BIBLE VERSE: EPHESIANS 2:19
We were foreigners. Ephesians 2:19a, but we are no longer foreigners…. Before we got saved we were aliens in God’s household; we rebelled from God because we have a natural inclination to sin. We naturally choose our own things because of our sinful flesh. – Romans 6:6, Galatians 5:19-21, Colossians 3:5, Romans 8:3. Things that belong to the earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires, greed, anger, rage, malice, slander, filthy language.
Ephesians 2:19b, because we have been adopted and are fellow citizens with God’s people. we have been adapted and joined the family of God. Gal 3:26-29. Many examples of adoption have been told e.g. the orphan train where orphans were put in and as the train went along, families came and took some of the orphans and adopted them such that at the end no orphan was left in the train. Maurice Griffin at 32 years old was adopted after 20 years with his family. At his age though a grown man and with his own family exclaimed, “this is probably the happiest moment of my life, I am happy to be home”. We can say the same after accepting Christ as our Savior and therefore children of God thus we “belong”. He becomes our heavenly father and thus gives us; A spiritual family – parents, sisters, brothers in which we are promised an eternal inheritance (Col. 1:12), we become heirs with Christ. We are therefore Heirs. We get security from a father who loves us. We are accepted by God as we are. Our adoption into the family becomes a wonderful “home coming”.
Colossians 3:12 As God’s chosen we are called to have spiritual characteristics (Gifts of the spirit). Compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness. Gal.5:22-25 We need to seek God for guidance so that we live for Him.
He has good intentions for us He wants us to live and occupy till He comes He wants us to grow to maturity as butterflies do and fly out into the mission field. We should not allow ourselves to die at larval or pupae stages which are not productive.