To be, or not to be!
V24 n26
1 John 3:1, 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. KJV
1 John 3:1 See
what wonderful love the Father has bestowed on us in letting us be called
God's children, and that is what we are!
This is why the world does not know what we are, because it has never
come to know Him. (William's New Testament)
To
be, or not to be, called the sons or children of God! This is the question that
is presented to each and every person that is upon this place called earth. For
God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son as a ransom and
payment in full, for the sins of all mankind. Thus, each and every person has
the same opportunity, has the same gift placed before them, to give them the
means to be adopted into God’s family.
But,
what does it mean to you, to be adopted into God’s family? How is this
accomplished? And, what do we do when we get into His family?
Definition for adoption: 5206 huiothesia-
adoption, adoption as sons : a) that relationship which God was pleased to
establish between himself and the Israelites in preference to all other nations
b) the nature and condition of the true disciples in Christ, who by
receiving the Spirit of God into their souls become sons of God c) the blessed state looked for in the future
life after the visible return of Christ from heaven. (Thayer’s’)
Adoption
was an act frequent among the ancient Hebrews, Greeks, and Romans; by which
a person was taken out of one family and incorporated with another. Persons
of property, who had no children of their own, adopted those of another family.
The child thus adopted ceased to belong to his own family, and was in
every respect bound to the person who had adopted him, as if he were his own
child; and in consequence of the death of his adopting father he
possessed his estates. If a person after he had adopted a child happened to
have children of his own, then the estate was equally divided between the
adopted and real children. The Romans had regular forms of law, by which all
these matters were settled. (from Adam Clarke Commentary)
A friend of God is high; a
son of God is higher; but the servant, or the slave of God is
higher than all;-- in a word, he is a person who feels he has no
property in himself, and that God is all and in all. (from
Adam Clarke Commentary)
A
friend is someone who is close or dear to someone, but yet, not a part of the
family or lineage.
(Definition
for “friend”: 5384 philos- a
friend, to be friendly to one, to wish him well
a) a friend b) an associate c) he who associates familiarly with one, a
companion d) one of the (bride) groom's
friends who on his behalf asked the hand of the bride and rendered him various
services in closing the marriage and celebrating the nuptials.)
Many people are close to God, they consider
themselves a friend of God, but, does that mean they are a part of His family?
Have they met the terms and conditions (John 3:3-8, 2Cor
We (all of mankind) have been called or invited to join God’s family; that is to become His children by adoption. How many though, will choose to accept His invitation? (Mt 7:13-14). Many use the excuse that they have to many things that they think or deem necessary to do or accomplish here, before they are willing to acknowledge or accept His invitation or call. Matthew 7:21-23 gives a person a good illustration of those that are friends of God. They know who God is. They have a varied idea of what Him and His kingdom are about. However, they have never accepted His invitation into His family, under the terms and conditions which He has set forth.
Then there are those that have accepted God’s invitation to join His family. They want all of the rights, benefits and privileges once they are in the family. Once there (in His family) they have no sense of obligation to do anything more on their part, to grow in that vibrant relationship with the Father. (If you just showed up at school, and never did anything, do you think you would graduate?) We can see a good illustration of this in Matthew 25:1-13, Heb 5:11-14, and 1Cor 3:1-4.
In Matthew 25, one is able to see the examples of five wise virgins, and five foolish virgins. With the five foolish virgins, we are able to see a clear illustration of those that accepted the invitation to God’s family. However, once they got there, they assumed nothing more was required of them. By having the wrong priorities and motivations, they became lazy and tired, and allowed the oil for their lamps to run out. They assumed because of the examples they had seen of others, that nothing more was required of them, other then showing up. Then when the announcement was made for their final departure from here, they did not have ample light to find their way. They tried to buy it from the world, but none was available. In the end, they lost out, and were left; they were not acknowledged by the Father as one of His. What are your priorities this day?
We are also able to see the examples that Paul gave us of the same kinds of people in 1Cor 3:1-4.
