Bible Study: I am God's Own Son - Part 5

Hi Everyone

Here's the notes for Part 2 of Needs are Provided.  The audio is now on a new site and you should be able to click on "view" to listen to it directly!

Blessings!

Chris

Needs are Provided

He Loves Us

We can live without cares, not be care-ful, because we have been loved.

1 John 4:19 We love Him because He first loved us. 

We need to know and trust this love that God has for us.  His love is infinite, but as we start to know more and more of it, we are filled with the fullness of God.

Ephesians 3:19 to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. (NKJV)

As we are loved, we see value in our lives through Him.  God-esteem is what we need not self-esteem.

Love is Not a Law

It is not about how much we love the Lord or how much we love our neighbour.  In the Old Testament, the law was to love neighbour as self.  We could never do this without if we don’t catch a glimpse His love for us:

Matthew 22:34 But when the Pharisees heard that He had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. 35 Then one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, and saying, 36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?” 37 Jesus said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.” (NKJV)

Luke 10:25 And behold, a certain lawyer stood up and tested Him, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” 26 He said to him, “What is written in the law? What is your reading of it?” 27 So he answered and said, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,’ and ‘your neighbor as yourself.’” 28 And He said to him, “You have answered rightly; do this and you will live.” (NKJV)

It appears from the passage in Luke that we could love God and Man and get into Heaven.  Yes, if we could do this perfectly, we will live.  But no, none of us will ever be able to do this.  Mind you if we could do what this says, we don’t need the blood of Jesus!

That’s why Jesus gave us the New Commandment:

John 13:34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35 By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” (NKJV)

Ephesians 3:19 to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. (NKJV)

That’s why we need to know more and more of His love everyday.  We cannot love without experiencing this infinite love.  We will never comprehend it fully, but the more we do, the more we become like Him.

Glorify God and Give Thanks!

Whatever we give thanks for multiplies.

Mark 8:6 So He commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground. And He took the seven loaves and gave thanks, broke them and gave them to His disciples to set before them; and they set them before the multitude. 7 They also had a few small fish; and having blessed them, He said to set them also before them. (NKJV)

Giving thanks IS blessing!  Whatever we give thanks for is blessed.  On the contrary, whatever we grumble about becomes futile:

Romans 1:21 because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Professing to be wise, they became fools, (NKJV)

Give as You Have Received

This is when we can do the opposite of the world. The world says get all you can, can all you get, sit on the can. Look out for #1.  But Jesus says:

Luke 6:38 Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.” (NKJV)

This is referring to an ATTITUDE of big-heartedness, for the verses before this were talking about this attitude.

Our God is a BIG HEARTED God who is kind to the unthankful and evil.  So if we think that He is not kind to us, then we too won’t manifest such goodness.

This is not Karma – our evil was paid for on the cross and will not be repaid to us!

Sow and Reap

Be of a generous spirit.  You cannot be of a generous spirit if you are watching to see what you get in return, trying to see if this works!

2 Corinthians 8:7 But as you abound in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all diligence, and in your love for us—see that you abound in this grace also. 8 I speak not by commandment, but I am testing the sincerity of your love by the diligence of others. 9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich. (NKJV)

Jesus gave up ALL the riches of Heaven to die naked on the cross for us.  He forsook all without the guarantee of being raised from the dead except by faith.  He had no guarantees of all of us getting saved either, for we have our choice.

Giving is by revelation of God’s love for us.  Knowing that God supplies all our needs is a grace we need, a truth that sets us free.

2 Corinthians 8:13 For I do not mean that others should be eased and you burdened; 14 but by an equality, that now at this time your abundance may supply their lack, that their abundance also may supply your lack—that there may be equality. 15 As it is written, “He who gathered much had nothing left over, and he who gathered little had no lack.” (NKJV)

This is what the church ought to be like – there ought to be NO lack in the church.  We should walk in the blessing not for us, but that we can supply each other’s lack.  If we are ALL in lack, the church will be severely handicapped in her quests to reach out.

2 Corinthians 9:5 Therefore I thought it necessary to exhort the brethren to go to you ahead of time, and prepare your generous gift beforehand, which you had previously promised, that it may be ready as a matter of generosity and not as a grudging obligation. (NKJV)

Giving is a matter of generosity, because of love, because we know we have been loved.

2 Corinthians 9:6 But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 7 So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. (NKJV)

This is a scriptural principal – what you let go off and trust God in, you get.  What you hold on to, you lose.  We learn to be big-hearted when we realize we have a big-hearted God.

