"See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are." (1 John 3:1)
In the past few years I've had the opportunity to have two "first day of school" experiences, one in 2003 when I started my time in the Virginia Tech Corp of Cadets as a wide-eyed, shaven head freshman, and the other last August at the Pastor's College - thankfully with a lot more hair but still a bit overwhelmed by my surroundings and wondering what was about to happen. The two first days couldn't have been more different! During Day One at the Corp of Cadets I was an identity-less name on a clipboard: New Cadet Blount, Training Company 3-2. Take your nametag, tuck in your shirt, and move along! Despite being surrounded by several hundred people, I felt more alone than I can ever remember.
Not so my first day at Pastor's College! When I arrived everyone recognized me, knew my name, and my home church. I was greeted with hugs by strangers who told me they had been praying for me. Tables of food awaited my entrance into the building; while I ate and met my classmates, my truck was taken by a valet, washed and detailed, and the keys returned at the end of the meal. I was overwhelmed with the care shown to me personally. I wasn't a number or a name on a list!
Which one of these two experiences describes the way you think about your relationship with God? God intends for the doctrine of adoption to move us from viewing our lives as "names on the clipboard" in His mind, a footnote on page 1068 of the Book of Life, to hearing His voice personally assuring each one of us, "Welcome! I love you as My child." Adoption means we have been welcomed personally into God's family, with God as our loving Heavenly Father (1 John 3:1), Jesus as our elder brother (Hebrews 2:11), and the Holy Spirit as the guarantee that we belong in the family (Romans 8:15). No Christian will ever be greeted in Heaven with these words, "I'm so glad you made it! Remind me of your name again?"
See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God! And so we are.
Praying with you to know more of the depths of God's adopting love for us,
Josh