1 Corinthians 3, 1. So I
myself, brothers, could not deal with you as spiritual persons, but as
creatures of human clay, as merely baby Christians. 2. I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you
could not take it. Why, you cannot take it even now, 3.
for you are still unspiritual. For when there are still jealousy and
wrangling among you, are you not still unspiritual and living by a human
standard? 4. For
when one says, "I belong to Paul's party," and another, "I
belong to Apollos' party," are you not acting as
mere human creatures? (Williams NT)
In these verses we are able to see how Paul describes the carnal, fleshly, or worldly minded Christians. (One must remember, that Paul is addressing believers here). First off, when one is on the milk of the Word, they are totally dependent upon someone else feeding them. So, unless one takes the time, and makes a sincere effort to rightly divide the Word of truth, how will they know if what they are being fed, is the pure Word of God?
Secondly,
Paul tells them that not only did they require milk, but they were full of
envy, division and strife, over who they would accept the milk from. They were
bickering and fighting among themselves, and thus showed and proved that they
were living and operating by human wisdom and standards. They were more
concerned about their cliques and factions, then in maintaining their right
relationship with God. How often does one see this same sort of behavior in the
Church today?
Heb 5: 11. I have much to say to you about Him,
but it is difficult to make it clear to you, since you have become so dull in your
spiritual senses. 12. For although you
ought to be teachers of others because you have been Christians so long, you
actually need someone to teach you over and over again the very elements of the
truths that God has given us, and you have gotten into such a state that you
are in constant need of milk instead of solid food. 13. For everyone who uses milk alone is
inexperienced in the message of right-doing; he is only an infant. 14. But solid food belongs to full-grown men who
on account of constant use have their faculties trained to distinguish good and
evil. (Williams NT).
In these verses from Hebrews, we see Paul again addressing those who were content to be fed the milk of the Word. (After all, isn’t it the preachers job to study, so we do not have to?). Here Paul was wanting to share more with them about who Christ is, but he was not able to, because they were dull or lazy in their desire to hear the truth. How often do you tell God that you have more important things to do, then to study the Word for His approval? And, did you know, there is a difference between reading and studying?
Paul is also very stern with them, in letting them know that by this time they should have been teachers of the Word. They should have already been that example of the believers, yet, here they were now having to go to nursery school again. They were not able to partake of the meat of the Word, but rather they were having to be fed baby cereal. How many Christians do you see like that today? Many can recite verses, and they can tell you what so and so said; but, do they have a working knowledge of God’s Word for themselves?
What
a reproach to Christians, who hold the Bible to be a collection of the oracles
of God, and who not only do not consult it in the momentous concerns of either
this or the future life, but go in direct opposition to it! (from
Adam Clarke Commentary)
But strong meat, belongs to those that have applied themselves to the Word of God, and allowed the Holy Spirit to be their teacher and their guide. They have dedicated themselves to be a servant of God.
There
are spiritual senses as well as those that are natural. There is a spiritual
eye, a spiritual appetite, a spiritual taste; the soul has its sensations as
well as the body; these are much depraved and lost by sin, but they are
recovered by grace.
It
is by use and exercise that these senses are improved, made more quick and
strong to taste the sweetness of what is good and true, and the bitterness of
what is false and evil. Not only reason and faith, but spiritual sense, will
teach men to distinguish between what is pleasing and what is provoking to God,
between what is helpful and what is hurtful to our own souls.
There is strong meat for those that
are of full age, v. 14. The deeper mysteries of religion belong to those
that are of a higher class in the school of Christ, who have learned the first
principles and well improved them; so that by reason of use they have their
senses exercised to discern both good and evil, duty and sin, truth and error. (from
Matthew Henry's Commentary)
2Tim
[Study
to allow thyself approved unto God] Endeavour so to cultivate and
improve thy heart and mind, that thou mayest not be a
reproach to him from whom thou professest to receive
thy commission.
(from Adam Clarke Commentary)
So as we can see that there are those that are friends of God, those that are His children, and those which are His servants; the question is, which one describes your relationship with God?
That you may know Him,
In the service of Jesus Christ.
Larry Gazelka
J
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