To get pearls, one must dive deep!

Tag: Children of God

High to Low so Low to High

In a world where one aspires to reach the highest echelons, the following one liner is a sobering reminder of where our position is and where it ought to have been.
The God Most High (Psalm 83:18) became God most low (Philippains 2:7) so that man most low (made from dust; Genesis 3:19) can become man most high (as heirs with Christ Jesus; Romans 8:17)

Why? Love; God’s love. Behold what manner of love the Father (God) has bestowed upon us, that we should be called the children of God (1 John 3:1). Think about it.

Psalm 83:18 (KJV)
18 That men may know that thou, whose name alone is JEHOVAH, art the most high over all the earth.

Philippians 2:7 (KJV)
But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:

Genesis 3:19 (KJV)
19 In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.

Romans 8:14-17 (KJV)
14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

A pyramidical mystery revealed

On our visit to the Great Pyramids of Giza in Egypt, on December 20th, 2011, we were not only awe-struck by the sheer size of the pyramids but also spellbound at the thought that the most prized of all of God’s creation, man, could build such colossal and magnificient structures. On our camel and horse ride to the pyramids, our beloved five year old son, Reuben, asked our guide, Mahmoud, as to how the pyramids were built. Our guide’s response was “No one knows, it is a mystery.” I explained to Reuben that there are several theories that are said regarding the building of the pyramids, ranging from the more plausible Egyptians having techniques and technologies that are now lost to the modern world to the more speculative supernatural extraterrestrials who came to earth and built the pyramids, but no one knows for sure, it is a mystery. However, though the building of the pyramids is a mystery, the fact that remains is that it was built, because you can tangible see the engineering prowess of man.

As I reminisced on the inquisitiveness of my child, I realized that an even far greater (pyramidical) mystery is the one of the Son of God (Jesus Christ) becoming the Son of man so that the sons and daughters of men could become the sons and daughters of God. The Bible in the letter to the church at Ephesus records that God has blessed us with spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ Jesus, for before the foundation of the world, he chose us to be holy and blameless before him in love (Ephesians 1:3-4). He not only chose us but predestinated us to be his children by adopting us (Ephesians 1:5). But with the fall of man from grace, on account of his own sinfulness, man rendered himself to be an unacceptable offering for adoption and made himself an enemy of God (James 4:4). But God in his bountiful mercy and abounding love, mysteriously sent forth to us Jesus, his only begotten Son,  (John 3:16) to be born of a virgin, conceived by the Holy Spirit (Matthew 1:18), who died for us while we were still sinners (Romans 5:8). In the blood of Jesus is the mysterious redemption of God and forgiveness of our sins, according to the riches of his grace (Ephesians 1:7). This is the mystery of God’s will made known (revealed) to man in Christ Jesus; a pyramidical mystery indeed (Ephesians 1:9).

Points to ponder:
Just as the physical presence of the Great Pyramids is a testament to the fact that these supersize structures were made, even though, how it was made remains a mystery, the Spiritual presence of the Great Providence in Jesus Christ is a testament to the fact that a supernatural provision of a Savior was made by God, even though how His righteousness is imputed on us by mere belief continues to remain a mystery. You and I were made to be holy and blameless and to have fellowship with God; all we have to do is put our trust in Jesus and BELIEVE in Him. Only in Jesus you see the tangible expression of God’s love.

Ephesians 1:3-9 (KJV)
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:
According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,
To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.
In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;
Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence;
Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:

 

Blessed “Be” attitudes :: Be a Peacemaker

Matthew 5:3-12 lists eight Beatitudes that were spoken of by Jesus. Jesus said, “Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.” (Matthew 5:9)

To be blessed, one must have the attitude of being a peacemaker.

