Bunny Trail O ‘ Grace and Adoption (ii)
In church today a older gentleman shared a snippet that follows or strengthens a post I wrote last week.
The gentleman told how he had been at an early morning prayer meeting. When it was over he had a couple hours before church. A few people asked if he wanted to go out and get something to eat and spend some time together. In his head he heard a small voice saying “but I want to spend some time with you.” He listened to the voice and went solo to McDonalds. After eating he went and sat in a parking lot in his car. He prayed asking “but God I don’t get it, why would you want to spend time with me?” The response he he heard was “you don’t get it that’s correct. Think of your grandson Cooper, does Cooper have to ask that question? He gets it because it is what it is.”
Sonship in a right relationship has no need to ask “why do you want to be with me.” Children understand the relationship with their parents. They know they are loved and accepted without having to be told.
With that personalize it, and internalize that epiphany. The God of the universe created you not for servants or minions, he created us to be sons and daughters.
He sent his Son to bridge that connection or transformation from just an organic being to an eternal son.
If you haven’t read the first Bunny Trail O’ Grace and Adoption (i) ….. .
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Bunny Trail O’ Grace and Adoption
I’m taking a class and me being me I have a tendency to go on bunny trails. Here is one of my bunny trails.
If you notice I’m only on the introduction but I’m in micro-contemplation bunny trail mode. One of the questions that was presented to us to get us to think was “What is God’s greatest purpose for His children?” Some of the possible answers in the manual were;
● Serve the Lord
● Obey the Lord
● Love the Lord
● Glorify the Lord
Does anyone ever say I’m having kids so that they can serve me. This might work if your Amish and need lots of hands on the farm but I doubt many people would make that statement. Or how about “I’m having children to obey me. Also, probably not a politically correct response. The last two, love and glorify, are a little easier to understand or work with.
Think on this, what does it mean “to glorify God?” Try changing it to “what does it mean for a son/daughter to glorify their parents? ” or ask yourself “my kids glorify me when? Fill in the blank.
My kids glorify me by;
● showing kindness to people.
● when they succeed at something.
● reach a goal.
I like this concept but in honesty I have to admit something, even if they didn’t show compassion, be a success, or reach a goal I would love them unconditionally no matter what. I have four kids and I have a different relationship with each of them. At the beginning and end of the day no matter how they treat me or how I react to them I love them with my whole being no matter what. They don’t have to reciprocate this love I will love them no matter what.
My immediate thought to the classes question was to walk in sonship. The greatest purpose in my relationship with my children is that they would walk as my kids. I desire for them to come to me with their ups and their downs, their success and their failures.
This is how I see God. I have been going through Romans (if you’ve followed my blogging you may notice my pattern). I desire my children would walk in that identity as “my kids.” As a dad I want them to have a relationship, an open relationship where they know they can come to me no matter what the condition of their heart. As a dad I want to be the one they come to when they get a scholarship or they need bail money. If they know and are confident that in both extremes I have done well as a father. (*disclaimer, not sure if I’m there yet.)
By Christ going to the cross and being crucified and resurrected we were co-crucified and co-resurrected with him. He died and took our sins we were put into a re-genesis state where the curse of the law was and is now forever broken and grace was given freely to all at that precise time. He died and paid for all my sins both past, current, and future! It was a free gift! He doesn’t see my sin any longer. This is not a license to sin but an invitation to step into His fullness. We do not have to work for gift. There is no 12 step program to walk in a grace. It is simply a gift.
Often, christians feel they are not worthy they feel they have to compete for God’s affection or acceptance. I remember when I was a teenager and it was home group night I would do everything possible to be gone before people would show up. I was scared of the church people showing up. I was scared thst they would be able to read my spiritual mail. I lived in fear and condemnation. I didn’t like going to church because I felt like I missed the mark with God. I lived under the paradigm of works. I needed to meet all requirements of the ten commandments and live holy. I felt I always fell short. I lived like that over 30+ years. I was in full time ministry for msny of those years and ministered under that influence. Recently I have experienced grace and had the breakthrough into the realization of what the act of Jesus’s death on the cross and what the resurrection did for mankind. Romans 8:1-2 has become more than just words, it has brought freedom.
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 and death. – Romans 8:1-2
The analogy I heard tonight was very insightful. Imagine a vagrant (Tom)who is penniless. He had a distant billionaire uncle who died and left all his money to Tom. Tom is now a billionaire but since he is homeless they are having a hard time getting this information to Tom. Is he a billionaire? Yes! Yes, but he is not walking in this new identity because he has not been education about his new status/identity.
This is how mankind is. We are walking around like vagrants. We are unaware of what are true identity is. We are heirs. We are sons and daughters adopted in to God’s family with full access to the throne.
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 8:15
He predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace – Ephesians 1:5-7
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It’s all past tense baby!
God relates to you through your identity not through your behavior. He defines your identity not you.
