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The Revealed Mystery of the Ages: The Life of the Son of God in His Saints 2
Christianity is the life of Christ lived in those who believe in Christ. The initial experience of receiving the life of the Son of God by a believer in Christ is referred to in the Bible by three terms. They are: to be born of the Spirit; to be quickened or made alive in Christ; and to be made a new creature in Christ. Let us explore these three Biblical concepts of the initial receiving of the life of Christ the Son of God by believers in Christ.
Born into the Life of the Son of God
Life begins with birth. Man begins to live the life of the Son of God by the New Birth. The Bible refers to the origin of the life of becoming sons of God as being “born again” or “born of the Spirit” to distinguish it from man’s original natural birth. Every human being is born into this world naturally or of the flesh. Natural man, since the Fall, is by nature in rebellion against God and does not, and cannot, in that natural state, please God (Romans 8:7). Therefore, to begin to live the life of a son of God one must be born again of the Spirit of God.
This new birth is not and cannot be produced by any human effort. It is the reproduction of the life of God and therefore can be produced only by God. It must be noted also that, in view of the fact that to be born a son of God is to receive the life of Christ, the Son of God, one does not achieve it but can only be born of God into the life of a son of God. In fact, there is no other means by which one can live unto God but through the life of Christ, the Son of God.
The new birth or to be born of the Spirit into an offspring or son of God is a work of God without any contribution by man. John describes it this way in John 1:12-13: “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.”
God gives the right to become His offspring to everyone who receives His Son, Jesus Christ, by faith. John identifies the absence of three human factors in the birth of an offspring of God that eliminates all possible human contribution. These three factors are blood (genealogy, family traits, human characteristics), the will of the flesh (egoistic zeal or determination), and the will of man (human or humane ambition, psychological willpower, human efforts).
The birth of an offspring of God has nothing to do with human genealogy or bloodline. The right to be born an offspring of God does not come through race, tribe, family lineage, or biological characteristics. The will of the flesh cannot possibly generate spiritual life, much less the life of a son of God, because the flesh can only produce spiritual death. “For to be carnally minded is death … because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God” (Romans 8:6-8). Finally, the new birth into an offspring of God is not produced by the will of man. Humanity, in all its human potential and ingenuity, cannot and does not by its psychological power and determination produce of himself or of any other a child of God. Human will power may produce notable religious zeal and zealots but contributes absolutely nothing to the reproduction of an offspring of God. Sociology and psychology may have contributed much in managing and controlling human behavior and even developing good character and conduct but cannot produce a child of God of any human being. John makes it clear that the reproduction of offspring of God is absolutely of God and God alone.
Hence, we know that all God’s offspring are purely God’s children. The child of God cannot be partly of the flesh and partly of the Spirit. God is Spirit and so all His offspring are spiritual. “But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His” (Romans 8:9).
Jesus made a similar point when he indicated to Nicodemus “that which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit” (John 3:6). The flesh reproduces of its kind and the Spirit of its kind. The life by which one is able to live as an offspring of God in the kingdom of God is completely distinct from the life with which one lives on earth. Only by being born of the Spirit can one enter the kingdom of God. “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God” (John 3:5). Therefore, the life of the Son of God reproduced in a believer in Christ is a unique life, which originates in God. It is Kingdom life and is different from the life of humanity on earth. The child of God, born of God, is neither carnal nor partly carnal. He is virtually a spiritual being clothed in humanity – a treasure in earthen vessel – Christ in man.
According to the Bible, the living word of God, like a seed that germinates into a living plant, is the incorruptible seed which reproduces God’s offspring. “Of His own will He brought us forth with the Word of truth, for us to be a certain firstfruit of His creatures” (James 1:18).In the word of God is the powerful life of the Son of God. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God…. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men…. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:1, 4, 14). The living word when preached through the gospel generates faith in the hearers and reproduces the life of the Son of God in all who hear and believe. Peter explains: “Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart, having been born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, through the living Word of God, and abiding forever. For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of men as the flower of the grass. The grass withers, and its flower falls out, but the Word of the Lord endures forever. And this is the Word preached as gospel to you” (1 Peter 1:22-25).
