Living as Beloved Children of God
Summary
In today's gathering, we explored the profound truth of our identity as children of God, a status that transcends the natural laws of this world. We began by acknowledging the natural inclination to live by the law, a system of rules and consequences that govern our daily lives. However, the gospel calls us to a supernatural life, one that is not bound by these earthly laws but is instead defined by the grace and love of God. This journey of faith is akin to walking a familiar trail and discovering something new each time, as the gospel continually reveals deeper truths about our identity in Christ.
We delved into Galatians, where Paul reminds us that through faith in Christ, we are all sons and daughters of God. This new identity is not based on our adherence to the law but on the righteousness of Christ, who fulfilled the law on our behalf. As children of God, we are heirs to His promises, yet we often revert to living under the law, enslaved by its demands. This tendency stems from our natural inclination towards pride and self-reliance, which leads us to seek validation through our own efforts rather than resting in the completed work of Christ.
The gospel liberates us from this bondage, inviting us to live as beloved children who are fully accepted and loved by our Heavenly Father. This love is not conditional or transactional; it is constant and unchanging. As we embrace this truth, we are called to live boldly and confidently, knowing that our mistakes do not alter our standing with God. Instead, we are invited to trust in His grace, which empowers us to break free from the chains of sin and live in the freedom of our inheritance.
In conclusion, we are encouraged to examine our lives for misplaced devotions and to realign our hearts with the truth of the gospel. By doing so, we can experience the fullness of our inheritance now, living as free and confident children of God, empowered to share His love and grace with the world.
Key Takeaways:
1. Identity in Christ: Our identity as children of God is not based on our adherence to the law but on the righteousness of Christ. This new identity liberates us from the bondage of the law and invites us to live in the freedom of God's grace. [22:47]
2. Supernatural Living: The gospel calls us to live beyond the natural laws of this world, embracing a supernatural life defined by God's love and grace. This requires us to continually discover and embrace the deeper truths of the gospel. [21:37]
3. Breaking the Chains: As children of God, we are empowered to break free from the chains of sin and live in the freedom of our inheritance. This involves recognizing and rejecting the lies and falsehoods that seek to enslave us. [49:58]
4. Unconditional Love: God's love for us is constant and unchanging, not based on our performance or efforts. This truth invites us to live boldly and confidently, knowing that our mistakes do not alter our standing with God. [32:09]
5. Misplaced Devotions: We are called to examine our lives for misplaced devotions and to realign our hearts with the truth of the gospel. By doing so, we can experience the fullness of our inheritance now and live as free and confident children of God. [58:13]
Youtube Chapters:
- [00:00] - Welcome
- [18:46] - Discovering New Truths in the Gospel
- [20:02] - Natural Laws vs. Gospel Living
- [21:37] - The Call to Supernatural Living
- [22:47] - Identity as Children of God
- [23:52] - The Inheritance of Faith
- [25:26] - Baptism and New Identity
- [30:27] - The Role of the Law
- [31:02] - God's Promise Fulfilled
- [32:09] - Living as Loved Children
- [33:36] - Sin Boldly, Live Boldly
- [35:46] - Pride and the Law
- [37:32] - Lies and Spiritual Warfare
- [39:36] - Evolution and Creation
- [49:58] - Breaking the Chains
- [51:31] - Redemption and Adoption
- [52:24] - Crying Out to Abba Father
- [55:19] - Forfeiting Inheritance
- [59:51] - Misplaced Devotions and True Treasure
- [01:02:07] - Challenge to Break Free
- [01:04:47] - Closing Prayer
Study Guide
Bible Study Discussion Guide
Bible Reading:
- Galatians 3:26-4:11
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Observation Questions:
1. According to Galatians 3:26-4:11, what is the basis of our identity as children of God? How does this differ from living under the law? [22:47]
2. In the sermon, what examples were given to illustrate the natural laws we live by, and how do they contrast with the supernatural life the gospel calls us to? [20:02]
3. How does the sermon describe the role of pride and self-reliance in our tendency to revert to living under the law? [35:46]
4. What does the sermon say about the nature of God's love for us as His children? How is it different from human love? [32:09]
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Interpretation Questions:
1. How does understanding our identity as children of God change the way we view our relationship with the law and with God? [22:47]
2. The sermon mentions that the gospel calls us to a supernatural life. What might this look like in practical terms for a believer today? [21:37]
3. In what ways does pride manifest in our spiritual lives, and how can it hinder our relationship with God? [35:46]
4. How can the concept of God's unconditional love impact our daily lives and interactions with others? [32:09]
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Application Questions:
1. Reflect on your own life. Are there areas where you find yourself reverting to living under the law rather than embracing your identity in Christ? How can you shift your focus to the freedom offered by the gospel? [22:47]
