Our Divine Heritage

~Genesis 1:26-27~

When God created us, He made us like Himself; therefore we have the capacity for close, personal fellowship with Him. We can count on Him to meet our need for deep personal connection.

~ Charles Stanley – Life Principles Daily Bible, NASB, 2011 ~

Read: Genesis 3-4:26; Psalm 2:1-6; Proverbs 1:8-9; and Matthew 2:1-23

An employer, during an interview, may ask a prospective candidate: Tell me about yourself? Someone may ask us who we are. Questions like these evoke a prescribed response in which we identify ourselves as individuals. Depending on the context of the question, the response will determine the type of identification one may reveal.

Our identity is important to us. It is how we define ourselves within the context of society. We are either proud of who we are, or are ashamed of what we are and have become. Either way, we allow our identity to define our reality.

Trust begins with understanding who we are in relationship to others. In our relationship with a sovereign God, we come to know the absolute reality of our own divine nature and heritage. We are created in the image and likeness of a Holy and Sovereign God.

When we come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit steps in and sanctifies us as we become more like Christ.

Therefore, our trust is in the Sovereign God who created each one of us to bear His image, His own likeness – which is that very image and likeness of his Son, Jesus Christ (see, Colossians 1:15). In essence, our trust in God and Christ begins the process of transforming our fallen and natural image to that of a Holy and righteous image of God and the Savior.

Our intimacy with God – His highest priority for our lives – determines the impact of our lives
~ Charles Stanley – Life Principles Daily Bible, NASB, 2011 ~

This gives us hope and a blessed desire to continually follow and worship God. To strive toward the will of God rather than the will of self. We surrender ourselves completely and wholly to the divine creator, because we have been created by a divine and Holy God.

Charles F. Stanley teaches, “God created human beings with fellowship in mind – first with Himself, then with others. … we can’t fully love one another until we have ourselves experienced the love of God. We experience His love when we willingly surrender to His call to be our Savior, Lord, and Friend. ” (Charles Stanley – Life Principles Daily Bible, NASB, 2011, emphasis mine).

Let us reflect on who we are in Christ, and come to know the truth of who we are in the eyes and sight of God by meditating on the following truths:

God’s sovereign love toward us desires our fellowship and worship

The scriptures teach that the closer we draw and yield ourselves toward God and His will, the deeper our fellowship and relationship is with Him. We give all of ourselves to Him as he pours out all of His grace into our hearts and being to become conformed to the image of His Son, Jesus the Christ.

He desires for each of us to experience freedom through his Sovereign Grace

We are enticed by the power and authority of the Holy Spirit, however, because God is sovereign, he has given us moral agency to choose for ourselves whether we are willing to submit to Him and partake of the divine grace he offers. A Sovereign God will not violate man’s sovereign moral agency. Yet, as we surrender and yield to God’s perfect will, we are liberated from the sins and pangs of death. We find hope, courage and strength through times of adversity.

He desires to use us to be a blessing to others through service

As we come to understand our true nature, through the power of the atonement of Jesus Christ, we come to learn how we are able to be of service to others. We become His hands, hearts, mind, and blessings to others who might find themselves struggling.

Have you drifted from your relationship with God? Pray sincerely for our Heavenly Father to draw you closer to Him, repent of any wrong doing and abandon any sin one may have committed.
Be intent, committed and find the necessary motivation to seek God daily, cultivating a healthy and authentic relationship with God, through Jesus Christ.
Seek after opportunities to serve God in all things and in all ways.

Heavenly Father, draw me near to me as I draw near to thee. Help me cleanse my heart and mind of all unrighteousness and strengthen me as I place my trust in you. I give myself permission to surrender to your sovereign will this day.