What does it mean to be a peacemaker and why shall the peacemakers be called the children of God? Before Jesus’ birth, the prophecy by Isaiah entitled Jesus to be The Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6). At His birth, the heavenly angelic choir sang, ‘peace’ on earth (Luke 2:14). It is possible to have peace on earth, because The Prince of Peace came to earth, to do the will of God the Father, which was to reconcile mankind back to God by redeeming mankind from death and sin. He accomplished this on the Cross, from where he affirmed that God’s work of redeeming mankind to and for Himself was finished. In other words, Jesus’ mission was a mission of restoring peace; a peace that passeth all understanding (Philippians 4:7) and all who put their trust in Jesus with their minds fixed on Him will be kept in perfect peace (Isaiah 26:3). Those who have believed in Jesus are covenanted to have a life of peace (Malachi 2:5) as God’s royal priests (1 Peter 2:9). God commands that the life of a priest must be one of peace and uprightness, turning many from sins (iniquities) with the message of God’s Love (Malachi 2:6-7); a love so great that He gave us His only begotten Son, to pay the wages of our sins (which is death), by His very own life (John 3:16). The God given responsibility of a priest is to be a messenger of the Lord (Malachi 2:7); a messenger with the message of peace. In other words, to be a priest is to be a peacemaker, turning many from sin and reconciling mankind to God for we have been given the ministry of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:18). And all who are peacemakers, are in essence, emulating the very mission of Jesus Christ, just as a child imitates the character of a parent and in this sense are rightfully called the children of God. God is a God of peace who works to make all perfect (blameless without sin) through the covenant of the blood of His dear Son, Jesus Christ (Hebrew 13:20-21), and all who are peacemakers imitate God the Father and are thereby blessed as His children.

Matthew 5:9 (KJV)
9 Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.

2 Corinthians 5:16-21 (KJV)
16 Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more.
17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;
19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.
20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.
21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

Who’s your daddy?

Standing out note-worthily from the lyric of the 1968 song “Time of the Season”, the phrase ‘Who’s your daddy?‘ is a colloquial expression  that is commonly used in a rhetorical manner as a boastful claim of superiority over the one listening. The Bible tells us that that those who have placed their faith in Jesus Christ, have been adopted into God’s family and in them is deposited the Holy Spirit of God (Ephesians 1:13-15), who makes it possible for that person to address God as ‘Abba, Father’ (Romans 8:15). In fact, the Bible informs us that God the Father greatly lavished His love toward men and women, that they should be called the children of God (1 John 3:1). This is who we are – Children of God, but in that same verse, it is also written, that though we are the children of God, the world does not know us as such, and the reason for that is, because the world did not know Him.

Many in the world today still do not know who Jesus is? He is the Only begotten Son of God, who shed His blood to remit our sins and paid its wages in full, by sacrificing His life in our stead.

The world will continue to not know Him, if we do not make Him known! So next time, somebody asks you, “Who’s your daddy?”, answer them (even if they meant it rhetorically).
Jesus Christ is our Lord, the Son of God, our Father and since He and God the Father are one (John 10:30), He is our Everlasting Father (Isaiah 9:6), in other words, Our Daddy.

Romans 8:14-16 (KJV)
14
For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
15
For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
16
The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:

Christian Verbs :: J is for Joining

The Bible tells that if Christ be in us, then the Spirit of God bears witness that we are children of God, and as children heirs, but not just heirs, but joint-heirs with Christ Jesus (Romans 8:10, 16-17). This means that we also jointly inherit what God has  provisioned for Jesus Christ, His Only begotten Son. The operative phrase in this text is “If Christ be in you”. This means that we ought to join with Christ, because He responds by joining in us with His Spirit. Jesus said, I am the Vine and you are branches, abide (join) in me an I in you (John 15:1,4). To abide in Jesus is to be grafted (joined) into the Vine. In horticulture, grafting is the process of fusing dissimilar plants so that the result is one plant. Likewise, when we join we Christ, we need to be fused with Him and we should be One with Him. And when we are One with Him, we are not just heirs, but joint-heirs with Him.

Point(s) to ponder:

  1. Are you joined with Christ i.e., Have you believed in Him and accepted Him as your Savior and Lord?
  2. Are you grafted with Him i.e., Are you fused with Jesus Christ and His Holiness. When the Root is Holy, the entire plant bears good fruit? What is the kind of fruit you/I are bearing?

Romans 8:16-17 (KJV)
16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
17
And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

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