Children of God

     Scripture reassures us, “No one who trusts God like
     this–heart and soul–will ever regret it.” It’s exactly the
     same no matter what a person’s religious background
     may be: the same God for all of the us, acting the same
     incredibly generous way to everyone who calls out for
     help. “Everyone who calls, ‘Help, God!’ gets help.”
                                                 (Romans 10:11-13 The Message)

When the angel appeared to Joseph and revealed God’s plan for Jesus’ birth, the angel told Joseph to name the baby Jesus “because he will save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21 CEB). Today many people debate who “his people” are, but the Bible makes it clear: “If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved: (Romans 10:9).

If you believe that Jesus is who he said he was–that he came to earth to die for our sins and was resurrected in order to defeat sin and death–then you are “his people.” If you accept God’s gift of love and salvation, then God wholeheartedly and joyfully gives you a new name: Mine.

Scripture proclaims:

     The one who is the true light, who gives light to everyone,
     was coming into the world.

     He came into the very world he created, but the world
     didn’t recognize him. He came to his own people, and
     even they rejected him. But to all who believed him and
     accepted him, he gave the right to become children of
     God. They are reborn–not with a physical birth resulting
     from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes
     from God.
                                        (John 1:9-13 NLT)

     Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who
     are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law
     of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of
     sin an death.
                                        (Romans 8:1-2)

     I have called you by name; you are mine.
                                        (Isaiah 43:1c CEB)

No longer do we have to answer to the old names that sin holds over us: Failure. Unwanted. Forgotten. Sinner. No! In Jesus we are given new names–names that are spoken tenderly over us by our Father:

     I will be a father to you, and you will be my sons and
     daughters, says the Lord Almighty.
                                        (2 Corinthians 6:18 CEB)

     I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not
     know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you
     friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I
     have made known to you.
                                        (John 15:15)

     For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in
     Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for
     us long ago.
                                        (Ephesians 2:10 NLT)

     See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his
     children, and that is what we are!
                                        (1 John 3:1a NLT)

Son. Daughter. Friend. Masterpiece. Child. Let us “thank God for this gift too wonderful for words!” (2 Corinthians 9:15 NLT).

Prayer Focus:
Is there anything holding you back from allowing God to call you Child? Will you accept God’s claim on you today?                               


From Rob Renfroe and Ed Robb, The Wonder of Christmas: Devotions for the Season