

How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God. And that is what we are! . . . 1 John 3:1a
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ:
The salvation story of Jesus Christ reaches around the world. So that the readers of our Daily Devotion may see the power of the Savior on a global scale, we have asked the volunteers of our International Ministry Centers to write our Friday devotions. We pray that the Spirit may touch your day through their words.
In Christ, I remain, His servant and yours,
Kenneth R. Klaus
Speaker of The Lutheran Hour
Who are we, really?
Sociologists suggest that humans function under a dynamic system which consists of four elements: the physical (our body), the emotional (our feelings), the intellectual (our thoughts), and the spiritual (our relationship with God).
In the nonstop hubbub of life, it's easy to devote our attention to the physical, emotional, and intellectual in a quest to find peace and our place in this world. As a result, we often -- sometimes exclusively -- spend time tending to the first three aspects of our nature, while neglecting the last. We abandon the spiritual dimension of our lives, however, to our great peril.
God created us for a special relationship with Him. Through sin mankind betrayed this relationship and came to believe it was more important than God. As a result, this rebellion alienated man from his Creator, bringing upon humanity dire consequences of judgment and punishment. To end the story there would be complete disaster for everyone.
But, thanks be to God for His love! Rather than write us off as a renegade and degenerate people, God sent His Son Jesus Christ to redeem us. Scripture tells us Jesus died and rose again to pay the penalty for our sins. With our debt satisfied, we have hope through faith in Christ's redeeming work. This gift of new life has been offered to us through God's inexhaustible mercy.
So the question remains: Who are we?
Thanks be to Christ! Through faith in His redemptive work, we are the children of God.
THE PRAYER: Dear Heavenly Father, who we are in this world cannot compare to who we are in You. By grace we have been saved and by grace we are to live -- joyously, sacrificially, triumphantly -- through the faith the Holy Spirit has born in our hearts. May our lives reflect the love You have lavished upon us as we live as Your children. In Jesus' Name, we pray. Amen.
Biography of Author: This devotion is based on a text submitted from a volunteer who works with Lutheran Hour Ministries' office in Panama. Established in 1986 and known locally as Cristo Para Todas Las Naciones (CPTLN), this ministry utilizes Equipping the Saints (ETS), Project JOEL, and Bible Correspondence Courses (BCC) in its outreach to the citizens of this Central American country.
To learn more about our International Ministries, click here or visit www.lhmint.org.
Today's Bible Readings: 1 Kings 5-7 Acts 7:44-60
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