He says you are made in his likeness. You were created in his image. His image of you is spotless. He sees eternity in him in your identity now. He likes you now. He liked you before he created the world. He is not wanting you to be something or do something to gain his acceptance or love. If we could do something to please him on our own merit he would not have had to send Jesus to the cross. It is a free gift given to us at the time of the cross, that’s right he did it prior to our being conceived. He forgave us and extended the gift of forgiveness and grace freely to all at the time of the cross. It is simply a matter if accepting the gift and walking into the place of sonship he has supplied.
We were created to not only be partakers of his divine nature (in fullness) in heaven but also to partake here on earth. He says who I am not me or my actions. My significance is or should not be defined by anything but the word of God.
2 Corinthians 5:16-19 TMT
16 This is radical! No label that could possibly previously define someone carries any further significance! Even our pet doctrines of Christ are redefined. Whatever we knew about him historically or sentimentallity is challenged by this conclusion.
17 In the light of your co-inclusion in his death and resurrection, whoever you thought you were before, in Christ you are a brand new person! The old ways of seeing yourself and everyone else are over. Acquaint yourself with the new!
18 To now see everything as new is to simply see what God has always known in Christ; we are not debating man’s experience, opinion, or his contribution; this is 100% God’s belief and his doing. In Jesus Christ, God exchanged equivalent value to redeem us to himself. The act of reconciliation is the mandate of our ministry.
19 our ministry declares that Jesus did not act independent of God. Christ is proof that God reconciled the total kosmos to himself. Diety and humanity embraced in Christ; the fallen state of mankind was deleted; their trespasses would no longer count against them! God has placed this message within us. He now announces his friendship with every individual from within us!
Romans 5:17-18 TMT
If death saw the gap in one sin, and grabbed the opportunity to dominate kind because I’m a one man, how much more me we now she’s the advantage to reign in righteousness in this life through that one act of Christ, who declared us innocent by His grace. Grace is out of all proportion in the superiority to the transgression.
18 The conclusion is clear: it took just one offense to condemn mankind; one act of righteousness declares the same mankind innocent.
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“You don’t have to claim another promise when you discover that the promise already claimed you! 2 Cor 1:20 For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.”
Francois du Toit
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Sonship Dude!
I was reading in Romans 8:19-24 still contemplating sonship (following yesterday’s blog) it states;
Our lives now represent the one event every creature anticipates withheld breath, standing on tip-toe as it were the unveiling of the sons of God. Can you hear the drum roll?
Every creature suffered abuse through Adam’s fall; they were discarded like a squeezed out orange. Creation did not volunteer to fall prey to the effect of the fall. Yet within this stark setting hope prevails.
All creation knows the glorious liberty of the SONS of God sets the stage for their own release from decay.
We sense the universal agony and pain recorded in history until this very moment.
We ourselves feel the grief echo of their groaning within us while we are ready too EMBRACE the ORIGINAL BLUEPRINT also of our physical stature to the full consequence of SONSHIP. What we ALREADY NOW PARTICIPATE in as first fruits of the spirit will bloom into a full gathering of the harvest.
For what we already experience of salvation confirms our hope and continues to fuel our expectation for what we still cannot see. In the final visible completeness of the harvest, hope has fulfilled its function.
Through the cross we co-died and became co-heirs with Christ. This act brought mankind into sonship. Sonship! Do you get the ramifications? We have a new lease, Adam’s fall has been wiped clean.
You hear stories of prisoners who have been behind bars for decades and have been released and still act like prisoners.
James Whitmore in The Shawshank Redemption
Jame Whitmore’s character in the Shawshank Redemption had been in prison since his late teens and was released an old man. He was free but he didn’t know how to cope with his freedom. He still acted like he was in chains asking permission to use the bathroom among others. He didn’t understand traffic or how to cross the street. He knew about street and cars. He had knowledge of what they were but it was merely cognition not understanding of the practical. We are like that, I’ve often used the terminology “we are sons and daughters of God” but I never walked in it or even remotely understood what it means.
I am a joint heir with Christ! What he gets, I get. He has access to daddy, I have access to daddy.
I’m a parent of four kids; Savannah, Shakanah, Benaiah, and Moriah in that order. I cannot honestly say I have a favorite. In fact I have told them when we are alone (one on one) that they (which ever one is with me) that they are my favorite. Each one can come and ask me a question at any time and I will see what can be done to answer there question or make a request possible. No good father/mother will give their child a spider if they ask for a _______________. I am God’s son his child. I am not a servant or a guest. I am his favorite.
Jesus’s act of sacrifice on the cross redeemed our innocence, it brought us back to that pre-fall relationship that Adam and God had in Eden.
God has invited each of us to walk in that sonship. A good parent loves unconditionally and God is definitely a good parent. Remember the prodigal sons brother who at the end of the story is jealous of his brother and when confronted by his father about his issues the father says;
Luke 15:31-32
“My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.”
Your original identity is that of a fully functional son/daughter of God!
Grasp your original blueprint Dude!
Give the word your undivided attention; do not underestimate yourself. Make the calculation. There can only be one conclusion: your authentic origin is mirrored in the word. You are God’s poem; let his voice make poetry of your life.
James1:22 The Mirror Translation
Kilen's Spot 