"Therefore the world does not know us..."
Text: 1 John 3:1
INSIGHT ABOUT THE WORLD
The Apostle John had no illusions about the world. His understanding about the world came from the sources. His primary source of knowledge was from the Lord Jesus Christ. His other source of knowledge about the world was from personal experience. Once again John gives a fresh insight about the world.
“Therefore the world does not know us,
because it did not know Him.”
1 John 3:1b
1. “Therefore the world”
a) The inferential particle “therefore” was used for good reason.
i) It harks back to what John wrote about the world (1 John 2:15-17).
ii) There is a theological-contextual link.
b) John was still bearing in mind “the world”.
i) Even though he was dwelling on the subject of being called “children of God”.
ii) John was aware that the world would not be accepting us as children of God.
2. “The world does not know us”
a) The word “know” does not mean that the world does not acknowledge our existence.
b) The word “know” has subtle connotations: –
i) The world will not respect our relationship with God.
ii) The world will not regard us as “children of God”.
3. “Because it did not know Him”
a) The world will not acknowledge God.
i) His authority.
ii) His sovereignty.
iii) And sometimes His very existence.
b) The Scriptural description of the world.
i) Though the Lord made the world it did not know Him (John 1:10).
ii) The world prefers darkness to light (John 3:19).
iii) The world does not know the Spirit of God (John 14:17).
iv) It cannot receive the Spirit of truth (John 14:17).
v) The world will in fact hate those who are in Christ (John 17:14).