern that every parent has is that his child may be led away from the safety of his parents. In the case of small children, we live in constant fear of our children being kidnapped. In the case of older and adult children, we fear them being taken captive by servants of the devil (Col. 2:8). Paul had a similar concern for his children. “Let no man deceive you with empty words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the sons of disobedience” (Eph. 5:6). There are so many in the world who would entice us to enter their sin with them by convincing us that it does not matter. It does matter!
Often people have difficulty connecting their character to their deeds. A child may hit his brother and deceive himself that he has behaved himself. Too often the children of God will plunge back into sin and justify themselves of the basis of someone else’s faults. He that doeth righteousness is righteous. If we could only see ourselves as God sees us. We can through the Bible.
“My Little children, let us not love in word, neither with the tongue; but in deed and truth.” Action speaks louder than words. I am proud when my children say what they need to say. But words must be translated into deeds if they are to have any real meaning. To my children I say, “Talk is cheap.”
“Ye are of God, my little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world.” The devil loves it when we get discouraged. Discouragement is a precursor to disbelief, and disbelief is sin. But disbelief among our children is rarely the product of not accepting the evidence. It is sometimes the product of being battered by the devil and his henchmen. We must have faith in God. He always keeps his promises (2 Tim. 2:10-13), and he is bigger and greater than the enemy. But we must believe that – we must put our trust in that. “…and this is the victory that hath overcome the world, even our faith.” (1 John 5:4).
“My little children, guard yourselves from idols.” An idol is not just an image of wood, metal or stone. It is anything we might harbor in our heart that supplants God or his will (Ez. 14:3-5). What are we talking about? We must put God first in our lives, and let nothing else take his place. “No man can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon” (Matt. 6:24). Though we put God first because he demands it, we also consider the rich reward of such. “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. … And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever” (1 John 2:15-17).
These are the things my father has desired for me. It is what I desire for my children. I have wrestled often with the question, “What should I get my father for Father’s day?” What greater joy is there, than “… to hear of my children walking in the truth.”
