Adopted into eternal salvation – do you trust it?

 

Today's Devotional

An Emoji Devotions for Fri, 9th April 2021

Topic: Adopted into eternal salvation – do you trust it?

By H. U. Wenger

Highlights: But now, this is what the Lord says— he who created you, Jacob, he who formed you, Israel: “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.” (Isaiah 43, 1 – 2)

What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? (Romans 8, 31 – 32)

In the Gospel of John, chapter three, Jesus explains to the Pharisee Nicodemus that everybody who wants to get into the kingdom of heaven must be born again. In chapter 1 of the same Gospel John makes clear that whosoever receives Jesus and believes in his name, has the right to become a child of God, born of God, and that means born again. In the Old Testament God has always searched for the children of Israel. With accepting Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we spiritually become seed of Abraham and with that a non-Jewish Jew. This is exactly why the promise of Isaiah 43 applies for you and me. But, do I believe it? How many times do we fear human beings, cooperations, judgment of society and much more? How easily do we fear to not be enough, to be inferior and deficient? And yes, without being HIS child, I am weak, not enough and deficient, but he redeemed me with his father, he created me in his image, he knows me by my name and he explicitly assures me that I belong to him. I am one of his genial thoughts and he created me for exactly the time within which he has put me into being. He has made me wonderful and special and all my days were written in his book long before any one of these days came into being. He does not promise me a life free o suffering and trouble, but he promises to me that no challenge will be able to destroy me. Therefore: “Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” (Isaiah 41, 10) Could we wish for a better new family? 

As we turn the focus to ourselves we are feeding disbelieve. By turning our eyes to Christ according to Hebrew 12, 2 we are building up our belief and trust together with anticipation of the future joy. : “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” We need to firmly hold to the promises God has given us in the same way that Jesus trusted the promises the Father had given him. Doubts are a distraction from the fact that we cannot find any life outside of Christ Jesus and with that an open door for back sliding into sin. Jesus has achieved a prefect victory and therefore the only thing that can be against us are defeated entities, that must flee before the God given faith and its power. Therefore, let us rejoice and move forward as participants of his glorious victory!

Prayer: Dear God, let me never forget that you have accepted me as your child through the sacrifice of your son, Christ Jesus. Thank you that you are my Father through him. I repent of all wavering thoughts and thank you that you remain my Father forever. I long to see the glory of your salvation with my eyes and I thank you for the powerful faith you have given me.