“The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. 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 8:16-17 (NIV)
Jesus broke many social norms and customs of the day in showing equal compassion to all, especially to women. He expressed His love by including women in everything He did, even though Jewish piety of His day, largely excluded women. He spoke to the Samaritan woman alone at the well, when it was taboo for a man to speak to any woman alone anywhere. He defended the woman caught in adultery, saving her from being stoned to death, showing that forgiveness is for all. He healed the daughter of a gentile woman who was considered outside the flock, not privileged to receive anything from the Messiah. He praised a known, neighborhood prostitute, who repented, and returned to wash His feet with her tears and dry them with her hair. The men in that room became indignant that He allowed the scandalous woman to touch Him, but Jesus showed us how His Father loves us and turns no one away when we come to Him in repentance. He held the same standards and offered the same mercy and forgiveness for females as well as males, for gentiles as well as Jews, for rich and for poor. He transcended all social norms, races, cultures, and genders, giving all who believe in Him a new identity as joint heirs with Him. He sees every person as a potential daughter or son of His father, the King of the universe. We are God’s children, not orphans. The only thing that holds us back is ourselves. I heard a gifted woman speaker once say that most believers live like they are orphans instead of God’s children. She said that most of us forget that our Father has authority over the whole world and we tend to fall into what she called “orphan living”. An orphan fears but a child trusts. An orphan strives to be in control but a child surrenders to their father’s control. An orphan thinks they have to work to earn their father’s love, but a child is secure in their father’s love. An orphan needs to be self reliant, but a child of God is reliant on their Father. As believers in Christ, we have received a new identity. Paul tells us through today’s scripture that we are co heirs with Christ and we share both His suffering and His glory. Instead of living as the fallen sons and daughters of Adam, we’ve been adopted by the King of the universe, and ransomed by the blood of Jesus. Now He leads us in dignity, as His co-heirs, with our heads held high, and our self esteem based on being His child, not an orphan. We are children of our heavenly Father and we represent Him in all we do and say, all because we share a royal identity made possible by Jesus, who called us into His wonderful light.
Lord Jesus, helps us to live according to our royal calling as children of God, a part of your family and not orphans. Amen