Sons and Daughters of Our Father

Woodland Hills Church of Christ

Sons and Daughters of God –

Are We Living Up to Our Calling?

Introduction: We studied this past Wednesday evening the promises God made to David and his offspring, specifically saying, “I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son” (2 Sam. 7:14). This promise was not just given to David’s offspring, Jesus, but to all those who become the offspring of Jesus.

Romans 8:12-17 expresses the benefit and challenge of becoming “sons of God.”

• As seen in our earthly families, there are immense advantages to “family” and immense benefits to becoming a heir. It is amazing to consider, we have been adopted into a heavenly family.
• As sons of our Father, we are no longer living as slaves, but adopted as sons & daughters, having all the full rights and benefits that would be given to a natural born child.
• But as is seen in verse 17, to be brought into God’s family means we are called to participate in the work and purposes of the family head. Therefore, if we are to be glorified with him, we will also suffer with him.

1. Our Purpose as Sons of Our Father
   1. “Sons of God” is not a term used only for those who follow Jesus. It was first used in the heavenly realm.
      1. Deut. 32:8-9 The Lord placed angels (or spiritual beings) over the nations and called them “sons of God.” We also see this in Daniel 10
      2. Job 1:6, “Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themself before the Lord, and Satan (Accuser) also came among them.” In this case, we even see these sons of God gathered in a type of council possibly for the purpose of giving a report to God. Since Satan’s desire is to destroy mankind, it seems that he has taken it upon himself to accuse man before God in order to insist their destruction. Cf. Rev. 12:10. “The accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God.”
      3. Psalm 82 describes a similar council, calling it a “divine council.” In this case, we see those within the council who have not kept their charge before the Lord. This again reminds us of Daniel 10 and the angel of the Lord mentioning his battle with the prince of the kingdom of Persia and the future battle with the prince of the kingdom of Greece.
      4. Compare John 10:33-36. They failed their purpose to faithfully deliver the word of God to the nations. “The Jews answered him, “It is not for a good work that we are going to stone you but for blasphemy, because you, being a man, make yourself God.” Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your Law, ‘I said, you are gods’? If he called them gods to whom the word of God came—and Scripture cannot be broken—do you say of him whom the Father consecrated and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’?”
   2. Let’s stop and make a few conclusions:
      1. The fact that these beings are called sons of God indicates that their existence and purpose is defined as image-bearers of God. They not only serve God, they reflect all that God is and even stand in the place of God. This is evident in the Psalm 82 text in which the Lord condemned them for failing to reflect and teach God to the nations.
      2. The heavenly realm existed before the creation of the heavens and earth. In that heavenly realm, we get glimpses of how God ordered his spiritual universe. God did not just “do” everything by himself. In other words, he didn’t always just “speak” and it happened, like in the Creation story. Spiritual beings were created to participate in God’s work in the heavenly realm. Again, this is evident in Daniel 10.
      3. Now transition to the creation of our earthly realm (Genesis 1:27-28). When God created the heavenly realm, he also had in mind an eventual “expanded dwelling place” and a new creation. We also were made in the image of God. We also were given a high calling, not only multiplying the image of God throughout the world, but also having dominion over the world.
         1. In Psalm 8, David said, “What is man that you are mindful of him? Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. You have given him dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under his feet.”
         2. This passage is quoted in Hebrews 2:5-10 proclaims that God’s plan is to put the world to come under our control. The writer then shows that though we have not yet attained that position, Jesus is leading us to the same glory and honor he received. But the path to the goal is through suffering.
         3. Therefore, we are immediately able to see our similarity in this earthly realm in comparison to the angelic beings. In each realm God created sons of God – image bearers – who have glory, honor, and dominion over that realm.
   3. Though we fractured ourselves as image-bearers, the Lord was determined to bring us back into his image. Romans 8:14-15 tells us, “For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.” Further, both Paul and the Hebrew writer tell us that the path to glory, honor, and dominion is suffering.
