Am I a Child of God?
Scripture Reading — 1 Peter 2:4-8
“See, I lay a stone in Zion … and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame.”
1 Peter 2:6
What a delight to be a child of God! This delight is based in the fact that Jesus is my Savior and my Brother.
When I am overwhelmed with personal sin, the relentless attack of guilt, or the fear of punishment, I focus on Jesus my Savior. The Bible tells me that Jesus actually became sin for me (2 Corinthians 5:21). Through his suffering and death he removed my guilt and set me free from condemnation (Romans 8:1). Jesus is truly a friend of sinners like me.
And when I face life’s daily struggles, I focus on Jesus my Brother. Jesus too experienced temptation, betrayal, and loneliness. Because he shared all of life’s joy and pain, he is able to and wants to help me.
When I experience through Jesus the Father’s uncompromising love, I am simply overwhelmed with gratitude, and I want to live with him and for him every day.
The Father wants all of us to become his children, each one a “living stone” whose life, vision, and purpose are clothed in Jesus Christ. There is no such thing as an “ego-driven Christian.” Personal pride betrays the gospel and is ultimately doomed. One becomes and lives as a child of God only through humble repentance, childlike trust, and complete surrender to Jesus Christ. If you want to be his child, you can pray in a way like this:
Dear Lord, thank you for inviting me to be your child. I repent of my sin, embrace Jesus as my Savior, and surrender to your will. Thank you for your amazing love! Amen.
About the author — Calvin Hoogendoorn
Rev. Calvin Hoogendoorn serves as senior pastor of First Christian Reformed Church in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Previously he served two churches in Illinois. He and his wife, Carla, have three daughters.
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