If we fail to understand how to see God or how God sees us, then we fail to engage the world, church or the devil correctly! The starting point of our engagement must be from a clear understanding of our engagement with God!
Our Relationship with God!
“The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.”—Romans 8:16, 17
This scripture underscores the terms of our relationship with God. And the truth here is so profound. Our relationship here can be understood in four dimensions.
1. We are Children of God!
This sounds like what should be common sense to the people who share in this privilege but it’s not. Being a child of God is a privilege, it’s not the exclusive reserve of all humans, it’s the bestowed gift of all who follow the Son of God who became the son of Man so that the son’s of men can by adoption become the son’s of God.
What does it mean to be a child of someone? Can you imagine being the child of the richest man in the world? Would that not drastically affect your impression about yourself, and would it not completely throw out your dream for things that money can buy? When you are a child of someone who has no limits, you don’t desire small things. When your father owns the universe your livelihood, feeding, accommodation and mode of transportation are not your prayer requests. My children don’t pray for their school fees, don’t expect to labor for their meals to be served, and don’t need to express any worries about their accommodation – all these come with the package of being my children. Much more than they ever desire to progress and prosper in life, I desire they do. I am willing to give them so much more than they can currently understand to ask for. That’s why God says, “If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!” – Matthew 7:11.
Being children of God is a paradigm shifter! If you truly realize who you are, you will not live the way everybody lives. You will not bother yourself with small things, when your father wishes to hand over the kingdom into your hands.
Please note as well that there is a significant different between being a child and being classified as children of God. This means God doesn’t buy our individualistic culture, he sees us beyond our quest for independence to our end as interdependent. God made man in his image, as a social being, specially designed to have his best life in a community. The moment we realize we are children of God, our thoughts about our selves, our requests before our father, and our engagements with God radically change.
2. We are Heirs of God! Not heirs of his gifts, heirs of God! Inheritors of his divine nature, partakers in God. We are heirs of His omnipotence, His omniscience, His power! We are not merely children who line up behind the first born and heir, we are heirs of God!…. To be Continued