“For he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one source. That is why he is not ashamed to call them brothers” (ESV). Heb. 2:11.
A Baptist Minister once told a story concerning another Minister Edwin Dahlberg who had an older brother who had the same name as him—a brother who died in infancy. He said that when the baby died, his mother was inconsolable in her grief until she learned she would have another child. Therefore, when he was born they gave him the same name as the child who had not survived. He said that all of his life he had heard about Edwin who lived and Edwin who died. He said he had stood in the cemetery and looked at the tombstone with his name on it. By the way, that was the tombstone of his late brother.
I guess we all have that Elder brother who died for us to live. We wear His name. We live in the certain knowledge that if He had not died, we could never have lived. Are you still wondering how that can be? When we believe in our hearts the gospel of Jesus Christ and surrender our lives to His lordship, God adopts us into His family and considers us “joint heirs” with His Son, Jesus. Our heavenly Father wants His children to bear a family resemblance, and He gave us the perfect example in our big Brother, Jesus Christ. We must now pattern our lives after the example, he has set for us.
You don't have to lose a natural elder brother to understand that you don't owe your life to yourself. You are a product of God's supernatural creation and extravagant mercy. Jesus has paid an ultimate price to secure our new life. We must know this and live in the consciousness of that finished work and the privilege of living our lives to the fullest. You are not an accident, you were planned for, therefore live that life with a sense of satisfaction in God for all he did to give you this life.
FURTHER READING:
“Those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.” Rom. 8:29.
“Jesus declares that those who follow Him are His brothers: “He looked at those seated in a circle around him and said, ‘Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.’” Mark. 3:34-35.
DECLARATION:
Dear Abba Father, thank You Lord for another day, I rejoice in this day and declare that the lines fall for me in pleasant places. I declare that the oil of grace is expressed through me. I prevail over every opposition, I have become a living wonder, all that pertains to my life is blessed and graced to succeed on all sides in the mighty name of Jesus, amen.
1 YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN:
Acts. 10:1-48.
Acts. 11:1-30.
Acts. 12:1-25.
QUOTE FOR THE DAY:
“Jesus Is The Standard We Must Not Lower The Standard To Fit Into Human Expectations.”
