Children of God

What does it mean to be children of God? There is only one way to answer that question, and that is through the infallible, and unadulterated, Word of God. And that Word of the Lord is the same yesterday, today, and forever. God does not change, and His Word is not subject to the boundaries, restrictions, and whim of man or time. What God proclaims to be true will never fail, and it is something that we can trust in, depend on, and rely upon. In addition, the Word of the Lord is not relative and limited to the times that we live in today, nor subject to the cultural, social, economic, and historical context of our era. The Word of God is relative for all generations. And that is something that true Christians can be thankful for as we awake and live-out our daily lives. Rejoicing and praising God for His goodness, mercy, and grace is an outpouring of the true baptism of the Holy Spirit that causes all children of God to cry Abba Father. And there is great peace in knowing that “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God (Matthew 4:4).”

So with that said, the scripture that is referenced in this blog is taken from one of the best Bibles that we have ever had the privilege of holding in our hands, and that is the King James Bible (KJV). That is the same version of the Bible that flamed the explosive growth of the Protestant Reformation, along with the Geneva Bible, which enabled the common man to know that there is only one way to the Father, and that is through Jesus Christ our Lord (John 14:6). There is nothing like the real deal. After the distribution of the KJB was further propagated by the printing press and the widespread and affordable availability of the divine Word of God, some two hundred and seventy years would pass through the annuls of time before there would be a major attempt to thwart that message. True freedom was found, unlike anything that had been know since the time of our Lord’s ascension to the Father and the establishment of the New Testament Church. And since 1611, some four hundred and three years have passed. Believers from around the world have been able to celebrate the very Word of God. 

Children of God have been born again, made possible through the redemptive work of our Lord Jesus Christ. As John 3:16 so eloquently proclaims, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” As the lamb of God, Jesus Christ died in our place on the cross, thereby exemplifying the true meaning of love, mercy, and grace, 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 proclaims the gospel, which simply states, “For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures.” And the term simple is used, as there is simplicity in Christ. There is only one way of Salvation, and that is through the finished and completed work of Jesus Christ. In that simplicity, no work of the flesh will do (Ephesians 2:8 & 9), as anything this side of heaven is tainted with the corruption of sin. John 1:12, as written by the Apostle John by inspiration of the Holy Spirit, who was an eye witness of our Lord Jesus Christ (I John 1:1 – 4), states, “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God (children 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.” And notice that the will of man is subject to the will of God. Romans 10:9 & 10 further states, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”

In Acts 2:38, the Apostle Peter responds to the question of what one must do to be saved, which is, “…Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.” Jesus also comforted His disciples, by telling them that after His departure, He would send the gift of the Holy Spirit (John 14). And not only would the Holy Spirit be on them, but it would be in them (John 14:17). The second chapter of Acts records the first account of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit (Baptism of the Holy Spirit), which came upon all who believe. The children of God are sealed by the Holy Spirit, and in fact, that is how we know that we are truly saved. Romans 8 is a marvelous chapter of the Bible that illustrates the reality of being filled with the Holy Spirit. In verse fourteen, we know that, “as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.” And the Holy Spirit of God always points us to Jesus Christ, and prompts us to walk in the will of God. There is no substitute for the genuine work of God. As temples of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19-20), we long to walk in the light of His Word. And we also know that just like Jesus was raised from the dead by the Spirit of God, we too will one day be raised incorruptible, and given glorified bodies (I Corinthians 15). We will live with the Lord for eternity. “…God is light, and in him is no darkness at all (I John 1:5). To be continued… 

~Don Fizell (Published January 1 ,2014)