“He (God) predestined us to be adopted
as His sons through Jesus Christ,
in accordance with His pleasure and will.”

ast Tuesday night I was standing at the baggage carousel in Newark airport waiting for my luggage. If you have ever done this you know that just before the belt starts up a buzzer sounds and a yellow light flashes. Shortly after the carousel begins to go round and the conveyor belt begins to start dumping luggage on the carousel. I managed to find an open space by the carousel. Unfortunately it was on the opposite side of where the luggage was coming off the conveyor belt. I could, however see the luggage as it loaded on to the carousel.

As I watched I became very much aware that 90 percent of the passengers on my flight, must have bought their luggage at the same luggage sale that Diane and I bought ours. The carousel was a sea of black suitcases with the pull up handle. If it weren’t for luggage tags it would be virtually impossible to identify your suitcase without having to open it and examine the contents.

This got me thinking about this morning’s scripture. How do you know you belong to God? What makes you a child of God?

I would tend to guess that the majority of people would say, that we are children of God because God is the creator of all people. Genesis 1:26ff states,

“Then God said,
‘Let us make man in our image,
in our likeness…
So God created man in His own image…
male and female He created them.’”

Genesis 3:7 states,

Since scripture states that we are all created of God and by God it only stands to reason that we would conclude that we are all God’s children, but are we?

If we are all God’s children then why did Paul state,

“He (God) predestined us to be adopted
as His children through Jesus Christ,
in accordance with His pleasure and will.”

Why would God have to adopt us if we are His?

“You are all children of God
through faith in Christ Jesus.”
(Galatians 3:26)

“Praise be to the God and
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!
In His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade kept in heaven for you.”
(1Peter 1:3,4)

“I tell you the truth,
no one can see the kingdom of God
unless he is born again
no one can see the kingdom of God
unless he is born of water and Spirit.
Flesh give birth to flesh,
but the Spirit gives birth to the spirit.”
(John 3:3,5&6)

“God predestined us to adopted”

He did not mean that God arbitrarily chose you or me over someone else. He means that salvation is God’s work. God’s plan has always been to save those people who want to be saved by faith in Jesus Christ.  Spiritual birth makes you a child of God not physical birth.  God’s purpose is to offer salvation to the world, to everyone.

Living out the words of the songs we began worship with, “Here’s my life Lord, I lay it down. I surrender it all to you.” Did you mean those words?

“You also were included in Christ when you heard the truth the gospel of salvation. Having believed, you were marked in Him with a seal, the promise of the Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession – to the praise of His glory.”
(Ephesians 1:13.14)

When I think of the words,

“You were marked in Him.”

This means we were not just created of God and by God but most importantly FOR GOD.