January 7th | You're not just tolerated – you're adopted, loved, and heir to the Kingdom. Walk like the beloved child you are!

You're not just tolerated – you're adopted, loved, and heir to the Kingdom. Walk like the beloved child you are!

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Hey friends, welcome back to today's Cognitecture blog post – where we're diving deeper into who we REALLY are in Christ! 😄 Today's vibe? We're talking ADOPTION... but not the heartwarming movie kind (though that's awesome too). We're going full ancient Greco-Roman style!

Picture this: Back in Paul's day (when he was penning epic letters like Romans), adoption was a BIG deal among Greeks and Romans. We're not talking casual paperwork – when a family adopted a son, that kid got the FULL package. Same rights, same privileges, same inheritance as if he'd been born into the family naturally. No second-class status here!

And that's exactly the mind-blowing backdrop Paul uses when he drops truth bombs about our adoption into God's family. Through God's wild, undeserved grace, we're adopted as sons and daughters. Jesus? He's the one-and-only natural Son. Us? Adopted – but with ALL the heir perks unlocked! 🎉

Check out Romans 8:14-15 (I'm paraphrasing for the blog vibes): "Those who are led by God's Spirit? Yup, they're God's kids! And the Spirit you got isn't some fear-inducing slave-driver vibe – nope! It's the Spirit of adoption that lets you win in life and beyond!

Being led by the Holy Spirit? That's the ultimate family resemblance – the hallmark trait of belonging to God!

Then verse 17 hits us with the inheritance jackpot: "If we're kids, we're heirs – heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ!" (With the caveat that if we share in His sufferings, we also get to share in His glory.) Think about it like earthly siblings: When your brother or sister is going through tough stuff, you feel it too, right? But when they crush it and win big? You're cheering and sharing the joy (at least you should be)! Same here – through adoption, everything that's Christ's becomes ours. The highs, the victories, the glory... we're in on it!

And the grand finale in verse 39? Nothing – zip, zero, nada – can yank us out of God's love. "No height, no depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God that's in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Soak this in today, friends:

You're not just tolerated – you're adopted, loved, and heir to the Kingdom. Walk like the beloved child you are!