“But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.”
With which people do you feel most comfortable?
There is a difference between belonging in a place and simply being allowed to be there.
A guest may be welcomed warmly, but still feels the need to be careful. They don’t assume too much and try not to overstep. They are grateful to be included, but they know the space is not really theirs.
Sometimes, without realizing it, we begin to relate to God that way.
We know He is gracious. We believe He forgives. But there is still a hesitation. We approach Him carefully, unsure how much we can really expect. We wonder if we have done enough to come close, or if we should hold back a little.
Paul speaks into that hesitation with a very different picture.
“When the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son… so that we might receive adoption as sons.”
God did not simply make a way for you to visit Him. He brought you into His family.
Through Christ, your relationship with God is no longer defined by distance or uncertainty or even your sin. You are not standing outside, hoping to be welcomed in again. You have been given a place.
You are His child.
And Paul makes it even more personal.
“Because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, ‘Abba! Father!’”
This is not formal or distant language. It is the language of trust. The Spirit Himself shapes that cry within you, teaching your heart to turn toward God not as a stranger, but as a Father who receives you.
That does not mean there is no reverence. God is still holy. But the relationship is no longer defined by fear of rejection. It is grounded in belonging.
Paul concludes,
“So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.”
Guests and slaves don’t receive an inheritance, children do. You are an heir with Christ. That’s how excepted and loved by God you are.
That changes how you come to Him today.
In Christ, you belong.
Let’s pray…
Heavenly Father,
Thank You for bringing me into Your family through Your Son. When I begin to think of You as distant or uncertain, remind me that I am Your child.
Teach my heart to trust You, to come to You freely, and to rest in the place You have given me.
Help me to live today not as a servant trying to earn Your favor, but as a child who already belongs.
Amen.
As part of your devotion time, I encourage you to also pray for at least some of the following:
After praying for these people, you may want to finish your devotion time with the Lord’s Prayer…
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. They will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power, and the glory, forever and every. Amen.
In Christ’s Service,
Pastor Kurt
