Every Sunday at my church, people make the decision to choose Jesus. They go up to the altar to publicly declare Jesus as their Savior, & the entire congregation says the prayer with them. Then, I just love how my pastor explains to them, “You are now in God’s family. It’s not a black family, a Hispanic family, or a white family. It’s a blood-washed family.” When we are born, we’re born into our earthly family, but when we choose Jesus, we are adopted into God’s family- a blood-washed, beautiful, diverse group of people whom we might never have known, if it wasn’t for God drawing us to Him. He loves us so much, that He wants to surround us with people full of His love, to walk alongside us in our faith walk with Him.

The Greek word for adoption is “huiothesia.” Thayer’s Greek Lexicon tells us that this word was used to “denote that relationship which God was pleased to establish between himself & the Israelites.” Not only that, but that by receiving the Spirit of God & becoming true disciples of Christ, this becomes our nature- sons of God, alongside the Israelites. The adoptions, glory, covenant, Law, temple worship, & promises of God gave to the Jewish nation (Romans 9:4), now also belong to us- more than that, we have a BETTER covenant, based on BETTER promises, that sets ALL of the members of God’s family free from the Law & brings us into His grace!

Being part of God’s family, God has shared His Spirit with us, so that we might be able to understand all that He freely gives us (1 Corinthians 2:12). Now that we are under Grace, we have no fear of punishment, for past sins or future mistakes. In God’s love, fear has been driven away, because when He adopted us as His children, He also removed the punishment we once deserved to receive.

I’m so thankful, to be in God’s family! When I look around at my life, it is so amazing to me, how God used even the ungodly circumstances I once lived in, to bring me to the city He wanted me to be in, to draw me to the church He wanted to plant me in, & to use that church family to help provide & pull me through one the hardest times of my life, & I see that almost all that I have, came to me through that family, I am so amazed & thankful! Being in His family brings with it so many blessings, & they just continue to become greater & more amazing the further I walk down the path with Him.

Walking by Faith & STILL Finding the Blessings,

-Gerri