[Papercut Press] 2000-11-14 - A Child of God

Part 7 - What Actually Happened? The Moment I Trusted Christ

Romans 8:14-17 For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, 'Abba! Father!' The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.

We come to the seventh thing that happens the moment we trusted Christ for salvation.

  1. I became a Child of God (John 1:12)

    The Bible looks at the concept of being a child of God, or being a son of God in four various ways.

    1. It is applied to Jesus Christ.
      Hebrews 1:5 "For to which of the angels did He ever say, 'You are My Son, Today I have begotten You?' And again, 'I will be a Father to Him, and He will be a Son to Me?'"This can also be seen in a Trinitarian manner in Matthew 28:19 "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit."Lastly, Luke 1:35 is another place where this can be seen.
    2. It is applied to angels and spiritual beings.
      Job 1:6 "Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them." Again, it is thought that the angels are being referenced in Job 38:7 "When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?"
    3. The term is applied to human leaders because they have authority and authority is something given by God.
      Psalm 82:6 "I said, 'You are gods, and all of you are sons of the Most High.'"
    4. However, most of the way we think about being sons of God, or children of God is in relation to the wonderful Scriptural teachings on Adoption. There are really two ways this applies to people in Scripture.

    One is in a general way. For example in Romans 9:4 "who are Israelites, to whom belongs the adoption as sons and the glory and the covenants and the giving of the Law and the service and the promises." See also Exodus 4:22.

    The other way this Biblical message applies is in a spiritual way. The classic passage is quoted above at the top, Romans 8: 14-17. Galatians 4:6 and the surrounding verses talk about our being sons of God, "And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts crying, 'Abba! Father'" Or again, Ephesians 1:5 "He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will."

    So a lot of Biblical evidence has been given today. But what does it all mean? The term is really not all that complicated as it applies to a believer who comes to faith in Jesus Christ. Adoption is a new relationship that is entered into by a new creature who has been given a new heart. That new relationship is between God and the newly adopted son or daughter. The son or daughter can now call God, "Daddy," or "Father." This implies a new intimacy that was, before, nonexistent.

    Adoption is a great privilege because we now bear a special name as children of God, 1 John 3:1, Revelation 2:17, 3:12. We become heirs with God and joint heirs with the inheritance of the riches in Christ, James 2:5, 1 Peter 1:4, Philippians 3:21. And these are only a couple of the blessings that come with being sons and daughters of God. It really is one of the great blessings of trusting Christ for salvation that we become children of God.

Soli Deo Gloria,
T-

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