Justice and Righteousness

We are living in times of significant upheaval and change. The societal and economic disruption brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic, worsening weather-related disasters and numerous conflicts around the world have displaced millions, affected food supplies, and destabilised economies. The scale and magnitude of the problems can feel overwhelming at times. But we have confidence that God is good. 

‘God is good’ – this statement is not some trite platitude or merely a nice idea. Neither is it a flippant disregard for the challenges people face.

In Tearfund Ireland we have confidence in the nature and character of God. We believe Jesus is the Prince of Peace, the one who restores broken relationships and reconciles all things to God. We also believe He has invited us, His Church, to participate with Him in His mission.

However, when we see evidence of so much that is broken, wrong and unjust, it can be difficult to know where, or even, how to begin.

Jeremiah 9:24 gives us an insight.  God, speaking through the Prophet says, “…let the one who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on the earth, for in these I delight,” declares the Lord. 

In this verse God himself provides a very clear description about his nature.  Not only does He exercise kindness, justice and righteousness, but He delights in doing so.  He enjoys demonstrating His kindness.  He likes it when righteousness is established and, when things get off balance, He delights when justice is carried out.   

In this statement God not only reveals three things He values, but He also extends an invitation.  Inherent in the idea that those who know God will understand His ways, is a call to lean into Him, to observe and to learn.  The more we know the Lord, the more we will understand why He delights in justice and righteousness.  God is reminding His people of what He spoke through the author of Proverbs 28:5, “evil men do not understand justice, but those who seek the Lord understand it fully”.

It is easy for us to understand that God delights in displaying kindness on the earth.  Many of us have frequently heard teaching about his Love, goodness and mercy so it follows that we would be comfortable with the idea that God desires to display His kindness. 

But it can often be a challenge to apply a similar level of comfort to God’s delight in exercising justice.  Perhaps our understanding of justice has been tainted by hearing others’ appeal for justice for a particular cause?  Perhaps we limit justice to a purely spiritual element of our faith?  Whatever the reason, justice is not often included the first words we use to describe God or how he interacts with the world.  

Yet Psalm 89:14 says, “Justice and righteousness are the foundations of your throne…”.   This passage adds some clarity to God’s delight in exercising justice and righteousness.  In doing so, He is demonstrating the fundamental principles on which His Kingdom is established.  Where the Kingdom of God is present and established, justice and righteousness should be evident.  

In Tearfund Ireland, we believe that God is good.  The display of His kindness is a demonstration of His goodness and love.  We also believe that God established a standard of righteousness when he created all things, and, when that standard is not upheld, justice is required to restore what was broken.  For these reasons, we articulate one aspect of our work as a demonstration of God’s goodness, love and justice to the marginalised and vulnerable around the world.  Through this work people are lifting themselves out of poverty, refugees are being welcomed, children are growing up in families rather than orphanages and those who have been silenced are now being heard.

In the face of global uncertainty, we can say with confidence that God is good.  In the midst of conflict, wrongdoing and poverty we can say with confidence that God delights when justice is done on the earth.  Because we believe these truths about God and His nature, we strive to demonstrate His goodness, love and justice to those most marginalised.  Will you join us?  

Visit www.tearfund.ie for more.

Originally posted on www.tearfund.ie in May 2023

…But We See Jesus

 “In putting everything under him, God left nothing that is not subject to him.  Yet at present we do not see everything subject to him.  BUT WE SEE JESUS…”  (Hebrews 2:4-8)

The world is not as it should be. 

The year 2020 has been called an unprecedented year.  A global pandemic causing the death of multiple thousands, sickness of millions, ruining livelihoods, straining the health-care services and causing instability across global economies.

The world is not as it should be.We watched helplessly as, once again, those whose role it is to serve and protect did the opposite. The names of the victims who made global news in the summer of 2020 should never cease to ring in our souls: Floyd Landis, Breona Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Rayshard Brooks and hundreds of others whose names are remembered by those closest to them.

The world is not as it should be.

We’ve witnessed governments sworn to uphold democracy distort those very principles for self-serving agendas. Though we’ve lamented the system, we’ve succumbed to the narratives of opposing ideologies oblivious to our power to create alternative possibilities.  Yet when violent crowds combined nationalistic theism with self-righteous justification we were shocked by our surprise.  We seemed to have forgotten the principle of sowing and reaping as we ignored the gradual digression which led to the sudden assault on democracy.

The world is not as it should be.

