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The bloodline of many famous people can be traced back to public figures and royalty of the past. Acclaimed actor Tom Hanks is a descendant of King John of England. He is, therefore, also related to Ernest Hemingway and President Herbert Hoover. Fellow-actor Clint Eastwood is a distant relative of King Henry I of England, thereby including President Franklin Pierce, former First Lady Nancy Reagan and former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee in his lineage. No matter our family of origin, every family tree begins with Adam and Eve. Through their disobedience to God, sin and death came to all men. From this bloodline we inherited a sin nature. Yet as children of God, we’ve been born again into a new bloodline. One that came at a great cost:
“For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver and gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect”
(1 Peter 1:18-19).
An empty way of life, also defined as useless and fruitless, is one controlled by sin. It’s a life lived to please ourselves, and is, therefore, a life that contains very little love for others. Through the love and mercy of God, we’ve been redeemed from living such an empty way of life. We are free to live for the purposes of God through the provision of God. He desires for us to become a people who declare His praises. In large part, we do this as our daily lives reflect who God is. The only way we can do this is through appropriating the abundant provision of God’s grace:
“For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ?” (Romans 5:17).
Is it time to raise the bar of expectation on your life? Cease striving for godly character in your own strength, reaping only disillusionment and self-condemnation. Instead, walk into the unlimited power and resources available to you through your new bloodline.
