Friday, December 26, 2008

THE CHILDREN OF GOD, WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS

God says in Exodus 20:3, “Thou shalt have no other gods before me." Colossians 1:18 says, "And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.” And Colossians 2:9 says, “For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.”

I Corinthians 11:3 says, “...the head of every man is Christ...” We are not equal with Christ, Jesus is our superior! He is our Lord! Colossians 3:1 says, “... Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.” Christ is, and always will be, preeminent! We're not His equal!

Revelation 4:10,11 says, “The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, Thou art worthy, 0 Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.” Does this sound like we are equal? No!

Never forgetting the above, let us go on to study what God furthermore says regarding our relationship.

And God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness...” Genesis 1:26. Who was God speaking to? He was evidently talking to someone who was just like Him. There were no men present. There may have been angels present, but since they are creatures, not creators, God would not have been speaking to them.

God is a triune (tri-une) God. A three-in-one person. God exists as God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost. So God was speaking to Himself. Is God really a three-in-one person? I John 5:7 says, “For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.”

Since Adam was created in the image of God, in His likeness, so man was likewise created as a triune person. A three-in-one person consisting of a soul, which is analogous to God the Father; a body, which is analogous to God the Son; and a Spirit, which is analogous to God the Holy Spirit.

Are born-again believers really triune persons? Definitely! Paul, in I Thessalonians 5:23 says, “And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body...”

In Genesis 1:27 it says, “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.” So we see that Eve was also created as a triune person.

Adam was the figure of Christ, as we see in Romans 5:14, “Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come.”

In Genesis 2:17 God gave Adam only one rule, “But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.”

Now Lucifer, that serpent Satan, was envious of Adam and Eve. Lucifer had been the premier created being until God created Adam. Ezekiel 28:12-17 says, “...Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty. Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created. Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire. Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee. By the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned: therefore I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God: and I will destroy thee, 0 covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire. Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness...”

We see in Isaiah 14:13,14 that Lucifer said, “...I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.”

But when God created Adam like the most High, in His very likeness as a triune person, as a son of God, Lucifer had been surpassed as the pinnacle of God's created beings. Lucifer thought that if he could cause Adam and Eve to die then he would, by default, be restored to his premier position.

In Genesis 3:4 Satan said to Eve, “...Ye shall not surely die:” And 3:6 says, “...she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.” In that day Adam and Eve died spiritually and began a process of dying physically.

They were no longer triune persons; they had become diune (di-une) (two-in-one) persons having a soul and body but no spirit, so they were not like God anymore. They had changed into a different kind of being; therefore, Adam was no longer in the image of God. To again be in the image of God, he needed a new spirit to replace the one that had died. He needed to be born again spiritually.

After Adam sinned, we read in Genesis 5:3, “And Adam lived an hundred and thirty years, and begat a son in his own likeness, after his image; and called his name Seth:” Notice that Seth was not in the image of God but was in the image of Adam, a diune person.

We read that the Jews wanted to kill Jesus because He called God His father, John 5:17,18 says, “But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work. Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God.”

Again, in John 10:33, “The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God.” Search the scriptures, and you will find that throughout the Old Testament period (except for one very interesting verse which we will examine later), mankind, the offspring of Adam, was never ... no not even one time ... not ever ... not even the children of Israel ... were referred to as the children of God, and He never called them His children. Furthermore, In the Old Testament God is never referred to as the father of any man.

They could not legitimately call God "Father." Before Christ was crucified, Old Testament saints had not yet been saved, although they were safe in paradise. John 3:13, Jesus says, “And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.” They could not have been saved until Christ saved them by dying on the cross for them. Only after Jesus had died for them were they born of the Holy Spirit and redeemed from paradise, then taken to heaven.

Romans 8:9 says, “Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.” In Old Testament times they were referred to as the children of Israel, the children of Judah, the children of Benjamin, and so forth. It would have been blasphemy for anyone in Old Testament times to call God "Father." This would have put them on a level equal to God. This was the sin of Satan.

