BECAUSE HE LOVES US THAT MUCH

God' justice of His grace says that everyone in history - past, present, and future - must be paid for by the life's blood of God's only Son, even knowing some are going to flat-out reject His unconditional, sacrificial, gift.  Taking on their sins, for justice sake, as well as those who will decide to follow Him, is a Love and a Just God I cannot fathom yet I have a personal relationship with Him by faith.

I am adopted by God.

• "God saw our entire lives from beginning to end, birth to hearse, and in spite of what He saw, He was still convinced 'to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ.  And this gave him great pleasure' (Ephesians 1:5 NLT)." [p.120, Grace, Lucado)

As Father God loves Jesus, so Father God loves me.

• Now if we are children, then we are heirs--heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. (Romans 8:17)
• And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, (Ephesians 2:6)

So, my identity, the identity of a true follower of Jesus, is found in Christ.  "Your identity is not in your possessions, talents, tattoos, kudos, or accomplishments.  Nor are you defined by your divorce, deficiencies, debt, or dumb choices.  You are God's child." (p.121, Grace, Lucado)  If you have read any of my other recent blogs you would know I have been emphasizing - taking God at His Word!  I take it as an awesome confirmation from God through Max Lucado as Max says,

• "Rather than conjure up reason to feel good about yourself, trust God's verdict [take God at His Word]."  If God loves you, you must be worth loving.  If He wants to have you in His kingdom, then you must be worth having.  God's grace invites you - no, requires you - to change your attitude about yourself and take sides with God against your feelings of rejection." (p.121, Grace, Lucado)

I challenge all Followers of Christ to do as the Glad commercials say - "Don't get mad, get Glad!".  We can put whatever negative emotion in the place of the word "mad" for that phrase or a lie we have accepted, but exchange the "Glad" the commercial is speaking about with true gladness that comes from knowing and having a personal relationship with Father God because of His Son Jesus.

"To live as God's child is to know, at this very instant, that you are loved by your Maker not because you try to please him and succeed, or fail to please him and apologize, but because he wants to be your Father. Nothing more. All your efforts to win his affections are unnecessary.  All your fears of losing his affection are needless.  You can no more make him want you than you can convince him to abandon you.  The adoption is irreversible.  You have a place at his table." (p.125, Grace, Lucado)

Oh, to live like this!  To trust God at His Word!  To allow His perspective of us to reign supreme all the time.  A view of us Graced, an identity of us in Victory - Because He Loves Us That Much (and more)!