We Belong to the Royal Family

[Thompson, Darryl]

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Ellen G. White Estate, Devotional for December 7
Visit us at http://www.whiteestate.org
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We Belong to the Royal Family

Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we
shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him;
for we shall see him as he is. 1 John 3:2. 


Can any earthly promotion confer honor equal to this--to be sons of God,
children of the heavenly King, members of the royal family? . . . The
nobility of earth are but men; they die, and return to dust; and there
is no lasting satisfaction in their praise and honor. But the honor that
comes from God is lasting. To be heirs of God and joint heirs with
Christ, is to be entitled to unsearchable riches--treasures of such
value that in comparison with them the gold and silver, the gems and
precious stones of earth, sink into insignificance. 

To have fellowship with the Father and His Son Jesus Christ is to be
ennobled and elevated, and made a partaker of joys unspeakable and full
of glory. Food, clothing, station, and wealth may have their value; but
to have a connection with God and to be a partaker of His divine nature
is of priceless value. Our lives should be hid with Christ in God; and
although it "doth not yet appear what we shall be," "when Christ, who is
our life, shall appear," "we shall be like him; for we shall see him as
he is." The princely dignity of the Christian character will shine forth
as the sun, and the beams of light from the face of Christ will be
reflected upon those who have purified themselves even as He is pure.
The privilege of becoming sons of God is cheaply purchased, even at the
sacrifice of everything we possess, be it life itself. 

When John in his mortal state beheld the glory of God, he fell as one
dead; he was not able to endure the sight. But when the children of God
shall have put on immortality, they will "see him as he is." They will
stand before the throne, accepted in the Beloved. All their sins have
been blotted out, all their transgressions borne away. Now they can look
upon the undimmed glory of the throne of God. They have been partakers
with Christ in His sufferings, they have been workers together with Him
in the plan of redemption, and they are partakers with Him in the joy of
seeing souls saved in the kingdom of God, there to praise God through
all eternity.

>From Maranatha - Page 349