As I read The Cokers of Carolina I began to realize the strong belief system, similar mindsets, and work ethic in that book mirrored the words and actions of my dad. The attitudes and values he passed on to me were not just his, but those accumulated and embraced by and passed down from generations of Cokers before us. There was a common thread that each of us born into our family line had the opportunity to embrace or reject, adopt or ignore, or implement or eliminate from our legacy.

I am sure there are few families in the world today who do not take some pride in their family name and heritage, but I am guessing there aren’t many. It provides a way of identifying who we are and establishing our value. Christ identified Himself with The Father on multiple occasions to help establish His identity and credibility, in the event the listeners were ignoring his miracles. So today, I want you to have a basis for establishing your identity. I want you to see the rich heritage you wake up with every single morning. I want it to empower you to be all that you can be. If you can grasp the power of what you have as a child of God, your potential is unlimited. Listen as I summarize a few points of your heritage from the first chapter of Ephesians:

• You were chosen before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless.
• You were predestined to be an adopted son or daughter of God.
• You became included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation.
• You were redeemed through Christ’s blood.
• You were forgiven your sins through God’s grace.
• You were marked in Him with a seal — the promised Holy Spirit, The Comforter who guarantees your inheritance.
• You are already blessed in the heavenly (Kingdom) realms with every spiritual blessing.
• You will be lavished with all wisdom and understanding as a part of the Kingdom of God.
• You have had revealed to you the mystery of God’s will according to His good pleasure.
• You were provided with a plan that conforms everything with the purpose of His will.
• You received the same power exerted in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly realms.

Paul is trying to communicate something to the Ephesians and you — something critical to forming the attitude you need to walk confidently in the Kingdom life: You are no longer working for a position in the Kingdom, you are working from a position in the Kingdom of which you are a member. Grace (the unearned gift of God) has already done the work. Your job is to assume your family position with confidence. But remember this: You are never more than one decision away from falling into sin. At any point any of us can take a wrong course of action and miss the mark God wants us to aim for. The spiritual realm knows you, your family, and your family’s ancestral patterns. Don’t ever take your position in Christ for granted. Don’t ever let your attitude become a source of pride — but rather, let it be a source of humility.

Love, Dad