Adopted, Alive, and At Home in God
Known at the door, welcomed within
Devotional Credit: Immeasurably More, by Ray Stedman
Photo Credit: Unsplash
We rarely start our day by naming who we are. Ray Stedman invites us to do exactly that. He reminds us that followers of Jesus are not spiritual orphans trying to behave well enough to earn a place at the table. We are already God’s children, welcomed, loved, and secure. Paul’s words in Romans 8 tell us that the Spirit does not lead us back into fear. He leads us into the freedom of sonship and daughterhood, the kind that says Abba with quiet confidence.
Stedman also holds adoption and new birth together. We were taken out of Adam’s family and brought into God’s family by grace, which guards our wonder. Then the Spirit gave us new life so that we share in God’s nature. This is not make believe. This is the truest thing about us in Jesus. We belong.
When the old patterns tug at us, the answer is not to pretend we are strong. The answer is to remember who we are in the Lord. Under law, sin bosses us around. Under grace, sin has no dominion. The Spirit points our hearts to this settled reality again and again, so that our living flows from belonging rather than straining to belong.
For anyone who has sinned, this is very good news. You may be temporarily overcome, but you are never ultimately defeated, because you are God’s child. Thank you, Pastor Stedman, for putting this treasure within reach, not as a theory, but as a daily way of walking with Jesus.
Journal Entry – Voice of the Holy Spirit Through Scripture
I lead you as a child of God. I do not drive you with fear. I bear witness with your spirit that you belong to the Father. When accusation tries to tell you that you are still a slave, remember what I say within you. You have received the Spirit of adoption. You cry Abba because I am in you.
You were in Adam by nature. Now you are in Jesus by grace. I joined you to Him in His death and in His life. Under law, sin claimed rule. Under grace, sin shall not be your master. I am not training you to live as a hired servant who must earn a wage. I am forming you as a son, as a daughter, who shares the life of the Son.
When you face the old pull of the flesh, do not measure your progress. Set your mind on who you are in the Messiah. I dwell in you. The life of Jesus is your life. Yield to Me, and you will see love rather than irritation, peace rather than panic, truth rather than pretense. This is not white knuckle effort. This is My life in you.
I am your witness in weakness, your Advocate in accusation, your assurance in uncertainty. The Father’s love is set upon you. The Son calls you brother, calls you sister, and is not ashamed to do so. You are no longer a stranger and a foreigner. You are family. Step forward today as one who is claimed, protected, provided for, and heard. I delight to work in you to will and to do the Father’s good pleasure.
Real-Life Analogy
Think of a smart lock on your front door. It recognizes you when you arrive, and the deadbolt slides open. You do not ring the bell and plead. You are known, and the house is yours to enter. Adoption is the Father giving you the code, and new birth is the new heart that loves being home. When you forget and reach for the old keys, the Spirit reminds you that access is already yours. You walk in, put your bag down, and rest where you belong.
A simple way to live this today. When a tempting thought or an anxious moment knocks, pause and remember your access. Not by gritting your teeth, but by yielding. Say, Lord, I trust You to express Your life in me in this moment as Your child. Lead my words in this meeting, and let Your peace be the tone that comes through me. Then act from that settled place of belonging.
Prayer of Confidence
Father, thank You that in Jesus I am not a slave to fear. Thank You that Your Spirit in me declares that I am Your child. Thank You that sin does not rule me under grace. Thank You that I am both adopted and born into Your family, sharing in the life of Your Son. Today I delight in what is already true. I receive the liberty that is mine in the Lord, and I walk as one who is loved, protected, provided for, and heard. Amen.
Scripture References for the Voice of the Holy Spirit Through Scripture Section
Romans 8:14-17; Romans 6:14; Galatians 2:20; John 1:12-13; 1 John 3:1-2; Ephesians 1:5; Ephesians 2:4-7, 13, 19; 2 Peter 1:4; Galatians 4:4-7; Colossians 1:13-14, 27; Romans 5:5; Romans 8:9-11; John 15:4-5; Philippians 2:13; Hebrews 2:11; 2 Corinthians 5:17; 2 Corinthians 3:18; Romans 8:1; Romans 8:31-39; Jude 24-25; John 10:28-29.