Key Takeaways

1. Adoption changes our status. Through Christ, we are not merely forgiven; we are given a new identity as children of God and joint heirs with Christ.

2. Adoption gives us incredible privileges. Our debt has been canceled, we share in Christ’s inheritance, and we have full and confident access to God as our Father.

3. Adoption comes with responsibility. As children who bear our Father’s name, we are called to pray to Him, imitate Him, and trust Him in the way we live.

Go Deeper

1. Live from your identity, not for it.
How would your daily life change if you truly believed that your standing with God is based on what Christ has done rather than what you accomplish?

2. Consider what it means to call God “Father.”
Because of our adoption, we can approach God with the confidence and intimacy of a child approaching a loving father. How should that change the way you pray, especially when you have failed or are struggling?

3. Bear the family resemblance.
God doesn’t simply give His children His name; He desires them to reflect His character. Where is God currently calling you to look more like your Father—by forgiving, loving, trusting, or obeying Him?

Who Am I? Humans have been trying to answer this question from the beginning of time. In our new sermon series titled “Our Identity in Christ,” we’re going to study who we are in Christ over the next two months. This week we studied that we are beloved. Isaiah 43 says that we are precious, and honored, and that God loves us. By receiving, responding to, and sharing God’s love, we can live life as a beloved child of God.
To go deeper:
Study Ephesians 4-6 to see how Paul encourages us to be imitators of God.
Listen to songs that communicate God’s love to you: Run to the Father, Come to the Altar, Good Good Father, and Reckless Love are great options.
Develop an identity statement based on your thoughts today. Hold onto it and write another identity statement at the end of the sermon series. Does anything change? Ask God to lead you in deepening your identity in Christ each day.