Raised from Death into the Life of the Son of God
The reproduction of the life of the Son of God in a believer in Christ is also referred to in the Scriptures as being made alive in Christ. Man’s original state from his natural birth is described in the Bible as a state of death in sin. In this state, a man has absolutely no inclination or sensitivity towards God. Instead, according to the Scriptures, being spiritually dead, he naturally flows according to the course of this world, which is in enmity against God or is contrary to the way of God.
To save the sinner, God comes to him in mercy and by grace imparts the life of His Son into his spiritually dead being. The life of the Son of God quickens or makes alive the unregenerate man by the grace of God. Paul describes this amazing life-giving work of the grace of God in sinful man this way: “And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:1-6).
Being made alive together with Christ by the grace of God and being born of the Spirit into God’s offspring refer to the same experience in the Scriptures. Made alive in Christ, like in the case of being born of God, is described in the Scriptures as an outcome of the power of the living word of God reproducing the very life of the Son of God in believers in Christ. “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life. Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live” (John 5:24-25).
The fountain or source of eternal life is in Jesus Christ, the resurrected Saviour, the Son of God, who lives to die no more. We cannot have eternal life without having the life of the Son of God. Thus, one begins to live the life of the Son of God by being quickened by the Spirit from spiritual death into eternal life in Christ.
Made a New Creature by the Life of the Son of God
Another Scriptural way which the Scriptures refer to the reproduction of the life of the Son of God in a believer in Christ is the transformation of a believer in Christ into a new creature. The life of the Son of God is imparted by God into a believer in Christ to produce a new creature. This is the emergence into sons of God by those who receive Christ through faith and are born of God and made alive in Christ by the Spirit. Sons of God are virtually new creatures among humanity.
The newness of life produced by the life of the Son of God in a believer in Christ is not merely an outward religious reformation of behaviour, but a divinely produced change or metamorphosis into a new being. According to Galatians 6:15-16, “For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but a new creation. And as many as walk according to this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God.”
The new creation, which sons of God are, cannot be defined by the natural mind. They now bear the character and nature of Christ, who, though while on earth was made in a form visible to man, is no longer in this natural form. “Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new” (2 Corinthians 5:16-17). Although with the life of Christ in them, and connected to Christ as branches are connected to the vine, sons of God will produce the fruit of Spirit and may be known by their fruit, they cannot be comprehended by the carnal judgments of man.
Sons of God are marvelous new creatures designed by God for good works which God destined for them to accomplish in this world. They are well prepared and fully equipped for their ordained ministry. “For we are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10).
Waiting for the Manifestation
The life of the Son of God imparted into a Christian believer is described in the Scriptures as to be born again, to be made alive in Christ, and to be made a new creature. Whatever the term used to describe this glorious experience, what the experience produces are sons of God brought forth into this world as offspring of God Himself.
The glory of the sons of God seems to be today concealed and veiled by the lowly state of the humanity, the earthen vessels which God has designed to house the treasure of the life of His Son in this age. Paul refers to this wonderful reality of Christ in the saints of God as a mystery - “the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints. To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:26-27). Nonetheless, the mystery of Christ in us is the hope of glory as we with the rest of the creation await with great expectation the unveiling or manifestation of the glory of life of the Sons of God in us in God’s appointed time. The Bible refers to this hope as “the manifestation” or “revealing of the sons of God” (Romans 8:19).
While we eagerly wait for the manifestation or unveiling of the glory of sonship in us, let us by faith accept this amazing grace of being veiled sons of God in this present world. Let us humbly worship God who from our lowly state of sin and death has miraculously brought us forth by His abundant grace to stand in the midst of His creation as His own sons. Therefore, do not esteem yourself in your eyes or in the eyes of others to be any less than what God by grace has made you to be, but with meekness and gratitude daily glorify God through the abundant life of the Son of God flowing out of your innermost beings. For though despised and unrecognized you may be by this world, even as Jesus the first born Son of God was, the truth is the world continues to need and benefit from the goodness of the light and life of the Son of God in you.
“You are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy” (1 Peter 2:9-10).
Go to part one
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