"TO THE GLORY OF GOD THE FATHER"

"TO THE GLORY OF GOD THE FATHER"

Phil.2:11

In order for one to be "a son", one must of course first have a father. It may be surprising to some that the Bible reveals that all men are not "sons of God", and consequently God cannot be their Father, at least not yet. In fact, the New Testament (KJV) uses the phrase "son of God" only once and speaks of the untainted "Adam which was the son of God." Lk.3:38. All other references to "the Son of God" are capitalized and refer to Jesus. Of course there are many scriptures that use the singular word "son" which relate to "the sons of men" (Mk.3:28; Eph.3:5) of which there are only two references in the New Testament and twenty one in the Old Testament.

THE FATHER OF THE RIGHTEOUS

We find the plural of the phrase "son of God" is used only six times in the New Testament. Each time, this phrase refers only to one specific group of sons wherein we find that "as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name." Jn.1:12. The other New Testament references to these sons of God are Ro.8:14,19; Phil.2:15; 1Jn.3:1,2. Six speaks of the nature of man and here we see the nature of man being filled with the nature of God while yet retaining its humanity.

These "sons of God" are likewise referred to as the "children of God." For we find "as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God...ye have received the Spirit of adoption whereby we cry, Abba, Father...the Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God." Ro.8:14-16; Lk.20:36; Jn.11:52; Ro.8:21. "Ye are all children of God (only) by faith in Christ Jesus." Gal.3:26. "If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature (creation).." (2Cor.5:17; Gal.6:15) and only then becomes known and manifest as a son or child of God - 1Jn.3:10.

"Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as He is righteous. He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil. Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for His seed remaineth in him: and He cannot sin, because He is born of God. In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil..." 1Jn.3:7-10.

So here we see further evidence that only "whosoever is born of God" are all the regenerate sons or children of God. These are made "righteous" (2Cor.5:21) and their God from whom this holy seed came is their father, even "the Father of the righteous." Prv.23:24.

THEIR FATHER THE DEVIL

We have seen in a preceeding scripture those who also are referred to as "children of the devil." This cannot but refer to all others who are NOT the manifest sons or children of God. There are those "who are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed." Ro.9:8. Paul speaking by the Holy Spirit called Elyma the sorcerer a "child of the devil" and an "enemy of all righteousness." Ac.13:8-10. Here was an example, albeit an extreme one, of an unrighteous man "who walked acccording to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: among whom also we had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others." Eph.2:2,3.

The unregenerate children of the devil, the enemies of righteousness, the children of disobedience, the children of wrath are all in stark contrast to the righteous children and sons of God. These unrighteous children of the devil are in fact all they who "were dead in trespasses and sins." Eph.2:1. Their Father is not "the Father of the righteous" and many religious ones like the Pharisees, believed the lies of their own father (Jn.8:44) who had them believing that the God of their faithful forefathers was also their Father.

But the hard truth remains. All who are not of "the children of the promise" (Ro.9:8), not "children of God by faith in Christ Jesus" (Gal.3:26), not sons "in the faith" (1Tim.1:2), not "born of God" (1Jn.5:1)...are by nature, by birth of their human flesh and spirit, still biblically spoken of as "children of the devil."

In their spiritual death they remain yet void of any of the regenerate life and understanding of Christ and His Father who are One. And so in this state of being unable to hear God's word, they remain captive (2Tim.2:26) to the corruptible seed of their old unregenerate nature and remain ignorant servants to their "father the devil." Jn.8:44. Not only are they children of the devil by their unrighteous words and their deeds, but also by reason of their being born first into an adamic state of existence whereby "death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned." Ro.5:12; 3:23.

The most high God is the Creator God of the first man Adam and of his fleshly progeny by natural seed and birth. However, this first son of the flesh has been estranged and his adopted father and spiritual head is the prince of the power of this natural world, even the devil. Any human without the Spirit of Christ remains of the family of the first adamic creation and is in this state of being not of God's own new family of whom the last adamic order of man, even the Lord Jesus Christ is the head.