We value ease and convenience while prioritising comfort, no longer aware of the consequences resulting from the pursuit of our happiness.  Profit, consumerism and disposables drive the cycle of consumption, waste and pollution; degrading the earth and disregarding the reversal our grandchildren must engineer.

The world is not as it should be.

We’ve become numbed by continuous access to everything at all times.  Willingly handing over the intimacies of our identity, we’re drawn into the cavernous chamber of echoes but immune to the temptation to disconnect.  We’ve championed one’s right to speak freely as more important than empathy to another’s understanding of the words heard.  One’s claim to entitlement is presumed more justified than another’s cry for equity and, we’ve drifted from the practice of humility; residing where retaliation, retribution and revenge are the established default responses.  

No, the world is not as it should be.  But the way it is, doesn’t have to be the way it is.  The current condition does not need to be the final outcome. 

Though things are not as they should be…  we see Jesus  a prayer                  

Holy Spirit, though the world is not as it should be, help me keep my eyes on Jesus.  Heavenly Father, you demonstrated your love for the world by sending Jesus (Jn 3.16) to seek and save all that was lost (Lk 19.10) and reconcile all back to yourself (Rom 5.10). 

You’ve given me the right to become a child of God (Jn 1.12), and I choose to lean into you and pursue righteousness and peace as a child of God (Hb 12.11). 

Father, we know that you have entrusted stewardship of creation to us (Ps 8.6, 115.16).  You’ve invited us into your mission (Jn 20.21) that your will would be done on earth as it is in heaven (Mt 6.10) until the knowledge of the Lord will cover the earth as the waters cover the seas (Hab 2.14). 

We thank you for welcoming us as your children (Jn 1.12) and enabling Christ to dwell in our hearts through faith (Gal 2.20) so we can be formed by him (Gal 4.20).  We choose not to be conformed to the basic principles of this world (Col 2.20), but choose to be transformed by the renewing of our minds (Rom 12.1-3) so we can become like Jesus (1 Jn 3.2).

We ask for the spirit of wisdom and revelation that we may know you better (Eph 1.17) and for courage to live worthy of the calling we have received (Eph 4.1).  We ask for perseverance to forget what is behind and press on toward that for which Christ Jesus took hold of us (Phil 3.12-14). 

We yearn to live up to what we have already attained (Phil 3.16) and, in the power of Holy Spirit, demonstrate and teach all that Jesus modelled (Mt 28.18-20), carrying on his ministry of reconciliation (2 Cor 5.18) so that the manifold wisdom of God would be displayed through the Church (Eph 3.10) and the Body of Christ would be built up into maturity, attaining the whole measure of the fullness of God (Eph 4.13).

Although the world may not be as it should be…. we see Jesus.  For that reason, I will set my heart and my mind on things above where Christ is seated at the right hand of God (Col 3.1) and fix my eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith (Hb 12.2). Amen

Sean Copeland, January 2021

Wisdom of the Righteous

I was busily getting things out of the car so we could get down to the beach.  It was a gloriously warm afternoon.  We were on holidays in Spain and had been in the car all day.  We were all ready for the water.   As I was pulling bags from the car one of the kids gasped while another said, “I can’t believe he just did that!”.  I turned around to see what was causing the commotion and saw a very old-looking man walking away from a car.  My wife said, “He’s just taken the keys out of that car”.

I hadn’t seen what happened but the rest of my family did.  The owner of the car had left the windows were open.  The man was walking away from the car in a hurried manner.  He was old and used a walking stick – so even though it was clear he was trying to walk quickly he wasn’t making speedy progress.   My wife repeated what she’d seen and, with an authority that only wives can muster, resolved that something must be done.  Her brave conclusion was that I had to stop him and get the keys back.

It was all a bit surreal.  This was a small car park beside a beach.  It was in the middle of the afternoon.  I hadn’t seen the man take anything.  I just wanted to go swimming.

With my wife’s increasing determination, and my children watching to see how I would handle the situation, I knew I had to do something.  I searched my memories to see if I could remember confronting a thief who was caught in the act.  I wasn’t sure what I would say to him.  I know enough Spanish to get by on a family holiday.  Uno momento…. La quinta por favour…. Gracias….  But I hadn’t learned anything like: “Excuse me sir, but did you just take something from that car?”   It simply never occurred to me that I’d need to use such a sentence on my holiday.

