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The great promise of the United States continues to be that you can become anything you want to be, if you put in the effort.

Is your desire to be a doctor, lawyer, teacher, to be wealthy, famous, a star athlete, or president (you would likely be a better choice than those currently vying for the office)? With intrinsic motivation and availing yourself to opportunities you can become what you want to become. In many ways you are the only thing holding you back.

I recall the Army recruiting slogan of years gone by, “Be all that you can be.”

Yet, as wonderful as excelling in the armed forces, in athletics, in business, law, or education might be, there is something greater you can become.

John records, “But to all who did receive Him, who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God.” (John 1:12). You can become a child of God.

God gives you the right through faith in His Son to become a child of God. We are saved by grace through faith (Eph 2:8). Grace appears to bring salvation (Titus 2:11). Not availing yourself to salvation offered by God through Christ is like living next to an artesian well and dying of thirst. Do you believe?

Faith (belief) gives us the RIGHT to become children of God. But faith that is inactive is not faith, faith that is dead is not faith. Faith to be faith is active, vibrant, and obedient. Do you believe? Do you have faith? Have you obeyed the gospel? Are living obedient to Christ? Are you a child of God? The apostle says, “for in Christ Jesus you are all (children) of God, through faith. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” (Gal 3:26-27).

I love the words of John in 1John 3:1-2 and I leave you with them, “See what kind of love the Father has given to (KJV – bestowed upon) us, that we should be called the children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did now know Him. Beloved, we are God’s children now . . .”

I would love the opportunity to talk with you and help you be sure that you are a child of God.

-Scott

(note: I adapted this from “The Living Word: Sermons from Jerry A. Jenkins” that Jeff and Dale Jenkins compiled and edited. You can order the book from thejenkinsinstitute.com.)