Led by His SpiritSample

Years ago someone wrote this to the advice columnist Ann Landers: “Dear Ann: It happened again today. My two sons and I were in a shopping mall, and a total stranger felt the need to comment on the fact that my boys didn’t look anything alike. Apparently, my six-year-old decided it was time he explained the difference. ‘I’m adopted,’ he said. ‘That’s when you have the same family but not the same face.’”

God gives us many wonderful benefits along with our salvation. Our eternal destiny changes from punishment in Hell to perfection in Heaven. We have hope and strength that the world cannot know. We have peace in trials, and joy from the work of the Holy Spirit. While it would be difficult to say that one blessing is more important than another, it is a staggering reality that when we are saved, we are adopted into God’s family. This adoption is a wonderful blessing, completely undeserved, but given to us through God’s grace.

When we are saved, we don’t look anything like Jesus. The Bible describes the condition of sinful man in stark terms. Yet we trusted Christ as our Savior, God not only made us His own children, but He began a work in us to make us more and more like Jesus. Romans 8:29 tells us that God has purposed ahead of time that we be “conformed to the image of His Son.” Our goal for every day should be to allow the Holy Spirit to transform us to look more and more like Jesus.