AN IMMACULATE SPIRITUAL CONCEPTION

All men must be "born again" (Jn.3:7), "born of God" by a divine but real process which involves "not corruptible seed, but incorruptible by the Word of God." 1Ptr.1:23. They must be birthed into a new nature, a new family, into a new order of creation wherein "the last man Adam", becomes their legitimate Father and their family head. This first takes place entirely in the realm of the spirit. The truth is before this can happen, we are told in no uncertain terms that no man can come unto the knowledge of Christ and the Father except it be given unto him of the Father - Jn.6:44,65.

This new family "seed" (1Ptr.1:23) must come entirely through a divinely given revelation of God...an immaculate conception that quickens the spirit of man, birthing the Truth within him - Jas.1:18; Matt.16:15-17; Jn.17:2 etc. Only then is he who is becoming quickened in the present will of God (Jn.5:21) able to hear the words of that truth say, "I am the way, the truth and the life: no man cometh unto the Father but by Me." None of this is man's doings - 1Cor.2:10-14. All "is the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes." Matt.21:42; Psa.57:2; Ac.2:47; 15:17 etc.

Jesus said, "All things are delivered to me of my Father: and no man knoweth who the Son is, but the Father; and who the Father is, but the Son, and he to whom the Son will reveal Him." Lk.10:22. And so, we who were once alienated and enemies in our minds by wicked works and through the ignorant darkness of our minds and our unclean hearts, yet now hath He reconciled - Col.1:21; Eph.4:18,19.

THE FATHER OF CIRCUMCISION

We who are now of that spiritual circumcision, even that of the heart (Ro.2:28,29), are now enabled to know and come to Him, even He who is the "Father of circumcision." Ro.4:12. Most specifically, He is the "Father of all them that believe." Ro.4:11. He is not the father of those who believe not.

No longer are we who believe, obligated to live under the cruel and deceptive rule of our former father the devil in whose worldly kingdoms (Matt.4:8; Lk.4:5,6) we were conceived upon natural birth. The unholy father of lies, not the most holy Father, is the unrighteous father of the human family of unregenerate spirit. He is the head and master of the old household (Matt.10:25) that is devoid of the holy Spirit. All who are without the holy Spirit of Christ are none of His (Ro.8:9) and are not of the same "Father of all them that believe."

If any man does not have the infilling of the holy Spirit of Christ, he is not a part of the holy Father's new (Rev.21:5) family - Ro.8:9. The Bible reveals they have neither His life nor His nature anywhere within them. They have not His own incorruptible Spirit which is His seed, even His living Word (1Ptr.1:23), the Lord Jesus Christ within them.

They were born and exist on earth only as living souls created after the first adamic creative order of mankind - 1Cor.15:45. They have not an incorruptible, living, quickening spirit within their mortal bodies; but rather only a corruptible sin nature and spirit that is other than that of God's. - Eph.2:1. That is the antiChrist nature and spirit which is other than, and contrary to, Christ's own spiritual nature.

Only His children have been born again from above - John chptr.3. God is no longer merely their Creator, He is also now their heavenly Father. Because He is their Father, they now have His Spirit, His seed, His life, His nature living and growing within them. Man desperately needs by divine intervention, a new and renewed spirit (Eph.4:23) within - Ezk.11:19; 36:26,27; 37.14.

He needs it to replace the nature of his ungodly spirit before he can even begin to enter into the family and kingdom of God - Ro.8:10,11. The Spirit of His Son must sovereignly be sent forth and come into your heart "crying Abba, Father." Gal.4:6; Jn.14:16-18,23. This He cannot help but do when you ask Him - Rev.3:20.

In order for this Spirit to come IN, it only makes sense that God's own Spirit was previously apart from man's own spirit in their creation. Just as the Spirit of the Father of Truth is not in the spirit and nature of the father of lies, He is also not in the children of that father. Then, and only then, shall we know that this new Spirit abideth IN us "by the Spirit which He which He has given us." 1Jn.3:24. Not until God's own enlightening holy Spirit enters into man's own unholy spirit can it be truly said, "There is a spirit in man and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth understanding." Jb.32:8.

ONE GOD AND FATHER OF ALL

Paul the Apostle had the true revelation of "God the Father." He refers to God as the Father thirteen times in the New Testament, all within the context only of Christ or His church." When Paul said, "There is one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all, and in you all" (Eph.4:6), he was in no way saying God was the Father of all men and God was in all men. The "you all" here in its proper context with both the proceeding and following scriptures, is limited in reference to "every one of us....given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ." (vs.7).