The Jews wanted to kill Jesus because He called God His father. But you see, Jesus literally is the Son of God. His father is not Joseph, a descendant of Adam, who was a diune person, but His Father is God who is a triune person. So Jesus was born a triune person, because He is God who is a triune person, He can legitimately call God, "Father." It should be no wonder that some Christians today would say that we are not literally God's children, the Jews said the same of Jesus.

Jesus said to us in John 3:3-7, “Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” In other words, Jesus is telling us that after we are born physically to our earthly parents, we must be born spiritually, that is, we must be begotten of the Holy Spirit. This would make us a triune person and God would be our Father. Also note that Old Testament saints couldn't go to heaven until Jesus gave them the gift of the Holy Spirit.

The following verse says, “Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?”

Clearly Nicodemus did not understand that Jesus was referring to a birth of a spirit within the man. Next, “Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.” Before a man can be born again, obviously, he must be born in the flesh. Then he must be born of the Holy Spirit. Again, note that it is impossible for Old Testament saints to have been saved without being born of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus confirms this in verse six, “That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.” Note that the first "spirit" is capitalized indicating that this is the Holy Spirit, but the second "spirit" is not capitalized indicating that it is our own spirit. Meaning that which is begotten of the Holy Spirit is spirit too.

I Peter 1:23, “Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.” This says we are born again not by man's seed, but by God's seed.

I Peter 1:3, “…our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again…” Begotten again.

Acts 17:29 says, “Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God...” The use of the word offspring precludes the idea that we are adopted, as the word adoption is used today.

Also, I John 5:1 says, “Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him.” We are literally born of God, not adopted. Today “adoptive parents” do not say that the child was born of them. It is unlikely that they said it in Jesus' day either.

John 1:12,13 says, “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.” This doesn’t say that believers are born of men but adopted by God, it says that we are born of God!

James 1:18 says, “Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits, of his creatures.” Praise God our Father, who literally begat us! He didn't adopt us like children are done today.

After the curse God told Eve, “in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children.” God’s children are not born in the same cursed, sorrowful way that mankind’s children are.

And Romans 8:29, “For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.” The many brethren are we who are born again. The firstborn, of course, is Jesus Himself. Notice that we are, or will be, conformed to the image of His Son.

Again, Colossians 3:10 says, “And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:” Renewed in knowledge like God! This must be pertaining to a future condition for a saved person because at the present time no one remotely approaches the knowledge of God.

Also II Corinthians 3:18 says, “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.” We are changed into the image of God by the Sprit of the Lord.

II Corinthians 5:17 says, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” When a person gets born again he becomes a triune person. We become a new creature, in the image of God, a child of God. Our relationship to God went from being like apples and oranges to being like apples and apples.

Note: we are spiritually born-again, begat, a new creature…we have a spirit, which we did not have before. This is not a spirit that was dragged out of the torment of hell and is now revived.

II Peter 1:4, “...That by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature...” That we might have a divine nature? Yes! That's what it says!

We also read that we are righteous and holy. Ephesians 4:24, “And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.” Notice that it says, “after God,” this means like God, in His image.

And Ephesians 1:3 says, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you ...” Note two words, begotten and inheritance.

Romans chapter eight is a great chapter, but let's read only verses 16,17, “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.” Glorified together with whom? The one we suffer with, Jesus. Being joint-heirs with Christ should seem blasphemous to anyone who would say that we are not literally the children of God. Note, however, that it would indeed be blasphemy for an unsaved person, one who has not put his complete trust in Jesus, to call himself a child of God. Recognize that although we are joint-heirs this does not necessarily mean that we are equal heirs.

Continuing this idea in Galatians 4:1-5, “Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all; But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father. Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world: But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.” Now one must understand that this expression, “the adoption of sons,” refers to an ancient Roman custom wherein a biological son was declared by his biological father to have full authority as an heir over the father's domain.

The word adoption today has a different meaning than it had in Paul's time. Today we think of a childless couple who go to an agency and after much frustration of waiting and jumping through hoops they finally are given a child which was physically born of some stranger, and has inheritance rights no different from a child actually born to the adoptive couple.

