Scripture: Romans 8: 12-17

Verse for Today: You are the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. (Galatians 3: 26)

Jesus taught us that we become children of God by being born again. Paul used a different illustration to make the same point. He says that we are children of God through adoption.

This illustration was used since adoption was very familiar to the people of Paul's day, particularly in Rome. To be a citizen of Rome in that time period was a tremendous asset. Sometimes citizenship was purchase for a great deal of money. If a citizen of Rome had a slave that he wanted to reward, he would adopt him which would thereby grant him the valued citizenship.

When the requirements for adoption were met, several things happened, among them the fact that the slave was now free. He took the family name and became a joint heir to the family estate along with other members of the family.

Paul implies that all this is true of the Christian because the "requirements" for the adoption were completed by Jesus Christ on Calvary. He also implies that this blessing can be obtained by anyone simply by accepting its reality. God has been referred to in the scriptures as "Abba!' which means "Father." But more realistically it is a slang term which is more closely translated, "Daddy," a fond, intimate term for a parent who is filled with love and compassion and is greatly loved by his children. I believe that what Paul was saying is that, no matter how we approach God and speak to God, we are accepted as God's own children because of the adoption papers which were signed by Jesus Christ-and they were signed in blood!

God, our Parent, thank You for accepting all of us as Your very own children. May we have the respect for You as our Parent that we would have for any Parent who is so filled with love!