Adopted into God's Family

The real struggle for me shouldn't be the occasional rude question about my son's identity [he is adopted] ; it should be the ongoing question about my own. 

Maybe the questions bothered me so much because they are being asked about me all the time, within the echo chamber of my own fallen psyche and by unseen rebel angels all around. "Are you really a son of the living God?‚ Does your God really know you?‚  Does this biblical story really belong to you?‚   Are these really your brothers and sisters?‚  Do you really belong here?"

 

The question of identity related to adoption was so desperate because it challenged the authenticity of my family. But more than that, it challenged the authenticity of the gospel. We veer from a fleshly self-sufficiency to a fleshly despair to a fleshly tribalism. And in all of this we lose sight of Christ. 

In adoption we find ourselves "in Jesus."

["And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, "Abba, Father!" Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ."]

-Russell Moore, Adopted For Life.

Cited by http://www.gracedagain.com

Made New at the Core

One reviewer of Andrew Farley's book, God Without Religion wrote, "Never have I encountered a book that so clearly and biblically explains new covenant Christianity. If you want to dump the religious burden and live in the true freedom and joy of Christ, this book is for you."

Andrew has a compelling way of challenging any reader.  In God Without Religion he writes, "In all our talk about behavior, spiritual disciplines, and self-improvement within Christianity, I'm afraid we neglect the core message of the Christian faith -- death and new life. At its root, Christianity is really about dying and waking up a brand-new person. A fundamental exchange occurs within us at the moment we place our faith in Jesus Christ for salvation. Through our own death, burial, and resurrection, we become righteous saints, children of God. And this change is real and actual, not symbolic or figurative." He goes on to write, "There's a whole lot more to the new covenant than simply escaping law and being under grace. Grace won't work for just anybody. It's only intended for those who've been made new at the core."

-  Karl Kakadelis

www.undergrace.org