Saturday 14 December 2013

Read: Galatians 3:26-4:7, John 1:10-13 So much of God's work throughout history is about family. Time and time again God chooses to do His work through families. Noah and his family together build the ark and carry on the human race. Abraham and his family are a vital part of God's plan for mankind. We see many times in scripture where God provides children for barren women. God works through families.

In a broader sense as well God's work is about families. Think about it. God the Father sends His Son to be born as a human baby into a loving family. This is the very baby that Israel had been waiting for for hundreds of years. This baby grows up, lives a perfect sinless life, suffers for the sins of the world, dies so that we might be spared from the penalty of our sin which is death and is risen again for our sake. What is the end result of all this? We are able to become children of God. Because of the incredible sacrifice that God (both the Father and the Son) made for us we are able to become a part of God's family.

John makes this point in John 1. Those who receive Christ and believe in Him are given the right to become children of God, to enter into God's family. This is why Jesus came into the world. Paul makes the same point in Galatians 3 and 4. When we come to faith in Christ we become sons of God, more than that, we become heirs together with Him. We are given the full rights of sons (vs 4).

God has done this incredible work so that we might be a part of His family and that our relationship with Him as our heavenly father might be totally restored. Through Him we are able to be sons of God.

If God places such a high value on looking after His family and restoring people to His family we too ought to view these things as priorities. Paul makes it clear that because we are part of God's family we are one together (vs 28) therefore we ought to love and serve one another.

We must also share with those who aren't part of God's family that through Christ they too can be sons of God and fellow heirs with Christ. If God was willing to make such a sacrifice for the sake of bringing people into His family we too ought to be willing to sacrifice for the sake of God's family.

Prayer: Write down your prayer points in the space provided. Use today’s reading to help you get ideas.

Adoration:

Confession:

Thanks:

Supplication:

• Pray for the gathering of believers around the world tomorrow as we celebrate the Lord's day. Praise God that His church is still growing and still strong after so many years. Pray that as believers gather that they would be encouraged and challenged in their faith. Pray that the word would be faithfully and courageously preached throughout the world. Pray that many would come to faith tomorrow as a result of the gospel being preached.

My Additional Prayer Points

1. 2.