What If We Saw Each Other in the Family of God as We Really Are?

We are not God and we have not walked in our brother or sister’s shoes.

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I’ve been thinking a lot about this question lately. We conservative evangelicals (and I’m sure others) have been really good at judging one another lately and attributing motives to one another (both publicly and privately) that we have no way of knowing. Why? Because we are not God, and we have not walked in our brother or sister’s shoes.

And as much as I have been grieved to see and hear this all around me, I have been grieved to see and “hear” this in myself. As I am repenting, relationship by relationship, situation after situation, I’m experiencing the transformation of my mind by the Holy Spirit to see the people closest to me as they truly are (despite their behavior, which only shows that they have “feet of clay,” as do I).

Here’s something we can all start with (see below). All of these beautiful truths are yours if you are IN CHRIST. But guess what! They are true of every other believer who has Jesus — young or old, rich or poor, black or white, cranky or sweet…

Let’s think about that! And come along with me if you dare. I’m going to revisit some thoughts and maybe share new ones as the Lord leads us along.

But start right here, please…

Because I am in Christ…

I Am Loved
I am a child of God-John 1:12
I am beloved-Romans 9:25
I am chosen-Colossians 3:12
I am loved by God as much as Jesus is-John 17:23, 26 I am Jesus’s friend-John 15:15
I am inseparable from God’s love-Romans 8:37-39

I Am Acceptable
I am accepted by God-Romans 15:7
I am righteous-2 Corinthians 5:21
I am a saint-1 Corinthians 1:2; Ephesians 1:1 (NASB) I am not condemned-Romans 8:1
I am completely forgiven-Colossians 2:13
I am holy and blameless-Ephesians 1:4

I Am Valuable
I am God’s masterpiece-Ephesians 2:10 (NLT) I am adopted-Ephesians 1:5
I am God’s treasure-Matthew 13:44
I am God’s pearl-Matthew 13:45-46
I am a new creation-2 Corinthians 5:17
I am designed by God-Psalm 139:13-16

I Am Secure
I am more than a conqueror-Romans 8:37
I am complete in Christ-Colossians 2:10
I am safe in Christ-Colossians 3:3-4
I am seated in the heavenly realms-Ephesians 2:6 I am eternally in Christ-John 10:28
I am united with Christ-1 Corinthians 6:17

(FromGod’s Best-Kept Secret: Christianity Is Easier Than You Think by Mark Maulding)

 

 

This is an updated edition of a post originally published on A Branch in the Vine

Featured Image by Hermes Rivera on Unsplash

 

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About the Author

Jan Loyd is a child of God, a disciple of Christ, a Jersey girl, a former nun, a teacher, and now a wife of 48 years, mother of two, grandmother of 5 boys and finally a baby girl...these are just some of the hats she wears or has worn. Her hat as teacher has seemed to be one she’s worn her entire adult life, ranging from teaching elementary school, homeschool, adult ESOL and GED language and writing. But along with all of these opportunities has been her favorite above all the rest: teaching women the Word of God in various ways, Precept Upon Precept and Bible Studies she’s developed by the grace and tutelage of God along the way. The heart of the message that she delights to share is that we are in union with the Living God through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. Currently you may find her on her devotional blog “A Branch in the Vine” where she shares several times a week and in her Bible Study/ devotional book The With-ness of our God: Relationship in Every Dimension.