We become like Him and that delights His heart.

Luke 16:10 He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much. 11 Therefore if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? (NKJV)

Money is the LEAST.  If we allow our lives to be controlled by this, we are not faithful in the least.  Be faithful with this.  Tithe what little you have heartily, knowing that God is true to His Word.  This is faith!

Steward Your Talents

In the Parable of the talents, we read:

Matthew 25:23 His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’ 

Steward the little things well.  Your time, your money, your resources, trust that God can greatly multiply these. Know that God’s economy of things is not like ours at all, and that the rewards are inordinate.

28 So take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents. 29 ‘For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away. (NKJV)

Be eager to steward more things – God has given you far more abilities than you imagine.  He is able to do exceedingly, abundantly.  

Remember: The one who does not have simply THINKS he does not have! Else how would it be taken from him?

Simply knowing that you HAVE and stewarding it is a powerful principle.

Be the one who is available AND believing that God WILL do mighty things through you.  Don’t ever be satisfied!

If you know a little bit of truth, and are faithful to believe and walk in that truth, you will have ABUNDANCE.  If you know a little about the Lord, but don’t believe it/don’t live like you believe it, even this will slip from your hands.

Provision for Great Exploits

Daniel 11:32b …the people who know their God shall be strong, and carry out great exploits. (NKJV)

Know God, know His love, enjoy His provision, do great exploits.

All this because of the Finished Work of Jesus on the Cross!

Sundry Various Mullings...

The Gospel

Jesus said:

Luke 4:18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed; 19 To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.” (NKJV)

If WE have been sent to preach the Gospel (Matthew 28:18-19), should we then not be healing the brokenhearted, setting captives free, recovering the sight of the blind and setting at liberty those who are oppressed and proclaiming the acceptable year of the Lord? 

If not, why?

Or are we just telling them to say a prayer and to come to church from now on?

 

The Great Commission

Matthew 28: 18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen. (NKJV)

We need to understand the heartbeat of God to know that all He did was all birthed from His love for His creation, the very people He made in His image, many now still corrupted by sin. Jesus saw the masses like sheep without a shepherd, weary and scattered, with a deep sadness (Matthew 9:36). Today, the Father has released His Spirit onto all who believe, to reverse this tide.
When we catch an understanding of this love of the Lord, we catch the spirit of witnessing for Him.
We must never support Christianity like a cause. It is not even a religion. It is our loving Father seeking out for His lost creation, to save as many as would return to Him. This is the Great Commission that we are part of. An awesome responsibility that we can achieve by first knowing Him and catching this very heartbeat.

Bible Study: I am God's Own Son - Part 4

Hi Everyone

Here's last Friday night's Bible study notes and the audio in mp3 format for your download.

This is Part 1 of how God provides for all our needs.  Please do have a listen and meditate on the scriptures we have discussed.  God's Word will never return void when we sow it into our lives!

Isaiah 55:11 So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it. (NKJV)

Blessings!

Chris

Needs Are Provided

All Our Needs ARE Met!

Since Old Testament time, it was God’s covenant that enables us to have provision.

Deuteronomy 8:18 “And you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day. (NKJV)

We today are under a BETTER covenant, bought by the blood of Jesus.

2 Corinthians 9:8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work. (NKJV)

He is able to make ALL grace abound, that we have abundance for every good work!

2 Peter 1:2 Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, 3 as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, 4 by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. (NKJV)

We have all that pertain to LIFE and GODLINESS.  But is comes through the knowledge of Him, that’s why Jesus said:

Matthew 6:33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. (NKJV)

These ARE your entitlements as Sons of God, that your needs would be met, that you should have no worry about these things.  You need to read the context of the scriptures that I have provided to 

• Convince yourself that this is contextually accurate
• Let them renew your mind so that you grow from glory to glory

All About Knowing God

The whole thing is a relationship.  We need to start with a love walk with the Father first.  Get to know Him, enjoy Him and know His love.

The deeper truth in knowing the Lord is realizing that when we have Him, we have ALL things.  The Psalmist says:

Psalm 37:3 Trust in the Lord, and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness. 4 Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart. (NKJV)

Delight in what the Word says.

When we delight ourselves in the Lord, when we trust Him, our desires become His and we enjoy His faithfulness.

Holy Spirit = Good Things

Matthew 7:7 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. 9 Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? 11 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him! (NKJV)

Persistence is required, not because God is deaf, but because we aren't (and will never be) fully tuned this side of Heaven.

