Blessed Are God’s Sons and Daughters

Bob RoaneJoy and Peace, Loving and Trusting God

See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!.. 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. All who have this hope in Jesus purify themselves, just as He is pure. (1 John 3:1-3)

Bob Price was a friend of mine who died in 2021 and went home to be with Christ. I saw his family today and remembered Bob. Scripture says: “Blessed are those who die in the Lord. They are blessed indeed, for they will rest from their hard work. For their good deeds follow them!”1 Christians are not saved by what we do, but saved for serving Christ and other people. Bob liked the hymn below and its story, so I’ll share it for all of us to meditate upon. Bob was a faithful servant of Jesus, but he would rather me talk about his Lord and Savior than about him. Bob was so grateful to Christ for saving, helping, keeping, and loving him.

Background to the Hymn

Joseph Humphreys was a pastor in England. He was born in 1720 and I can’t find his date of death. Joseph was born again in 1738 and was a friend of John and Charles Wesley and George Whitefield. Humphrey’s hymn originally had eight stanzas, as shown here. Sometimes only three stanzas are included in hymnals, but I think that’s a mistake. This hymn contains rich Scripture truth to feed our souls.2

The refrain, “With God’s people numbered may we be, Now and through eternity,” was originally one line in Stanza 8, but hymnals put it with each stanza as I have done here. That refrain is a prayer, asking the Lord who began a good work in us to carry it on to completion until we see Christ face to face. It’s a prayer we pray for all God’s people, not for just us individually. Bob Price liked that aspect of the hymn, asking God to preserve us so that we can persevere in following Jesus. Bob was like King David who said, “I cling to You. Your right hand upholds me.”3

A Hymn about Our Adoption into Christ

This hymn can also be used as a prayer. I’ll make some comments on it at the end.

1. Blessed are the sons (and daughters) of God. They are bought with Jesus’ blood.
They are ransomed from the grave. Life eternal they shall have.
Refrain: With them numbered may we be, Now and through eternity.

2. God did love them in His Son, Long before the world begun.
They the Spirit now receive, When on Jesus they believe.
Refrain: With them numbered may we be, Now and through eternity.

3. They are justified by grace. They enjoy Christ’s solid peace.
All their sins are washed away. They shall stand in God’s great Day.
Refrain: With them numbered may we be, Now and through eternity.

4. They produce the fruits of grace, In the works of righteousness.
They are harmless, meek, and mild, Holy, humble, undefiled.
Refrain: With them numbered may we be, Now and through eternity.

5. They are lights upon the earth, Children of a heavenly birth.
Born of God, they hate all sin. God’s pure seed remains within.
Refrain: With them numbered may we be, Now and through eternity.

6. They have fellowship with God, Through the Mediator’s blood.
One with God, through Jesus one, Glory is in them begun.
Refrain: With them numbered may we be, Now and through eternity.

7. Though they suffer much on earth, Strangers to the worldling’s mirth.
Yet they have an inward joy, Pleasures nothing can destroy.
Refrain: With them numbered may we be, Now and through eternity.

8. They alone are truly blessed, Heirs of God, joint heirs with Christ.
Never let us from You stray. Keep us in the narrow way.
Refrain: With them numbered may we be, Now and through eternity.

Scriptures About Adoption in Jesus

Hebrews 2:10-11, 19: In bringing many sons and daughters to glory, God made Christ, the pioneer of their salvation, perfect through what He suffered. Both the One who makes people holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters… And He says, “Here am I, and the children God has given Me.”
 
Comment: Bob Price loved how Christ calls us His children and His brothers and sisters. In other Scriptures, Christ calls Himself our Bridegroom. Jesus heaps up the language to encourage us to believe that He pardons, accepts, and brings us into His family forever. He will never leave us or forsake us. Bob had very serious health issues over the years. Christ healed him, upheld Bob in His strong hands, and gave him peace. Bob loved to tell about all that Jesus had done for him.
 
Matthew 5:44-48: Jesus says–Love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For He gives His sunlight to both the evil and the good, and He sends His rain on the just and the unjust alike. If you love only those who love you and are kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that.

Comment: Bob Price was quick to admit that he was imperfect. But because God first loved Bob and sent Jesus to be his Lord and Savior, Bob was eager to share God’s goodness with other people. He did this as a family man, attorney, church elder, and “ordinary” Christian. I served with Bob on a prison ministry weekend and watched him encourage men behind bars. Bob served Jesus in wise, humble, quiet, behind the scenes ways, that most people never saw. Many people told me how Bob had helped them. 

In was a privilege for me to know Bob Price and to see God’s grace to him and working through him to bless others. I am a better man for spending time with Bob Price. Now he can say with the Apostle Paul, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day.”4

Prayer

Father, we thank You that even to our old age and gray hairs You will carry us. You made us, saved us, adopted us, and will carry us to the end and home to Heaven. Your steadfast love never ceases, Your mercies never come to an end. They are new every morning. Great is Your faithfulness. You are our rock, fortress, and deliverer; our refuge, shield, and stronghold. Hang on to us all through this life and help us to hang on to You. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.5

Notes (various Bible translations): 1 Rev 14:13.     2 This version is adapted from ehymnbook.org. The hymn appeared in “Our Own Hymn-Book” published by Charles Spurgeon’s Metropolitan Baptist Church in 1883. A modern version appears in “Psalms & Hymns of Reformed Worship” compiled by Peter Masters. I borrow from that version also.     3 Psalm 63:8.     4 2 Tim 4:8.     5 Prayer based on Psalm 18:2; Isaiah 46:4; Lam 3:22-24.