A Name That Matters
“The spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs, then heirs of God — and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him, in order that we may be glorified with him.” – Romans 8:16-17 (ESV)
Recently, Major League Baseball had its first ever Players Weekend that celebrated the journey of baseball from the Little Leagues to the Big Leagues. Among the celebration included players for the first time, getting to choose and wear their nicknames on the back of their jerseys.
Nicknames are often given to us by our closest friends and family, and have special meaning. For all the players who got to pull on one of those jerseys with their teams’ colors and logo, and their nickname on the back represented many years of hard work and sacrifice, and it had to be a special moment to go out and play for all those family and friends who had supported their dreams.
As followers of Christ we too are on a team. To represent Jesus Christ is humbling, holds great meaning to us as believers, and reminds us of the deep commitment we have to Him. We are knit together with our Lord, because we were made a part of this team at a great price. While we don’t have uniforms to wear – we are given a name that, much like our earthly nicknames – has meaning and a deep connection.
This passage points out two names we have been given: children of God, and heirs. As a beloved son or daughter, we are not merely a number or a name on a jersey, but have been given a name that indicates a closeness, a personal, familiar relationship with the One who has called us. We are His children!
As an heir – we have a claim to the richness and inheritance of the Kingdom of God through Christ Jesus. Daily, we get the opportunity to represent Him. We do it not for the accolades of fans or even family or friends, but to bring glory to the One who calls us His children and has bestowed His riches upon us.
—Scott Wilson, Sports Spectrum reader
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