ICS Daily Devotions
Princes and Princesses Forever
Ephesians 1:5-6 (NKJV) having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.
God wasn’t forced but it was His good pleasure to predestine us to adoption as sons and daughters by Jesus Christ to Himself. Truly understanding His plan for salvation and His love for us will give us the assurance that all is well and we are accepted by God regardless of our past. It is God’s plan, His pleasure and will for us to return to His family as His children.
God knows our weaknesses, sins, and imperfections. Nevertheless, He has chosen to love us, and adopt us into His family willingly and with great pleasure. He has given us the right to become His children the moment we accept Jesus as our Lord and Saviour, and we have gone from the kingdom of darkness into the Kingdom of light, turned from a slave of sin to a slave of righteousness upon our profession of faith.
Just like a caterpillar which has transformed into a beautiful butterfly, we used to be sinners and belonged to the kingdom of darkness, but we now have a new identity as God’s children, and the Heavenly Father sees us as righteous in Christ.
Ephesians 1:13 (NKJV) In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise,
Because God sees us in Christ, we have been approved by Him. God has sealed us with the Holy Spirit in our hearts, which means He owns us and is preserving us. Just like the prodigal son was given the signet ring as a sign that he belonged to the family, we are sealed with the Holy Spirit to showcase to the spiritual realm that we belong to God and will be lifted up at Jesus’ return. It is a guarantee of our inheritance.
This seal of approval is our new identity before God. It was given to us because we trusted in Him after we heard the Gospel. God ensured that we are always in favour before Him by blessing us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ. He has no favourites, and has demonstrated His love for us through Jesus dying for us while we were yet sinners. He has chosen not to leave or forsake us through the establishment of the new covenant in Jesus’ blood, and to remember our sins no more. He doesn’t consider our worth because He has chosen to love us regardless of our current state. That’s Agape love—it keeps loving because it is unconditional. We are prince and princess in the kingdom of the King of kings, and our status will never change.
Sermon Series: Sonship
