Doesn’t the Bible say…?
SUMMER DEVOTIONAL SERIES
“We’re all God’s children.”
Today's topic is one that I have heard many times in a wide variety of contexts and usually it's meant with the very best intentions. When someone says that we're all God's children, it's almost always in reference to treating people with love, dignity, equality and respect. It's meant to break down any segregation or sense that any person or group is less than or more important than any other. And that's a good thing.
The phrase itself, though, isn't entirely correct, even if the sentiment is. There is a distinct group of people who are actually called "children of God" and it's not a blanket statement for the human race.
What is true is that every person is created in the image of God. Genesis 1:27, 31b says, "So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them... God saw all that he had made, and it was very good." And Psalm 24:1 tells us, "The earth is the Lord's and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it."
Each and every person is seen and loved by God immensely. We were created on purpose and with purpose. We somehow reflect the image of the Creator. And that's more than enough to know that each person has inherent worth and should be valued in the way that God has placed value on us. No exceptions.
And somehow, miraculously, that's not all. We are not only loved, seen, valued and created with purpose, we are invited to be adopted into the family of God.
John 1:12-13 - "Yet to all who did receive [Jesus], to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God."
John 3:1a, 2a, 10 - "See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! ...Dear friends, now we are children of God... This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not God's child, nor is anyone who does not love their brother or sister."
Ephesians 1:4-5 - "Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ."
This is really good news. Not only were we created in God's image, we have an open invitation to join His family, to call Him our Father and to receive all of the benefits of being His son or daughter. Scripture has a lot to say about this. Check these verses out and be ready for your heart to be FULL of wonder: Romans 8:14-17, Galatians 3:26-4:7, Colossians 1:12-14
I trust this will encourage you this week and give you a deeper understanding of how you were created and how incredible it is to know God as our Father.
Blessings!
Pastor Tracy
This Sunday
THE NEVER-ENDING STORY
Flood → Job
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