Is a person a Christian merely because they have been born into a Christian family?

Of course, the thoughtful answer is no, even though a person may subconsciously subsume some surface-level measure of their parents’ faith, yet never allow it to make any deeper impact on their life. And then people wonder why they  have never experienced this ‘faith‘ thing!

Rev Victor Shepherd notes in his excellent recent book, Do you love me? And other questions Jesus asks:

Christians of every generation are slow to hear that God has no grandchildren. God certainly has children: We become God’s children as we seize Jesus Christ in faith and vow never to let go. Grandchildren, however, are those who try to ride the coattails of their parents’ faith, sooner or later to find that what they assumed to be possible – faith at arm’s length, faith secondhand, faith on the cheap -isn’t possible.

If you today are wondering if you have been living as a grandchild, and not a child of God, I implore you to please take a moment to consider what it means to be living a Spirit Filled Life:   Have You Made the Wonderful Discovery of the Spirit-Filled Life?

It may be the most important few minutes of the rest of your life!

by Darren Hewer
used by permission

FURTHER READING

• Adopted
• No Child Ever Leaves God’s Sight
• Home Coming!

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The post Born into it: Are You a Grandchild of God? appeared first on Thoughts About God.

When they let me out of prison, I held my head up high,
Determined I would rise above the shame,
But no matter where I’m living, the black mark follows me,
I’m branded with a number on my name.

The above lyrics, the reflections of a prisoner, were taken off a hit-song recorded by Country star Merle Haggard, titled ‘Branded Man’. Merle certainly knew what it was like to be a ‘Branded Man’, since he spent time in prison, including the dreaded San Quentin Prison.

I don’t know what it is about humans, but we seem to thrive on placing ‘brands’ on people. We hear terms like loser, failure, cheat, addict, gossip, prison bird, fat, ugly and more being used on people. Partners use insulting names on each other, with much regret later. And, parents sometimes use brands like fool, idiot and stupid on their children, snuffing out the light inside them in the process. Sadly, many times we accept the branding put on us by others and live our lives believing that lie!

The good news however, is that whatever people say or think of us, what really matters is what God thinks of us. Thankfully, the scriptures show us time and time again that God never brands us, but instead, places great value on us. So much value in fact, that He gave His only Son, The Lord Jesus Christ, to die for us as individuals. The Bible also says that God knows us by name, our real name, and not the branded names others have placed on us. Here are some powerful scriptures.

“I (God) have summoned you by name, you are mine” (Isaiah 43:1)

“I am fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:14)

“Yet to all who received Him (Jesus), to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become the children of God”. (John 1:12)

Yes, in Jesus, you are a child of God! So, today, stop believing the names others have branded you with and believe the truth of what God thinks of you. It will change your entire outlook in life and give you new courage to fulfill your God-given destiny!

Illustration – There is a story of a man who was caught stealing sheep and was branded with the letters ST (sheep thief) on his forehead. It was a stigma he would carry for the rest of his life. However, the man turned it around by living a godly and fulfilled life, so much so that in his later years, the same letters, ST (sheep thief), were considered to stand for ‘Saint’!

Coming back to the example given earlier, Merle Haggard, the prisoner, was pardoned by the then Governor of California, Ronald Reagan, later to become President Reagan, and never looked back. He went on to become a legend in Country Music!

The book of Philemon in the New Testament, tells the story of how the Apostle Paul mentored a runaway slave named Onesimus (meaning useful), who was now branded as ‘useless’. In verse 11, Paul tells his former master Philemon, “Formerly he (Onesimus) was useless to you, but now he has become USEFUL both to you and to me”. That’s how God removes our insults.

Once again I say, don’t accept the brands people place on you. Instead, live for God’s glory and be amazed by what Jesus will do in and through you!

By Palitha Jayasooriya
used by permission

FURTHER READING

God Knows Me and He Loves Me

Before – A Poem by Roy Lessin

God is Thinking about You 

The post Are You a Branded Person? appeared first on Thoughts About God.

As a parent, when our children stumble, we don’t disown them.

We may punish or reprimand, but cast them out of the family? We cannot. They are biologically connected to us. Those born with our DNA will die with it.

God, our Father, engenders the same relationship with us. Upon salvation we become, as John 1:12 says, “children of God.” He alters our lineage, redefines our spiritual parenthood, and in doing so, secures our salvation. Paul says,

“Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit” (Ephesians 1:13).

And a soul sealed by God is safe! God paid too high a price to leave us unguarded.

Again, a reminder from Paul in Ephesians 4:30,

“He has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption.”

What a difference this assurance makes!

By Max Lucado
Used by permission
From: 3:16

To learn more about Max Lucado visit his website at:
https://maxlucado.com/about/

FURTHER READING

• Stumbling Along
• Character Defect
• Better a Millstone

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The post Sealed by God appeared first on Thoughts About God.

“For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, ‘Abba, Father.’” Romans 8:14-15

Recently my wife and I bumped into a friend and his son whom we had not seen for a year. In that time, the teenager had grown from boy to young man, from thin and wiry to broad-shouldered and tall — and his voice was lower, too.

In addition to growing up physically, the young man was ever more like his dad — upbeat and positive, brimming with good. The boy seemed a “chip off the old block.”

And he’s adopted.

If you were to see father and son side-by-side, you would probably know it; the boy’s dark hair and eyes stand out in contrast to his dad’s Scandinavian complexion. But they are family.

The Apostle Paul says that when we are led by the Spirit of God, we become His children, His offspring through adoption. We may be in body and He may be in Spirit, but at the core, we are family. We have been freed from spiritual slavery and fear. Within the body of Christ we differ in race and nation, but deep down we’re family, born of God. We call Him “Daddy” (the affectionate meaning of “Abba”).

As a child adopted by God, I need to ask myself if people can tell I’m carrying the family name, if I’m living by the Spirit. John reminds us of the telling sign: “By this everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another” John 13:35.

Can others tell that we belong to God’s family? Do they see us bearing His complexion?

God, thank You for adopting me into Your family. May my life honor Your reputation as a loving and caring Father. Amen.

By Dr. Bill Strom
Used by Permission


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