But the adoption of sons Paul is talking about is in reference to an actual biological son who has been under the tutoring and admonition of servants, to whom the son had to be obedient, but he is now fully grown and matured and the servants must now obey the orders of the son, for he now has all the authority of the father. At the rapture, when we receive our glorified bodies, we will receive the adoption of sons. We will have authority as a son of God within our Father’s domain. We don’t have that kind of authority now, although we are children of our heavenly Father.

At this present time, we who are children of God are no different from an unsaved person, as far as physical appearance is concerned. Praise God, its “For by Grace are ye saved through faith ... not of works...” (Ephesians 2:8,9). Some unsaved people are more moral than many Christians. Furthermore, sometimes we see a Christian who is such a blatant sinner that the legalists doubt his salvation, though he is lord of all. But someday we will receive the adoption of sons and then all will see that we are sons (children) of God!

Ephesians 1:5 says, “Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will.” It was God's plan before the foundations of the world that we should come into this adoption of children (sons). Then verse 7 says, “in whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins…" Our souls have been redeemed. Verse 11 says, “In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will.” Then in verses 13 and 14, “In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.” All that was purchased with the blood of Christ has not yet been redeemed. Specifically, our bodies have not yet been redeemed.

Romans 8: 19,20, “For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. For the creature {the Greek word used here is ktisis which is also translated ‘creation,’ instead of creature, elsewhere} was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope.” In Genesis God said cursed is the ground for thy sake. Note that the Earth was not cursed for anything that the Earth had done. Continuing in verses 21 and 22, “Because the creature {creation} itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.” Since the curse all of creation has had to continually keep regenerating itself through a cycle of death and rebirth. Before the curse there was no death so regeneration was unnecessary, and sometime after we receive the manifestation of sons of God, the Earth will be as it was before the fall of man and your pets and flowers living at that time will live forever.

Continuing on in Romans 8:23, “And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.” When our bodies are redeemed from the grave at the rapture we will receive the adoption of sons. Our vile bodies will be changed into glorified bodies and at that time our redemption will be complete. At the end of the thousand year reign of Christ on Earth, when the last saved person receives his glorified body, all redemption will be complete.

Why do we have to wait for the adoption of sons? Why doesn't God just give us our glorified bodies the instant we get saved? Well you see if that were the case then everyone would visually see it happen and they would say, “Hey! I want that!” Romans 8:24 says, “For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?” We are saved by grace through faith, but if we could visually see it happening to others it wouldn't require any faith. And Hebrews 11: 6 says, “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”

I John 3:1,2, “Behold, what manner of love the Father bath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. 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.” Although we are the sons of God we do not appear as we shall be, but when He appears we shall be like Him.

When God has a child what is it? In Psalm 82:1-6 God said, “God standeth in the congregation of the mighty; he judgeth among the gods (His children) How long will ye judge unjustly, and accept the persons of the wicked? Defend the poor and fatherless: do justice to the afflicted and needy. Deliver the poor and needy: rid them out of the hand of the wicked. They know not, neither will they understand; they walk on in darkness: all the foundations of the earth are out of course (Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.). I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High. But ye shall die like men, and fall like one of the princes.”

“I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High.” You can't make it any plainer than that! This is the only place in the entire Old Testament where anyone is referred to as the children of God.

Jesus quotes this in John 10:34, “Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods?” Who says we are gods? Notice that Jesus says, “I said...” So we have it from no lesser authority than Jesus Himself.

Jesus goes on in the next two verses, “If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken; Say ye of him, whom the Father hath sanctified, and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the Son of God?” Here Jesus is defending Himself against the charge of blasphemy by quoting Psalm 82:6. Because of the quoted verse above, anyone who is a child of God can call himself a god and it would not be blasphemy. Anyone who would say that Psalm 82:6 means anything else would be accusing Jesus of twisting scripture to suit His own private interpretation.

The next verse in Psalm 82, verse 7 says, “But ye shall die like men, and fall like one of the princes.”

Even if Adam had been able to get born again spiritually, and once again been a child of God in His image, because of Adam's sin and the penalty thereof, the process of dying physically would have continued. Today we can get born again spiritually, and become triune children of God; but we still die physically. Romans 8:10 says, “And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.”

