“Therefore, be imitators of God, as beloved children.” Ephesians 5:1
The color of your skin, eyes, and hair, and even your height are determined by who your parents are. Your family also plays an important role in who you are as a person. They even influence your outlook on life and the way you behave. Even so, your parents and family are not where you ultimately find your identity.
God has created you in his image, and in Christ you are adopted into the family of God. Your adoption in Christ transforms everything about who you are and what you do. As children of God, we imitate God. These verses describe our new identity in Christ and how we are to live as children of God.
In Christ, you enter into an intimate relationship with God the Father, a relationship so close and personal that it’s similar to the relationship Jesus shares with him. As a child of your Father, you can approach him for anything and everything.
Because you are adopted into God’s family, your life is transformed. You are a new creation in Christ (2 Cor. 5:17). As such, you are called to live a life that imitates God the Father, represents the family name, and reflects Jesus.
Thankfully, God doesn’t leave us alone in this pursuit. We are empowered by the Holy Spirit to live out our new identity in Christ.
Read
Go through these verses and identify the traits that characterize a child of God and the evil things that don’t. What do you feel as you look through these lists?
Prayer
Thank God for giving you a new identity as a member of his family. Ask to be filled with the Holy Spirit so you will be empowered to live your new life in Christ.
This devotion is adapted from the Who Do You Think You Are? Study Guides with Daily Devotions resource.
