Repeat after me: "I am a child of God"
By Carl Kimbro, Fellowship Bible Church NWA Celebrate Recovery Devotional Team 11/14/18
"I am a child of God." In my addiction, I looked at my reflection in the mirror and repeated those words often in a desperate attempt to convince myself it was true. But in my reflection, I could see nothing but doubt.
God gives us this “right” or privilege. We don’t earn it and it’s not a birthright. It’s a gift given by the grace of God. Embracing the truth of this scripture reminds me that even in the times I sin, I am still a child of God.
What about you? Does your sin tell you the great lie: “You can’t be saved, or you would never act like this?” How about "I've gone too far. There's no way he can forgive this!"
"How could I be a Christian and struggle with these things?"
"No way I could have Christ living in me and sin like this".
Even now as I approach two years free from my addiction I still find myself, at times, looking in the mirror, repeating those words. I know that I know Christ is Lord and Savior. Yet I still doubt.
As born-again believers, it’s natural to doubt our salvation when we sin. We equate behavior as proof either that we are saved or we aren’t. But this makes us a slave to works. We end up in trying to prove thru our works that we are saved. After all, doesn’t James 2:26 say “For as the body without the spirit is dead, so Faith without works is dead.” Taken by itself, it appears to justify works for salvation. But it doesn’t. James’ intention wasn’t to say if we sin we aren’t saved. Or if we don’t do good works we aren’t saved. James was reminding us that
works are evidence of our salvation, not the cause of our salvation. Only putting our faith in Christ saves us.
When I doubt I am a child of God it is important for me to remember that I can’t earn heaven and my sin doesn’t keep me out. I can’t keep the rules. I need some other way. John 1:12-13 reminds me that our faith comes from belief in Christ, not our works. These verses tell us
As born-again believers, it’s natural to doubt our salvation when we sin. We equate behavior as proof either that we are saved or we aren’t. But this makes us a slave to works. We end up in trying to prove thru our works that we are saved. After all, doesn’t James 2:26 say “For as the body without the spirit is dead, so Faith without works is dead.” Taken by itself, it appears to justify works for salvation. But it doesn’t. James’ intention wasn’t to say if we sin we aren’t saved. Or if we don’t do good works we aren’t saved. James was reminding us that
works are evidence of our salvation, not the cause of our salvation. Only putting our faith in Christ saves us.
When I doubt I am a child of God it is important for me to remember that I can’t earn heaven and my sin doesn’t keep me out. I can’t keep the rules. I need some other way. John 1:12-13 reminds me that our faith comes from belief in Christ, not our works. These verses tell us
“Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name,
he gave the right to become children of God—children born not of natural descent,
nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God."
What about you? Does your sin tell you the great lie: “You can’t be saved, or you would never act like this?” How about "I've gone too far. There's no way he can forgive this!"
Don’t let the lies of Satan keep you living in doubt and fear. I encourage you to remember the words of John 3:16:
“For God so loved the world that he gave His only begotten son,
that all who believe in Him will be saved.”
With fullness of faith in Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior, you can confidently reject the doubt and fear of the enemy and embrace your salvation as a child of God.
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