Knowing the Desirous will of God: We are to Act in a Mature Way

One who is placed as a son is considered by the father to be mature.

Those who are not mature are referred to as inarticulate babblers because they lack in their mental capacity to act as a grown-up, Galatians 4:1-2.

Galatians 4:1–2 NKJV

Now I say that the heir, as long as he is a child, does not differ at all from a slave, though he is master of all, but is under guardians and stewards until the time appointed by the father.

This immaturity is describing one who is under law,

for while they are seen as inarticulate babblers they are under governors and tutors

and although being the heir, are treated just like all the other workers of the household.

Prior to the foundations of the world, the Godhead determined that those who would be placed into the Christ,

the new creation in which Christ is the head and the Church is the body, (2 Corinthians 5:17; 1 Corinthians 12:12; Ephesians 1:22-23)

2 Corinthians 5:17 (NKJV)

So that since someone is in Christ, a new creation, the archaic things have passed away, behold all things have become new

1 Corinthians 12:12 (NKJV)

For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is the Christ.

Ephesians 1:22–23 NKJV

And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.

will have their bounds marked out to the placement of sons.

There are two words here that are often misunderstood due to poor translations.

Scripture is not using the words predestine or adoption.

The word translated as “predestine” actually means “horizon” and is used of plans that have been marked out (Acts 4:28), describing the boundaries set forth in them.

Acts 4:28 NKJV

to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose determined before to be done.

The Greek words for “adoption” do not occur in Scripture.

The word being translated as “adoption” means, “son placement”,

and is a specific term used in Roman culture to describe the time in which a child is placed as a son because the father is pleased with their training and maturity,

so they are no longer under governors and tutors.

Although typically a position of the first born male child, a female child could also be placed into this position.

It does not have anything to do with the sex of a person, it is referring to their position within the household.

As ones who are placed as sons, we are not under any law,

for we are expected to mature in our thinking and understanding so that we act in a wise manner,

living out the righteousness that we have in Christ in a pious manner while manifesting godliness through our actions.

It is by God’s desirous will that those who are placed into the Christ will always be sons before Him. Never under law, always under grace and those who live out from faith.

When a person does not mature in their Christian life because they are not being taught or using the basic principles of the Christ, they are in a state of an inarticulate babbler.

There are eight different types of Christians described in Scripture that fall into two primary categories, carnal or Spiritual.

Those who are carnal focus on the desires of the flesh and therefore cannot mature (1 Corinthians 3:1-3).

1 Corinthians 3:1–3 NKJV

And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ. I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able; for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men?

They are often ensnared by Satan to do his will (2 Timothy 2:26),

2 Timothy 2:26 NKJV

and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will.

or seek to show others how righteous they are by their works (Galatians 3:1-3).

Galatians 3:1–3 NKJV

O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you as crucified? This only I want to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?—Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh?

Others will seek to masquerade as those under law (Romans 12:1-2),

Romans 12:1–2 NKJV

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

become lovers of this present malignantly evil age (2 Timothy 4:10)

2 Timothy 4:10 NKJV

for Demas has forsaken me, having loved this present world, and has departed for Thessalonica—Crescens for Galatia, Titus for Dalmatia.

or the world system (1 John 2:15).

1 John 2:15 NKJV

Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

However, the Spiritual ones are maturing for they are able to discern the things of the Spirit (1 Corinthians 2:15)

1 Corinthians 2:15 NKJV

But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one.

and use wisdom (1 Corinthians 2:6).

1 Corinthians 2:6 NKJV

However, we speak wisdom among those who are mature, yet not the wisdom of this age, nor of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing.

They set the boundaries of their minds on the things above (Colossians 3:1-3)

Colossians 3:1–3 NKJV

If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.

while seeking to fulfill the desires from the Spirit (Romans 8:5)

Romans 8:5 NKJV

For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.

by putting on the new man who is created in righteousness and piety of the truth (Ephesians 4:24).

Ephesians 4:24 NKJV

and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.

Let us not become those, who even after plenty of time, are not maturing (Hebrews 5:12)

Hebrews 5:12 NKJV

For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food.

and again need to be taught the basic principles of the Christian life.

For they cannot handle the word of God (Hebrews 5:13)

Hebrews 5:13 NKJV

For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe.

and are inarticulate babblers who are tossed around by every wind of teaching.

Rather, let us through the exercising of our senses discern what is proper and wrong (Hebrews 5:14)

Hebrews 5:14 NKJV

But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

so that we are truly living out who we are in Christ,

maturing, and coming to a full experiential knowledge of the truth while living a life that measures up to the stature of the fullness of Christ (Ephesians 4:12).

We are sons of God, not children who are under governors and tutors.

By God’s desirous will we have been marked off to be the mature ones,

knowing and understanding Spiritual things while living out from faith.

Therefore, let us go on to maturity,

leaving behind the things of the inarticulate babbler,

which are based on manmade religions according to the principles of the world system through false humility and self-abasement,

while using the freedom we have in Christ to live righteously, properly discerning the desirous will of God in our lives and showing through our actions that we truly belong to Him.

Ephesians 1:3–5

Well-spoken of is the God even Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the One eulogizing us in every spiritual eulogy in the heavens in Christ, just as He has chosen us in Him from the foundation of [the] world, us to be holy and blameless before Him in love, having marked off our bounds to the placement of sons through Jesus Christ unto Himself, according to the good pleasure of His desirous will.