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.