Again, "The Father of all" who "is in you all" clearly refers only to those of the Christian church to whom Paul was speaking at the time...those ones whom were being exhorted to "walk worthy of the vocation whereith ye are called." Eph.4:1. We see it referring only to those who are being called into "one body and one spirit" (vs.4) which is the spiritual body of Christ. Truly, He is not only the creator but also the only life implanting Father of all these ones through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

THE FATHER OF SPIRITS

But wait a minute you say, Does not the scripture also say that God is "the Father of spirits?" Heb.12:9. Well, yes it does. But is He the Father of ALL spirits? If not, whose spirits is He the godly Father of? Again, is not the whole context of the passage and those surrounding it dealing with the children of God and the sons of God...those whom are His only as a result of their spiritual rebirth?

"Ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children. My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord.....for whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom He receiveth. If ye (as a son) endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we (who now are God's sons) not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but He for our profit, that we might be partakers of His holiness." Heb.12:5-10. God is not merely the Creator of these new creation spirits but He has also taken on the title and role of a Father to these His new born sons.

Those of His sons who know God as their Father, know that "there is none other God but One." 1Cor.8:4. That "God" is our "Father" out of whose incorruptible seed came our new creation life. So to us, who are born again from above, "to us there is but one God the Father (note: there is no comma in between "God" and "the" in most Grk. manuscripts), out of whom are all things and we in (Grk.- into) Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by (Grk.- through) whom are all things, and we by (through) Him. Howbeit there is not in every man that knowledge.." 1Cor.8:6,7.

In other words, out of God who only is the Father of us who have that knowledge...out of this same God who is primarily the Creator but not the personal Father of all things or all men, came forth also spirit or spirits, holy or lacking holiness, of all creatures angelic or human - Eph.3:9,10; Col.1:15-17; Rev.4:11; Jn.1:3. In reference to all mankind...all those of the earthly order of the first adamic creation... He is not said to be their Father, but He is in this primary sense the Creator--the Creator "God of the spirits of all flesh." Nu.16:22; 27:16.

IN HIM...WE HAVE OUR BEING

In the context of His first creation of bringing all things into existence, God is never referred to as a Father. He is in this context, simply the "God that made the world and all things therein...He is Lord of heaven and earth...He giveth to all life and breath and all things (everything, anything we need for natural life); And hath made of one blood (created common literal human blood) all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after Him, and find Him, though He be not far from every one of us: for in (see Strong's Bible Dic.- "en" our fixed place and state in this time of our existence; by Him; because of) Him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we (all who exist and have natural life and breath in this world) are also His offspring." Ac.17:24-29.

All mankind was brought forth by the creative power of God as the first Adamic creation of God's "kin" or "offspring" kindred. They were molded out of their Creator's "kind" in that man is a similar yet distinct individual "spirit" (Zec.12:1) primarily created out of the basic "spirit" substance of God Himself - Ro.11:36. That original creation of spirit and human flesh which we know as humanity...was very "good" (Gen.1:31) but was in an undeveloped and unregenerate state of being. We could say this human spirit was created in a state of ignorance, innocence and immaturity, much like a new born infant is in comparison to an adult. But this primary creation had one major difference in his makeup to that of his Creator.

LIFE...IS IN THE BLOOD

The first creation of humanity was brought forth by his Creator to have "life in himself." However, this life in man was not the kind nor quality of eternal life that God had in Himself - Jn.5:26. In the beginning, God gave to man animated life by creating a fleshly body from the dust of the ground and by placing within his nostrils and lungs a breath of the earth's life giving air - Gen.2:7. But man needed more than that to sustain natural earthly life.

Within that created body man also had need of natural blood. The life of all natural creatures is contained in "flesh with the life thereof" (Gen.9:4), "for the life of the flesh is in the blood." Lev.17:11,14. This natural blood in combination with air became the primary factors whereby all humanity as the offspring of God's first creation, were brought forth to live and move and have their being (Ac.17:28) and their dwelling on the face of the earth - Ac.17:26. Some believe man pre-existed with God in a living conscious state before he was put in the earth. There is very little scriptural precedent for this and this is dealt with in another study.

