See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 1 John 3:1
The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him. Romans 8:16-17
Sparkling Advent #6: The Gift of Sonship (1 John 3:1; Romans 8:16-17)
I am the youngest daughter in my family…by a lot. My brother and sister are 10-12 years older than me. Growing up, I had a lot of “only child” tendencies because of this large gap. I also benefited from older parents who had more time to spend with me. I treasure the memories of my father reading and talking with me at breakfast or learning to sew and bake with my mother. They passed down wisdom to me. My name, Amanda, means “beloved” and I truly felt loved as their child.
Blessed
When I think about the difference between my experience growing up and that of some people I know who were separated from their parents or had abusive childhoods, I am so grateful for my family and home.
However, when I read today’s scriptures, I was struck by the idea that no matter what our backgrounds are, we are all blessed because God calls us His children.
What kind of love?
“See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him.” 1 John 3:1
God’s love for us is so deep and so far beyond our comprehension that He, the Creator of the Universe, accepts us as His kids. What kind of love is this? It is hard for me to wrap my brain around this marvelous mystery.
The Holy Spirit in Us
“The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.” Romans 8:16-17
The Holy Spirit in us that we talked about in the last post – He connects with our spirits, reassuring us that we are children of God. He can remind us that we are no longer slaves to our natural desires or to sin. As believers in Jesus, we have been given the gift of sonship (or daughter-ship!).
Heirs
This passage in Romans goes one step farther. We are not just children, but also God’s heirs with Christ. When we believe in Jesus and accept Him as our Lord and Savior, we accept all of it – the suffering and the blessing. However, we know that even if our lives on this fallen world are filled with sadness and misery, our lives in eternity are full of the inheritance that we share with Jesus as children of God.
Action Step:
Some of us act like we are slaves instead of sons. We walk around with our heads hanging down, assuming that we have no options or no power, but that is not how God sees us. He calls us His children and lavishes His gifts on us. We can stand tall and sparkle in this world because we know what is waiting for us in the next.
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Prayer:
Dear God, Reveal to us the depth of the blessing of this gift of sonship. Help us to see ourselves as you see us, our value in You. In Jesus’ name, amen.
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