One day a mother and father stood watching a parade of new recruits. Their son was among the group and it was obvious to any observer that he was having a very difficult time trying to keep proper marching cadence. The parents were so proud they were oblivious to the boy's ignorance. The wo man turned to her husband trium phantly remarking, "Look dear, our son is the only one in step!" Too often it is easy for us to apply truths to others which we really need for ourselves. The Word of God is meant for personal consid eration and application. One of the most beloved Bible texts is I John 3:1, 2, "Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world krioweth us not, because it knew Him not. Be loved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be, but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is." Whenever the word "Be hold" is found in Scripture, it comes
as the Lord's special, "stop, look and listen" sign. We might trans late it simply, "marvel at this!" Consider the declaration to Mary of the coming Saviour (Matthew 1:23). What a fantastic supernat ural event that was. It had never happened before, and certainly it has never happened since. What a marvel. Just "behold" or marvel at what manner of love the Father has given to us through His Son. Such mercy and compassion can only emanate from heaven and the heart of God. The apostle John speaks at great length on the sub ject of eternal love throughout this entire epistle. As a matter of fact, from the first verse of chapter three to the end of chapter five the word "love" (in some form or another) appears 66 different times. This is one of the most significant sections on love in the entire Bible. It is interesting to note that in the original it states, "...that we should be called the sons of God, and we are." Those last three words of personal possession may have been dropped by some copiest who felt they were unnecessary.
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