SEPTEMBER 8, Ephesians 1:5

Parent-child relationship, brother-sister relationship, grandparent-grandchild relationship, teacher-pupil relationship are different types of relationships. Can you think of others? Answer: _____________________________________________. To you, what relationship is the most important?

John 1:12 tells us - ‘But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name. Apostle John taught the same thing as Apostle Paul in today’s text. Both tell us that the relationship which we have to the great God is that of children to their Father. God is our Father. We are God’s sons and daughters. God in heaven is our Father. This privilege is not enjoyed by anyone, except Christians because they have received the Lord Jesus Christ.

The sonship which Christians have is by adoption. What does this mean? We all have natural birth parents. Some parents adopt children as well. By spiritual adoption by God, what it means is God our Father made us His children even though we were born in sin. He has declared us ‘not guilty’, for the guilt of our sins has been taken by His only Begotten Son – Jesus. This is the meaning of justification. If we are not right with God, there is no way we will have the blessings of God. Justification is the key that opens the door to God’s blessings. In our case, not only did God the heavenly judge justify criminals like us, He took the criminal home and adopted him into his family, put his name upon him, gave to him all the pleasures and benefits of his own home, and being a father to him. This is what God has done to us in Christ. So, the simplest definition of a Christian is that he is someone who has God as his or her Father. Do you have God as your Father? If not, pray to God and receive the Lord Jesus Christ into your heart to wash away your sins.

By adoption, God adopted us when we were yet ‘criminals’ or sinners. God does not need to adopt people of worth or ability; He adopts people who are repentant and know they are sinful and cannot go to heaven on their own; He adopts us by grace. Thank God for adopting us into His family!

Thought: Through Christ, what are the promises we have?

Prayer: Heavenly Father, You are the God of promises and You freely give them to Your children. I thank You for Your promises. I promise to walk and follow Christ all my life. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.