ICS Daily Devotions
We Are His Children
Eph 1:5-6 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.
To be God’s children is a spiritual blessing. We have been adopted as His sons and daughters. The Greek word for sonship huiothesia speaks of adoption or being placed in a position and rights as one’s own child. It means to formally and legally declare that someone who is not one’s own child is henceforth to be treated and cared for as one’s own child, including complete rights of inheritance.
John 1:12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name.
We approach God as His sons and daughters whom He has in His good pleasure in accordance to His will declared as His children who has the legal right to come before Him. We are in a new family! God’s family.
The Holy Spirit is the down payment and guarantee of the inheritance. We are bought by Jesus’ blood and sealed with the Holy Spirit in our hearts. It is the Spirit who assures believers of their relationship with God and causes them to cry “Abba, Father.” And not only this, but it is the Spirit who assures believers of their freedom from the bondage of the law and frees them from fear. God has already planned to restore us to Himself.
Ephesians 2:6 And raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.
We are able to feast at the Father’s table in the presence of our enemies. This is the revelation truth that we are seated together with Christ in the heavenly places far above principalities, powers, dominion and might! This is a position where we reign with Christ and the evil on is below us. This is who we are in Christ, therefore we can boldly come into the presence of God.
Glory be to God that we are accepted in Him! His grace is not merely favor but reveals His divine character. He made us accepted in the Beloved. This truth should completely uproot the root of rejection in mankind. It is a terrible feeling when one is rejected. Can you imagine when you receive the news that you are rejected by the university that you have applied for? Rejected by the company whom you have send your resume or gone through four major interviews? Feel rejected because you are not included in your companies‘ promotion or retrenched by the company after working with them for 20 years? However, the greatest rejection is spiritual when Adam and Eve was chased out of the garden of Eden.
But praise be to God that we are accepted in the Beloved and became the children of God. It is purely His grace. Christ is the essence of the love with which He loves the lost and which is the product of the Spirit in the heart of the yielded believer. God the Father has always loved God the Son with this love that is permanent. Christ is the One Who is ever in the state of being loved by the Father! And where are saved sinners? In the Beloved by grace through faith and because of our position we are now begraced and acceptable to God. We are accepted in such an honorable manner that we have become God’s sons and daughters!
Sermon Series: Our Identity in Christ (Part 5)