Still unsure of what I would say, I made my way toward the man.  I intercepted his haltingly rapid exit and, pointing at the car, asked him (in English) if he had taken something from the car.   Muttering something in Spanish he looked from me, to the car and back to me.   I hesitated because I didn’t know what he was saying, but he just stood there looking at me.  It was clear to me he didn’t speak English but I pressed on.  Once again I pointed at the car and then to him and then back to the car while asking him if he took something from the car.  Whatever was going through his mind he seemed to know what I was saying because he took a set of keys from his pocket and handed them to me.  He continued mumbling untranslated Spanish as he turned away and resumed his hasty retreat.

My wife & I found the car’s owner and explained what had happened as we returned the keys.  On the walk to the beach we reminded our kids of how it didn’t matter that we didn’t speak the same the language because the man knew he had done something wrong.  I told them that knowledge of right and wrong is not restricted to English or Spanish – it is understood within the language of the heart.

As we spoke to them I was reminded of a recent time of prayer.  I’d been reading Luke 1.17 which speaks of the “disobedient being drawn to the wisdom of the righteous”.  I had asked God to teach me about a wisdom that would cause the disobedient to seek out the righteous.  What level of wisdom would it take for those who are disobedient to be drawn to, attracted to the righteous?  As is typical for me, I presumed I would need to tap into some higher level of wisdom or some yet unexplored level of divine creativity that would cause the disobedient to experience an “Ah-Ha” moment.

But this experience with the Spanish man and the car keys was not some mystical feat of divine engineering.  It was a simple matter of right and wrong.  God used it to teach my children.  He used it to teach me.  I hope the old man has learned a lesson too!  The bonus for me is that this was not only an answer to my prayer – but it is an illustration of how God intends for His people to display His wisdom (Eph 3.10) in such a way that those who don’t yet know him would be drawn to him (Lk 1.17).

 

 

Experience & Becoming

In my job I do a lot of driving.  I may be visiting customers or trying to gain new ones, but I will often drive to locations I’ve never been.  In recent years I’ve become a fan of Google Maps.  Not only does it give good directions (apart from mispronouncing Irish names & locations!) but the ability to switch to street view is real benefit. Being able to ‘see’ the geography around the customer’s location makes the last few minutes of a journey much easier.  Seeing a photograph of the entrance to the building before I arrive helps me know what to look for which saves time and potential hassle.

But, no matter how beneficial a photograph may be, I would be foolish to presume I know all there is to know about the geography around the location.  For starters, the photo may be several years old and the environs may have changed.  Even if it hadn’t changed, there are any number of things which could make my experience different from the perceptions I made from a photograph.

Just because I ‘see’ something doesn’t mean I understand all there is to understand about it.  Even if I know the destination from photos, maps or descriptions of others, I won’t actually ‘know’ it until I’ve experienced it for myself.

This principle is applicable to so much of life and it is especially true of our relationship with God.  Just because someone shows us a picture, or tells us a story, about God does not mean we have a full, complete, understanding of who God is.

One of the biggest challenges for Christians today is the access we have to content about God.  It is possible that we could be the most biblically educated generation in history.  That may be an overstatement but the prevalence of teachings, books, devotionals, variety of translations, on-line videos and smart phone apps means we can be exposed to as much biblical material as we desire.

Yet, I still wonder, how much do we truly know of God from our own, personal experience of Him?  How deep have we gone with him in the privacy of our own prayer closet?   How intimately do we know Holy Spirit’s voice?  How responsive are we to follow, simply because we recognise it is Him speaking?

I don’t want to be someone whose history with God is based on the stories told by someone else.  I don’t want my experience of Him to be reliant on a ‘photograph’ of a destination taking by someone else.  Nor do I want the extent of my experience in Him to be curtailed by the limits of others.  I have never been one to settle for the status-quo and I refuse to accept mediocrity in my journey with Jesus.

I will pursue His Word and the life-giving promises He’s given.  I will seek to believe, to learn and to understand all He has spoken so I can live worthy of the calling I’ve received.  I will seek the presence of His Kingdom that I might know the whole measure of His fullness within me.  I will pursue the growth of my faith through the declaration and demonstration of His love, power and wisdom.  Where my faith is lacking or my understanding falls short I will fall on the grace and mercy of the One Whom I believe.

I extend an invitation to all who share similar desires.  Let’s explore the possibilities of faith together.  Let’s ask Holy Spirit to stir up a hunger and passion for more of Him.  Let’s commit to encourage and support one another in this journey toward transformation. And let us know the One we believe so we can become all He desires us to be.

