Tues., 7/23/19 Devotion (Gal. 4:6-7)

Today's encouragement comes from Galatians 4:6 & 7. There, Paul wrote these words:

"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."

Adoption into Christ and His church family is a beautiful thing. To be adopted, is to be specially-chosen. All of God's true churched saints are His adopted children. (Jesus alone is the Father's only "natural" Child.)

We who are children of God have big privileges. We have intimate familial ac-cess and communion with our Father ("Abba, Father!"). We have His "certifi-cate" of freedom, sonship, and citizenship (in Christ). And, we now own and enjoy everything Jesus owns and enjoys—since we are co-"heirs" with Him.

For all this, let us live thankful and loving lives. Let us not, as the Galatian Christians were want to do, fall into works- and self-righteousness.

[Puritan quote of the day: "I remember reading a speech of Anselm's. He said that he would rather be in hell without sin than in heaven with sin. . . . “
—Jeremiah Burroughs, in, "The Evil of Evils"]