Graduate 177: Advent & Ephesians, Day 5
"In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will,..."
I mentioned on Day 3, that vv. 3-14 of Ephesians 1 actually comprise a single long sentence in the original Greek. Because of the difficulties associated with translating such a long and complex sentence, most English translations, including the New American Standard Version, which is what I use, break that long sentence down into several shorter sentences. This does make things more manageable, but it would be wise, as you read through these entries, that you keep in mind the ideas being discussed are not separate and independent from one another.
In delineating the various blessings that we have received "in the heavenly places in Christ," Paul began by talking about how God "chose us in Him before the foundation of the world." In v. 5, he says that God "predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself." As in v. 4, the fact that we were predestined to this means that all the glory and credit and praise for this wonderful blessing should be directed at God. Paul goes on to say that God brought this about, "according to the kind intention [or "good pleasure"] of His will." God out of his overflowing generosity and kindness and goodness has given us the privilege of being adopted into His family. For the remainder of this entry, we'll focus on what that means.
The idea of Christians being adopted into God's family appears throughout the New Testament. Paul writes, in Romans 8:14-17,
For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, "Abba! Father!" The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him in order that we may also be glorified with Him."
Paul also writes, "But when the fulness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, in order that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying "Abba! Father!" Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through [the gracious act of] God." (Galatians 4:4-7)
As a final example, John writes in his first epistle, "See how great a love the Father has bestowed upon us, that we should be called children of God; and such we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we shall be. We know that, when He appears, we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him just as He is." (1 John 3:1-2)
Each of these verses (and the others that touch this same theme) brings out some different aspects of what it means to be a son or daughter of God. But if we want to just get a general sense of what it means and what it is like to be a child of God, the best way to learn is by looking at Jesus. Jesus was and is the only begotten Son of God. He has lived in fellowship and community with God the Father for all of eternity. And when He came to earth as a human being, He displayed, in Himself, what it looks like to live as a child of God because He was (and is) the Son of God.
While He was on earth, Jesus enjoyed a vibrant relationship with His heavenly Father. He spent long stretches of time in prayer, talking and communing with His Father. He always did the will of His Father. The places He went, the things He said, the miracles He performed--were all at the direction of His Father. He was constantly drawing upon the power and resources of His Father's kingdom. Why was Jesus able to do the amazing things that He did? Because of His relationship with His Father. Why was Jesus' life so radically different from other people's? Because of His relationship with His Father? Why were people so powerfully and redemptively transformed by interacting with Jesus? Because of His relationship with His Father.
And now, get this, He has become your Heavenly Father, as well. Does that mean that you will do exactly the same things that Jesus did? Probably not. After all, no Father treats all his children in exactly the same way--because each of the children is different. But God is ready to offer to us, as adopted sons and daughters, the same kind of generosity that He offered to His only begotten Son.
Jesus says, in John 5:26, "For just as the Father has life in Himself, even so He gave to the Son also to have life in Himself." In Luke 10:22, He says, "All things have been handed over to Me by My Father,..." In Ephesians 1:3, Paul says that we have been blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ," and in 1 Corinthians 3:21-23, he says, "For all things belong to you, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or things present or things to come; all things belong to you, and you belong to Christ; and Christ belongs to God."
Some of these cases are helpfully instructive. Jesus says that God has given Him "life in Himself"--that is, self-subsisting, self-sustaining existence. Now does God give that to us? I think the answer is, 'No.' But he does give us 'eternal life' and eternal life is the closest thing that finite, created beings can have to the kind of life that God alone is able to enjoy in Himself. Again, God is treating His children differently because the children are different, but He is the same generous Father, in each case, who holds nothing back.
I've diverted a little from the main point to touch on this theological point. Hopefully this doesn't trip anyone up. The main thing that we need to remember is the privilege that has been conferred on us because we have been adopted as sons and daughters of God the Father. Are you enjoying those privileges to the fullest extent? How is your relationship with your Heavenly Father? How much time are you spending in prayer? Are you doing the will of your Father? Are your actions being guided by the direction of the Father? Are you drawing upon the power and resources of your Father's kingdom?
Take some time to think about this. It can be a radical thought--not familiar to many Christians, unfortunately--that we are sons and daughters of God the Father. Look at what the Scripture has to say about that. And remember how Galatians 4, above, connects that to the Incarnation of Christ which we are celebrating during this holiday season.
--
God is in this place,
And that reality, seen and understood by the grace of God in Christ Jesus through the work of the Holy Spirit, makes all the difference in the world.
