“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.” John 1:12
WHEN GOD BECOMES OUR HEAVENLY FATHER – When God becomes our Heavenly Father, we obtain sonship. Sons of God . . . now that’s quite an honor! To be a son of God is to become a child of God by being born again by the Spirit of God into the family of God. As a result, God becomes your Heavenly Father.
PREPOSTEROUS EVEN BLASPHEMOUS – However, in Jesus’ day such an idea was considered preposterous—even blasphemous especially by the religious leaders. And rightly so! Mankind was too sinful to ever attain to the same status of Holy God. But God had a plan, and it was pure grace!
GOD DID FOR US – God did for us what we could not do for ourselves. That’s what grace is! God came to us in the person of Jesus Christ. And that’s what grace does! It was Jesus Christ who, through His death, burial and resurrection, made it possible for us to become sons of God! Now He offers us the opportunity to begin again by being born anew into the family of God.
THE PREREQUISITE – The prerequisite is that we must believe on His name. His name is His person! It includes all He is and all He has done. Such believing is much more than mere mental assent to the biblical facts about Jesus. Believing involves receiving! You must receive Him—Christ Jesus the Lord—into your life. Only then can you become a child of God, and only then does God become your Heavenly Father!
YOU MUST BELIEVE – You must believe the truth about Jesus Christ, receive the person of Jesus Christ, and rely completely upon Jesus Christ for your life. God’s mode of operation for us is that we continuously believe and receive. This is the way you begin the Christian life, and this is the way you must live the Christian life.
YOU MUST RECEIVE – You must receive the person of Jesus Christ into your life! Do you believe? If so, then have you received? Furthermore, are you continuing to believe and receive from Him for every detail of your life? He who authorized us to become sons of God has also empowered us to live as sons of God.
THE QUESTION IS – The question is, “What are you doing about it?” Your part is simple: believe and receive. When you truly believe, then you will also receive. Receiving is an attitude of faith. It’s a faith response that allows the Lord Jesus Christ to work in your life. Living like that is sonship at it’s finest!
IT’S TIME TO PRAY. “Dear God, thank you so much for the privilege of having an eternal relationship with You as my Heavenly Father! Thank You for liberating me from my old family ties to the Devil through Adam, and connecting me to my Father God through my union with Christ. I am so grateful that You have made me Your child, and that I am now part of the family of God, with You as my Abba Father—my Daddy God! Cause me to continue daily to believe You and receive from You everything I need for living.”
Dr. Lewis Gregory Source Ministries © 2019
LISTEN: Do you bear the family likeness? Whose image is expressed in your life? When you are born again of the Spirit of God, you have a new father. God becomes your Heavenly Father! LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON
Sat, Jun 20, 2020
Character, Christian Living, Foundational, Marriage & Family, Spiritual Growth, TEACHING, Written Articles