Life in the Spirit: Adopted Into Christ's FamilyPrøve

I SHARE IN HIS INHERITANCE > Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine! > Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine! > Heir of salvation, purchase of God > Born of his Spirit, washed in His blood These lyrics to the timeless hymn “Blessed Assurance” were written in 1873 by blind lyricist, Fanny Crosby. As the story goes, Crosby went to visit a composer friend, Phoebe Knapp. At the time, Knapp’s pipe organ was being fixed, so she played a new tune she had just composed on a piano and asked Crosby what she thought the tune said. Crosby responded, “Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine.” This assurance or promise is what we are offered in Christ Jesus. As adopted children and heirs of God, our entire destiny is changed. Once, we were sinners with no hope for a future. Now, even though we were sinners, God has offered us something greater than we could imagine and more than we deserve. As sons and daughters of God, we receive the blessings, privileges, and inheritance rights of God’s children. We are no longer bound by our sin. This inheritance offers us freedom. And it’s only available to God’s children. The fullness of this inheritance will come to fruition when we enter into eternity. We’re also able to enter into intimacy with God because of our status as heirs. The relationship between a father and an heir is one of closeness and reverence. Biblical scholars believe Paul’s use of Abba in the passage in Romans from today’s reading ties back to Jesus’s calling out to his Father in Mark 14:36. Just as Jesus calls out to God as his Father, so can we. In our inheritance, we have an assurance of who we are in Christ. Ask Yourself and Reflect: -Do I have assurance in who I am in Christ? Why/Why not? -After doing the reading for the last two days, how does the reality of being God’s heir change how I feel about my identity? Pause to Pray: Use the words of the hymn we read about in today’s reading as your prayer. Put yourself in a prayer posture (hands palm up, kneeling on the ground) and say the words out loud from your heart as a prayer to Abba Father. “ Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine! Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine! Heir of salvation, purchase of God. Born of his Spirit, washed in His blood. Amen! ” Take a Next Step: Be brave and share something with which you struggle with a trusted Christian advisor, mentor, or friend, and ask them to pray with you to overcome that identity struggle so you can embrace who you are in Christ Jesus.