Where was the Spirit and seed life of God Himself when man was created and brought forth in the garden? The Bible indicates the presence of God's own life and Spirit was not far from him - Gen.2.8; Ac.17:27. As a matter of fact it was symbolized as being in the midst of that Garden as "the tree of life." Gen.2:9; 3:22,24. The very desire and hope of all mankind (Prv.13:12) and the godly, righteous fruit of mankind (Prv.11:30; Rev.22:20) lay in the fruit of that tree being eaten...whereby the new life giving qualities of that godly fruit and its seed might enter into mankind in a process of becoming a part of him. Hence, wisdom and understanding and joy would come to all that ate of and retained this tree of God's Spirit and life - Prv.3:12,18,22.

But lest the preceeding happen prematurely, it was first planned and appointed of God for man to "die" (Heb.9:27; Gen.2:17; 3:3) before he could take "of the tree of life and live forever." Gen.3:22. And so he died both spiritually and physically - Ro.5:12-21. Just as a corn of wheat was created to first die before it could bring forth after its own kind, so also was the first Adamic creation of man brought forth after the same principle - Jn.12:24; 1Cor.15:36.

It is obvious then, that man's own personal spirit did not have the eternal life and Spirit of God within him or else his inner man could not have entertained "death." The mortal, corruptible spirit seed of the first Adam had not the eternal incorruptible life of the holy Spirit seed of God. The tree of life remained rooted in the heavenly garden of Eden but the tree of the knowledge of good and evil remained with/in the first adam creation when that creation was cast out and down into the earthy realm of sin and death.

The first Adam man was created with natural flesh and blood that could temporarily be sustained by natural breath. It was the creation of this natural blood that gave him natural life that was subject to death. But, he did not have the eternally living holy Spirit seed of the Father and the Son within Him. He had not the Spirit nor the incorruptible life of God. He had not yet partaken of the tree of eternal life. Rather he at first partook only of the tree that represented natural life.

Neither do men today have that Spirit of God dwelling within them when they are born of a first birth into a first death. This is why Jesus said, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink His blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me. This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers dead eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever." Jn.6:53-58.

NONE OF HIS HOLY SPIRIT

Paul said essentially the same thing as Jesus. "If any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His." God does not dwell in unregenerate men. Why? It cannot be over emphasized. In order to have the same Spirit and eternal life of God, only He that eats of His flesh (the life giving bread and Word of His own holy Spirit) and drinks of the eternal life of God's own spiritual blood, can have that newness of God's own incorruptible eternal Spirit which comes by Him and through Him. Only then, can God's own Spirit be joined in divine fusion within man's spirit.

Just as it is in the process of bringing forth natural life the sperm must first enter into the egg, so it is in no different in bringing forth a new life in the realm of the spirit. And in the process of divine immersion through justification and sanctification, this spirit becomes "one spirit" (1Cor.6:17) in newness of life. In allegory, Eve in her beginning was "soul" that was divided from "spirit" and as an ovum that was divided from the sperm. The Creator is now in the process of joining them back in the immaculate conception of being born again.

Let's go back to foundations in the garden of Eden for a moment to confirm and complete the picture. The first Adamic man clearly had undeveloped character and was untested in morality. In the beginning God had a moral standard that was unknown to man. Mankind also lacked godly knowledge and wisdom in other things of God. He lacked other important and essential attributes as well. In this and in other things the first creation of man was substantially inferior and imperfect in comparison to God Himself. Yet he was predestined to be the highest form of God's earthly creation - Gen.1:28. Adam and his sons and those of naturally related bloodlines, were first temporarily chosen of God under divine auspices to further God's work of creation and redemption.

Man was created in the basic likeness of God's image, yet he lacked the fullness of that image. In essence, he lacked the eternal "life" of God. He lacked the holy eternal Spirit of God. He had not the Spirit of Christ. Hence man was made subject to the vanities of death. On the other hand, man's own image was as perfect in glory and beauty as it could be in the state of creation which God had planned for it to be at that particular time. And so it also remains in this present day of creation. "For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away." 1Ptr.1:24.