I mentioned on Day 3, that vv. 3-14 of Ephesians 1 actually comprise a single long sentence in the original Greek. Because of the difficulties associated with translating such a long and complex sentence, most English translations, including the New American Standard Version, which is what I use, break that long sentence down into several shorter sentences. This does make things more manageable, but it would be wise, as you read through these entries, that you keep in mind the ideas being discussed are not separate and independent from one another.
In delineating the various blessings that we have received "in the heavenly places in Christ," Paul began by talking about how God "chose us in Him before the foundation of the world." In v. 5, he says that God "predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself." As in v. 4, the fact that we were predestined to this means that all the glory and credit and praise for this wonderful blessing should be directed at God. Paul goes on to say that God brought this about, "according to the kind intention [or "good pleasure"] of His will." God out of his overflowing generosity and kindness and goodness has given us the privilege of being adopted into His family. For the remainder of this entry, we'll focus on what that means.
The idea of Christians being adopted into God's family appears throughout the New Testament. Paul writes, in Romans 8:14-17,
For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, "Abba! Father!" The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him in order that we may also be glorified with Him."
Paul also writes, "But when the fulness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, in order that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying "Abba! Father!" Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through [the gracious act of] God." (Galatians 4:4-7)
As a final example, John writes in his first epistle, "See how great a love the Father has bestowed upon us, that we should be called children of God; and such we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we shall be. We know that, when He appears, we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him just as He is." (1 John 3:1-2)
Each of these verses (and the others that touch this same theme) brings out some different aspects of what it means to be a son or daughter of God. But if we want to just get a general sense of what it means and what it is like to be a child of God, the best way to learn is by looking at Jesus. Jesus was and is the only begotten Son of God. He has lived in fellowship and community with God the Father for all of eternity. And when He came to earth as a human being, He displayed, in Himself, what it looks like to live as a child of God because He was (and is) the Son of God.
While He was on earth, Jesus enjoyed a vibrant relationship with His heavenly Father. He spent long stretches of time in prayer, talking and communing with His Father. He always did the will of His Father. The places He went, the things He said, the miracles He performed--were all at the direction of His Father. He was constantly drawing upon the power and resources of His Father's kingdom. Why was Jesus able to do the amazing things that He did? Because of His relationship with His Father. Why was Jesus' life so radically different from other people's? Because of His relationship with His Father? Why were people so powerfully and redemptively transformed by interacting with Jesus? Because of His relationship with His Father.
And now, get this, He has become your Heavenly Father, as well. Does that mean that you will do exactly the same things that Jesus did? Probably not. After all, no Father treats all his children in exactly the same way--because each of the children is different. But God is ready to offer to us, as adopted sons and daughters, the same kind of generosity that He offered to His only begotten Son.
Jesus says, in John 5:26, "For just as the Father has life in Himself, even so He gave to the Son also to have life in Himself." In Luke 10:22, He says, "All things have been handed over to Me by My Father,..." In Ephesians 1:3, Paul says that we have been blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ," and in 1 Corinthians 3:21-23, he says, "For all things belong to you, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or things present or things to come; all things belong to you, and you belong to Christ; and Christ belongs to God."
Some of these cases are helpfully instructive. Jesus says that God has given Him "life in Himself"--that is, self-subsisting, self-sustaining existence. Now does God give that to us? I think the answer is, 'No.' But he does give us 'eternal life' and eternal life is the closest thing that finite, created beings can have to the kind of life that God alone is able to enjoy in Himself. Again, God is treating His children differently because the children are different, but He is the same generous Father, in each case, who holds nothing back.
I've diverted a little from the main point to touch on this theological point. Hopefully this doesn't trip anyone up. The main thing that we need to remember is the privilege that has been conferred on us because we have been adopted as sons and daughters of God the Father. Are you enjoying those privileges to the fullest extent? How is your relationship with your Heavenly Father? How much time are you spending in prayer? Are you doing the will of your Father? Are your actions being guided by the direction of the Father? Are you drawing upon the power and resources of your Father's kingdom?
Take some time to think about this. It can be a radical thought--not familiar to many Christians, unfortunately--that we are sons and daughters of God the Father. Look at what the Scripture has to say about that. And remember how Galatians 4, above, connects that to the Incarnation of Christ which we are celebrating during this holiday season.
--
God is in this place,
And that reality, seen and understood by the grace of God in Christ Jesus through the work of the Holy Spirit, makes all the difference in the world.
posted by Metaphysician_delta | 8:29 PM
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