2. The sermon challenges us to live a supernatural life. What is one specific area in your life where you can begin to live beyond the natural laws and embrace the supernatural power of the gospel? [21:37]
3. Consider a time when pride or self-reliance led you to seek validation through your own efforts. How can you practice humility and reliance on God's grace in similar situations in the future? [35:46]
4. God's love is described as constant and unchanging. How can you remind yourself of this truth when you feel unworthy or distant from God? [32:09]
5. The sermon encourages us to examine our lives for misplaced devotions. What is one area of your life where your devotion might be misplaced, and how can you realign it with the truth of the gospel? [58:13]
6. Think of a specific relationship or situation where you can apply the concept of living boldly and confidently as a child of God. What steps can you take to embody this truth? [32:09]
7. How can you actively spend your spiritual inheritance in your daily life, sharing God's love and grace with those around you? [54:09]
Devotional
I'm ready to provide the 5-day devotional based on the steps outlined. Here it is:
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Day 1: Embracing Our True Identity in Christ
Our identity as children of God is not determined by our adherence to the law but by the righteousness of Christ. This profound truth liberates us from the bondage of the law and invites us to live in the freedom of God's grace. In Galatians, Paul emphasizes that through faith in Christ, we are all sons and daughters of God. This new identity is not something we earn through our efforts but is a gift given to us through Christ's fulfillment of the law on our behalf. As children of God, we are heirs to His promises, yet we often find ourselves reverting to living under the law, enslaved by its demands. This tendency stems from our natural inclination towards pride and self-reliance, which leads us to seek validation through our own efforts rather than resting in the completed work of Christ. [22:47]
Galatians 3:26-27 (ESV): "For in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ."
Reflection: In what areas of your life do you find yourself striving for validation through your own efforts? How can you remind yourself today that your identity is secure in Christ's righteousness?
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Day 2: Living Beyond Natural Laws
The gospel calls us to live beyond the natural laws of this world, embracing a supernatural life defined by God's love and grace. This requires us to continually discover and embrace the deeper truths of the gospel. As we walk this journey of faith, it is like traversing a familiar trail and discovering something new each time. The gospel continually reveals deeper truths about our identity in Christ, inviting us to live a life that is not bound by earthly laws but is instead defined by the grace and love of God. This supernatural living challenges us to see beyond the limitations of the natural world and to embrace the possibilities that come with being children of God. [21:37]
2 Corinthians 5:7 (ESV): "For we walk by faith, not by sight."
Reflection: What is one area of your life where you are relying on natural laws or human understanding? How can you begin to trust in God's supernatural power and grace in that area today?
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Day 3: Breaking Free from the Chains of Sin
As children of God, we are empowered to break free from the chains of sin and live in the freedom of our inheritance. This involves recognizing and rejecting the lies and falsehoods that seek to enslave us. The gospel liberates us from the bondage of sin, inviting us to live as beloved children who are fully accepted and loved by our Heavenly Father. This love is not conditional or transactional; it is constant and unchanging. As we embrace this truth, we are called to live boldly and confidently, knowing that our mistakes do not alter our standing with God. Instead, we are invited to trust in His grace, which empowers us to break free from the chains of sin and live in the freedom of our inheritance. [49:58]
Romans 6:14 (ESV): "For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace."
Reflection: Identify a specific lie or falsehood that has been holding you back. How can you replace it with the truth of God's grace and live in the freedom of your inheritance today?
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Day 4: Resting in God's Unconditional Love
God's love for us is constant and unchanging, not based on our performance or efforts. This truth invites us to live boldly and confidently, knowing that our mistakes do not alter our standing with God. As we embrace this truth, we are called to live as beloved children who are fully accepted and loved by our Heavenly Father. This love is not conditional or transactional; it is constant and unchanging. As we embrace this truth, we are called to live boldly and confidently, knowing that our mistakes do not alter our standing with God. Instead, we are invited to trust in His grace, which empowers us to break free from the chains of sin and live in the freedom of our inheritance. [32:09]
1 John 4:18 (ESV): "There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love."
Reflection: Reflect on a recent mistake or failure. How can you rest in God's unconditional love and allow it to cast out fear and shame in your life today?
