In professional baseball, the team clubhouse is a place of restricted access. You need special credentials to get in. Now, picture this: a young boy runs boldly up to the clubhouse door and doesn’t hesitate to open it and go in. And no one tries to stop him. He runs right past the players lockers and into the manager’s office, where he runs up to the manager and, unafraid, jumps into his lap. He doesn’t get reprimanded or kicked out, but to the contrary, receives a smile, a hug, and the undivided attention of the manager. Why? He is not just any boy, he is the manager’s son, and that gives him unhindered access.

When you place your faith in Jesus Christ the Bible says you become a child of God. 1 John 3:1a says “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!  And that is what we are!” It’s insanely great. God does not see us merely as his servants, or as his followers, or even as his friends. No, first and foremost, when we place our faith in Jesus, we become children of God. “Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” (John 1:12)

And as God’s children the Bible tells us that we have open access to our father and we can come to him with confidence that he will receive us with love, tenderness, and affection. “Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” (Hebrews 4:16)

And because we are God’s children, we have an awesome hope for the future. “Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.” (1 John 3:2). That’s incredible, what a promise!

If you haven’t done so yet, place your faith in Christ and become a child of God.