 

 

Exploring IN Christ

When I was about 8 years old my family moved house.  Along with a bigger garden the house had a full basement.  I remember the day I discovered the ‘secret room’ in the basement.  Looking back now, I don’t remember how long we’d been in the house before I discovered the secret room, but it must have been a number of months.  I remember the surprise at realising this room had always been there, I just hadn’t seen it.  There were two mains areas of the basement.  In one my parents had installed the washing machine & dryer so it was called the ‘utility room’.  Off this room was a door that led to the ‘furnace room’ where the air conditioning and water heater were kept.  This room was off-limits to us kids.

But one day, I explored.  To my surprise, on the other side of the furnace was another door.  I knew I shouldn’t be there but I couldn’t resist.  I opened the door to see a labyrinth of my grandfather’s word-working tools.  It almost a Narnia-type entrance into another world.  This is where my granddad would disappear for hours at a time.  This is the place those shelves were made, doors were repaired and picture frames were crafted.  I loved the smell of the timber, the feel of the natural materials and the concept that this is where an idea could be fashioned into reality.  This became a new hide-away for me.  My granddad knew I was exploring his ‘workshop’ but he never let on that he knew.

The discovery of this room has similarities with our current discussion of the presence and purpose of Holy Spirit.  I’ve always known He’s in me, with me and guiding me.  But, the wording of many Scriptures is leading me more deeply into rooms of the house that are yet undiscovered.

“In Christ all the fullness of God lives in bodily form, and you have been given fullness in Christ” (Col 2.9f)

 “All things are yours… and you are of Christ and Christ is of God.” (1 Cor 3.22)

“When he has put everything under his feet…then the Son himself will be made subject to him [God] who put everything under him, so that God may be all in all.” (1 Cor 15.28)

“…that you may be filled to the whole measure of the fullness of God.”  (Eph 3.19)

 

These statements from Paul are reminders of Jesus’ declaration in his prayer before he was crucified:

“… just as you are in me and I am in you; may they also be in us… I have given them the glory you gave me that they may be one as we are one…” (Jn 17.21-24)

There is much to discover in these verses.  Let us not be constrained by false boundaries that restrict us exploring the depth and meaning of what it means to be ‘IN Christ’ or what it means for Christ to be IN us.   Let us not fall into the temptation of resting in what is theologically familiar.  Rather, let us embrace the desire to explore the fullness of God’s promises.  Let’s unite our hearts in faith and spur one another on to pursue the depths of what it means to live IN the fullness of God.

 

Foreshadows IN Christ

The Old Testament story of God’s people wandering around the wilderness provides many lessons for us today.  There are many aspects to our relationship with God that have a foreshadow in the Old Testament.  Scholars use the term foreshadow to describe an event or situation that finds its fulfilment in the life and ministry of Jesus.  One such significant foreshadow is the fact that God dwelt among the people – He dwelt with them.

In God’s earliest interactions with Abraham, Isaac & Jacob He revealed Himself TO them.  Each time He spoke to them, He revealed a little more of His nature and character.  But, it was always at a distance.  Even His conversations with Abraham were at intervals of several years.

When Moses first encountered God, he had to ask, “Who are you?”.   Through the confrontations with Pharaoh Moses learned to trust God.  So much trust was gained that when God gave Moses the job of leading the people out of Egypt, Moses said, “Not unless you go with us.”

God honoured that request.  Not only did He go with the people, he gave instructions for a special tent which would be a dedicated space for God to dwell among the people.  It became known as the Tent of Meeting.

Our familiarity with the story could result in our overlooking the significance of God dwelling with the people – but, that would be to our detriment.  God chose to, somehow, locate Himself among the people.  In so doing He was there to guide their movements, give instruction, provide for their needs and initiate relationship.  God dwelt WITH the people.  This was a foreshadow of what God intended to reveal through the person of Jesus.

Jesus was God in the flesh (Jn 1.14).  He came to perfectly and completely reveal the Father’s nature, character and desires (Hb 1.3).  Jesus lived with the people, he grew up in a family, he was one of them – yet He was without sin (Hb 4.15).  In Jesus, God revealed Himself WITH the people.

So, with the Patriarchs, God revealed Himself TO people. But through Jesus, He revealed Himself WITH people.

The implications of the foreshadowing go even deeper.  God did not intend to only reveal Himself WITH people – His intention was to reveal Himself IN people.  His intention was that the Tent of Meeting would be a representation of His interaction within the spirit of each of His children.  His intention was to always be available to guide our movements, to instruct us in life’s decisions, to provide for our every need and to maintain intimate relationship.

