Authorized Personnel

At my retirement, I ceased to be an Authorized Personnel. You know – you’ve seen the signs. “Authorized Personnel.” The ones who can do things others either cannot or will not do. I had specific logins for specific activities. My work could be tracked by those logins, so I treated them with security and respect.

An exit interview, confidentiality signed, badge turned in and it was no longer possible for me to enter the building or log in to the system.

A few months later, I returned. My replacement hadn’t worked out all that well and my boss needed the expertise I had to offer through her own retirement. I went through a re-authorization process and, once again, became an Authorized Personnel – for six months.

Christians don’t go through such a process but once. Instead of becoming Authorized Personnel, we become children of God.

For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. (Romans 8:14 KJV)

Paul wanted that to be very clear to Christ’s followers.

For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. (Romans 8:15-17 KJV)

In our oft divorced, many times married world, children are tossed back and forth. However, even here where families are donned and discarded, adoption is a very serious legal commitment. A co-worker adopted his wife’s children from a previous marriage. When theirs broke up and she wanted her next husband to adopt them, the court disallowed based on the needs of the children, the very reason for adoption laws. His obligations continued.

If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him? (Matthew 7:11 KJV)

God’s adoption process is so much better than what mankind has put in place.

For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day. (2 Timothy 1:12 KJV)

John was very plain in the way he confirmed his own belief, and wrote to allow others to be just as firm in theirs.

And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God. (1 John 5:11-13 KJV)

I, too, know whom I have believed. And, I, too, believe on the name of the Son of God.