   4. Why suffering? The creation of the earthly realm obviously did not sit well with Satan and a host of angels who have followed him. Thus, “there was war in heaven” (Rev. 12:7). Satan was determined to destroy God’s new creation. Thus, there are many answers to this question, but the two that fit this lesson are:
      1. The devil/serpent/dragon brought on this battle through his desire for power and his pride and arrogance. Thus, we are called into the battle. Satan has tried to defeat God, defame God’s goodness, and ultimately destroy us through the power of sin and death. That is why we suffer – we willingly join the battle.
      2. But most importantly, we are willing to suffer to show God’s manifold wisdom, to show that our God is worthy of praise, glory, and honor, and thus to judge these wicked angelic beings for calling God’s character into question.
         1. Through us God defeats the idea presented to Eve that God is “holding out on us” and doesn’t want us to enjoy what he has.
         2. Through us, God defeats Satan’s accusation in Job that God is just bribing man to obey him and that man would not love God if he had to suffer.
2. Divine Power to Make Us Sons of Our Father (2 Peter 1:3-11)
   1. Peter begins his second letter by immediately making the connection with the same purposes we have previously seen. Through God’s divine power, he “called us to his own glory and excellence.”
   2. He has also “granted to us his precious and very great promises” (to say the least!!), so that we can “become partakers of the divine nature.” Do you recall the “divine council” of Psalm 82:1? Again we see God making us sons like him in order to participate with him in his purposes. “Partakers of the divine nature!” Who can grasp the thought? It is a pursuit above all pursuits!
   3. Please note some of the key words in the text:
      1. Vs. 5: “make every effort…”
      2. Vs. 8: “yours and increasing”
      3. Vs. 10: “be all the more diligent”
   4. Partaking of the divine nature; becoming like our Father:
      1. Virtue relates directly to the characteristic of God already mentioned in vs. 3. It means “excellence” or “goodness.” It is an excellence of character or moral excellence that is seen in how we live our daily lives.
      2. Knowledge: Not just knowledge of the Word, but knowledge that brings us to know God. God supplied us with a book that one can study for a lifetime and not learn it all or see it all; there is still more to understand. And yet, how many Christians remain satisfied with the basics?
      3. Self-control is the foundational quality of a person who is mature. Self-control has to do with what we do with food, with our tongue, with possessions, with sexual desire, with our emotions, with our work, and with our time. A person who lacks self-control is doomed. A self-controlled person does not allow his feelings and urges to control him. He is able to say, “No” to himself. He is disciplined.
      4. Endurance/steadfastness is the ability to bear up in the face of difficulty. One is able to remain steadfast whether he is dealing with persecution or dealing with the constant pressures of temptation or in the lap of luxury. He does not give in to the desire to relax and quit.
      5. Godliness is a loyalty toward God so that a person is fully conscience of God’s presence at all times and responds accordingly. Godliness is a mind and a life that is the opposite of the ways of the world.
      6. Brotherly affection is a love of family members and thus a love of brethren, our spiritual family. Peter has already gone to great lengths to stress this: “love one another fervently from a pure heart.” This is the most important command that Jesus left His disciples (Jn. 13:34), and yet it is repeatedly violated.
      7. Love: Jesus defined love when he sacrificed his life so all could be saved. This may be the one command in which we are most lacking, and yet it is the primary description of being God’s image-bearers. We involve ourselves in the lives of others so we can share Jesus with them. “Love” lays down his life, as John says (1 Jn. 3:16).

Conclusion: God made a heavenly realm and then expanded his dwelling place in an earthly realm. The time will come when God merges these two realms together (Eph. 1:10). In both realms, God created sons of God, those who would reflect him and bring about his purposes. And in both realms rebellion marred God’s creation. But when God created us as his sons and daughters, he also created us to be crowned with glory and honor and have “dominion over the world to come.” He said we would even judge angels (1 Cor. 6:3). Now, are we living up to the title sons and daughters of God?

We must not simply think in terms of us becoming better people, better Christians, better fathers and mothers to our own children. Those goals are certainly important but only when they are seen in how we practice and grow to the greater purpose of reflecting God’s image and preparing for the future goal of the world to come. God’s purpose for us is glory and honor, not becoming “Dad of the year.”

Berry Kercheville

The post Sons and Daughters of Our Father appeared first on Woodland Hills Church of Christ.