Children of God 神的儿女

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Dexu Xia

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Sep 22, 2026, 3:10:23 AMSep 22

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If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. 1 John 3:20

Today's Scripture 1 John 3:18-24

Today's Insights When we believe in Jesus as our Savior, we become “children of God” (John 1:12). The Holy Spirit “testifies [confirms] with our spirit” that this is true (Romans 8:16; see 1 John 3:24). Our sonship is a gift of God “through faith” (Ephesians 2:8). We can’t earn it. As God’s beloved children, He “has lavished” love on us (1 John 3:1), which includes a personal relationship with Him, eternal life, and guidance by the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:14)—and we’re considered “heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ” (v. 17). He provides all we need in this life—comfort, hope, joy, strength—to live for and serve Him. As God’s children, nothing—“neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future” (v. 38)—can separate us from His great love (v. 39).

Today's Devotion One of my favorite books of optical illusions always astounds me as the pictures deceive my eyes—like one with two lines of the same length appearing to be different sizes, or the famous “impossible staircase” in which four flights of stairs seem to link in a continuous loop. It can also be a little disconcerting to realize we don’t always see things as they truly are. But it’s not only our eyes that deceive us. We can sometimes believe illusions about our identity as God’s children when we’re bombarded daily with the world’s deceptive claims. Author Henri Nouwen wrote, “Jesus came to announce to us that an identity based on success, popularity and power is a false identity—an illusion!”

Our true identity, possible because of God’s lavish love, is that when we receive Jesus as our Savior we become “children of God” (1 John 3:1). As the apostle John recognized, sometimes “our hearts condemn us” (v. 20), and we begin to doubt God’s love or even question if we truly belong to Him. However, “God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything” (v. 20). Instead of being deceived by damaging illusions, we can believe the truth that we are God’s beloved children.

Whatever illusions you may encounter about your identity today, hold fast to the truth that you’re God’s beloved child.

Reflect & Pray

What illusions about your identity have you encountered? How does the truth that you are God’s child encourage you?

Heavenly Father, even when I can’t see or feel it, please help me remember the truth of Your love for me. By Lisa Samra

我们的心若责备我们，我们知道神比我们的心大，一切事他都知道。（约翰一书 3:20）

今日经文：约翰一书 3章18-24 节

今日感悟：当我们信耶稣为救主时，我们就成了“神的儿女”（约翰福音 1:12）。圣灵与我们的心“同作见证”，确证了这一点（罗马书 8:16；参约翰一书 3:24）。我们作为神儿女的身份，是神“因信”赐予的礼物（以弗所书 2:8），并非我们靠行为赚取的。作为神所爱的儿女，祂向我们“倾注”了丰盛的爱（约翰一书 3:1）；这爱包含了与祂建立亲密关系、永生以及圣灵的引导（罗马书 8:14）,我们更被视为“神的后嗣，和基督同作后嗣”（第17节）。祂供应我们在世生活所需的一切，安慰、盼望、喜乐与力量——使我们能为祂而活并事奉祂。作为神的儿女，没有任何事物，“无论是死，是生，是天使，是掌权的，是有能的，是现在的事，是将来的事”（第38节）——能使我们与祂伟大的爱隔绝（第39节）。

今日灵修：我最喜欢的一本关于视觉错觉的书总是让我惊叹不已，因为书中的图像常会欺骗我的眼睛，比如两条等长的线看起来长短不一，或者那著名的“不可能的楼梯”，其中的四段台阶似乎连接成了一个连续的循环。意识到我们未必总能看清事物的真相，有时确实会让人感到有些不安。然而，欺骗我们的不仅仅是眼睛。当我们每天面对世俗各种虚假言论的冲击时，有时也会对“神儿女”这一身份产生错觉。作家亨利·卢云曾写道：“耶稣来是要告诉我们，那种建立在成功、名望和权力之上的身份是虚假的，那不过是一种幻象！”因着神丰盛的慈爱，我们拥有了真实的身份：当我们接受耶稣为救主时，我们就成了“神的儿女”（约翰一书 3:1）。正如使徒约翰所言，有时“我们的心责备我们”（第20节），使我们开始怀疑神的爱，甚至质疑自己是否真正属于祂。然而，“神比我们的心大，他知道一切”（第20节）。我们不必受那些有害的错觉蒙蔽，而应坚信这一真理：我们是神所钟爱的儿女。无论今天你在自我身份认同上面临何种错觉，都要紧紧持守这一真理：你是神所钟爱的儿女。

反思与祷告你曾遇到过关于自身身份的哪些错觉？你如何从“你是神的儿女”这一真理得到鼓励？天父，即便我看不见也感觉不到，求祢帮助我铭记祢爱我的真理。