Sons of God
Dearly beloved, behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed upon us that we should be called the sons of God. Beloved, now we are the sons of God and it does not yet appear what we shall be, but we know that when Christ appears, we will be like him, for we shall see him as he is. [See I John 3:1 and 2]
This revelation from God says that “now we are the sons of God.” How does one become a son of God?
Jesus Christ said, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a man is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” [See the record in John 3:1 and following.]
Jesus Christ is speaking of a birth; a birth that enables a person to see the kingdom of God.
A few verses later he said, “Verily, verily I say unto you, Except a man is born of water and of the spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.”
Jesus then explains this, saying, “That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto you, you must be born again.”
Again, Jesus Christ is speaking of a birth. This birth is how we enter the kingdom of God.
The first birth is our natural birth. The breaking of waters, the breaking of the embryonic sac, indicates the birth of the flesh. That which is born of the flesh is flesh.
The words, “born again” in the Greek mean, “begotten from above,” that is, begotten by God. Except a man is begotten from above, or born again…he cannot see, or enter the kingdom of God. God is Spirit, and that which is born of the spirit is spirit. A person is born again when he receives the spirit of God.
Jesus Christ said, “Marvel not that I said unto you, You must be born again.” Jesus Christ is foretelling how one is to enter and see the kingdom of God, and he says that it is by being born again, born of God’s spirit. This birth is not optional, it is required if one is to see and enter the kingdom of God.
Jesus Christ came to give life, spirit life, which is eternal life.
Birth indicates life, as death indicates the loss of life.
Throughout the gospel records Jesus Christ said we gain this life by believing in him.
John the Baptist said that Jesus Christ came to baptize you with the holy spirit. [See Matthew 3:11, John 7: 37-39; Acts 2:1 ff, and 2: 38, 39]
Jesus Christ sent “the promise of the Father”, which is to be “endued with power from on high.” [See Luke 24:49]
He told his disciples to not depart from Jerusalem but “to wait for the promise of the Father, which saith he, ye have heard of me. For John truly baptized with water, but ye shall be baptized with the holy spirit not many days hence.” [See Acts 1:4 and 5]
The biblical record given in Acts 2:1 and ff, reveals that this occurred on the Feast of Pentecost.
When a person confesses Jesus as Lord and believes that God raised him from the dead, he is saved. He receives the remission of sins, and the gift of the holy spirit. When a person receives the spirit of God, they become a son of God.
“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.’” Romans 8:15
The word “adoption,” is translated from the Greek word, “huiothesia.” It means to place as a son. Jesus Christ said that we must be born again.” This placing as a son is not by adoption as in the Old Testament, it is by being born again of God’s spirit. We received the spirit of sonship; therefore God is now our Father, and we are His children.
“The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God”. The new birth spirit bears witness with our inner being 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. For I reckon that the sufferings of the present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” Romans 8:17 and 18
The word “huiothesia” is used in verse 23, also.
“Not only does it, but even we ourselves who have the first fruit, which is the spirit, groan within ourselves, waiting for [the inheritance of] sonship, that is, the redemption of our body.” WT, Rev. Cummins
As God’s children we have the first fruit of the spirit and we eagerly anticipate the day we will receive the inheritance that accompanies our sonship that is the redemption of our body. We will acquire this when Christ returns, and he gathers us together up to him. This is our hope of glory which is yet future. Until then we patiently await it.
Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed upon us that we should be called the sons of God. Beloved, now we are the sons of God. When Christ returns and we receive the inheritance of our sonship, the redemption of our body, we will be like him.
Today we are begotten from above and have sonship by being born again of God’s spirit; we are the sons of God. When Christ returns we will be like him; he will transform us to have glorious spiritual bodies like his.
Rejoice, dearly beloved, now you are a son of God and have eternal life, and entrance into the kingdom of God.