The last part I want to look at with my identity, although there is more, is adoption. Galatians tells me that He will adopt me as His very own eternal child (after I receive His Son); this is spiritual. And I can’t help but correlate it with the physical adoption my husband and I chose for two little ones.
Kristine Emily Grabill accepted Jesus as her Savior not only as a child at the age of 10, but also as an adult at the age of 27, in a hospital room. I decided then to follow Jesus. I knew what He did to pay for my sins by believing in Him, receiving His gift to be His child and now anticipating eternal life because I am adopted to be His heir.
My sins have to be paid for; either I can pay them or accept the gift that Jesus paid for them.
Our two little ones had to be paid for. We paid to have them.
Zondervan Bible Dictionary states this about the word adoptee, “He could no longer inherit from his natural father. He was no longer liable for old debts.” … read that last part again. No longer liable for old debts. I am no longer liable for my debt of sin. My past no longer defines me!
Paul is the only writer in the New Testament to write the word adoption. Is this because of his story? His past? He is no longer liable for his debt of sin. Paul understood this immensely.
I am now His heir. They are now our heir…a Grabill.
An heir is someone who inherits assets.
I will inherit the Kingdom of God and rest in eternal life.
Our two will inherit our assets, just like our other three; biological or adopted does not exist here. All five will inherit.
As a Grabill adoptee, not only were they issued new SSNs, but new birth certificates with my husband and my name as their parents, with their new names. (as a side note, the place of birth stayed the same and the time of birth stayed the same)
As God’s adoptee, I have a new birth certificate. The Holy Spirit. Romans tells me that when I became adopted, I received God’s Spirit and I now can call Him, Abba, Father. I have a new name!
The book of Revelation tells me that I will receive a new name when I enter eternal life. I will receive a white stone with a name on it and its only for me. No one will understand the name but me, the one who receives it.
Some background on the white stone according to The MacArthur Bible Commentary, when an athlete won in the games, part of his prize was a white stone which was his admission ticket to the winner’s celebration afterwards…do you see the connection?!
When I receive His Son, Jesus, as my Savior, Who paid my debt that I am no longer liable for, I not only receive eternal life, but a new name! I receive a white stone, with my new name on it, and I can celebrate for eternity.
WOW…
Let me recap my identity so I don’t forget…
I am His child who can rest in Him, trust in His will and constantly grow in Him. I belong!
I am His masterpiece, who is fearfully and wonderfully made. I am His poem and I am valued. No one is like me. His thoughts about me outnumber the grains of sand.
I am adopted. I am no longer my past. His Spirit is upon me. I will live in His Kingdom forever. I will receive my white stone with my new name on it.
This is my identity.
Let me not settle for substitutes.
I am ONE story,
~ Kristy
Galatians 4:5 NLT (New Living Translation)
5 God sent him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that he could adopt us as his very own children.
Romans 8:15 NLT (New Living Translation)
15 So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.”
Revelation 2:17b NLT (New Living Translation)
17 “And I will give to each one a white stone, and on the stone will be engraved a new name that no one understands except the one who receives it.”