I came across this from Mark Stibbe as I was doing some research on the doctrine of adoption. What a gift it is to know that our Father loves us unconditionally and will always hold us close. I am my beloved’s and he is mine!
From this time on, our sense of acceptance needs to be sustained in the right way or we will go back to the old life of striving to earn God’s acceptance through our achievements…
From now on, our sense of significance derives not from our performance but our position in Christ. Who we are, and indeed what we are, derives from the fact that we are adopted by grace. From this knowledge flows our sense of value. No longer are we preoccupied with the way others see us. We are wholly taken up with the way the Father sees us. No longer are we seeking the approval of others, we seek a deeper revelation of the Father’s exquisite perspective of us. When the devil tries to exasperate us with what was true about the old self, we respond by reasserting the truth about our new self:
I have been given the right to be [called] a child of God (John 1:12).
I am no longer a slave but a friend of Christ (John 15:15).
I have been bought for adoption through Christ’s blood (I Corinthians 6:20).
I was predestined for adoption (Ephesians 1:5).
I am a child of Abba by adoption (Romans 8:15).
I am God’s work of art (Ephesians 2:10).
I am no longer under any condemnation (Romans 8:1).
I cannot be separated from the Father’s love (Romans 8:35).
I am loved by the Father himself (John 16:27).
I have been redeemed and forgiven (Colossians 1:14).
I am a citizen of heaven (Philippians 3:20).
I have not been given a spirit of fear (2 Timothy 1: 7).
I am no longer a slave but a son (Galatians 4:7).
I am seated with the Son in heaven (Ephesians 2:6).
I am of the same family as Jesus (Hebrews 2:11).
I am a brother of the Lord Jesus (Hebrews 2:11).
I can approach the Father with confidence (Hebrews 4:16).
I am a brand new person in Christ Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:17).If our sense of significance derives from sonship not slavery, then we will be able to achieve God’s purpose for our lives. The reason for this is because we will be ministering for the Lord out of a sense of gratitude rather than a need for God’s approval.
Mark Stibbe, From Orphans to Heirs
