Adopted
“But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, ‘Abba! Father!’ So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.”
Abiding becomes truly transformational when we understand the place we have before the Father as adopted sons and daughters. I could go on and on about the benefits of being positioned as a child of God. There are distinctive things that shape our faith that can only come into our lives because of our relationship with God as our Father. However, the more important question is not why the spirit of adoption is so beneficial to obtain, but how do we obtain it in the first place?
Living as children of God positions us as heirs of the kingdom of God. All that the Father has is shared with us. The fullness of wisdom, freedom, love, and blessing is ours in the family of God. Jesus promises to go before us to his father’s house and prepare a place for us, adding us into the family eternally.
Without this place, we are operating as servants. We live in the servant house and strive to earn the favor of our master. Still, even the best servants and slaves have zero access to the inheritance of the house. That is the limiting factor of living in a religious spirit. No matter how good we get at operating in the kingdom, we are never fully in the kingdom.
To receive the spirit of adoption, we must receive the Holy Spirit and live to please the Spirit. “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” (Romans 8:13 ESV).
The power of abiding daily is not that devotions can save. I cannot guarantee that you will read this prompt and experience anything other than an intellectual response. However, I know that the Spirit of God comes to us in many different ways. God consistently reveals himself to those in pursuit of knowing him through his word and faithful prayer. He produces the fruit of righteousness, freedom, and hope.
We are on a life-long journey of learning what it means to be a child of God. We are invited to ask God to help us along our journey. God loves to meet us with his presence and truth, so start with asking today that God would show you what it means to live as a free son or daughter of the living God.
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Go further with the ministry of Abiding Daily by listening to our podcast. We just released our first episode that you can stream on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. You can always listen directly on our website here.
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Abiding happens daily in his presence. Abiding Daily is a simple and practical reminder to stay connected to the vine. Each prompt is inspired by the scriptures and designed to point you toward prayer and encounter. You can follow us on Facebook and Instagram. To get the Daily Invitation sent to you every day click this link or text “Daily” to +1 (779) 237-3914.
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Our first devotional book is available on our online store! Abiding Daily: Volume One is a devotional book including 120 prompts from the Daily Invitation. This book is designed to help believers connect with God through the word and discover more of what it means to abide in Christ. Click here to learn more.
