Living the Christian Life Magazine

 Divine Nature - Sonship and Adoption

The scriptures give clear indication that not only have we been made partakers of the Divine nature but we have been adopted in the Divine.  In regeneration the Christian receives the nature of a child of God; and in adoption he receives the position of a son of God.

Eph 1.5  Having predestined us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will

The word "children"

is from the Gr. Teknon meaning "one born"  When a baby is born into a family it takes on the family name, likewise when the believer is born spiritually, he or she is born into the family of God.

The spiritually renewed child of God

is characterised by a renewed mind in contrast to the blind ignorance of the old nature as characterised by the "old man" He is created in the likeness God in true holiness and righteousness.

The new man

has been delivered from the works of sin, falsehood, anger, grudges, theft, laziness and impure speech    (see Eph 4 v22-31)

The characteristics of the new man

in contrast are, kind hearted to one another, forgiving one another, walking in love.

In creation

man was made in the image of God, by sin and disobedience the image of God in man was defaced. All mankind bears the image of the earthly. See (1Cor 15.49)

In the incarnation

Jesus Christ came as the image of the invisible God  See (2Cor 4.4 & Col 1.15)

God's purpose is that the believer should be conformed to the image of His Son.  See. (Rom 8.29)

Paul in Ephesians reminds to.  

Be ye, therefore followers of God, as dear children;

And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us as an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour.

Conclusion

Not only did Jesus Christ rise from the dead and ascend into heaven, but also he is seated at the right-hand of God interceding on our behalf.

The effects of our fallen nature and the attacks of the evil one are only too evident in our daily lives to remind us of our failures, and yet in these loving verses the love of the Father to his children is evident to forgive our short comings.

Our true image of the Father will not be complete until at Christ's return when the saints will bear the image of the heavenly.  (See 1 Cor 15.49 and Phil 3.21)

what image are we proclaiming to the outside world.?

Is the World seeing the Divine Image of Christ in us.?

Sonship and Adoption

Continuing studies on A New Creation

The Scriptures give clear indication that not only have we been made partakers of the Diving nature,We have also been made a child of God. And have received the nature of a child of God.

Bible Reading

John Ch.3 1-13 (GNT)

Jesus and Nicodemus

There was a Jewish leader named Nicodemus, who belonged to the party of the Pharisees. 2 One night he went to Jesus and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher sent by God. No one could perform the miracles you are doing unless God were with him.”

3 Jesus answered, “I am telling you the truth: no one can see the Kingdom of God without being born again.”

4 “How can a grown man be born again?” Nicodemus asked. “He certainly cannot enter his mother's womb and be born a second time!”

5 “I am telling you the truth,” replied Jesus, “that no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. 6 A person is born physically of human parents, but is born spiritually of the Spirit. 7 Do not be surprised because I tell you that you must all be born again. 8 The wind blows wherever it wishes; you hear the sound it makes, but you do not know where it comes from or where it is going. It is like that with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

9 “How can this be?” asked Nicodemus.

10 Jesus answered, “You are a great teacher in Israel, and you don't know this? 11 I am telling you the truth: we speak of what we know and report what we have seen, yet none of you is willing to accept our message.

Bible Study Room