Day 204

2 Chronicles 8:11-10:19; Romans 8:9-21; Psalm 18:16-36; Proverbs 19:26

Our Identity in Christ

“The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.” ~ Romans 8:16-17

Paul, writing in this passage, points us to the sign of our baptisms by which God adopts us as His children and makes us members of Christ’s Body, the Church, and inheritors of the kingdom of God. The inward and spiritual grace in baptism is union with Christ in His death and resurrection, birth into God’s family (the Church), forgiveness of sins and new life in the Holy Spirit.

This new life in the Spirit – Christ in you, the hope of glory – is a life led by the Spirit of God, which enables us to be confident of our inheritance of eternal life from “Abba! Father!”

As we walk with Jesus in the power of His Holy Spirit, we live life differently. In the midst of challenges, hardship, and suffering, we have joy, freedom, and peace knowing that our future is secured for eternity because we are united with Jesus Christ by our adoption as children of God.

So as we read these words today let us remember our true identity is in Christ Jesus – “I am a child of God, an inheritor of the kingdom of God through Jesus Christ.”

The Rev. James Brzezinski