Luke 11:9 “So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. 11 If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish? 12 Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? 13 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!” (NKJV)

All good things come through the Holy Spirit.  When we start to understand more about His glory in us, when we start to look at the Word and see ourselves in the Spirit, when we start to walk according to who He has made us to be, we start to enjoy all good things.  We need to step out of the boat.

Worry and Wealth

Matthew 6:31 “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. (NKJV)

The key is not to worry.  We said last week that worry is the opposite of meditating on God’s Word.  When we are focused on what our 5 senses tell us, it breeds worry.  Meditating on God’s Word is the opposite of worry.  When we focus on God’s love revealed in the Word, we walk by faith, not by sight.

Stay focused on the things of the Lord, the things we have because of His love.  Set you mind on eternal things, things above.

Colossians 3:2 Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. (NKJV)

What are eternal things?  Everything we see in sonship is eternal.  Everything we see here is not.

The more it dawns on us who we are, the more we take advantage of this [prince Charles anecdote]

The more we see that our needs have been provided, the more we will have faith and the more they will be, for this IS in God’s Word.

(Rom 10:17, Heb 11:1)

It’s When You Don’t Care for It for You

The Bible is all about love.  Love is always about someone else, not about you.

Much of worry is often about us – that we won’t have enough.

James 4:3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures. (NKJV)

When we learn to cast our care on Him, He takes care of our needs. When we put others first, we are taken care of.  Those last shall be first.

Mark 9:35 And He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, “If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all.” (NKJV)

He Loves Us

We can live without cares, not be care-ful, because we have been loved.

1 John 4:19 We love Him because He first loved us. 

20 If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? (NKJV)

We need to trust this love that God has for us.

Romans 8:32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? (NKJV)

Bible Study: I am God's Own Son - Part 3

Hi Everyone

Here is last Friday's Bible Study.  You can listen to the audio here and the notes are below.

Share it as you are blessed.

Chris

Restored in His Image

We are Already Restored into His Image

We are 3 part beings – Spirit, Soul and Body

2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. (NKJV)

Our spirits have been restored into His image, upon the resurrection of our Lord and the coming of the Holy Spirit into us.  This is the mark the makes us different from everyone else!

We have been predestined to conform to the image of Jesus!

Romans 8:29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. (NKJV)

We are One with Him

1 Corinthians 6:17 But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him. (NKJV)

This is your spirit, who is the REAL you.  This is who you became the moment you called upon Jesus as your saviour!  As soon as your life ends, this will become clear to you instantly, when you stop seeing with your eyes and seeing in the Spirit.

Romans 8:18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. (NKJV)

The reverse happened Adam and Eve when they fell and started seeing with their eyes! This happened when they started to see themselves, not God.

That is why the young man was clothed in the best robe.  Not only for others, but the man needed to know himself that he was restored, a son once again.

Then How Come…

The Big Dichotomy - What it says is not what I experience in my life?

While I am a Son of God, I sure don’t feel like or live like it…

Soul Restoration

Our souls, the realm of the mind, emotions and will, need restoration.  This is a WIP (Work-In-Progress) this side of Heaven.

Our minds have been and continue to be run by the 5 senses for many years.  The flesh has been lusting against the Spirit and quite frankly, the spirit has been a no-contest for many years for many of us.

Galatians 5:17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. (NKJV)

Soul is caught between the Spirit and the Flesh. Which side the soul decides to give focus to decides your victory on earth.

Soul Prosperity

3 John 2 Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers. (NKJV)

Our souls MUST prosper first.  The problems outside/after this life have been sealed, taken care of by the blood of Jesus already.  Every other problem in life is because our soul is not prospering.

Jesus has made the way for our souls to prosper this side of Heaven, but that part needs our cooperation, our belief as well.

It’s Not Behaviour Modification

It is not about behaviour modification.  Behaviour modification is what the world tries to practice.  We often see this being attempted in Christian circles as well, because we fail to see the bigger picture.

It can work to a point, but unless one sees clearly why we do what we do, it won’t hold.  And if the “why” does not exist or is not clear, the willingness to perform diminishes.

Proverbs 29:18a Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint; (NKJV)

Proverbs 29:18a Where there is no vision, the people perish:  (KJV)

What motivates me determines everything.  I can avoid sin because of a social context, because sin is frowned on, but if that is the extent of my revelation, then I will sin once no one is frowning, once I can get away with it.

