“See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is…” 1 John 3:1-2 

Principle 7: The gospel grants us a new and better life

Everyone who believes that Jesus died for our sins and rose from the dead receives every spiritual blessing in heavenly places (Eph 1:3). This includes the indwelling of the Holy Spirit (Rom 8:11, Eph 1:13) as well as being adopted into God’s family (Rom 8:15, Eph 1:5). We receive all spiritual blessings the moment we believe, and nothing or no one can ever take them away (Rom 8:39).

Having the Holy Spirit living within makes us more than conquerors through him who loved us (Rom 8:37) as He is greater than he who is in the world (1 Joh 4:4). It also means we have a new life defined by divine privileges and Godly purposes. This new life includes being part of a new family (1 Joh 3:1).

The Lord Jesus Christ, while dying on the cross, emphasised the importance of family when he instructed his mother and John (one of his disciples) to become mother and son:

When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home.   Joh 19:25-27

By taking Mary into his house John made her part of his family. Similarly, the moment we accepted Jesus Christ as our Saviour, God made us part of his family with the amazing privilege of having the Spirit who is from God live within us (1 Cor 2:12).

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places Ephesians 1:3