Victory in Jesus!

Good morning to all! I want to continue to share with you some of the privileges of being a child of God. When we’re born for the first time, it is not with divinity in us. We are sinners and a part of a family with the devil as our father. The devil is the spirit of bondage. He wants to make a slave of you as well as wreck and ruin your life. He uses fleshly pleasures which are fleeting. With our new adopted family, we have a new Father. We are no longer in bondage and fear, left to wonder if our needs will be met. For many people with adult salvation coming out of a troubled background, whether it’s the absence of a father or abusive parents, there is a lingering skepticism. Last week, we discussed the importance of being adopted into the family of God and the first privilege of being a child of God; personal leadership of the Spirit of God in your life. In this blog, we will evaluate two more privileges of being God’s child; consistent undying love, compassion, and protection of God; as well as the assurance we belong to the Lord.

It is a great privilege to have a compassionate Father Who loves and protects His children. The word “father” for some people has a negative connotation. When you became saved, you were placed into a family with an absolutely perfect Father. Through the Spirit of adoption, we are not taken in as slaves, but as sons and daughters. I like how the Scriptures demonstrate how wonderful and personal this relationship is. For example, in Romans 8:15, “Whereby we cry, Abba Father”; the Bible refers to the cry of a child. The cry of your children even amongst a large group is easily identified. This is how it is for our heavenly Father. He is so close, personal, and loves you so deeply that He hears your cry regardless of any situation or circumstance. Why should we linger on serving the devil and sin when we’ve been adopted into a new family? We don’t have to work there any longer. Nor do we have to be a slave to the devil anymore.

Another privilege of being a child of God is the assurance that we belong to the Lord. Romans 8:16 says that the Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit which reveals that we are the children of God. He’s the Spirit of communication. However, He does much more. Our relationship and the knowledge of Him comes froma desired revelation through the Spirit of God. In John 14:7, Jesus declared to His disciples that when the Holy Spirit would come, He would be the Spirit of truth. He also said that the world would not receive Him, but you are going to know Him and He’s going to be in you. How do we know Him? How is His word illuminated to us? That is a ministry of the One who bears witness. He carries a testimony. The Spirit of God is the One Who internally explains how God the Father and the word of God operate.

As we read the word of God, the Spirit guides and directs us. As we learn more about spiritual things through the ministry of the Spirit of God, He bears witness. He’ll guide us into all truth and alert us to danger ahead. God knows what’s waiting in the future. This exemplification lies in 1 John 4:6:

“We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.”

The privileges of being a child of God are designed to lead us to a life of fulfillment in Christ. Next week, in the last selection in this series on privileges of being a child of God, we’ll discuss the last two privileges: ultimate gain through Christ and the glorification of God. Let’s appropriate our adoption into God’s family and appreciate all its benefits, that we may live victorious Christian lives. Spend some time today to bask in God’s mercy and undying love for you!