Becoming Like Jesus: Who Am I?Sample

Child of God

When asked by His students how to pray, Jesus taught this prayer:

Pray like this: Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us today the food we need, and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us. And don’t let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one. Matthew 6:9-13 NLT

Before anything else, Jesus teaches His followers to pray to God as their “Father.” This would have been almost unheard of to them. Why? Because their culture placed so much emphasis on honoring God. So much so, that the Jewish people wouldn’t even speak God’s name. Instead, they would call Him by one of His titles. This was how they tried to communicate respect to God as the Rightful King of Creation.

If you’ve ever watched a movie set during medieval times, you’ve probably seen the grandiose titles given to kings and queens to signify how special and important they were.

For example, King George the Third, who was the ruler of Great Britain during the American Revolution’s full title was: “George the Third, by the Grace of God, King of Great Britain, France, and Ireland, Defender of the Faith, and so forth.”

But, you know who probably didn’t call King George any of those things? His kids. They probably just knew him as dad.

All of the titles are special and meaningful because they communicate honor and respect. But that’s not how kids talk to their parents. And most parents are totally okay with that. Why? Because good parents aren’t looking for a relationship built on honor and respect. Those things are important, but they aren’t the most important. What parents really want is intimacy. They want their kids to know they are loved and cared for, no matter what.

So, when Jesus begins this prayer by calling God Father and foregoing all the titles and names given to show honor and respect for God, His followers would have been shocked. The kind of relationship that Jesus was showing wasn’t one most of them ever imagined they could have with God.

God as Creator? Of course. Redeemer? You bet. King? Absolutely! But Father? That’s very different. And yet, that’s exactly the kind of relationship God wants with us. It’s been the kind of relationship God has wanted from the very beginning.

Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. Ephesians 1:4-5 NLT

Did you catch all that? If not, go back and read those verses again because there is so much contained in those few sentences!

Before the world was ever made, God loved us and chose us. From the very beginning, God planned to adopt us into His family through the work of Jesus. Why? Because it’s what He wanted to do. And it gave Him great pleasure.

Don’t miss this: God is not distant or detached. He is close and compassionate. He’s not absent or uncaring. He is present and loving. He is our Father, and we are His children. We have been adopted into His family because of Jesus. And that changes everything.

Who are you? You are made in the image of God. You are a sinner saved by grace. You’re a citizen of heaven. And, you are a child of God.