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Children of God |
Dear Brethren,
It seems that all the doctrines we hold sacred in God's
Church are under continual attack. Set forth below is our long held belief and
understanding that we are truly, at this present time, the Children of God. "I
will be a Father unto you, and you shall be My sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty."
(2 Corinthians 6:18)
Is it possible that we could actually be the literal children of God? Most people
think that we are "children" in the sense that all God’s
creatures are His children - it’s semantics somewhat akin to a
schoolteacher speaking of her pupils saying, "these are my
children." Some are not able to accept the wonderful truth of
God’s promise to us.
Paul wrote to the Romans: "The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we
are the children of God." (Romans 8:16) How can we genuinely
pray, "Our Father…" as Jesus taught us to pray, unless He is our Father,
and we are indeed His children?
In conception and birth, we become the physical children of
our dad – his life passes to us - we receive our dad’s last name
as our own. We are children of our dad. In the exact same way,
in baptism and the laying on of hands, we become the spiritual
children of our heavenly Father - His Spirit life passes on to
us – we are baptized into the Father’s name. We are children of
God – the seed of God. "And because ye are sons,
God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts,
crying, Abba [daddy], Father." (Galatians 4:6)
Notice how clearly the Scripture reveals this: "That is,
They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the
children of God: but the children of the promise are counted
for the seed." (Romans 9:8)
The apostle, John, writing at the end of the first century
recorded this incredible fact that only converted Christians
would be able to believe: "But as many as received him, to
them gave he power to become the sons of God."
(John 1:12) and: "For ye are all the children of God
by faith in Christ Jesus." (Galatians 3:26)
In the same way that a child must grow through nine months of
development before being born into this world – we must develop
spiritually for a time before our full spiritual birth takes
place. None the less – we are considered by God to be
children of God at this present time.
This incredible mystery was hardly known to the ancients of
old. Jesus, Himself, began to expound on God’s plan to create
literal sons and daughters to be a part of His family – made in
His image and likeness. (Genesis 1:26)
Jesus Christ set the example – going before us. The Word
became flesh as the Son of God, (verse 14). After His
death, Jesus was resurrected to spirit life - the "firstborn
from the dead" (Colossians 1:18) and "firstborn among many
brethren" (Romans 8:29). Jesus became the first child of
God. In turn, Jesus makes it possible for us to follow in
His steps: "But as many as received Him, to them gave he
power to become the sons of God."
(John 1:12) "Behold, what manner of love the Father hath
bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God." (1 John 3:1)
The Jews of Jesus' day accused Him of blasphemy for saying
that He was the Son of God: "Because You, being a Man,
make Yourself God" (John 10:33).
Jesus answered them, "Is it not written in your law,
I said, 'You are gods?" Jesus interpreted the
term "gods" literally to mean, "Gods." Notice: "If He [God]
called them gods, to whom the word of God came (and the
Scripture cannot be broken), do you say of Him whom the Father
sanctified and sent into the world, You are blaspheming, because
I said, I am the Son of God?" (John 10:34-36).
Psalm 82:6 reads: "I [God] said, You are gods, and
all of you are children of the Most High."
God is a family. There is one God (the God family)
made up of more than one member of the God family. At
this present time there are only two – the Father and Jesus
Christ - two divine Beings—God and the Word (John 1:1-3). At
the time of Christ’s return, there will be a huge increase in
the number of members of the God family – that’s because we have
not yet been spiritually born – though God counts us as children
already. "Beloved, now are we the sons of God,
and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that,
when he shall appear we shall be like him." (1John 3:2) We
will not be some kind of lower creatures; rather, we become
"partakers of the divine nature." (2 Peter 1:4)
The very reason that God created the universe, the earth, and
man in it was for the purpose of bringing many sons to divine
glory. "For it became him, for whom are all things, and by
whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory…"
(Hebrews 2:10) As divine children of God we will be a part
of God’s infinite plan of developing all the universe into the
Kingdom of God.
"And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and
joint-heirs with Christ…For the earnest expectation of the
creation waits for the manifestation of the sons of God…
Because the creation itself also shall be delivered
from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the
children of God." (Romans 8:17,19,21)
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Sermon: |
"Children of God" |
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