Children of God
“The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.””
Where do you find your identity?
Being a dad is the best job in the world. My daughter is now at the age where she can actually understand the rules of a game. We’ve been playing hide and seek lately but she continues to hide in the most obvious places. While she understands the rules of the game, she doesn’t necessarily understand the point of the game!
She kept “hiding” behind the lamp, in an open closet or even just the middle of the room. One round she actually was in my arms and told me to start counting. I told her that she needed to go hide and she simply responded, “No dada, I need you!”
Nothing warms my heart than hearing from my kids that they need me. The reason she said that so confidently is because she knows her identity. What about you? Do you know your identity?
Scripture tells us that when we put our full confidence in Jesus—confessing He is Lord and believing in our hearts His resurrection—then we shall be saved from the wrath of God (Romans 10:9). So many of us stop there, but there is even more! Not only are we saved, but we are adopted into God’s family. For it is written,
For he chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will (Romans 1:4-5).
Adoption. Not servants, not butlers or maids. Not staff. Children. What’s more—children of the living God. “Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ…” (Romans 8:17a). For the Romans of this time, they would have seen this as a staggering concept. For the Romans it was legal for you to disown a child of yours. However, if you had adopted a child, under Roman law you could not disown them. They were a full heir to all of your estate. Their status was not secondary. They would be co-heirs with any other children you had.
Therefore, as an adopted child of God, what do you think God desires from you? That you earn His love? He’s already freely given it. That you earn your keep so that you would not fall away? He has already given you every spiritual blessing in Christ (Ephesians 1:3). I believe what God wants is to hear us cry, “Father, I need you!” For it is written,
The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” (Romans 8:15).
When was the last time you sought him out as Father? As the perfect, holy and loving Father that He is? We are taught both by Scripture and by God’s Spirit to call on Him as our Heavenly Father. To seek His face. To trust in Him as an adopted child of His, precious because of the immense cost to himself. This is what it means when some talk about Christianity being not so much a religion but a relationship. Everything hinges on the idea that you and I are actually children of God now. It changes everything. It changes how you pray, how you talk, how you view life. It changes your demeanor. It changes your attitude and how you think about yourself.
While this world does have trouble we are given the promise of peace in Jesus Christ. We can “fear not” because of our new identity and new standing as God’s Children—Holy and set apart for His good purpose. This doesn’t mean we won’t experience trouble, like any good parent, God will discipline those he loves. What it does mean is that as a child of God, He will prove Himself faithful.
So my encouragement to us is this: Let’s stop hiding from God. Let’s really see His goodness. Let’s confess the severity of our sin, repent and cling to the cross of Jesus, and then abide in our new status as co-heirs with Christ, adopted children of God who cry out, “Dada, I need you!” For He is a good father and when you seek Him, you will find him.
