Here are the words J.I Packer suggests in his book ‘Knowing God’ we should repeat to ourselves to remind ourselves of our identity and our destiny.
“I am a child of God. God is my Father; heaven is my home; every day is one day nearer. My Saviour is my brother; every Christian is my brother too.”
He goes on to ask some questions to help us to continue to think about our identity as a child of God.
“Do I understand my adoption? Do I value it? Do I daily remind myself of my privilege as a child of God?
Have I sought full assurance of my adoption? Do I daily dwell on the love of God to me?
Do I treat God as my Father in heaven, loving, honouring, and obeying Him, seeking Him and welcoming His fellowship, and trying in everything to please Him, as a human parent would want His child to do?
Do I think of Jesus Christ, my Saviour and my Lord, as my brother too, bearing to me not only a divine authority but also divine-human sympathy? Do I think daily how close He is to me, how completely He understands me, and how much, as my kinsmen-redeemer, He cares for me?
Have I learned to hate the things that displease my Father? Am I sensitive to the evil things to which He is sensitive? DO I make a point of avoiding them, lest I grieve Him?
Do I look forward daily to that great family occasion when the sons of God will finally gather in heaven before the throne of God, their Father, and the Lamb, their brother and their Lord? Have I felt the thrill of this hope?
Do I love my Christian brothers, with whom I live day to day, in a way that I shall not be ashamed of when in heaven I think back over it?
Am I proud of my Father, and His family, to which by His grace I belong?
Does the family likeness appear in me? If not, why not?
God humble us; God instruct us; God make us HIs own true sons.”
You can purchase a copy of the book ‘Knowing God’ here.
