In 1 John 3:1-3, we read, “See what love the Father has given 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. Beloved, we are God’s children now; what we will be has not yet been revealed. What we do know is this: when he is revealed, we will be like him, for we will see him as he is.  And all who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.” But what does this mean? How do we purify ourselves?

The hope spoken of in 1 John is the hope of Easter. The hope by which we Christians are living. It is true hope, not a mere wish or some  imaginary form of  escapism we turn to when  life gets boring or hard.  We who have this hope are living in the new reality that has redefined our existence. We celebrate Easter with grateful joy, that we have been offered the gift of forgiveness of sins and eternal life through Christ’s death and resurrection. We celebrate Easter as a new experience of life, and a promise that drives us to follow the path of Jesus. And we don’t stop celebrating simply because the calendar says it is no longer Easter.

Join us this Sunday as we explore what it means to be a child of God. We will look at how to keep our hope alive, even in times of struggle and how we can experience the hope which leads to holiness and purity of heart.