Children of God.
Good Morning Friends,
Perhaps you have struggled with the thought that you could not possible be a child of God when you keep on failing in your fight against sin. Well today’s devotional and scripture may be just what you need to experience victory. Paul explains the basis for the Christian Faith. He answers the question to the dilemma we find ourselves in when we try to overcome sin on our own. Today we learn that the solution to life is on God’s terms- not our increased spirituality or attaining a certain level of godliness. No, here we learn that our fight with the flesh, our fight against death is won in the security of God, in the power of the Holy Spirit, when God dwells in us. We start by listening, then practice staying in step with God, then our thinking changes and our mind is renewed, and finally we begin living in the power of the Holy Spirit. And if we believe in Jesus Christ, if we belong to Him, if He is born in us and lives in us, then we will be delivered from death, from sin, and born to a new creation where, as His children, as heirs to an unbelievable inheritance… we can, in His presence, experience and understand what it is to be Children of God.
Scripture: But you are not in the flesh; you are in the Spirit, since the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. But if Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through his Spirit that dwells in you. So then, brothers and sisters, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh— for if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.
For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.
For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption. When we cry, ‘Abba! Father!’
it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ—if, in fact, we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.
Romans 8:9-17 (NRSV)
Message: Big Production Christmas pageants have become a thing of the past for many churches but we had a small scale children’s version of one at Moorings last night. First we had a round the table carol sing and then a spaghetti dinner with the largest meatballs I think I have ever eaten. After desert we moved from the Hall to the Sanctuary to hear children singing and then witness each child in turn sharing part of a memorized narrative of the Christmas story as angels, shepherds and wise men joined Mary and Joseph in a dramatic setting of the manger scene. It was a witness that children are God’s gift… a generous legacy of the fruit of the womb. As I awoke this morning though, there was a silence in the air. Maybe it is because the preparation for Christmas is about over. Maybe it is some atmospheric event that is about to rain on us…urging us to be ready.
Pray that the wonder of Christmas comes alive for us as we let go and let God clean up our hearts. Pray friends, that we let Him rearrange our priorities so that we can make room for Christ in our lives. Pray we let Him decorate our lives with God’s blessings. Pray we awake, repent, rejoice and have hope to receive the gift of Christ’s love. Pray we submit. Pray we be a receiver of the greatest of gifts… the infinite infant… the coming of the creator, life and light, the song and supper of salvation. Pray we give up our pride. Pray we be a humble receiver of the truth, the way to life. Pray we be born of God… a child.
Blessings,
John Lawson
Daily Devotionals 