Tag: children of God
Children of God
Scripture reading for June 24: Romans 8
“So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs–heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with Him in order that we may also be glorified with Him.” Romans 8:12-17
Paul described those he wrote to and himself as debtors to God for the amazing gift of the Holy Spirit and salvation from sin and its penalty. The Holy Spirit now empowered them with true freedom. There was no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus concerning past sins or sins that may even now be committed. There was mercy and forgiveness available through Jesus Christ from the law of sin and it’s penalty of death and eternal separation from God. All believers are debtors to Jesus Christ, God the Father. There is nothing we can do to repay God, however, but to say “Thanks be to God!”
Paul plainly told these Roman believers about the wonderful Gift of the Holy Spirit that they had received as they repented of sin and trusted in Jesus Christ. They no longer were under bondage to their old sin nature that was bent on their death and destruction. They now were indwelt by God’s Holy Spirit Who would lead them in defeating the old nature. The Holy Spirit was producing eternal life, God’s very nature and life, in them. The Holy Spirit was a Spirit of adoption, bearing inner witness to each person that they were God’s child. In fact, the Spirit enabled each person to address God as “ABBA!” This word was an affectionate term meaning ‘Father’ or ‘Daddy.’ All believers are in the family of God and heirs of God’s gift of eternal life in abundance!
Have you ever felt that God didn’t care for you or want you in His family? How does this description of God’s provision of salvation through Jesus show His love to you? Have you felt the joy and freedom of knowing God as “Abba?”
Prayer: Abba! Father God! Thank You for Your great love demonstrated to me through the sacrifice of Your only Son, Jesus Christ. Thank You for the gift of forgiveness of sins and deliverance from condemnation. Thank You for adoption into Your forever family! Amen!
Christ shines in the darkness!
Scripture reading for October 24th: Ezekiel 1-3, John 1
John 1:1-5 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him was not any thing made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it.”
The apostle John was in his eighties when he wrote this Gospel of Jesus Christ. John was a young man when he was called by Jesus to follow Him. He was now old and an overseer of churches in Asia. He wrote to counter false teachers in the church who were denying the deity of Jesus Christ. As an eye-witness of Christ’s glory, John wrote to clarify that Jesus was the Son of God and Creator of all things. Jesus was and is the source of all life and light and came from heaven to earth as the Son of Man to bring a revelation of God the Father and His love to a dark world of lost people. John uses the word “believe” ninety-eight times. Faith by ‘believing’ brings adoption into God’s forever family.
John 1:9-13 “The true Light, which gives Light to everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, but the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own people did not receive Him. But to all who did receive Him, who believed in His Name, He gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.”
Prayer: Father God, thank You for Old Testament descriptions of the likeness of Your throne and the human form on it. But thank You for the clear and final revelation of the Word made flesh in Jesus Christ, Son of God! He is the true Light of the world bringing light and eternal life to all who will repent of sins and self-centeredness and believe on Him.
Ezekiel 1:26-28 “And above the expanse over their heads there was the likeness of a throne, in appearance like sapphire; and seated above the likeness of a throne was a likeness of a human appearance. And upward from what had the appearance of His waist I saw as it were gleaming metal, like the appearance of fire enclosed all around. And downward from what had the appearance of his waist I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and there was brightness around Him. Like the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud on the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness all around. Such was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord.”
Christ destroys the Devil’s works in us!
Scripture reading for November 21st: 1st John 3, Psalm 93-94, Proverbs 17
Key Scriptures: 1st John 3:7-10 “Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as He is righteous. Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him, and he cannot keep on sinning because he has been born of God. By this it is evident who are the children of God and who are the children of the devil: . .
John tenderly tells the members of Christ’s church how to keep from being deceived. Everyone born of God has God’s seed in them. God’s seed, the Word, produces good fruit and not continual sinning or violation of His Word. It destroys the devil’s works in them. If someone claims to be born of God and lives in sin, they are lying for they are still under the devil. Don’t be deceived, look at the fruit!
Faith Confession: I am thankful that I am born of God through the living Word, by faith in Jesus Christ. I live now by the indwelling Holy Spirit Who applies God’s Word to my life. Lord keep me from deception this day!
Psalm 93:5 “Your decrees are very trustworthy; holiness befits Your house, O Lord, forevermore.”