We are the sons and daughters of God and I want to tell you that this Spirit of adoption that Paul talks about in Galatians 3:28-29 refers to all people; it does not have a gender and it is not specific to a race. It literally says that it involves and includes all races and I thought, It is like God knew there were going to be people that needed to know that they were included in this adoption. There are “Jews” and “Gentiles” and “the Gentiles” include men and women, red and yellow, black and white, (we are precious in His sight), all are adopted in the minute we give our lives to Christ.
He has given us what we need to obey, and when you feel the pressing on your heart—respond. I asked Him to help me with that, to press my heart and when I do not respond, He takes me to my knees. The more I obey Him and walk in the obedience and begin to see the promises fulfilled, my spirit becomes more sensitive to it and I share this with you (not to lift myself up) but because in this last few weeks He is giving me the revelation of what He has been doing. His Word did this! This was not something that I woke up one day and said; “Okay Lord, I know I have been a real big sinner and I disobey you every time I turn over a new leaf, but, I’m ready, I am turning over yet another new leaf--go ahead, You can test me—I’ve got this.” Believe me, that would not have worked. His Word began to do a work in me so that I saw and began to experience the transformative work of His Word; then He began to bring back to me previous experiences like this where I did not obey Him. It’s as if He is trying to encourage me by letting me know that I am getting there. Helping me see that I would’ve stumbled much earlier in this test than I did this week. His Spirit was doing the work.
All it takes is the warmth of His hand on my heart to realize what it is to disobey and He pulls me back in line. I am so humbled that He loves me enough to take me through some pretty difficult times to get me here and while I have a long way to go, I see a new level of hope in those promises rising within me. I am so grateful. I am so grateful that He loves me enough to not only send me a piece of Himself to die for me so that I can have relationship with Him, but He loves me enough to guide me on the journey.
The truth is, He wants this with each of us! What He wants to do is draw us into the Holy of Holies where we can sit at the feet of our Father. All He wants is relationship with us. All He does and everything He allows is because He wants the intimacy of relationship with us. Why? Because He loves us. He wants us to feel His love to the degree that He feels love for us. Consider the love we feel for our children and grandchildren—we just have so much love in our hearts for them. Sometimes I hug my children and grandchildren and I just feel like my heart is going to burst because it is so full of love for this child. And I think that if I could love my child or grandchildren so much that my heart feels like it is going to burst, how much more does my Father in heaven love me? How much more does He want to hug me and have relationship, time and obedience from me?
Romans 8:19 tells us that the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. “The earnest expectation of the creature” refers to all of nature. “Waiteth for the manifestation of the Sons of God” speaks of the separation from the world into the redemption of Christ. It speaks of those who were once hidden, revealed and made visible to all. All of creation waits for the moment the sons of God will be revealed; it cries out for this moment in time! Shouldn’t we prepare ourselves?
God begins with the adoption. It is the legal right to the inheritance received as the believer lives in conformity with the Father’s nature. All of creation is waiting for the manifestation of the sons of God. All of creation is crying out for the visible representation of those who live a life resembling His character, who live a life in faith in order to demonstrate their legal right to the legal inheritance as the believer conforms to the Father’s nature.
If we are going to conform to His nature we have to know what His nature is, amen? And if we are going to live a life that demonstrates His nature, we must obey. Every time we obey, we demonstrate a person who understands the nature and character of God, one who is gaining an understanding of the nature of God.
I read Romans chapter eight over and over and over again. When we went through each chapter almost a year ago as a group, we chose to title it: “Righteousness of the Law Fulfilled In Us” and it has taken months upon months of deep study to really understand what that title means. The law is holy and when we live a life demonstrating the nature of God, the righteousness of that law is fulfilled in us. We are living the life of a person who is taking on the character of Jesus. We take on His character and we become a person who has His Word imprinting on our heart and coursing through our veins and the promises that come with that are beautiful, powerful, and we will study more of that next week.
Closing Prayer: “Heavenly Father, I want to thank You for Your Word and for the promises of Your Word. I want to thank You that we came to You as a lump of clay, finally repentant, and You put us on that potter’s wheel and began to shape and mold us with the tenderness of Your touch. You worked on our hearts, mind, and character and You continue to do so that we might be created into a person who represents You and Your nature to our brothers and sisters. I feel the tenderness and power of Your love; the warmth of Your presence. I feel the strength of Your workings in our lives and I thank-You. We are humbled that You loved us enough to not only die for us, but to help us make it through this journey. Help us Lord. Give us grace and strength to continue on. Give us the faith that we need to press on as You do Your work in us Lord. In Your precious Name, amen.”
He is preparing us to be the leaders of tomorrow—that is what He is doing in us during this season. His Word must be coursing through our veins if we are going to be used in this next season. A move of God is coming like nothing we have ever seen. A new mantle is being released, and if we are going to partake in that move and be among those leaders, we have got to let the Word do its work in us.
Blessings & love,
Ricci Wilson
