Daily Devotions
Ephesians
"Therefore be imitators of God as dear children."
Text: Ephesians 5:1
NOT JUST BELIEVERS BUT CHILDREN OF GOD
If there is one thing that we must never take for granted, it must be the truth that we are called “children of God”. How conscious are we of our being called “sons of God”?
Here is a quick test:-
1. Do we only acknowledge our faith in God, and not our spiritual adoption?
2. Do we feel embarrassed at the thought of being called “children of God”?
3. Do we have a good sense of consciousness of being “sons of God”?
4. Do we feel a great sense of grateful appreciation that we can be called “sons of God” at all?
5. Do we sense the great love that God bears for us as His beloved children?
APPRECIATING AFRESH OUR ADOPTION IN CHRIST
Let us seek to appreciate afresh what it means to be “children of God”. Paul’s understanding of our sonship may be best understood along the following lines:
Just as He chose us in Him before the foundation
of the world, that we should be holy and without blame
before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption
as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the
good pleasure of His will.
EPHESIANS 1:4-5
1. Lovingly chosen by God to be His children
With a great sense of love, God chose us to be His children! Let us never take this great love of God for granted. In the good pleasure of His will, He caused us to be adopted as His children.
2. Chosen with a great sense of purpose in mind
What did God have in mind when He chose us to be His children? Paul highlighted two ideas:-
a) We were meant to be “holy”.
b) We were meant to be “without blame”.
3. We are “dear children” in God’s sight
The word “dear” (“agapeta”) is even better translated by the word “beloved”. It appears that even as children take for granted the love their parents bear towards them, we have also taken for granted God’s great love for us. Let us take time to dwell on God’s love for us afresh. Let us thrill to the fact that we are “beloved children” to God.