We inherit sin and its penalty from our forefathers all the way back to Adam. Romans 5:12 says, “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.” We have inherited sin in our physical bodies, so our physical bodies die. So, although we are children of God, as Psalm 82:7 says, we “shall die like men.”

But when we got born of the Holy Spirit, God became our Father! The same Father that raised up Jesus from the dead! He is also our Father! He will raise our bodies up from the dead in the same way He raised His Son Jesus up from the dead. Praise God! Romans 8:11 says, “But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.”

Philippians 3:20,21, “...the Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body...” When will we receive this glorified Christ-like body? At the rapture of the church according to I Corinthians 15:52, “In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.”

God said the above, but He also said that which follows regarding our relationship, so take heed. “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” Also in Revelation 22:8,9, “And I John saw these things, and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which shewed me these things. Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God.”

There is and always will be, only one LORD God, who is sovereign, THE LORD and THE Most High! Only one Jehovah, only one King of Kings and Lord of Lords, only one I AM, only one El Shaddai, only one heavenly Father! Only one Christ! Only one Comforter! Ad infinitum...

John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son...” In this verse and in others, Jesus is referred to as the only begotten Son of God. If we are also begotten children of God, there would appear to be a conflict in the scriptures, but we know there is no disharmony in the Holy Scriptures. The expression “only begotten” is the Greek word "monogenes" and it refers to His uniqueness. Jesus is unique in His revelation of the Father, His mediation of salvation, His sinlessness, His authority to forgive sin, His unbroken communion with the Father, and His preeminence, to name a few. In Hebrews 11:17 we also see Isaac referred to as the only begotten son of Abraham, but we know that Abraham also had another son named Ishmael, and later other sons as well, but Isaac was unique.

Genesis 1:21, 24,25, says, “And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good. And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so. And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good.”

When a horse has a child, what is it? A colt!When a cow has a child, what is it? A calf!When a cat has a child, what is it? A pup? No! It's a kitten!When God has a child, what is it!

Bom again believers refer to each other as brother or sister, because God is our Father and we are His children. Humans don't have pigs, or dogs, or monkeys, or any other inferior creatures in their family. Would God have any inferior beings in His family?

In the Bible the phrase "Kingdom of God" occurs seventy two times and only in the New Testament. To have a kingdom there must be a king and there must be subjects. The children of God are the subjects in the Kingdom of God, and God Himself is the King. I Timothy 6:15 says, “...the blessed and only potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords;” And Psalm 95:3 says, "For the LORD is a great God, and a great King above all gods." No one is equal to the King, and no one is higher than the King. We are all beneath the King. But He wouldn't have much of a Kingdom if all of His subjects were not after His kind. Can you imagine the Queen of England having as subjects only a bunch of monkeys?

Now this is just a question ... if you have a part of something that is infinite, is your part only finite? Is the original still infinite?

When God has a child, what is it? Is God omnipotent? God didn't have to call us His children; He could have called us His chosen people or any of several other titles according to His choosing. Since we are His children what does this make us? This is not committing the sin of Satan, who said that he would be like the Most High. God did not create Satan in His image. Only born-again believers are in the image of God.

But! At this present time we do not have the authority of the Father, but are under tutors and governors until the time appointed for us. We grow and mature somewhat, but as long as we are not Spirit controlled we can have no authority from the Father. This makes sense too. If I had the authority of the Father I would immediately use my superior knowledge to know which stock to buy and thus become rich. Then I'd snap my fingers and SHAZAM! That person who had so persecuted me would be in deep trouble with the Internal Revenue Service! No, it just wouldn't do... I'm not yet fully controlled by the Holy Spirit. Though I may not be a baby any longer I'm still just a child. But some day...when the Lord will return... “and it doth not appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him...”

People who read this may wish to know who wrote it. People should not judge this work by who compiled it, but rather by its message only. It's not my message. I am nobody. Nevertheless, for those who may wish to shoot the messenger, I am:

Dennis Harmon
E-mail: daharm0n@aol.com (Note, the 0 in Harm0n is the number zero)

http://dennyschristianwritings.blogspot.com/

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