BY REASON OF GOD

Now in the previous part of this study we have touched on a very important issue. And that issue is this. Unlike the divine essence of the perfect holy Spirit of God, the personal spirit of the first Adam creation was not eternal and was not holy. He had not the immortal, incorruptible Spirit of Christ! Adam's human essence was created by God with human virtues. Virtues of his being...that by design lacked the purity and holiness and eternal qualities of the fully mature Spirit of the Creator. He came forth from God created in the form of extrinsic spirit rather than intrinsic--just as darkness is created in the absence of light.

Still in the prime stages of his creation, Adam had not yet within him the divine essence of God Himself nor the incorruptible attributes and virtues of His Holy Spirit, nor the godly fruits contained therein. In other words Adam lacked the eternal, incorruptible qualities of God's Holy Spirit and the glory of it. As the human egg is created apart from the life giving sperm of the father in natural creation, Adam was created apart from the divine celestial living Spirit of His Creator. He was thus subject to the vanities of all that was yet inpart and incomplete in the genesis of God's natural creation. Yet all this was by divine design, "by reason of God" (Ro.8:20) in order to some day bring humanity into the glorious liberty of becoming one of "the children of God." Ro.8:21.

Because of his lacks, Adam needed further development. His development into the full stature of the image of His Creator and subsequent Saviour, was ordained to develop through a divine process in being changed from a lesser image of glory into a finished and perfected image of glory - 2Cor.3:18; Eph.4:13; Phil.3:21.

Just as salvation is a process, so is creation. The fall into sin and death and the subsequent reconciliation and salvation to bring the first creation man into the full likeness and image and essence of God in virtually every attribute of His being, did not come about by chance nor by accident. It was all in the sovereign design and plan of God.

It is a part of the Creator's ongoing work to finish His creation and He who had begun a good work will carry it to completion. Adam became the first earthly "son of God" because he had no human father or mother and he had no sin until iniquity was found in him. Adam knew not God as a Father. He knew Him only as God his Creator. In his ignorance and inexperience he knew not that God loved Him even as the Father loved His only begotten Son. In fact, Adam knew not what love was. It is in this sense then that man was first created and brought forth by "the God of the spirits of all flesh." Num.16:22; 27:16. In this operation He was man's Creater, and we never see the scriptures describing God as man's Father until the arrival of Christ.

GOD THE CREATOR

Yes, God was the primary creator in that He Himself placed the enmity of a carnal minded division (Ro.8:6,7) between the holy seed and the corruptible seed (Gen.3:15) that was destined to come forth in the offspring of the woman. God caused a distinct division and distance between man's personal spirit and His Holy Spirit; between man's corruptible seed and His own incorruptible seed; between man's own mind and His mind...between man's will and His will. Yet He remains not far from any one of them - Ac.17:27; Mrk.12:34.

Again, this was all according to the plan and purposes of God in His interim work of creation. So while the serpent in the beginning was the direct instigator, and God judged him for it (Ro.3:14), it was God's righteous act of judgment that put man into the "bondage of corruption" (Ro.8:21), into the prison of his now darkened and alienated mind. And the serpent himself was delegated by God his creator to feed in the dust of the imprisoned Adamic mind - Gen.3:14.

It was God Himself who cursed the flesh and the ground of this part of His creation - Gen.3:14-19. In doing this, He drove man out from the presence and previous closeness of His own Spirit of holiness - Gen.3:24. Adam man and the now intertwined serpentine mind which was in him was said to have "fallen from heaven" having been "cut down to the ground." Isa.14:12. In this way, the first Adamic creation was made subject to vanity by reason of God, not man nor satan (Ro.8:20), not only in his innocent garden experience but also in his subsequent fall from the limited glory of the state he had been in.

So all mankind...that Adamic creation of God represented by "the first man Adam" (1Cor.15:45) who is "of the earth, earthy" (1Cor.15:47), is first "born of the flesh" (Jn.3:6) but not "born again" (Jn.3:3,7; 1Ptr.1:23) of the spirit until he is born "of the firstfruits of the Spirit." Ro.8:23; 2Cor.5:5; Jn.3:5,6,8; 7:39; 1Ths.2:13. Just as he is born of the flesh into an earthly family, he is destined to be born again of God into a heavenly family.

