January 24

Today's reading: Romans 8:1-39

When we put our faith in Jesus, it doesn't mean that we will no longer sin. God doesn't remove our sin nature at that point. But what He does do is to give us the Holy Spirit, who dwells permanently in the life of each disciple of Jesus. And the Holy Spirit does make it possible for us to no longer be slaves to sin. If we will follow His leading in our lives and live accordingly, then it is possible for us to become more like Jesus. We call that process sanctification.

Although we often hear people say something like "We're all God's children", we see hear that only those who put their faith in Jesus become His children and heirs along with Jesus. But sometimes, just like Jesus, we are going to go through suffering in this life before we obtain that final inheritance. But the good news is that God has promised to use even that suffering for the good of His children.

So whether or not you're currently going though some difficult time in your life, take some time today to consider what it means to be God's child and thank Him for adopting you into His family.