By Thurman Hayes

One of the things we see repeatedly in the New Testament is that God would make us more aware of his power, and the riches of his blessings. In other words, that the Holy Spirit would open our eyes to what we already possess as sons and daughters of the King.

For instance, in Ephesians 1:18-29, the Apostle Paul prays that you would be “having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance … and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe.”

In 2 Peter 1:3, Peter reminds us that, “His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness.”

Both these passages, and many more, remind believers in Christ that we have already been given what we need to flourish. Yet at times we are like someone who has been given an incredible inheritance, yet lives like a spiritual pauper. This is tragic!

If you are in Christ, this is reality for you: Jesus took your sins on the cross so that you can take his righteousness. Jesus died in your place on the cross, and defeated death in your place by his resurrection. God has now called you to himself by the power of his Holy Spirit, and adopted you as his very own son or daughter. He loves you the way he loves Jesus, because you are united to Jesus by faith. He loves and accepts you as his son or daughter, not based on your performance, which is always imperfect, but the performance of his Son, which is always perfect. He has given you the Holy Spirit to guide and empower you to live for him and bear witness for him in this life, and your future is to live with him forever in a perfect world, a world without suffering, sin or death!

God says to his people in Exodus 19:4-5, “You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine.”

Just as God rescued the Israelites from slavery in Egypt, he has rescued us from slavery to sin. By the power of the Holy Spirit, he has borne us on eagles’ wings and brought us to himself, as his treasured possession, his own sons and daughters. And we do not have a Father who is lacking. He tells us “all the earth is mine.” We have a Father who owns it all, and who delights to give to his children.

Therefore, let us obey his voice and keep his commandments. He tells us that if we will only trust him and obey him, he will satisfy our souls in a way that sin never can and never will. We have no reason to fear, because our Father has all the power, and he is watching over us. We have every reason to rejoice, for Jesus is risen, he is Lord, and he is our King.

Dr. Thurman R. Hayes Jr. is senior pastor of First Baptist Church of Suffolk. Follow him on Twitter at @ThurmanHayesJr.