OUR IDENTITY IN CHRIST

"See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!"  (1 John 3:1 NIV)

To be called a “child of God” is not a title we earn through merit or moral achievement -- it’s a gift of grace. It’s the result of God’s lavish love, poured out through His Son Jesus Christ, who made a way for us to be adopted into His family. John 1:12-13 says, “To all who did receive Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God -- children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.”

This identity is not symbolic -- it’s spiritual reality. We are not merely followers or servants; we are sons and daughters of the King. That changes everything.

In a world that often leaves us feeling isolated or unseen, God offers belonging. As His children, we are known, loved, and never alone. We are engraved on the palms of His hands (Isaiah 49:16), the apple of His eye (Zechariah 2:8), and heirs of His promises (Romans 8:17). Being a child of God means we have a place at His table, a voice in His presence, and a purpose in His kingdom.

Children often reflect their parents and as children of God, we are called to reflect His character. That means living lives marked by love, grace, truth, and holiness. It’s not about perfection, but transformation. The Spirit within us shapes us to look more like Jesus, day by day.

Galatians 4:6 reminds us, “And because we are His children, God has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, ‘Abba, Father.’” This intimate cry – “Abba” -- is the heartbeat of our identity. 

-- SOUND BITES Ministry™

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GOD NUDGES, SPEAKS AND CORRECTS – Part 2 of 2

God nudges. God speaks. And God also corrects. I’m thankful for that. Sometimes I miss His nudges. Sometimes I misunderstand His words. And so He needs to correct. But God’s correction is not a frightening thing. Rather, it is freeing and invigorating.

Christians who want to reach out to their friends and help them grow sometimes make the mistake of thinking that it’s their job to convict their friends of sin. But this is the Holy Spirit’s job (John 16:7-10). Our job, if we have the gift of exhortation, is to “stimulate the faith of others” (Romans 12:9 PH), to stand on the sidelines and cheer: “Yes, my friends! Be free! Listen to the conviction of the Spirit! Follow the Word of the Lord!”

Most of the time God’s nudging, speaking, and correcting take place in the ordinary moments of our days. Sometimes God seems especially present in a conversation. Occasionally, I sense God leading me to suggest meeting a friend five or six times to discuss a particular issue, book or passage of Scripture. When that happens, I usually tell my friend that I’d like to give her the gift of focusing on her agenda when we get together. This is not chitchat time. It’s not even sharing time. It’s a time to look at her life to see if we can discover what God is saying to her. I love it when people show that kind of interest in me. And you can be sure that others will respond enthusiastically to your interest in them.

Thinking back on my childhood, I’m thankful for those who God has used to nudge me towards the kingdom. I’m delighted that in the years since, God has used me to help others “choose life” (Deuteronomy 30: 19).

God uses ordinary people like you and me, to urge others to follow Him. What a privilege to be a part of His work in the world today!

-- Alice Fryling, from an article entitled “In His Steps” in Discipleship Journal, No. 67

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GOD NUDGES, SPEAKS AND CORRECTS – Part 1 of 2

“For we know, brothers and sisters loved by God, that He has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not simply with words but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction.”  (1 Thessalonians 1:4-5a NIV)

God gives all of us a choice to follow Him: “See, I have set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction. For I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commands, decrees and laws… I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life.” (Deuteronomy 30:15-16; 30:19)  Along the way, people have helped me to choose life by gently “nudging” me to want to be like them.

On the other hand, I can think of too many friends who have turned away from God because of someone’s ill-suited attempts to “disciple” them. In our well-intentioned determination to “clean up” a new believer’s life, we may impose standards and expectations that God never intended.

This, I believe, is because we forget how God works in our lives. He usually works slowly and quietly. He uses circumstances to pattern His own intervention. And He never speaks to me in exactly the same way He speaks to you.

Most important, we must remember that He does the work. It isn’t our work, our influence, or our ideas that cause real growth in another’s life. If we forget that, we can be tempted to manipulate others, and we risk becoming caricatures of people of faith.

As I’ve experienced God’s work in my own life and seen Him work in the lives of others, I’ve noticed that He does three things: He nudges, He speaks, and He corrects. We grow -- we choose life -- when we respond to His activity in our lives. We help others choose life, too, when we understand and participate in God’s work as He nudges them, speaks to them, and corrects them. 

-- Alice Fryling, from an article entitled “In His Steps” in Discipleship Journal, No. 67

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OFFERING AS AN ACT OF WORSHIP

“When one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, Jesus went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume. As she stood behind Him at His feet weeping, she began to wet His feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.”  (Luke 7:36-38 NIV)

In Luke’s Gospel, we read the story of a woman who brought to Jesus a jar of expensive perfume which she broke open and poured out on Him… as an offering. She did not have to give it, but she made a choice. She did not give from obligation, but an open heart. She did not come for an hour, put her offering in a basket, and immediately leave to go back to her daily activities. She stopped. She wasn’t too busy or distracted by the world to surrender her thanksgiving and linger with her Savior as an act of worship. This outpouring of her time cost her, but it would be repaid by an outpouring of mercy and peace from Jesus.

There are many contrasts in the passage. The Pharisees were religious and educated. The woman was sinful and wasn’t allowed to study. The Pharisees were there to question Jesus. The woman was there to worship Jesus. The Pharisees were prideful. The woman was humble. The Pharisees shunned the sinful woman. Jesus showed her mercy. Because the woman was willing to come before Jesus with her broken offering, she received wholeness and redemption. What a moment. 

-- Excerpted from “Altar’d: The Transforming Power of Surrender” by Susan O. Kent

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THE WAY TO SPIRITUAL MATURITY

“We know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.”  (Romans 5:3b-5 NIV)

Imagine you are walking through a garden and you notice a butterfly struggling to emerge from its cocoon. What would happen if, in an effort to help it, you took some scissors and snipped the cocoon away?

In a few hours you would witness a tragedy. The wings, shrunken and shriveled, would not fill out with all their potential beauty. Instead of developing into a creature free to fly, the butterfly would drag a broken body through its short life. The constricting cocoon and the struggle necessary to be free from it are God’s way of forcing fluid into the butterfly’s wings. The “merciful” snip would have been in reality quite cruel.

The way to spiritual maturity is often difficult and ugly, forcing us to embrace our poverty before God and our dependence upon Him. We must learn to struggle well, not avoid the fight while building a shining exterior. Sometimes the struggle is exactly what we need.  

-- Adapted from an article entitled “Not According to Plan” by Jeff Jernigan in Discipleship Journal, No. 67

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