The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my mind and heart in Luke 8:21,
"My mother and brothers are those who hear God's word and put it into practice."
I am reminded that the gift God gives when we embrace him in faith is entrance into his family. We are not merely subjects of a kingdom, though we are. We are not merely friends of the Lord, though we are - we are family!
In Romans 8:16 we are told, "The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children." God's children are also called the children of Abraham, a perspective on us when we manifest the faith Abraham did in Genesis 15:6, "Consider Abraham: 'He believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.' Understand, then, that those who believe are children of Abraham. The Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: 'All nations will be blessed through you.' So those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith." Galatians 3:6-9.
Look at this wonderful statement Paul makes in Ephesians 1:3-6, "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. 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 to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves." We receive "every spiritual blessing in Christ" because he determined ahead of time that he would adopt us as his sons, his children!
The writer of Hebrews makes an interesting observation, "In bringing many sons to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the author of their salvation perfect through suffering. Both the one who makes men holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers. He says, 'I will declare your name to my brothers; in the presence of the congregation I will sing your praises.' And again, 'I will put my trust in him.' And again he says, 'Here am I, and the children God has given me.' Hebrews 2:10-13.
As children we become heirs of all that is Jesus Christ's, "The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory." Romans 8:16-17.
Contemplating, ruminating on the reality of being a child of God can cause you to have to catch your breath! What an exciting eternity we have as believers to look forward to!
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share your thoughts of worship with us from your Bible reading today. We'd love to hear from you!
Trevor Fisk
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