Not just befriended, Adopted.
Even in this world, believers are God’s children—but other people don’t realize that except by our moral characteristics. The adoption is not clearly seen; the children are not yet openly declared. Among the ancient Romans a man might adopt a child and keep the proceeding private for a long time, but there was a second adoption in public. When the child was brought before the governing authorities, its old garments were removed and the adoptive father gave the child clothing suitable to its new position. “Dear friends, we are already God’s children, but he has not yet shown us what we will be like when Christ appears” (1 John 3:2 NLT). We are not yet dressed in apparel appropriate to the royal family of heaven; in our flesh and blood, we are wearing just what we wore as the sons and daughters of Adam. But we know that when Christ appears, as “the firstborn among many brothers” (Romans 8:29 ESV), we will be like Him, “because we shall see him as he is” (1 John 3:3 ESV). Can’t you imagine a child, taken from the lowest ranks of Roman society and adopted by a senator, saying to himself, “I long for the day when I will be publicly adopted. Then I will remove these common garments and be robed like a person of rank”? He is happy in what he has received, and still groans for the fullness of what has been promised to him. It is the same with us today. We are waiting until we put on our proper garments, to be shown clearly as the children of God. We are young nobles, and have not yet worn our crowns. We are young brides whose wedding day has not yet come, and we are left to long and sigh for the marriage morning. Our very happiness makes us groan after more; our joy, like an overflowing spring, longs to well up like a geyser, leaping to the skies. Our emotions heave and groan within our spirit for the opportunity to manifest our adoption to the world. - C.H. Spurgeon Morning and Evening
I am beside myself at times when I have a moment to stop my hurried thoughts and consider the life God has given me. It's all because of Jesus that I am still 'becoming'. Becoming? Yes. As Scripture says we are His workmanship. We are an 'in progress' life in Christ.
I have had dreams of what I would have liked my life to be like and sometimes, in some ways, Jesus has granted them. In sti other ways, it's been a resounding no. Still others appear to be an open book, with no way to tell how the story is going to end.
When you come to Christ it doesn't mean your dreams don't matter. It means your dreams will be either filtered or adjusted to be inline with God's will for you and His purpose for your life. It may be that none of your dreams come true. Doesn't follow that they were worthless. Just means His plans for you were greater than you thought. Joseph probably had dreams of growing up and enjoying life. Certainly wasn't expecting his brother's to hate him to the point of wanting to put him to death, let alone sell him into a life of slavery. Or even after that to be thrown in jail. Or the greatest of all...to become a ruler of Egypt. A far cry from being a successful shepherd.
What dreams that I have had, but haven't been fulfilled? Doesn't really matter does it? The Disciples forfeited theirs to learn from the Master. Jesus is both with us and waiting for us.
We await the day of our public adoption. Our coming to Christ was our private adoption. We as Disciples must continue in what we have been taught and have learned. Jesus wants us to be found 'in the faith' when we are presented back to Him either at our death or the Rapture. To be found ready for His appearing.
I can tell you of a story of me. Long long ago I used to spend most weekends at my Grandparents house. I would get home on a Friday from elementary school. Get the word of it happening and go prepare. Pack and wait on the porch steps for my Pap to show up. Him an his red Chevy pickup. I was ready and waiting. On at least one occasion I wasn't aware he had forgotten to stop and get me I have been told. Mattered not. The joy of seeing his truck was there.
The person who belongs to Christ should be eagerly awaiting Christ to return. It should mean more joy than a child awaiting a grandparent. It should be a longing to be right and ready for when He appears. I hold to the notion that every human being is important enough, regardless of the destination being Heaven or Hell, that Christ Himself delivers such a one to where they chose in this life to go. If Christ can process an infinite number of people at once at the Bema seat and at the final judgment at the end of Revelation, He can be both in Heaven and with each human being at their death and destination.
When He does appear, will you be ready? Are you more interested in what you are getting out of life than being ready for to see Jesus? Are you ready with your candles trimmed as the parable of the prudent virgin's or have you wasted time on frivolous things and don't have the means to be ready at His appearing to you?
If indeed you came to Christ, you are indeed adopted. Awaiting the day when Christ welcomes you to your new home.
Look closely at the lives of the Disciples.
Jesus spent 3 and a half years teaching them what was important.
If you look at the life of the Apostles. Look at James. When last we read of him one of the sons of Thunder was ready to take on the world for Christ. He was ready to go! Just like his brother John. Yet not too far long after the Disciples became Apostles, James was beheaded. John was no longer with his brother and eventually would go through several death sentences until he was banished to an island to die.
James had plans and dreams but it wasn't to be. John had dreams that weren't what he thought either. Surviving death decrees against him. Imprisoned. They proved Christ right when He said they knew not what they were asking when they said they could drink from the cup from which He drank.
You may like your life or you may not. The truth today is for you, should you be a Christian, is to live your God-given moments to be the best you can be at what He has given you to do. Your dreams do matter to Jesus but your mission for the furtherance of the Gospel must come first. Your obedience must be at the forefront of your thinking and decisions.
I fail Christ every day. No great surprise there. His mercy towards me is too wonderful for me to grasp. Yet it's there.
I strive each day to live out Colossians 3:23-24. Doing everything as unto the Lord. I don't always succeed. But I strive for that goal. Not everyone needs to hear the Gospel first, many need to see it before they hear it. They can only see it if people are living it.
Live today as if someone near you needs to see the Gospel message. Live as if in your next breath you find yourself in God's presence. We weren't promised a today, we were granted a today. Show a life of the adopted. So that other people would want it too.
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