Confessing The Faith - A Humbling Quote

[Grant]

My family has been devotionally reading through Chad Van Dixhoorn's - Confessing The Faith. This is really more of a devotional commentary than a deep historical exposition of the Westminster Confession. Therefore, it has served as a great devotional guide for my wife and kids to become more familiar with the Westminster Confession. I was greatly humbled and edified by a recent reading regarding the topic of Adoption. The second to last sentence also made me think of the PB family. The excerpt is shared below and I hope it serves to edify you as well:

"Every gift from God is a wonder of grace, but many Christians experience this gift of adoption into God's family most keenly, and treasure it most deeply. Admittedly, there are few greater joys than knowing that one is justified before God, to hear the verdict that we are forgiven and as righteous in the sight of our judge as any man could ever be. Likewise, it is a great thing to be sanctified-to know that the great physician is at work, to know our wounds are healing, the disease leaving, the mortal illness of sin is mortal no longer. But neither of these pieces of news is fully realized and enjoyed outside the context of adoption.

The happiness we find in family is different from that found in a courtroom or a doctor's surgery. Those who have been blessed with good parents can imagine the qualitative difference between leaving the judge in the courtroom without fear, and going home to a father with great joy. There is nothing like being a child of God and enjoying all the liberties and privileges of God's own family. What a freedom it is to be able to address God as our Father even though he is in heaven and we on earth! What a privilege it is to have brothers and sisters in every corner of the globe! What an honor it is to even have the power to be joint heirs with God's own Son (Rom. 8:17, John 1:12)!"

 

[Grant]

Same book Page 174-174

"Father and children

When we have fellowship with other believers, we are with those who have been adopted by the living God as his own children. As we think of God the Father we must also think of God's family.

Our most basic alignment in this world is toward our Father who is in heaven. He is the one we adore and worship; it is in him that we trust, and we owe him the loyalty of our hearts. Our second most important relationship is with his children. We are God's family, one family, with one elder brother and one spirit of adoption. For that reason Christian brothers and sisters ought to do all they can to foster love and unity in this family, seeking its good and holding back from harming their fellow members of God's household.

As we think about our place in God's family, the last line in the first chapter of the letter to the Hebrews proves to be particularly significant. There we are told that 'all angels' are actually 'ministering spirits'. And incredibly, one of their main tasks is to give themselves to help God's family on earth. They are 'sent' by our Father 'to serve those who will inherit salvation' (Heb. 1:14). If this is the case, if the angels of God who stand before his throne are sent as servants of people here on earth, how much more ought we to serve the same family ourselves! Surely such service is appropriate thanks for the great salvation that we will inherit. Certainly it is an approved way to praise our Father and live to his glory, when we do all that we can to help our brothers and sisters on their way to the heavenly home we will share together."

 

[JennyGeddes]

Thanks for posting this, brother!