When our revelation, your vision, is from the love of God, we see things differently.  It is not about what others will/will not approve of.  It is about us wanting to live for something better.

See last week’s message on Heaven and eternal rewards. 

We Need Hope

The fact that you are here tells me you have a hope for something better.

If you

1. Have everything you (think you) need (no hunger)

2. Have given up and don’t care anymore

Then you wouldn't be here!

Faith Needs Hope

Faith – substance of things HOPED for

Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. (NKJV)

If you don’t have hope, then you don’t need faith.  If you think life as it is will never change, and this is all that there is, then you don’t need faith.  But if you hope for something better, then we can see what God’s Word says about it:

Romans 10:17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. (NKJV)

Spiritual Warfare 101 - The Battle in the Mind

Whatever problems or trials you are in, whatever God-inspired aspirations you have that aren't met, the battle is in your mind.  Every thought that is NOT in line with the Word of God has to go:

2 Corinthians 10:4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, 5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, (NKJV)

Every problem we have on earth is a result of an ungodly thought.  Not necessarily what the world might call evil or immoral.  Just not of God, not of His Word.  God’s standards are much higher!

This is what we are doing here – bringing down thinking patterns which are not from the Word of God.

The Soul Rut

Galatians 5:17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. (NKJV)

See/Hear (Saw/Heard) => Think => Meditate/Worry => Believe => Say => Act => Become

What are you allowing into your mind with today?  Feed rubbish, get rubbish.  What has been fed into your mind in the past? These need to be renewed.

Bad things = not in line with God’s word.

What you sow, you will reap.

Feed yourself with bad things

=> see yourself in dire predicament

=> worry about it

=> believe it will happen

=> say it out of your mouth

=> self-fulfilling prophecy

Too many Christians are trapped in this rut!

What we speak over each other can also deepen ruts.  That is why we must know no man after the flesh. (2 Cor 5:16)

Get Out of the Rut!

Break the cycle! Feed yourself with the Word of God.

Imagine the Word in action in your life.

Feed yourself with God’s Word

=> See yourself blessed

=> Meditate on it

=> Believe it

=> Say it out of your mouth

=> Become what the Word says, receive the promise!

This is the transformation process – when we see Christ in us in the Word!

2 Corinthians 3:18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord. (NKJV)

Romans 8:31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? 33 Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written: “For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.” 37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (NKJV)

I am a new man. I can do all things in Christ. My trial, the rut, might be something from my past haunting me, but I can choose to believe in the Word.

James 1:2 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. (NKJV)

Deuteronomy  30:19 I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live; (NKJV)

My past, my present circumstance, my trials and problems, these all do not define who I am.  The Word of God does.  I am God’s Own Son.  I am who the Word says I am.

I choose to believe in the Word, not my trial.

Restoration – A Son’s Privilege

As the title of the Bible study goes, all this was made possible because of the finished work of Jesus

John 19:30 So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit. (NKJV)

We need to keep clearly in the forefront of our minds:  it was only because God sent His Son Jesus, who willingly died for us and rose again from the dead, with the completion of it in the coming of the Holy Spirit into His creation again that all that we speak and teach of is true.

1 Corinthians 2:2 For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. (NKJV)

We like Paul, desire to know nothing more than what was accomplished at the cross.

Blessings.

Bible Study: I am God's Own Son - Part 2

Hi Everyone

Here's last Friday's Bible Study audio and notes.  This is Part 2 of "I am God's Own Son" in the "Who I am in Jesus Christ" series.

Share it as you are blessed!

Chris

Adopted as Sons and Blessed 

Galatians 4:3 Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world. 4 But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. 6 And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!” 7 Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ. (NKJV)

Under Elements, No Rights

Galatians 4:3 Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world. 

We had NO rights as sons by ourselves.  By our very nature, we were in bondage under the elements of this world. 

Galatians 4:3 In the same way, we too were slaves of the ruling spirits of the universe before we reached spiritual maturity. (GNT)

GNT refers to us being slaves to the ruling spirits of the universe!

Adam who once had the dominion over the world became subject to it after the fall.

Genesis 1:26 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” 27 So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. 28 Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” (NKJV)

The likeness of God is dominion.  God rules, God reigns.  Man created like God rules and reigns, too.  Once Man lost the likeness of God in the fall, along went his ability to rule and reign.  From thence was lost his ability to subdue the earth, to have dominion over all the creatures.