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Day 5: Realigning Our Hearts with the Gospel
We are called to examine our lives for misplaced devotions and to realign our hearts with the truth of the gospel. By doing so, we can experience the fullness of our inheritance now and live as free and confident children of God. This involves recognizing the areas where we have placed our trust and devotion in things other than God and choosing to realign our hearts with His truth. As we do this, we are empowered to live as free and confident children of God, sharing His love and grace with the world. [58:13]
Colossians 3:2-3 (ESV): "Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God."
Reflection: What is one area of your life where you have misplaced your devotion? How can you realign your heart with the truth of the gospel and experience the fullness of your inheritance today?
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Quotes
1. "But what I love most is that as you're walking, no matter how many times you walk that trail, how many times you walk that beach, or you wander around the mountain, there is always something new to discover. There's always something new that is there. And it's true with the gospel. The Apostle Paul has us on this journey, and this journey is walking around the mountain again and again, and they're like, hey, we're on the same trail, but yet there's something new here in the mountain of the gospel for us to discover." [00:18:06] (31 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
2. "And so we're to be gospel people, which is unnatural, and which is really supernatural. And the good news, God who's supernatural gives us the ability to be supernatural as His children. And this is why today's message is called Children of God, for us to move beyond the natural and to the gift of being His child, which is supernatural." [00:21:43] (30 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
3. "You are true children of Abraham through baptism. Again, we went over this last week, that God has given his faith, God has intervened in our lives, that God who came to us when we were dead to our sins, that we had no righteousness of our own. Paul is making this saying that you don't have righteousness to please God. You're not holy to please God. You are born in that natural sin that has enslaved you. You need God to intervene in your life, and He has through His Son, Jesus Christ, who did the work for you, did the works of righteousness to please God, and even suffered your punishment in your place." [00:24:28] (37 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
4. "He says, no, you're my child. Now live as my child under the spirit of God, which means that you are a perfectly loved child just the way you are. God loves you. God's love is agape. It means it's one way. It's not transactional. It's not, you know, it's not based, hey, if you do better, he gives you more love. If you do less, he pulls his love back. No, he has loved you the same today and he will love you the same tomorrow, whether you do more to please him or you do less and you do more sin. His love is unchanging." [00:32:16] (31 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
5. "And so when I started earlier, we play these little sayings that are laws, that are truisms that nobody taught you. Nobody said memorize them, but we know them. And we probably do live by them more than we think. And they work our way into our lives. But Paul's not talking about like little scientific nuances. He's talking about these elementary principles of the world." [00:36:10] (28 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
6. "And so you know, it's number one, we got to realize and remember that Satan is at work. And how does he work? He works through people, groups, and ideas. And Satan is the father of what? Lies. So as he's working through people, groups, and ideas, he's working with lies. And these lies sound very intellectual. They sound enlightenment. They sound good. They appease to the law, the selfishness of man, of pride." [00:37:26] (29 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
7. "And so we have all these lies that have been told to us that we just keep putting on, all these lies of slavery that keep putting on, that keep weighing us down and keep us in bondage and keep us slaves and keep us being the free in Christ as we are as a child of God. And it was. These chains. And we first said, this is unnatural. This is wrong. And maybe we even thought about it, but the chain remained. And the chain remained. And as we grow, all we do is we just take over it. And we grow over it. And all of a sudden, the chain is gone. It's part of the tree. This is the way it's always been." [00:48:43] (34 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
8. "You have been given the light of Jesus Christ to break the chains. You're not an average tree. You are a supernatural tree. You have been redeemed by Jesus Christ who broke all the chains for you to be his child. And you are greater than the chains." [00:49:58] (19 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
9. "You are a child of God. You are with the King of kings, the Lord of lords, and maybe you were bound, but God has found you. You're not lost anymore. You're his child, and you're under the King of kings, the Lord of lords. It breaks every chain. See, Paul talks about the certification of adoption in E. He says in Galatians, and because you are sons, you have sent the Spirit of the Son into our hearts." [00:52:00] (25 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
10. "The problem is, some of you are sitting there going, well, my inheritance is going to be in heaven someday, and you're not activating. You're not spending your inheritance right now. Jesus came. When Jesus came to this earth, He said, I come to give eternal life. I've come to bring life into this world. I've come to bring life into this world. I've come to bring life into this world. He came to give you eternal life now. We're not waiting for our inheritance. The inheritance is yours right now, and it's yours to spend. Spend it. Carry it. Give out the grace. Give the grace to yourself." [00:54:13] (33 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
Chatbot
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