From the release of His presence on the day of Pentecost, Holy Spirit has been available to enter the spirit of every believer and reveal Himself IN us.  This presence of Holy Spirit is the deposit which guarantees our inheritance; the seed which brings to life all things spoken by the Father and provision for our access to the fullness of God.

God is revealing Himself IN the believer.

 

Basic Principles of the World

The Greek word for Believer comes from the same word which means ‘faith’ or ‘trust’ and is translated largely based on its context.  The term ‘believer’ is only used a handful of times in the New Testament, but its use to describe a follower of Jesus has become quite common.

I like this word.  Believer.  It carries the definition of who we are as Christians.  We believe therefore we are believers.  Belief, trust and faith are the fundamental building blocks of our DNA.  This is why I find it so important to revisit belief.

Sometimes, we can lose the confidence of our belief.  Sometimes, our hearts become crowded with the day-to-day which can lead to a dilution of our relationship with Holy Spirit.  And, unfortunately, we can sometimes allow our thinking to be influenced by those who are not believers – even though we may not be aware of this happening.  As a result, we can become lulled into thought patterns and systems of belief that are not Christian.

Paul reminds us of the importance of protecting our hearts.  “See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy that depends on human tradition and the basic principles of the world, rather than on Christ” (Col 2.8).

I am reminded of an old tree which has become hollowed. 

On the outside it is tall with a lot of limbs, branches and budding leaves.  It gives the impression of a sturdy tree with internal substance and strength.  But, a large gap is at its base and one can see straight through the tree.    Hollow and deceptive.  The deception is in the assumption the tree is strong, substantial and robust.  The reality is the inside is hollow – weak, of little substance and fragile.   Just like many of the philosophies that shape the culture in which we live.

For example, there is a world-view that demands open-mindedness – yet insists on silencing those who differ.  There is a pervading push toward inclusivity – but it labels those who disagree as having a phobia or being hateful.  There is an increasingly common world-view that says there is no such thing as ‘wrong’ – just don’t do wrong to me.

These, and many other philosophies, are based on purely human ways of thinking.  While there may be an appearance of wisdom or even an element of truth within the initial premise, the conclusions are inconsistent and the implications are unsustainable.  Most of these philosophies are based on human ways of thinking or on the basic principles of this world.  As such, the popular views of culture fall far short of the principles of heaven.  Yet, the believer can be influenced by the current trends of thought.

However, as we’ve been reading in Colossians, the Believer is in Christ.  We have been rescued from the dominion of darkness (Col 1.13) where we were once alienated but have now been reconciled (Col 1.21-22).  Jesus is the supreme authority and he is ‘in’ every Believer (Col 1.27).  As such, we have access to fullness of God in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority (Col 2.10).  Through this relationship with Jesus we have died to the basic principles of this world (Col 2.20) and they no longer have mastery over us.

 

 

Belief in the Fullness

I became a Christian in my teenage years.  I won’t tell you my age… but I now have teenagers of my own.  Even after all this time of being a ‘Believer’ there are a lot of things in the Bible that I find hard to believe.  It’s not that I have an active unbelief toward these things.  It’s more that I am simply unable to comprehend their magnitude.  As a result, they aren’t included among the first things when I describe things I believe.

Take, for instance, this statement from the Apostle Paul:  “For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and you have been given fullness in Christ…” (Colossians 2.9-10; NIV)

Even though my heart burns within me as I read this statement, the implication remains somewhat of a mystery.  It just sounds so BIG.   So unimaginable.   So unbelievable.

I am comfortable with – and even believe – the theological concept that God Himself dwells within Christ.  Hebrews 1.3 tells us that Jesus is the perfect representation of the Father.  And, in many other places, the Bible tells us that Jesus and the Father are One (see Jn 14.10).  Though I may find it difficult to explain, I have a reference point for this.

But, how could it be possible that I have fullness in Christ if, at the same time, God is fully manifesting Himself in Christ?  It feels a bit incongruous.  He’s perfectly pure and I’m…. not.  Some days when I read this scripture I find myself wanting to buy into it wholeheartedly.  But, other times, I sit uncomfortably on a train of thought that leads me to doubt.

Is this tension and lack of clarity a sign of unbelief?   I don’t think so.  Quite the opposite.  Using the analogy of the fence (see posts), I think I’m discovering a fence I didn’t realise was there.  Or, maybe more likely, I’m coming up on what I thought was a boundary only to discover it is an entry-point into a new horizon of faith.

