Sons & Daughters
From the Pastor’s heart Sons & daughters
2Co 6:17Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, 2Co 6:18 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.
These are the words of God to us to teach us what it means to become the sons and daughters of God. There is a lot of teaching around that says, all are sons and daughters of God. This kind of teaching promotes self claim rather than a stamp and seal from God that endorses who the children of God are. When Abraham had Ishmael as a son, he was born outside of the promise of God through an act of the flesh. As a result, all who came from that line of flesh were not included in the promise. Rom 9:6 Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel: Rom 9:7 Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called. Rom 9:8That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed. There is a deep spiritual principle in these verses that has been carried through into our age and is just as applicable to us as it was then. This is where faith plays such an important part in the recognition of God’s children as opposed to just anybody who claims to be a child of God by virtue of taking on Christianity through Christ. Jesus echoes this in these verses: Joh 8:37 I know that ye are Abraham's seed; but ye seek to kill me, because my word hath no place in youJoh 8:40 But now ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I have heard of God: this did not Abraham. Joh 8:44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.
The hope of those who called themselves the children of Abraham was dashed by Jesus when He actually accused them of being the children of the devil. He equated His reasoning to their murderous attitudes which He said, they inherited from the devil. What had transpired amongst the Jews was, the law had converted many Jews into believing they were of God. Though their lineage was Abraham, they had not been born of faith and so were not considered the children of Abraham. Had they been born of faith then it would have made them the children of God. Religion is a killer far greater than any other form of spiritual death. People love religion, rules and regulations. It inspires them because it caters to the flesh. Furthermore, there is a self justification that puts them in a place where they feel they can do anything they want and yet have eternal life.
The devil deceives many into religiosity because he knows titles and handles excite people which causes them to wear a badge of acceptance before God. One common temptation is to believe that by works one can be saved. To twist that further, the devil deceives people into believing that there are many Gods and hence many Fathers. This causes many to believe that they do not need to be born of the Spirit and water to obtain identity with God as the children of God. Then, the devil deceives them further by causing many to walk in idolatry while thinking they are the sons and daughters of God.
This is why we must understand the difference between what are vessels of God and children of God. Not all vessels are children of God. Some are vessels for the use of the purposes of God. Rom 9:20 Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus? Rom 9:21Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour? Rom 9:22What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction: Rom 9:23And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory. This passage makes it very clear to us that not all vessels are children of God.
God did not limit Himself to making only Children. He made vessels of all sorts, including angelic spirits and other things. So, in order to clearly identify that one is a child of God, requires some form of a seal of this identity. Otherwise, one cannot be recognised as such. Act 19:13 Then certain of the vagabond Jews, exorcists, took upon them to call over them which had evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, We adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preacheth. Act 19:14 And there were seven sons of one Sceva, a Jew, and chief of the priests, which did so. Act 19:15And the evil spirit answered and said, Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye? It is obvious from this passage that these evil spirits knew who was of God and who was not.
If so called Christians are found worshipping other gods, living an open life of sin and debauchery, preaching a false gospel or merchandising the anointing, they are not true sons and daughters of God. Instead, they have taken what is given as an inheritance and misused it while illegitimately taking hold of Godly things for gain. 1Ti 6:5 Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself. 1Ti 6:6But godliness with contentment is great gain.
It is becoming more apparent in the Church today that not all are children of God. Some may genuinely want to be but do not know how to, so they take on a form of Godliness that the Church has taught them is sufficient to be identified as sons and daughters of God. They soon find out that their lifestyle does not adequately identity them as such. Furthermore, their spiritual needs are not met and their authority does not work for them because in essence they do not have a relationship with God. They end up becoming victims of the devil, problem children and trouble makers whose end is destruction. 2Pe_2:1But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. 2Pe_3:16As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.
The true children of God are identifiable by the seal of the Holy Spirit on them 2Co_1:22 Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.Eph_1:13In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise. The first seal of any child of God is the circumcision of the heart. A genuine change that takes place which comes by the fear of the Lord bringing that person to repentance. When this happens and there is an acceptance of Christ as Saviour, Lord, King and God, then the sonship begins in earnest. Jesus Himself had to bow His knees to God as a man and humble Himself that He may be exalted in due time. It may not be manifest to the world right now that we are the sons and daughters of God because of the stuff that goes on in Church life but it does not alienate the fact that there are true sons and daughters of God in the Church who are like pillars.
I once had a dream about Church which revealed to me that many who are in Church will be left behind. It was a very sad dream to have because I saw the beautiful sons and daughters of God leave the church building and fly away to heaven while others were held in the Church by a demonic principality. There are many sons and daughters of God who are being held captive. That is why Jesus came.Luk_4:18The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,
The sons and daughters of God are the ones commissioned to release other potential sons and daughters of God being held in captivity. We know who are true sons and daughters because they will manifest the life of Christ in them even before they are born again by virtue of the fact that they have been given to Christ Joh_17:12While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled. It is pretty obvious from the scriptures that Judas was a son of perdition. Yet, he was amongst the children of God chosen to be with Jesus during His earthly ministry. Judas was just a vessel. One must understand the difference, otherwise one will think everyone is a child of God and treat them the same or be taken in by their charms when in actual fact they are the sons of belial 1Sa_2:12Now the sons of Eli were sons of Belial; they knew not the LORD.
In the last days, many such sons will come who are not of God. They will be rejected by Jesus. Mat 7:20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. Mat 7:21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Mat 7:22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? Mat 7:23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
Why do I teach you this way? It is because I want you sealed and sanctified to walk in Godliness by the Spirit of God and not the flesh which will destroy you.
Lots of love
Pastor Noble