Forever Home in the Eternal Family of God

Daily Encouragement for the Family of God

17 May 2025

Reading From John 5:25-47

“Very truly I tell you, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. And he has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man.”

—John 5:25-27

“I do not accept glory from human beings, but I know you. I know that you do not have the love of God in your hearts. I have come in my Father’s name, and you do not accept me; but if someone else comes in his own name, you will accept him. How can you believe since you accept glory from one another but do not seek the glory that comes from the only God?”

—John 5:41-44

     Every human being born in the generations following Adam and Eve is born spiritually dead.  Through the first Adam came sin and death, but through the Second Adam comes righteousness and life.  As a person hears the Word of God and chooses to believe in Jesus, they confess that He is Lord and surrender their will to Him.  This makes the new birth experience possible as the Holy Spirit awakens their spirit within them to new life and a marvelous spiritual fusion occurs, uniting the new believer to Christ Himself and His eternal family.  In Him we come alive and live and move and have our being.

     Jesus is qualified to be our True and Righteous Judge because He is the Son of God and the Son of Man.  As God the Son, He is perfectly holy and blameless in all respects and therefore our greatest example of life and godliness.  As Son of Man, He is able to sympathize with us because He was tempted and tried in every way and yet was without sin.  Being fully God and fully man, He was uniquely qualified to take our sins upon Himself and die as the Lamb of God in order to cleanse us from all unrighteousness and put into effect the New Covenant. 

     We enter the New Covenant by grace through faith and not by good deeds or religious rituals.  As we believe, confess, repent, and receive Jesus as Lord and Savior, we place our trust in the One who was able to satisfy the wrath of the Father.  We are justified, meaning we have right standing with the Father through the finished work of the Son on the cross and the empty tomb.

     As sons and daughters of the Most High God, we worship Him.  But our worship does not increase His beauty, splendor and magnificence.  He is the same yesterday, today and forever.  Scripture tells us in Isaiah 42:8, “I am the Lord: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.”  Yahweh is to be the sole focus of worship and not any angelic or demonic beings or any kind of false gods or idols of any sort.  He will not share glory with any other god or goddess because He knows there is no one besides Him; no one is equal to Him in majesty or power.  Isaiah 44:6 reveals, “Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel, And his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts: ‘I am the First and I am the Last; Me there is no God.”  This passage shows that the Father and the Son are One and there is no God beside our God.

     How deeply thrilling the prospect is for the Supreme God of the Universe to invite His own children to share in His glory.  Through belief and acceptance of the atonement of Jesus Christ, the sons of Adam and daughters of Eve can be adopted into the eternal family of the Living God and become His sons and daughters, heirs of the promise.  Romans 8:17 says, “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.”  We do not share in God’s glory by seeking the acclaim of other humans.  We share in His glory by crucifying our old way of life and humbly accepting His freely offered redemption and pardon through the shed blood of Jesus, the Lamb of God.

“Heavenly Father, I am not worthy of the grace and mercy You have lavished upon me.  Thank You.  Thank You for the great depths of love that You envelope me with.  The warmth of Your embrace quickens my spirit within me.  Your compassion inspires me to extend the same to those around me.  Open my spiritual eyes to how undeserving I am so that I can share Your love with those who I feel are not deserving of it.  Change my heart, O God.  Make me more like You.  May You be honored and glorified in my life.  In the Name of Jesus Christ I earnestly pray these things.  Amen.”

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

—John 1:14