{"id":1167,"date":"2026-06-23T05:17:29","date_gmt":"2026-06-23T05:17:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/baileychristianchurch.com\/?p=1167"},"modified":"2026-06-23T05:17:29","modified_gmt":"2026-06-23T05:17:29","slug":"dawn-of-adoption-5-day-devotional","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/baileychristianchurch.com\/es\/2026\/06\/23\/dawn-of-adoption-5-day-devotional\/","title":{"rendered":"Dawn of Adoption &#8211; 5 Day Devotional"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This five-day devotional invites you to sit with the truth that believers are not merely improved people, but adopted sons and daughters of God. As you reflect on 1 John 2:28\u20133:10, you\u2019ll be challenged to embrace your new identity, reject lawlessness, and grow into a life that increasingly resembles your Father. Each day builds toward living so clearly in the family likeness that others can say, \u201cThey look like their Father.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Day 1<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">1 John 3:1<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Adoption begins with identity: God doesn\u2019t simply tolerate you or keep you at a distance\u2014He calls you His child. John wants you to feel the weight of that love, because your behavior will always flow from what you believe about who you are. If you live like an orphan, you will grasp for control, hide in shame, or rebel to prove independence; if you live like a beloved child, you will learn to trust, confess, and grow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The sermon reminded us that God is not demanding sinless perfection, but real family relationship that produces real change. When you receive Christ, you are brought into the Father\u2019s house, and you begin learning the \u201chouse rules\u201d not to earn your place, but because you belong. Today starts by anchoring your heart: before you address your patterns, you receive your position\u2014loved, named, and welcomed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"\">Where do you most feel like you need to be reminded that you are truly God\u2019s child, not just a religious person?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\">What \u201corphan mindset\u201d shows up in you most often (fear, hiding, striving, control, rebellion), and how does it affect your choices?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\">Write a short prayer thanking the Father for adopting you; name one specific way you have seen His love pursue you.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\">How would your day look different if you approached God with the confidence of a son or daughter instead of the anxiety of an outsider?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\">Identify one relationship where you want your identity in God\u2019s family to shape how you respond this week.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Day 2<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">1 John 3:2-3<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">John points your eyes forward: you are God\u2019s child now, and you are also becoming someone you cannot fully see yet. The promise is not merely that you\u2019ll be forgiven, but that you\u2019ll be transformed\u2014\u201cwe will be like him.\u201d This future hope is not escapism; it reshapes present decisions because you know where your life is headed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Purity in 1 John isn\u2019t a performance to impress God; it\u2019s a family resemblance growing over time. The sermon emphasized that believers still stumble, but they don\u2019t settle into sin as their home. When you remember what you\u2019re becoming in Christ, you begin to treat sin not as a casual habit, but as something that contradicts your destiny and your Father\u2019s character.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"\">What do you think God is forming in you right now that you cannot fully see yet?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\">How does the hope of becoming like Christ challenge the way you talk about \u201csmall\u201d or \u201cprivate\u201d sins?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\">Name one area where you\u2019ve confused purity with perfection; what would steady, hopeful growth look like instead?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\">Choose one daily practice for this week (Scripture, prayer, confession, accountability) that helps you \u201cpurify yourself\u201d with hope rather than shame.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\">Who could encourage you in your long-term transformation when you feel stuck in slow progress?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Day 3<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">1 John 3:4<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">John gives a clear diagnosis: sin is not only \u201cmissing the mark,\u201d it can become \u201clawlessness\u201d\u2014a settled posture of rebellion against the Father\u2019s will. The sermon highlighted the difference between stumbling and defiance: the heart that knowingly chooses what God forbids isn\u2019t merely weak; it is treating the Father\u2019s house rules with contempt. This naming is mercy, because what you refuse to name, you cannot repent of.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">God\u2019s commands are not arbitrary restrictions; they are the wise order of a good Father who loves His children. When you see sin as lawlessness, you begin to ask a sharper question than \u201cDid I technically break a rule?\u201d You ask, \u201cAm I resisting the Father\u2019s leadership, even though I know better?\u201d That question brings you back to surrender, where real freedom begins.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"\">Where are you most tempted to knowingly push past what you already understand God has said?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\">What rationalizations do you use to make disobedience feel less serious (stress, entitlement, secrecy, comparison)?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\">Ask God to show you one \u201chouse rule\u201d you\u2019ve treated as optional; write what repentance would look like in one sentence.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\">What boundary or plan could help you choose obedience before temptation becomes decision (limits, accountability, reminders, replacement habits)?