We are God’s children. And since we are his children, we are his heirs. Romans 8:16-17 (NLT)
As believers, too often we forget who we are.
Years ago, it was common for kings and queens to reign over a class of people they called peasants. Royalty and peasants lived a very different quality of life. Peasants struggled in poverty, while royalty lived in luxury, enjoying rights and privileges simple because they were born into the right family. They grew up learning their place in the kingdom as well as what they had authority over.
Imagine if a king’s son was taken as a baby and raised in a peasant’s home. He would live in poverty, unaware of his birthright and unschooled about what was his birthright. The truth is, that’s exactly how many of us live today.
We often fall for the lie that we have to earn our way into God’s family, but that would be like this little prince thinking that he needed to earn his rights as a royal. In reality, he was born into those rights, just as you and I were born into God’s family when we gave our lives to Christ. And as a result, we are royalty in God’s kingdom. We have inherited His promises and we have authority because of Him!
Your work isn’t to earn your place in God’s family. It’s to discover who you are in Christ. Oh, you’ll have a few habits to change along the way, but those have nothing to do with your acceptance into God’s family. Like a prince who grew up as a peasant, you need to realize who you are in Christ, what authority, privilege and provision you have, and then your life can begin to line up with your true identity.