To Be His Child

“See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are! But the people who belong to this world don’t recognize that we are God’s children because they don’t know him.” ‭‭1 John‬ ‭3:1‬ ‭NLT‬‬

The King James Version, New King James Version, American Standard Version, and New American Standard Bible all use the word "bestowed" in this verse. The New International Version uses the word "lavished". To bestow means "to grant, present, award, or entrust". To lavish means to "bestow something in generous or extravagant quantity". This describes the manner in which God has given us His love. God's Love is absolutely incredible! He loves us so much that He calls us His children. Think of this very concept: God calls us His children. The Creator of all things has given us the absolutely distinguished privilege of sonship. He came to the orphanage of this depraved world and paid the price for our adoption. Adoption implies that He chose to love us and call us his children. He refused to leave us in the slavery of Satan's orphanage. He came to where we were, chose us, paid the price for our freedom, and took us home as His adopted children. “So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.”” ‭‭Romans‬ ‭8:15‬ ‭NLT‬‬
“And because we are his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, “Abba, Father.”” ‭‭Galatians‬ ‭4:6‬ ‭NLT‬‬  Abba is an Aramaic term that means "Father". We can call God our "Papa" or "Daddy". Jesus used this term in the garden of Gethsemane as He prayed prior to His arrest, trial, and crucifixion. “Abba, Father,” he cried out, “everything is possible for you. Please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.” ‭‭Mark‬ ‭14:36‬ ‭NLT‬‬ In Matthew 6:9-13, Jesus teaches us to pray "Our Father..." in what is called The Lord's Prayer." We are honored and privileged, above and beyond anything this world can offer, to be called children of God. We are His family. We are His blood washed saints. I Peter 2:9-10 says it this way: “But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light. “Once you had no identity as a people; now you are God’s people. Once you received no mercy; now you have received God’s mercy.” NLT‬‬ Take a moment to consider this: We get to eat at His table, sit at His feet, receive His instruction, submit to His discipline, enjoy the pleasure of His presence, receive His provision, find shelter in His protection, and the promise of His inheritance. Wow!!! Did you get that?? “And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering. Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later. For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are.” Romans‬ ‭8:17‬ -19 NLT‬‬ We get to eat manna from the table of heaven, drink from the water of life, bask in the Sonlight of His radiance, wash in the shower of His forgiveness, rest in His grace, awaken to His mercy, live in His love, and joy in His promise of eternal life. That is what it means to be His child!!