1 John 3:1 – See What Kind of Love

Most of us don’t struggle to believe that God loves us. However, what we often struggle with is believing that His love actually defines us. We say the words “child of God” easily, sometimes automatically. Yet we rarely stop to consider what that means—or what kind of love would make it true.

Today’s verse is 1 John 3:1.

Episode Summary

1 John 3 opens with a command, but it isn’t a command to do something. Instead, John tells us to stop, to look, and to take something in. He says, “See.” That single word implies time. It implies attention. It implies stillness.

In other words, John isn’t aiming for information. He’s aiming for wonder.

Moreover, the phrase “what kind of love” points to something foreign and unexpected—love that is not normal, not earned, and not cautious. It is love that interrupts us and demands to be noticed. John starts with the Father because this love is not discovered through effort or unlocked by maturity. Rather, it is given. As a result, our identity flows from God’s initiative and not our performance.

And that love results in something astonishing: that we should be called children of God. Not servants. Not employees. Children. In fact, that is adoption language—meaning we didn’t naturally belong, but we were brought in, named, and given a place at the table.

Then John removes all doubt with three powerful words: “and so we are.” This is not merely poetic or symbolic. It is present reality. Therefore, obedience flows from identity; it does not create it.

Entities: God the Father, Children of God, The World, Jesus, John

Why this episode matters: Many believers live the Christian life backward—trying to behave their way into belonging. However, 1 John 3:1 flips that upside down. Because identity comes first, obedience becomes a response rather than a desperate attempt to qualify.

Commentary Highlights

John’s command to “see” is a call to slow down and give God’s love your full attention. Like a child who says, “Look at me,” the invitation isn’t for a quick glance. Instead, it’s for presence—stillness—wonder.

Because of this, the word “given” becomes central. The Father does not wait for us to improve, and He does not grant love as a reward. Rather, He gives love freely, and that love names us.

Finally, John adds a clarifying note: the world may not recognize us because it did not recognize Him. Therefore, being misunderstood isn’t necessarily proof that something has gone wrong. It may simply be resemblance—evidence that you belong to a different family.

Verse of the Day

1 John 3:1 (ESV) — “See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him.”

Read it in context here: 1 John 3 (BibleGateway, ESV)

Episode Chapters

• 00:00 – See What Kind of Love
• 00:35 – Welcome to Verses We Missed
• 01:06 – 1 John 3:1 (ESV)
• 01:26 – The Command to See
• 02:05 – Pop! Look at me!
• 03:28 – Love That Is Given
• 04:49 – And So We Are
• 05:34 – Identity Before Obedience
• 06:36 – Why the World Doesn’t Understand
• 07:23 – Living From Identity
• 08:01 – Prayer
• 08:56 – Value for Value
• 09:37 – Benediction

Value for Value

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