The clue that gave it away was the fact that my heart continues to burn when I read and consider this passage.  That tells me Holy Spirit is highlighting a truth – even if it is hidden.    I have often held onto the truth that God has chosen to make known the mystery of Christ in us (Col 1.27).  But recently Holy Spirit has been highlighting that in Christ are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge (Col 2.3).  My heart has been lit aflame with this idea and I have been seeking these treasures with zeal.  So, I will continue pursuing the hidden treasure of what it means for me to have been given fullness in Christ.

I cannot yet articulate all I’m sensing.  Nor do I know the extent of what lies on the other side of the fence I’m dismantling, but I’m praying that I will have sufficient courage to explore the fullness of these new realms.

Boundaries of Belief

The house I lived in as a small child was on the corner of two roads.  The house was set in from the smaller road so it meant our back garden (back yard) bordered each road up to the intersection.  A fence created the necessary safety for my siblings and I to play freely in the garden.  I was very young and I don’t remember being tempted to venture beyond the fence.  But I have clear memories of my mother sternly warning us not to go outside the fence.

Fences provide a boundary.  Sometimes they keep things in.  Sometimes they keep things out.  Fences can be used to keep people, pets and property safe.  They give an indication of a property line or even a geo-political border.  Whatever way it is used, a fence is a visible, physical manifestation of an invisible line; a demarcation between two realms.  The extent to which one is allowed travel.  The limit beyond which one is unable to go.

Sometimes we create boundaries where none were intended.  More often we assume a boundary exists because someone, somewhere, implied that it does.

When I was a teenager, I remember being told that God no longer works miracles; that all miracles stopped after the time of the Apostles.  Even though this didn’t make sense to me I allowed that thought to become a fence that cut through the middle of my spiritual prairie.  I’ll never forget the season when I dismantled that fence after experiencing God’s healing power.

Similarly, I grew up in a tradition which did not practice prophecy or pursue the voice of God for practical, relevant life direction.  This, too, became a fence which corralled my yearning for the tangible presence and voice of God.  Again, it was a joyous endeavour uprooting those fence-posts after learning to hear the voice of Holy Spirit.

Those are examples of substantial life-changing lessons.  But if it was possible to have such large fences in my life for many years, is it possible that I may still have fences of which I’m not fully aware?

Recently I find myself asking, what are the small fences that still limit me from experiencing the fullness of all God has for me?  What are the beliefs that limit my relationship with the Father?  Do I have beliefs that undermine the One Whom I Believe?  Are there incorrect or miss-placed boundaries on my beliefs?

He Gave the Right (pt 2)

I am an American.  I was born in the USA.  Graduated high school in the late 80’s and finished college and seminary in the early 90s.  Having lived in Ireland for 23 years, I’m married to a wonderful Irish woman and have 4 kids who find it amusing to be ‘half’ American.  A number of years ago I was granted Irish citizenship.  The exchange of citizenship was made official when I received my Irish passport.  But the benefits of citizenship would mean very little to me if I do not exercise the rights of citizenship.  When a right is bestowed on us, it is something we must embrace and choose to exercise.

“To all who receive him, to those who believe in his name, he gave the right to become children of God”

Understood in this way, it is interesting to note that the Greek word for ‘right’ is actually ‘exousia’.  This Greek word is translated as ‘authority’ in other passages.  For instance, when Jesus sent the Twelve to preach and heal the Bible says he gave them power (dunamis) and authority (exousia).  This wider context of the use of exousia sheds deeper meaning on the ‘right’ God extends to enable us to become His children.  Specifically, in the same way authority must be exercised to bring God’s truth into a situation, the rights of family must be exercised to experience the relationship of a child with a Father.

As we’ve seen (see post), the act of receiving Him is an integral component to becoming His child.  Believing in His name is the other crucial component.  We can only ‘receive’ the One in whom we believe.  Through being ‘receptive’ to believe, we are able to put our trust in Him.  And through trust we learn to exercise our right (authority) to BE a child of God.

Exercising the rights of a child more easily flow from a place of belief – where love, faith and trust are deeply rooted.  A child learns trust from infancy.  Since we are children of the perfect parent, we have the opportunity to learn to trust Him from the moment we receive and believe.  It is through love we obey Him.  The more we obey, the more we learn trust.  As we learn to trust him, we develop our understanding.  As we become more understanding of Who He is, we grow in wisdom (see post) and become more like our Father (see Col 2.3).

“To all who receive him, to those who believe in his name, he gave the right to become children of God”