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The Spirit himself bears witness with our
spirit that we are children of God, and if
children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with
Christ,
provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him. Romans 8:16-17 |
I'm hopeful about today. I have been reminded about the absolute and unfathomable graces of the Lord. When John talks about it, he says something like "grace upon grace." That's exactly what God does in the life of one He's called into His family!
When journaling this passage of scripture, I didn't quite know how to express the words or heart of appreciation for my God! Have you ever had that happen?
God knows how much it truly means to us, because He's positioned Himself as the King of our hearts and Lord of our lives - inside! Therein lies the Holy Spirit that testifies with our spirit - they literally come together in one accord and unit - that we are children. BUT IT DOESN'T STOP THERE!
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| Distress inks used to create subtle and colorful backdrop. |
The scriptures here go on to tell - albeit, rather generally - that once we are children, we are heirs. Generality in the Bible happens when the human mind and heart cannot completely imagine, describe, or understand the totality of God, His person, His blessings, His character - you name it! We just can't quite wrap our minds around it!
The good news - the "gospel" - is such that we cannot fully fathom the what's and why's of our salvation in Jesus Christ. So, Paul is doing his absolute best, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, to help us know what the Lord has revealed to him; and he uses terminology that we "get," at least to some degree!
Here's what we know:
1. Being heirs with Christ starts when the Holy Spirit testifies with our spirit. In other words, when we have come to the understanding of who Jesus is and accepted Him as such, we are saved by the power of the Holy Spirit and God sees us as a joint-heir with Christ.
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| Adding "Itty Bitty Blossoms" to provide a border at the bottom of the page. |
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| Almost done! |
2. Being a child of God, therefore miraculously entitles us to the inheritence of Jesus Christ! Jesus is the firstborn of God, the first fruits of the resurrection and the first to receive all that the Father has to give. But as joint heirs, we are given what Jesus is given - a position as one who will some day be given life in the eternal home with God. Our destination is secured with God, in Jesus!
3. Being a joint-heir also positions us as people who suffer with Christ. The passage clearly points out that though we have eternal glory awaiting us, we do have to remain in the world for a time. And while in the world, we have hope; the hope of Jesus! The hope of being glorified once our time here is done!
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| I added white acrylic paint to the bible mat, then used the brayer to spread it out evenly. |
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| With a thin coat of paint on the mat, the "girl power" stamp was able to grab a good amount without getting sloppy. |
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| The acrylic paint gave me a white-stamped impression on the page. I did this with several other "girl power" images. |
My heart is overwhelmed by the graciousness and generosity of the Lord. How can I possibly fathom the inheritance awaiting me in Jesus, when I cannot even fully grasp His riches here on earth? The Holy Spirit is my connection to Jesus; Jesus is my connection to eternal promise! Praise Him, I am a child of God!
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| I usually enjoy the used of a sharpie paint pen to add small embellishments like crosses across the page! |
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| I used paper prints to make the clothes of the main "girl power" image you see here. I pieced her together and added color to her face and hair using a simple marker. |
Much Love,
Deeds
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| Stamps used in this process are: Girl Power Itty Bitty Blossoms & Bitty Minnie Alpha |
Yes!! Thank you, Lord!
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