Identity in God: Lesson Three

Intro:

Have looked at the responsibility of being made in His image...

Have considered how being in a Covenant with God helps us reach that goal...

Finally, will look at a very special image that combines those two thoughts:

1 Peter 1:14–16 “As obedient children, not being conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your conduct; because it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.””

Using the same language that we saw in Leviticus and other places… but there is something particularly moving about the image of “obedient children.”

Something special about the relationship of parent and child:

Desire on both parts to see behavior and characteristics imitated:

Illus of Leon and Myself being called twins at the doctor.

Something earnest about this

Will look at Hebrews 12:4-11;

Patterned Because of Love: (v 9-10)

There is something hauntingly tragic about these verses:

Not everyone is blessed to have good parents… some people have awful parents.

But even taking it all into account, they are still your parents...

There is still often a sense of love, or at least a desire to have something more...

These verses speak to that:

Our parents weren’t perfect...

They made mistakes...

But we still respected them:

Respect, show deference, show honor...

Theres something of a spectrum here: The best, is love, but even then, there is respect.

When everything is as it should be, how fired up are you to do something for mom and dad?

We don’t have to overcome any of the deficiencies...

God loves us perfectly

We can’t love as perfectly as He does, but there is nothing standing in our way of offering ourselves up as fully as we can:

Obey God, because you are His child and He loves you.

Patterned Through Instruction:

Talk about this word “discipline” for a moment:

Not automatically within the context of corporal punishment or even punishment at all:

This is an education and training word: Same as

Ephesians 6:4 “Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.”

Now, the context, is making sense of suffering:

Even difficult circumstances are used as a part of our education and growth.

I want you to think about that picture for a moment:

Illus with various paintings

It’s not always easy— they do it because they Love us...

It’s kind of a wild thing to think about;

You’ve got this tiny human and you are responsible for teaching and training it to become something good.

But wow—when you see your kid succeed, and think—I taught them that, or even better yet, they are told that they learned it from you, or they fess up!

Think about the devotion that you feel in your devotion to what your parents taught you:

Now apply that to your relationship with God.

Why do you live this way? This is How I was raised.

Patterned Through Instinct:

Ephesians 5:1–2 “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children, and walk in love, just as Christ also loved us and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.”

One of my favorite things to see is when kids look and act, just like their parents:

Illus. with Painting of little boy walking behind father.

Children, just by being in the presence of their parents will not only look like them, but will pick up their affectations and quirks.

What does that look like?

When you are merciful...

Loving, patient, kind...

Angry over wickedness, hating of sin, zealous...

You are being that way because you are like your Father.

Conclusions:

Who are you?

Created in God’s Image

Part of a Special Covenant that teaches and molds

A child, imitating and obeying