“And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us through Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:6,7).

For the past four days, we have utilized the words of the encouraging hymn, “A Child of the King,” to call to mind the benefits of sonship in God’s family. These benefits transcend our present experience, and the hymn’s final verse points toward our life “over there.”

A tent or a cottage, why should I care? They’re building a palace for me over there; Though exiled from home, yet still I may sing! All glory to God, I’m a child of the King.

Knowing of the blessings to follow helps us to “be content with such things as (we) have: for He hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee” (Hebrews 13:5). “Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” (Matthew 6:33).

The greatest of all blessings is the gift of His Son, and the forgiveness we have through Him. “He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?” (Romans 8:32).

In a real sense, we have been living in exile in this life, our true citizenship is in “the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem” (Hebrews 12:22). The affairs of this life are not of paramount importance, for we “shall receive the reward of our inheritance: for (we) serve the Lord Christ” (Colossians 3:24), but we must never lose sight of the truth that our adoption into the King’s family has been accomplished by the sacrificial blood of our “older brother,” Jesus Christ, “wherein He hath made us accepted in the beloved. In whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace” (Ephesians 1:6,7). JDM