Understanding where we Belong

Once, I was at a friend's party, having a conversation with a girl. It was all going well, until she asked me:“Where are you from?” I suddenly panicked and thought to myself: how do I answer that question? The place I was born, the place my parents are from, the place I have lived most of my life, where I currently lived  and cultures I identify with all came to mind.This is one of the hardest questions to answer, one that I absolutely hated having to answer growing up. It was literal torture because I did not have an answer. I have lived all over the place, making this idea of belonging a stranger to me. Now, I have found a place where I belong, but it’s not where most people think. It may even seem bizarre to some. It lies in the fact that I am a child of God and that I belong to the Kingdom of God. As much as it is a Sunday-school answer, there is vital Truth within this. This answer is valid. To further my explanation, I would like to show what is meant by “I am a child of God” and its implications for our lives. 

While the concept of being a child of God may seem strange, it is appropriate. Yet, it still is confusing as it is such an abstract concept. To understand this further, we can look to God’s word that the complexity might be resolved. First off, the Bible talks about how we became this in John 1:12:  “But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, He gave the right to become children of God” (ESV). By belief and faith, we are adopted by God. 

What then are the implications of this? Well, there are two main implications of us

being children of God. The first is that we are all equal. Galatians 3:28 reads: “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (ESV). This means that we are all equal because we are all created in the image of God (Genesis) and made equal again as His children. This can be especially important in our now broken world, with racism, war and disease having broken out since the beginning. The second reason is how we get to heaven and are saved: it is not by our own strength. Jesus takes our spot on that cross, having lived the perfect life. This then allows us to enter into God’s family, making us heirs with Christ. It allows us to enter into heaven. Romans 8:15-17 says this especially well: “For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, ‘Abba! Father!’ The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God” (ESV). 

Thus, we must remember this. For we are truly imagebearers of God. For we truly do belong to Him. For we were saved by faith through grace, by the blood of Jesus, into the adoption of God. God has adopted us. Therefore, “I am a child of God” is a valid answer. The difficulty with this, however, is living a life that reflects this adoption, living a life where we are truly grateful for the adoption, every single moment of it. But what is even harder, even impossible, is living a sinless life. God has saved us from our sin, and we are called to reflect Christ. 

Do you live for God? If you are a child of God, do you act like it? I don’t always act like it. I am ungrateful sometimes. But God forgives and he saves us, so we don’t have to worry. 

Prayer: 

 God, I pray that you may remind us of your glory and of who you are. I pray that you might also remind us of the “Spirit of Adoption” which you have given us, that we may meditate in the joy that you have given us through our salvation and as we attempt to live a life that reflects this. I also want to pray that everyone has a good week, get lots of rest and all their work done.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.