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\">How would your view of God\u2019s commands change if you assumed every command is an expression of a good Father\u2019s love?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Day 4<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">1 John 3:6-7<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">These verses can feel intense until you remember the context: John is not teaching sinless perfection, but a changed pattern. The sermon put it plainly\u2014Christians may still struggle and stumble, but they no longer live as if sin is their identity. A former thief may battle covetousness and even fall, but he is no longer \u201ca thief\u201d as his defining name; he is a child of God learning new family ways.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">John also warns about deception: it is possible to claim closeness to God while excusing a lifestyle that contradicts Him. Righteousness is not a label you wear; it is a life that increasingly reflects Christ\u2019s character. The goal today is honest evaluation without despair: not \u201cAm I flawless?\u201d but \u201cIs my life moving toward the Father, or have I made peace with what nailed Jesus to the cross?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"\">What pattern in your life most needs to shift from \u201cthis is just me\u201d to \u201cthis is something God is changing\u201d?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\">Where might you be tempted to be deceived\u2014believing that a profession of faith removes the need for repentance and growth?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\">Identify one recurring temptation; what is one practical \u201cnext step\u201d of obedience you can take within the next 24 hours?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\">Who is a trusted believer you can invite to ask you hard questions about your patterns with both truth and grace?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\">How can you tell the difference between godly conviction that leads to repentance and shame that makes you hide?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Day 5<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">1 John 3:9-10<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">John\u2019s conclusion presses the central question: what family resemblance is being displayed? God\u2019s children are marked by a new source of life\u2014His seed remains in them\u2014so the trajectory of their living changes. The sermon\u2019s challenge was personal: live so that people can look at your life and recognize your Father, not because you are perfect, but because your direction, repentance, and love reveal where you belong.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This is also an invitation to assurance and mission. If you are in Christ, you are not trapped in your old identity; you are empowered by the Spirit to live differently. And if you are not in Christ, the best \u201cgift\u201d you can bring the Father is to receive what the Son already paid for\u2014adoption into the family. Today, choose your direction: step into the light, practice the family likeness, and let your life testify to the reality of your Father.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li class=\"\">If someone followed you for a week, what evidence would they find about who your \u201cfather\u201d is\u2014what you love, obey, and pursue?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\">What is one concrete way you can practice \u201cfamily likeness\u201d today (truthfulness, purity, generosity, forgiveness, humility)?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\">Where do you need to rely more intentionally on the Holy Spirit\u2019s help instead of willpower? Write a specific request for His strength.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\">If you have not fully surrendered to Christ, what is one step you can take today toward receiving adoption (prayer, conversation, confession, seeking counsel)?<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"\">Choose one measurable change you will make this week that aligns your habits with your identity as God\u2019s child.<\/li>\n<\/ul>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This five-day devotional invites you to sit with the truth that believers are not merely improved people, but adopted sons and daughters of God. As you reflect on 1 John 2:28\u20133:10, you\u2019ll be challenged to embrace your new identity, reject lawlessness, and grow into a life that increasingly resembles your Father. Each day builds toward [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":1168,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[31],"tags":[53,30,52],"class_list":["post-1167","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-devotionals","tag-1-john","tag-devos","tag-walking-in-the-light-of-love-truth"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/baileychristianchurch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Walking-in-the-Light-Week-7-Title.jpg?fit=1920%2C1080&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/baileychristianchurch.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1167","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/baileychristianchurch.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/baileychristianchurch.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/baileychristianchurch.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/baileychristianchurch.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1167"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/baileychristianchurch.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1167\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1169,"href":"https:\/\/baileychristianchurch.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1167\/revisions\/1169"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/baileychristianchurch.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1168"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/baileychristianchurch.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1167"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/baileychristianchurch.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1167"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/baileychristianchurch.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1167"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}