Losing his likeness to God spiritually meant his spiritual death.  This lack of dominion now meant that he was subject to the dominion of the world, which the devil now controls.  God said to Adam:

Genesis 2:17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” (NKJV)

“shall surely die” – dying you shall die – 2 deaths.  Spiritual death meant he was now subject to the elements, and would die as a result of it.

Earth became increasingly corrupted.  I don’t believe the devil had the power to do it all at one go, but with Man’s help, he is destroying this world and its occupants as we see it.

Jesus Restored Us to Likeness

Jesus was the firstborn among many in restoring Man to the likeness of God: 

Romans 8:29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. (NKJV)

While on earth,  He was fully man operating in the power of the Holy Spirit.  We see in the Gospels how Jesus had dominion over the elements:

Mark 4:39 Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace, be still!” And the wind ceased and there was a great calm. 40 But He said to them, “Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?” 41 And they feared exceedingly, and said to one another, “Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!” (NKJV)

The disciples had no faith in Jesus having dominion over the elements, how as mere men they feared exceedingly the elements that came against them.  

This is bondage under the elements of this world, when Man approaches problems of this world in the futility of his mind (Eph 4:17), but does not have dominion.

When we realize who we are in Jesus, we too will start to take dominion.

Galatians 4:4 But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 

Jesus was born under the law – keeping the law was up till then the only way to achieve any form of redemption.  One’s ability to keep the law meant he was redeemed.  There is only one problem.  You needed to be redeemed to live the life of redemption.  It was a circular argument without a solution, until Jesus kept the law as He was living by the power of the Spirit.  He died in exchange that we could be redeemed.  He lived a redeemed life and took the punishment like a sinner in exchange.  That is why:

Romans 8:2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. (NKJV)

Roman Adoption

5 to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. 

And because of this we are ADOPTED as Sons.

The Greek Huiothesia literally means, “to place as a son.”  The Roman idea of adoption was very different from the one we have today and it throws a lot of light on this verse.

• Adoption was a common practice under the Roman empire, especially among rich and politically powerful families.  Many powerful families did not have a lot of children - high cost of raising children in the elite manner, expensive dowries for girls when they marry
• Adoption was neither secretive nor considered shameful
• Adoption meant joining into a rich and powerful family with full rights in family and especially of inheritance
• Adopted children were not expected to cut ties with their biological families
• Adoptions could not be rescinded – they were permanent.  No one adopted a child unless that specific child was wanted as a family member, so according to law an adopted child could not be disowned (real children could!) 
• Famous adopted sons include the Augustus Caesar by Julius Caesar 

Based on this, we understand that the adoption mentioned in the New Testament is has the following characteristics:

• God sees great value and potential in us.  He doesn't see us in our flesh, in our weaknesses. He sees us according to what we are like in Him (2 Cor 5:16).  We don’t have to behave better for Him to accept us more
• He brought us willingly into His family because He wants us to inherit His greatness and goodness.
• It is a permanent arrangement.  He never leaves nor forsakes us; He is one with us.
• We are in the world, but not of the world.

Intimate with the Father

6 And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!” 7 Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ. (NKJV)

“Abba” is a very close term, much like we would call our earthly fathers “daddy” or “papa”.

God wants us to be intimate with Him. He is intimate with us, like how the father treated the younger son in Luke 15.

Slave vs Son

7 Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ. (NKJV)

You are an HEIR of God!  The Spirit is in our hearts, making our spirit alive (2 Cor 5:17 , Eph 2:1-2 ). We are no longer slaves, but sons of God and heirs.

Slave Mentality	Son Mentality
Fear	Love
Bondage	Freedom, liberty
Service from Duty	Service from Love
No hope for future	A bright future
No part in Master’s plans	Inheritance from the Father. Great plans to prosper us.
No intimacy with Master	Deep love walk with the Father

Romans 8:15 For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” (NKJV)

Fear results from the spirit of bondage. Each time we fear, it is from the flesh, when we start to walk by what we see in the flesh, not what we see in the spirit, when we are walking by sight, not by faith in the Word.  Each time you fear, remember this.

What’s the absolute worst that could happen? We go to be with the Lord, which is FAR greater than life here. (Philippians 1:21-24)

1 John 3:2 Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. (NKJV)

All Because of the Cross

We must always remember that these benefits were made available to us because and only because of the finished work of Jesus on the cross.

John 19:30 So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit. (NKJV)

And we must never look elsewhere or preach anything else.

1 Corinthians 2:2 For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. (NKJV)

Only by the blood of Christ are we sons.