His Forever Child

There was a game my brother, sister, and I used to play that we made up. It was called Tornado. We would sit on the street curb in front of our house and watch for tornadoes. The tornadoes were passing cars. We’d pretend we couldn’t see them until they were about three houses away from ours. Then when the car reached that point, we would yell “Tornado” and make a mad dash for our front porch. We had to reach the porch before the “tornado” passed our house. If we didn’t reach the shelter in time we had to die right there in our front yard. The dying was the fun part. We’d get creative as we would drop to the ground, jerking and having spasms on the way down.  I remember lying on my back in the grass with my arms and legs held up stiff and straight. I think I thought that’s how a dead animal looked. Now that I’m older I’ve often wondered what in the world those passing motorists must have thought. Those were fun days though.

At some point we leave our childish games behind and grow up. Growing up is challenging. I remember as a child thinking adults just had it all together. Now that I’m an adult, I feel like I’m still a child with lots of growing up to do.  My body is getting older but I feel the same on the inside.  I wonder if this could be because in some ways we’re always children.

 There is a beautiful passage in Romans 8:13-17 that speaks about us being children of God. It says,

“For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs– heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.”

Since I accepted the Lord and let my sins by God’s grace be buried in the waters of baptism, I became a child of God. I may not be a child in this physical world, but in the heavenly world I am His child. I have the Spirit within me that gives me the assurance of being his child.  I call God my Father. Now, I’m an heir of God. I’m co-heirs with Christ. Wow, what benefits there are in this present life and in the life to come as children of God.

Romans 8 names benefit after benefit of being a child of God. By the time I get to the end of the chapter, I just want to praise the Lord.
• Verses 18-23 tell me that I have freedom from bondage. I am liberated. I am redeemed or bought back. I am adopted.
• Verses 24, 25 tells me I have hope. I need that.
• Verses 26, 27 tells me that the Spirit helps me in my weakness. He intercedes on my behalf.
• Verse 28 is that beautiful verse that tells me God will work all things out for my good.
• Verse 29 tells me I’m a part of God’s plan.
• Verses 30 and 33 say I’m justified.
• Verse 31 gives me the assurance that if God is for me, I have no one to fear.
• Verse 34 tells me that there is no condemnation because Christ intercedes for me.
• Verse 37 assures me that through the trials of life I will conquer through Christ who loves me.
• And finally verses 38 and 39 gives me the peace of knowing that nothing, absolutely nothing can separate me from the love of God.

 “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  Romans 8:37-39

Am I living as a child of God? Or am I trying to be independent and do it on my own?  Am I allowing him to love me through the difficult times in my lives? Am I burdened by the everyday things in life and as a result forgetting to live in the joy of the Lord? I know I’ve been guilty many times of trying to do it on my own. I forget I have someone to lean on. Life sometimes just bogs me down.  I need a reminder of who I am. I am God’s child.

Even though I'm an adult in this world, I am a forever child of the King.

His Forever Child

"How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!  And that is what we are!"  I John 3:1a

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