“For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him." John 3:16-17(NLT)
It is a privilege to be called children of God. He wanted a family on which to lavish His tremendous love, and He chose us to be His very own. Romans 8:16-17(NLT) tells us, “For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children. And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering.” Heavenly Father does not force us into His family. He invites us to accept Him so that He can lead us away from evil. Adam and Eve proved that human-beings will not always choose love, but sometimes choose sin and darkness. We have a fallen nature. We’re born with it, and even though we are, God still chose us to share in His glory.
The suffering we endure comes as a packaged deal along with dwelling within this earthly domain. Romans 8:22 says that all creation has been groaning, just like a mother groans in childbirth, because creation is waiting until the return of Christ. This is when we, as sons and daughters of the Most High God, will see our Lord and Savior face to face. The Apostle Paul said in 1Corinthians 13:12 that now we know in part. We can’t see the full picture because we’re still in wait mode. This is part of the suffering that Romans 8:16-17 is talking about, because our day-to-day lives cannot compare to what it will be like being in the presence of our Lord, beholding his countenance up close. What a wonderful day that will be!
Now, probably more than ever, the difference between those that love the Lord and those that have rejected Him is incredibly noticeable. In John 10:27(KJV), Jesus Christ said, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.” There are those in the world that have hatred towards believers, and Jesus Christ warned us about this. We can’t waste time thinking or worrying about them because Jesus Christ has overcome the devil. We can’t listen to the father of lies, we listen to Jesus. This is one of the greatest distinctions of believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, we know his voice.
We are sheep, and we were created by God to follow the shepherd, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Again, Romans 8:16 tells us that the Holy Spirit affirms with our human-spirit that we are God’s children. We have an internal knowing through the Spirit of Christ within, and we hear his voice; we just have to follow him.
Another very important defining distinction of those of us who love the Lord is a deep well of gratitude for his sacrifice. Galatians 3:26 says that we are Children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. Some people only think of faith in terms of believing for the blessings they want to receive. This is a part of having faith, but the most important tenet of faith is that of believing in what Christ accomplished on the cross. He endured the greatest suffering and paid the highest price that could be paid through his sacrifice. He did this for us, you and me. It is an incredibly personal and intimate choice to believe in what he did, and we cannot follow him unless we do.
Just as we eat a good meal and enjoy it to the fullest, we must feast on the reality of Christ. He tells us as much through the Apostle Paul in 1Corinthians 11:23-25(NLT). It is the record of Christ sharing the last Passover meal with the disciples. In this passage, Paul wrote, “For I pass on to you what I received from the Lord himself. On the night when he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took some bread and gave thanks to God for it. Then he broke it in pieces and said, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this to remember me.” In the same way, he took the cup of wine after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant between God and his people—an agreement confirmed with my blood. Do this to remember me as often as you drink it.”
Something happens to us spiritually as our faith in the overwhelming love of Christ is increased and sinks deeply in our hearts. We are changed, and the manifestation of this change is witnessed in the way we love, care for, and treat other people. Ephesians 5:2(NLT) tells us, “Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God.” The thankfulness for all God has accomplished for us through Christ must be larger than ourselves. His love deserves this level of devotion. We must listen to his voice and obey him every day of our lives. It’s the very least we can do to demonstrate our gratitude for his overwhelming sacrifice, because he laid everything on the line for us all.
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
“Remembering the Sacrifice of Christ”, written for victoryinjesuschrist.life© 2019. All rights reserved. All praise and honor to God through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.
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