"..be inwardly transformed.." Romans 12:2 (TPT)

When we become aware of our position in Christ as a son we by necessity stop utilizing the culture around us as our way of measuring our growth in Christ, for we have experienced the transformative nature of the Holy Spirit as He conforms us more and more into the likeness of our Father in Heaven.  

Our culture wants to take hold of us and dictate our responses and actions according to what is acceptable and prudent, but we see life from the perspective of the Kingdom in which our Father resides, which we have inherited through the sacrifice of Christ Jesus which is a different way of seeing life.  

This life has transformed our minds to think on Kingdom things, as Jesus said:

Jesus answered, “Why did you have to look for me? Didn’t you know that I would be in my Father’s house?” Luke 2:49 (CEV)

Another way of interpreting that verse is “doing my Father’s work.”. 

Here is a short portion of commentary on what it means to become a son at the time Jesus was on earth:

"In the Western world we think of adoption in terms of taking a child from one family and making it a member of another. However, the Greek or Roman father adopted as a son his own child. Birth made him a child; but adoption made him a son.  Between the period of birth and adoption, there were stages of growth, education, and discipline, until the maturity was reached for adoption into sonship. With adoption, the son was recognized as one who could faithfully represent the father. When he had arrived at the point of maturity, where the father could entrust him with the responsibility of overseeing the family business. The son becomes the “heir” of his father’s inheritance. Birth gives one the right to the inheritance, but adoption gives one the participation (or position) in the inheritance.”

There is a transformative work of the Holy Spirit which teaches us and trains us to separate ourselves from this culture so that our thoughts and decisions are not based on its beliefs or philosophies, but instead upon the love of God and His power in our lives.  

There is a total reformation of the mind as we submit to the Holy Spirit, He matures us and takes us from a child to an adopted son and heir.  As we are changed we reflect the very nature of our Heavenly Father, which is why we were created in the first place to reflect His nature to the world.

“If you were to give your allegiance to the world, they would love and welcome you as one of their own. But because you won’t align yourself with the values of this world, they will hate you. I have chosen you and taken you out of the world to be mine.”  John 15:19 (TPT)

What is God’s will for us as we are conformed into becoming more like our Father in Heaven?  It is simple, we have been adopted into the Father’s family and as such we are to be in His house doing His work. That work is to be the light of God that others may be drawn to the light that is within us.

The furthering of God’s desire for us will open opportunities to grow our sphere of reference and influence so that the love of God can expand through our work as we let Christ shine through us. 

Here is the beauty of knowing the Father’s love, as we are changed by Him (some say "ruined for anything less") His love creates an insatiable desire for more of Himself which drives us to Him seeking deeper levels of intimacy which reveal and reflect our heart back to Him.  

It is paradoxical in some ways, the more intimate we become with Father's love, the more our heart is revealed, and the more or heart is revealed, the more healing is offered to us to restore us.  It is like a fountain that runs over us and continually washes and heals us.

This empowers us to know God’s will for us, as we live out this “beautiful” life, the Father is making us perfect as He is perfect.  This is an ongoing process of growth and change that is satisfying to us and to the Father.  

It is perfect in His eyes because He sees us through the lens of Jesus which was the firstborn son who was perfect in every way who is our example of what a son of God can be.  We follow Jesus as the perfect rightness of what we can be through Him.

What I love about being a Christ-follower is that it is a journey of discovery, day by day experiencing new mercies of God in ways I haven’t previously known.  It is like an unfolding of creation every day revealing something new and fresh as the Lord speaks to me.

May you be open to the voice of the Lord as He speaks to you of His mercies every morning which reveal His love for you in tangible ways which bring you deeper in relationship with Him, and may you be more aware that your adoption as a son or daughter is complete, and that you are not just an heir, but you now have status (position) and the authority that comes with that position, so you can be about the Father’s work.

Be Blessed;

Stephen Barnett