A SON OF GOD AND A SON OF MAN

As was mentioned in the beginning of this study, God was in fact Adam's father before he fell into sin. Adam was considered to be the son of God in his original sinless human spirit until that son died. Not only that, he also became as are all men, the "son of man" (Heb.2:6) in his flesh, even as was the incorruptible and sinless second Adam the Lord Jesus Christ - Jn.6:27; Jn.1:34. In contrast to Christ, the "death" of the first Adam's body and spirit, was through his death, imputed to the whole human race in the form of natural and spiritual death - Ro.5:12-14; 1Cor.15:22. "But since by man came death, by man also came the resurrection of the dead." 1Cor.15:21.

Through the death of this Son of man's body and the eternally sinless life of this Son of God's spirit, His eternal Spirit is now able to come not just "upon" all men, but into the heart's of all men unto justification of life - Ro.5:15-21. And man becomes not only the son of man by virtue of his Adamic nature but also can now become a mature son of God by virtue of the sinless nature within him.

Since all men were called by reason of God's creative plan into natural life and appointed therein to die, apart from and without the life of the Spirit of God, so He has in His divine justice and foreknowledge called and predestined them again unto life. Now in a new process of creation, they are being called...every man in his own order, into a new and higher form of life and glory which is also known as salvation or redemption.

WHOM HE FOREKNOWS HE ALSO GLORIFIES

There are those comparative few now out of all humanity, who in the foreknowledge of God have first been called, chosen and sovereignly given redemptive faith to love God (Ro.8:28,29), "being predestined according to the purpose of Him who worketh all things after the counsel of His own will" (Eph.1:11) and not their own will - Jn.1:13. In the universal application of God's overall plan and purposes, we see that Christ died and rose again for all men (Heb.2,9; 1Tim.2:6) in order to fulfill the Father's will (1Tim.2:4; 2Ptr.3:9) in wholly completing His purposes of creation through the glorious work of reconciliation (Col.1:20) salvation and restoration of all things both in and through Him - Eph.1:10; Col.1:16; Ro.11:36 etc.

In order to ensure God's eternal omnipotence, omniscience and omnipresence, and to ensure the fulfilling of His purposes and His word wherein He has spoken many times that it cannot fail, God has of necessity foreordained and predestined the salvation of not just a few, but the many whom He foreknew--who were in truth, the same all for whom He died. "For whom He did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son.....Moreover, whom He did predestinate, them He also called.....them He also glorified." Ro.8:29,30.

HIS GLORY ON THE VESSELS OF MERCY

Again, from another point of view, we see the only scripture in the Old (Dan.3:25) or in the New Testament that speak of "the son of God" or "a son of God" in the singular, other than those speaking of Christ in the sense of being "the only begotten Son" (Jn.1:18) the last Adam (1Cor.15:45)...is a New Testament scripture (Lk.3:38) describing the original untainted spirit of the first man Adam, God's first chosen earthly progenitor of all human seed. Consequently, his soul (Eve) became the mother of the whole human race - Gen.3:20. God his creator had sovereignly chosen a line of that seed, and even though it was to die, it was to eventually propagate through natural Israel.

This God did in order to first make known His existence and works and power "that He might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which He had afore prepared unto glory. Even us, whom He hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles." Ro.9:22-24.

THE PROMISED SEED OF GLORY

That chosen bloodline of natural progeny came to an end through the virgin Mary, she being last chosen of the Father to bring forth the second and last Adam seed. This was the the promised chosen seed of the God-man Christ Jesus (Ac.13:23; Gal.3:19)...a firstfruit creation (1Cor.15:20,23) of a perpetual spiritual seed and bloodline that was preordained to one day fill the universe...beginning with this earth - Gen.13:16; 15:5; 16:10; 22:17,18 etc.

So it was, when the promised Spiritual seed of Israel was planted in earthen vessels and the natural was set aside (Ro. chapter 11), so also did "it come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people; there shall they be called the children of the living God." Ro.9:26. "That is, They which are the children of the flesh (children of "the world, the flesh and the devil" in that they are unbelievers in Christ), THESE ARE NOT THE CHILDREN OF GOD : but the children of the promise are counted for the seed." Ro.9:8. God is therefore the Father only of the children of promise and not of the children of the flesh.

