the Father's heart

For you are free, yet you are God's slaves...

1 Peter 2:16

I started my journal every morning for the past week with "Good morning, Lord! I am a servant of Christ." I then proceeded to dig into what being His servant means. I had questions such as, "How can I be Christ's servant if I am free in Christ?" "Isn't being a servant the same as being a slave?" "What do I do as Christ's servant?" This post will seek to answer those ques...

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him

who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

1 Peter 2:8

Most of my life I've been told I am a saint. Not because I was such a wonderful person or living a great life of service, but because I asked Jesus to be my Savior at an early age. I learned early on that every believer is a saint a...

(Photo by Sushobhan Badhai on Unsplash)

Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The

old has passed away; behold the new has come.

2 Corinthians 5:17

What does it mean to be a new creation? What is actually new about you after you are saved?

YOU RECEIVE A NEW HEART AND A NEW SPIRIT

And I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you.

Ezekiel 36:26

Ezekiel prophesied what we would happen some 600 years before t...

I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in

order that you may know the hope to which he has called

you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints,

Ephesians 1:18

Jerry Bridges, in his book Who Am I?, tells us the difference between adoption in Bible times compared to the way it is today:

Adoption in Paul's day was completely different from our practice today. In our modern culture, adoption usually r...

Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we

have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Romans 5:1

Adam's sin brought condemnation to everyone, but Christ's obedience, His death on the cross, brought reconciliation for those who believe Jesus is the Savior (Rom 5:19). Not everyone will believe, and only those who do will be justified and receive new life. Justification means to be declared righteous by God,...

For as in Adam all die, so in

Christ all will be made alive.

1 Corinthians 15:22

I've been a Christian for much of my life and learned early on that, as a believer, I am in Christ. But what does being in Christ mean?

Jerry Bridges says in his book, Who Am I? Identity in Christ (p.18),

The term "in Christ" is the apostle Paul's shorthand expression for being united to Christ. It is one of Paul's favorite expressions, and (includi...

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And God created man in His own image, in the image of

God He created him; male and female He created them.

Genesis 1:27

Who are you? First of all, you are a created being. You are made in the image of God, which makes you different from other living things, but you are still created. This makes you both dependent on God, your Creator, and accountable to Him.

DEPENDENT ON GOD

Dependency on God is...

I have called you by name, you are mine.

Isaiah 43:1

Who are you? When Coach Harrison in the movie, Overcomer was asked that question, he said he was a coach. Later on, Coach Harrison asked his Cross Country runner, Hannah, the same question, and she said she didn't know who she was.

• "I'm a carpenter," my husband might say. But that was his vocation, not who he is.

• "I'm a failure," a friend once told me. She was a Chris...

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.

Genesis 1:1

I was sitting on a rock with my feet submerged in the rushing water from the stream at the base of Nevada Falls in Yosemite National Park. It was beautiful! After a grueling hike, I was ready to take in God's creation more fully. Beauty was everywhere! I was with my oldest son and my daughter. We split up for a time to reflect, or at least that's what I was doi...

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The god of this age has blinded the minds of

unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the

gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

2 Corinthians 4:4

Have you ever been frustrated because no matter what you say to someone about Jesus, they just don't get it? They may say, "It's fine for you, but that God stuff isn't for me." Or they nod politely, but you know they don't...