Divine Children

Moments when the Holy Spirit falls upon a place where people are…

- People separated come into agreement.

- Hearts are aligned with God

- “one accord”

- The main thing remains the main thing

- The children look up to Father

The church, when lived in accord with God’s purpose is beautiful.

Heaven is on earth. God’s kingdom in Heaven is being lived out on a foreign land (planet Earth).

As we move in the direction of learning and discovering our spiritual gifts, I would like to point out a simple and yet astounding truth to you.

Those who receive the message of Jesus Christ receive God the Father and become His divine children.

While I am aware that what I just shared with you is elementary towards the understanding of salvation, I would like to do a deep dive into this idea to either remind you or redefine your understanding of God as Father.

READ JOHN 1:12-13

Before the apostle John jumps into his account of the story of King Jesus, he gave a beautiful prologue that explains the foundational truth of the gospel.

Jesus is the word of God.

Jesus was with God at creation.

Jesus is the light of the world.

Jesus gives those who believe in Him the right to become children of God.

What does it mean to be a child of God?

1. A Child of God “Receives” the “Right” to Belong.

John explained that individuals who place their faith in Jesus Christ “received” Him.

While others rejected the message that Jesus Christ spoke on this earth of His father in Heaven, there were people who “recieved” Jesus Christ through His message.

Received comes from the word (lambano) which means “to acquire”.

By having faith in the message of Jesus instead of rejecting Him, believers acquire the gift of salvation.

While many believed Jesus to be nothing but a man with a message, those who believed did not walk away empty handed.

By receiving Jesus, those who believe are given the “right” to belong to God’s kingdom.

(exousia) - Power and authority.

Authority is the freedom to decide or a right to act without hindrance.

The gift of salvation gives Christians the right to belong to God which is a really good thing.

We’ve all been in a position where we weren’t chosen, invited, or given the ability to belong. We have a desire in our hearts to belong to something. Especially something greater than ourselves that gives life purpose.

For those who have trusted in Jesus Christ, we aren’t saying that we believe in the truth of Jesus’ message.

We don’t simply believe in a message. Christians believe in a person.

Jesus didn’t teach truth. He is the truth.

Because of this belief, we have heavenly authority to claim that we belong to the kingdom of God.

There is access and belonging.

We are not on the outside of truth and peace. We stand smack dab in the middle of it.

Why are we there?

We are there because God has grace for those who believe through faith in Jesus Christ.

You don’t belong to this world. You belong to the kingdom of God.

2. A Child of God Receives a Likeness to God.

The word used for “child” in John 1:12 is (teknon) meaning “child” or “descendent”.

Different word for son than the way Jesus is described as a son to God.

To belong to a person as a child and bear their resemblance is personal and special.

Jesus didn’t die on the cross simply to rid people of sin. He died because He was gaining new children for God to welcome into the family.

Who in here is beginning to look and act as their father or mother no matter how hard you try to avoid it?

It is one thing to look like your parent. What about being like your parent in the way they treat one another?

1 John 3:1-3 - “1See what great love the Father has given us that we should be called God’s children—and we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it didn’t know him. 2 Dear friends, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet been revealed. We know that when he appears, we will be like him because we will see him as he is. 3 And everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself just as he is pure.”

The thought of becoming like our family can bring up a wide variety of emotions.

As much as you belong to your family in their way of life and the way they look, God intends for His people know that they actually belong to Him above all.

What does it mean to have a likeness to God?

God has GREAT love for you - You were’t included in a divorce settlement and tacked on to a greater blessing. God chose you to receive Him. He cares for you individually.

The world ultimately cannot understand you - The ways of God have been rejected by men which puts you in the crosshairs of that rejection. You don’t get to belong to the world if you belong to God.

God’s victory is your victory - Because you belong to Him, when the resurrected Jesus appears, you too will be resurrected from this earthly body and reign with the Father in heaven for eternity.

God’s purity is your purity - With your hope fixed on Jesus, you are promised that He will pick you up from sin and cleanse you forever.

3. A Child of God Joins a Royal Blood Line

To be born of earth is natural and earthly.

Born through the “will” of the flesh and the “will” of man.

Will = Desire.

Everyone born of flesh and man is born out of earthly desire.

In other words, anyone can do this.

But son’s of God are different.

While born of this earth and in sin, something different has happened because of their decision to repent and follow Jesus.

“Right Royal Gift” - Absolutely divine blood line.

When the blood of Jesus Christ overshadowed the repentant sinner, the new believer is brought into the family of God and given the legal authority to belong to the King as a son or a daughter. We are born again and belong to the bloodline of the King.

To be born of God is explained in John 3.

When a child is born, there is no more pure of a moment on earth. A truly glorious moment and yet over time, sin will radically alter the situation which creates disparity.

There is nothing that man has ever touched that didn’t wind up falling into corruption.

Just name it and we have found a way to ruin it.

This is why creation groans for the return of Jesus Christ.

There is a yearning and groaning for peace to return.

This is why the church is so important.

The church are born-again believers who belong to King Jesus in His blood and the likeness of God to show the world where to find truth.

When we repent of our sin, we usher in the Holy Spirit. When the Holy Spirit fills us, we will know who we belong to.

When our hearts are aligned with God, we can position ourselves to receive the gifts He has to serve as His holy church.