These children of the promised Christ seed "are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus...and if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise." Gal.3:26-29. "For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith." Ro.4:13. Not the righteousness of man's faith but of "the faith of the Son of God." Gal.2:16,20; Phil.3:9; Eph.3:12.Gal.2:16,20.

THE GLORY OF GOD THE FATHER

So again, we can see how there remaineth children that have not yet the most high God as their Father in His new creation. Nor does His Spirit yet inhabit them. They cannot be a part of this new family, until He omnipotently brings them into His "household of faith" (Gal.6:10), "every man in His own order" (2Cor.15:23) "being builded together for an habitation of God throught the Spirit." Eph.1:22. Ultimately, in fulfilment of His immutable plan of creation and redemption "to the glory of God the Father" (Phil.2:10.11) ...shall Christ's holy seed fill the universe that God's own Spirit may inhabit "all in all." 1Cor.15:28.22; Eph.1:9-12.

The Lord saith, "I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear." Isa.45:23. Yes, this speaks of the willfull submission unto salvation of all yet unregenrate men whereby Paul said in a revelation, "I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost." 1Cor.12:3.

Just as "Christ also received us (who once were unregenerate) to the glory of God" (Ro.15:7), only the salvation of Christ and His creation and not an everlasting punishment or annihilation is, nor indeed can be "to the glory of God the Father." Phil.2:11. And all those whose tongues "confess to God" (Ro.13:11) "that Jesus Christ is Lord" (Phil.2:11) can do so only by redeeming conviction of the Holy Ghost wherein the God of all creation then also becomes to them "God the Father" as so many scriptures describe Him.

THE CHOSEN FAMILY SEED, HIS BODY THE CHURCH

In conclusion, it is noteworthy that in the Old Testament there are only five indistinct references to "the sons [plural] of God" (Gen.6:2,4; Jb.1:6; 2:1; 38:7), all which can be and have been interpreted in a variety of ways. The number five speaks primarily of the grace of God. I once believed all these references were speaking of earthly men, but have seen some compelling evidence that Jb.38:7 may actually be referring to angels. This is something that cannot be touched on lightly in order to see more light, so we must leave this for another study.

On the surface it seems that the term "sons of God" must be referring only to human sons. Those in the New Testatment most surely are...as were those in the Old Testament called as such through God's divine choice of a natural seed according to the Old Testament covenant, even the elect "seed" of (natural) Israel--"His first chosen ones." 1Chron.16:12; Ro.9:3-5.

From the offspring of the first created man Adam, God brought to birth a particular family which evolved into a nation whom he in allegory, called His son - Ex.4:22; Hos.11:1. For the furtherance of this chosen nation He brought forth major covenants such as the Mosaic, Abrahamic and New Testament promises and continued to choose individuals to further His plan and purposes in the earth - Psa.135:4; Isa.41:8; 44:1; 49:1-3 etc.

To us who are now participants of the new Covenant promise, "Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us that we should should be called THE SONS OF GOD: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew Him not. Beloved, NOW WE ARE THE SONS OF GOD, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is." 1Jn.3:1,2.

O beloved "Israel of God" (Gal.6:15,16), seeing as we are now the official sons of God, come let us "kneel before the Father, from whom the whole FAMILY of believers in heaven and earth derives its name." Eph.3:14 (N.I.T). Let us bow our "knees before the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, for whom every FAMILY in heaven and on earth is named--[that Father] from Whom all FATHERHOOD takes its title and derives its name." Eph.3:14 (Amplif.).

He is now the family head (the spiritual seed sowing Father), "of the body (His new creation family) the church; He is the beginning (of this newly created kingdom family) and the firstborn from among the dead (out of the old natural creation), so that (manifestly) in everything He might have the supremacy." Col.1:18 (N.I.T). "After this manner therefore pray ye, Our Father which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven....For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen."

O ye present chosen and elect and blessed sons of God, "Grace be with you, mercy, and peace, from God the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love." 2Jn.1:3.

K. Ross McKay