THE SONS OF GOD

"Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew Him not." (1 John 3:1).

 

It's an amazing thing that the God of all creation has chosen to redeem us, blotting out our sins, and allowing us to know Him; but it is unimaginable that He would also call us to be His sons and daughters.   When I consider what the title "son of God" really means, I have to look at the perfect example of Jesus Christ.  All that Jesus was when He walked the earth - that's what God has called you and me to become today.  Seem incredible?  Does it seem impossible?  Sure, but it is God Who has called us to this.  Jesus told His disciples, “The disciple is not above his master: but every one that is perfect shall be as his master.” (Luke 6:40).  As long as I keep telling myself that I can never be any more than I am now, I never will be.  I'll keep on making excuses for myself, and never grow up into Him.  Faith is the victory that overcomes the world.  It is not my strength, not my resolve, not my will power, or my dedication that will secure my success.  It is my belief in the saving grace of the Lord Jesus Christ.  It is not merely being conformed to a new morality, or a code of Christian conduct; but it is being transformed by the renewing of my mind and heart in Christ that will change me into His likeness day-by-day and little-by-little.  Like the worm that crawls into its cocoon and emerges a beautiful moth or butterfly, I am no longer resigned to crawl along in defeat.  I can now fly - I can now overcome!  I can now become like Jesus!

 

Peter tells us that "…His [God’s] divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him that hath called us to glory and virtue," and that God has "…given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust." (2 Peter 1:3,4).  Everything that I need to live a life of godliness, I have been given in Christ.  It is God's own divine power that enables me through Jesus Christ, and I can escape the corruption and lust that is all around me - and in my very nature - by taking hold of these precious promises in the Word of God, and believing that they are promises God has made to me.

 

Paul tells us that in Christ dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily, and that we are, "complete in Him, which is the head of all principality and power." (Colossians 2:9, 10).  We are complete, but our completeness and our perfecting can only come through the proportion of faith we have in Christ working out His will in us.  As Paul wrote, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, Who loved me, and gave Himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20).  And again Paul says, "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." (Philippians 4:13).  All things!  Not just some things, or most things, or the things that aren't too difficult; but, I can do all things through Christ!

       

John wrote, "He came unto His own, and His own received Him not.  But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God." (John 1:11-13).  It has nothing to do with what I can do for God.  It is about what God has done and can do in and through me.  He has given me the power to become, and what I am becoming is a son of God.  Jesus Himself said, "He that believeth on Me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto My Father." (John 14:12).

 

Jesus, of course, is the only begotten Son of the Father.  He was not born in Adam as you and I were.  He was not conceived of human seed at all, but by the Holy Spirit of God.  Though He was tempted in every way that we ever could be, yet He never committed a sin.  We, on the other hand, were all born into sin as a result of Adam's bad choice.  We needed one who was innocent and faultless Who would pay the price for our transgressions.  We needed a lamb that was without spot or blemish to be the sacrifice for sins, and spill his blood to atone for us.  So God sent His own Son to be that Lamb.  "But we see Jesus, Who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that He by the grace of God should taste death for every man.  For it became Him, for Whom are all things, and by Whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings." (Hebrews 2:6-10).  It was given to Jesus to taste death for all mankind.  He was chosen to be the second Adam in the sense that His obedience has purchased salvation for the whole human race just as Adam's disobedience brought sin and death on us all.

 

"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; for we shall see Him as He is." (1 John 3:2).

 

The title of "son of God" is not one that I must earn.  The Father considers me a son the moment that I am born again.  The title has nothing to do with what I do, but everything to do with the family that I have been adopted into.  It is the maturity that I have to grow into.  Like a newborn babe, I must grow and mature.  At first, I know nothing, and can do nothing for myself; but, as I grow, I learn to trust Him more and begin to resemble my Lord in character.  When scripture says that God created man in His own image, it is referring more to the character of Adam and Eve in the beginning - before the fall.  They were innocent and pure before their Maker, and were able to see God for Who He really is.  I don't know exactly what I will become yet.  The more time I spend with Jesus and in His Word, though, the more I can see what He is like, and as I see what He is like, I can see what I must be.  "But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord." (2 Corinthians 3:18).

 

"And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as He is pure." (1 John 3:3).

 

It is the hope that I can be changed - that I can be like Him - that compels me to be pure.  I am encouraged by the fact that He loved me enough to die for me.  He wants me to know Him, and He wants to make Himself known to me!  That which I could never accomplish for myself, God has made possible by my faith in Christ.  He is the forerunner, the firstborn of many brethren, the Captain of our salvation.  He has authored my salvation and will also finish it.  Though it is astounding that I should be called the son of God, yet, I will embrace it, and aspire to be all that God has called me to be, and promised that I can be.  I will not frustrate the grace of God by making excuses for myself, convincing myself that I can't be better.  I will believe!  I will receive!  I will be obedient to my heavenly Father!  I will grow up to be a son of God!  He has given me power to become and power to mature!      

 

"...work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.  For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure." (Philippians 2:12, 13).