I Am A Child Of God…(Devotional Pondering)

“See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.” –1 John 3:1

What a gift this is!
What a relief to be known as children on God!
We have this amazing title, this identity and belonging.
Can you even begin to imagine the depths of love this gift of being called a child of God truly is?

All of humanity was separated from God by sin and death, but God made a way for us to be reconciled to Him – through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Because of this blood sacrifice, which was impossible for us to atone for, we have been given this new life. We might have once been called “Dead man/woman walking”, but now it is possible for us to sit at the family table with Jehovah Jireh, our provider and Savior. Not only are we invited guests…because that in and of itself is a special thing, but we are more than just guests at His table, we are FAMILY! He calls us Son and Daughter. We are included in this illustrious inheritance of eternity with Him.

For some, this might sound like hyperbole…and nothing more, so it is dismissed and rejected. For others, doubts overshadow this good news, for surely we are unworthy of such a designation and title, and in part these rational thinkers are correct. None of us deserves this. None of us are ever worthy of such a blessing, and yet because of God’s grace and love, we are given this priceless opportunity to be grafted back into the Family of God. We never can earn this. We never can do enough good to receive the title. There isn’t enough good works to atone for our sinfulness. But Jesus, in the shedding of His blood, washes our sins away and makes it right.

Ah, but there’s a catch.
(and some skeptics would say, “I knew it! There’s always a catch”)
The catch is really this: It is our choice.
That’s right, it is up to you and me.
We decide if we wish to accept this offer, which is freely given to us.
But in the giving, there has been real sacrifice, pain and labor…it may be given freely to us, but the cost, when we consider it, is unconscionably steep.

This catch is…our belief.
We must accept the gift that has been given to us.
We must receive it with an open heart and mind.
Our joy of being called a Son and Daughter, a child of God, is received at the moment of our belief in His sacrifice and resurrection.

Questions:
Will you claim your title of Son or Daughter of God through your belief in Jesus?
How does this change the way you view yourself and others?
What does being identified as a Son or Daughter of God truly mean?
Are you willing to embrace this heritage and share it with others that you know who might not know about Jesus?
What can you do today that will reflect this rich gift of being call children of God?

Prayer:
Dear Lord, help me to fully accept this gift of being called Your Son or Daughter. Help me to share this great gift with those around me today. May Your light shine on me and light this path that You would have me walk. Thank You for loving me and for lavishly pouring Your grace on me in this way. I love You Father! -Amen.