Who am I?
As His child, when we do sin, God will discipline us, just as a loving father would, but we will still be His child. He gives us an unconditional love and acceptance as His child.
It says in Hebrews 12:6, “For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.” The immaturity of a child focuses on the discipline mentioned here, but a more mature look at this sees the great blessings.
First, the fact of God’s discipline shows His love for us. It says whom the Lord loves, God does not discipline us out of hate or resentment, only out of love for us.
Second, in this verse we see that the purpose of God’s discipline is to restore us to a right relationship with Him so that we can experience the fullness of His love for us. He longs to comfort us when we repent and turn back to Him. We see then that my new identity begins in the fact that I am His Child.
The second aspect of this identity is also connected to this, and is that since I am God’s child, I am a joint heir with Jesus Christ of all that is God’s. I do not have to live with a “poor me” attitude any longer, my Father is rich. All that He possesses is now mine as I need it. He promises to provide everything I need.
Psalm 50:10 says, “For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills.” The New Testament goes on to say in Philippians 4:19, “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”
What a wonderful thought to know that I am provided for by my heavenly Father. I don’t need to fear, or worry. I don’t need to run back to the old ways for my provision because I have all things in Christ. Paul said in Philippians 4:18, “But I have all, and abound: I am full, having received of Epaphroditus the things which were sent from you, an odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, well pleasing to God.” God used men to provide for Paul’s needs, but Paul knew that it was God that was providing it.
