I have been together with others and we all had a common goal. I enjoyed playing high school football. We went to the state playoffs all three years of high school and I was an all-district defensive halfback my senior year. As a team, we were all different yet unified in our goal to win on the field.
I have been on a diverse missions team where each of us brought a specialty to the group. We were from different backgrounds, philosophies and expertise but together, we carried the Gospel message to the local people we were trying to influence for Christ.
While each of us who follow Jesus are very different, we must remember our commonality. Our likeness is our unshakeable identity in Christ Jesus. God has given us an unshakeable identity in the risen Savior.
The world tries to separate us by telling us our identity is in our degrees hanging on the wall, our skin color, our nation of origin, our socio-economic background, the power or title we might hold, the relationships we have. But God tells us in Ephesians 1 that we all have been adopted into the family of God through Jesus Christ. We are in the same family.
My dad has done a lot of ancestry background for our family heritage. I know I’m a fourth gen Church of Christ preacher. I know I am 50% Irish. I know where my ancestors came from when they came to American. My last name ties me to who I am. Because I am a family member, I have access to all the rights and privileges my name allows. I am also an American citizen. Because I am a citizen, I’m afforded certain rights and privileges as an American.
Paul is telling each of us, because we claim Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we are part of the family of God. God has adopted us as his sons and daughters. As a family member, I have all the rights and privileges afforded to someone in the family of God. We have the unconditional love of our Heavenly Father because of what Jesus did for each of us.
At Jesus’ baptism, God establishes Jesus’ unshakeable identity. God says that Jesus is His Son, that He loves him and is pleased with him. As we become part of family of God by accepting Jesus as our Savior, we too can reflect the same sentiment from God. He claims us as His sons and daughters. He loves us and is pleased with us. I also must remember, all of this is possible, not from anything I do, but from what Jesus has done.
So, sit in your unshakeable identity as a child of God. Know God has adopted you and because of that you have all the rights and privileges of a family member. God loves you and wants the very best for you. Blessings on your journey.