We’re the state with 54 – 14,000 foot mountain peaks!

A message by Roger Himes, The Gospel Coach

Are We Children of God,

or Are We Sons and Daughters of God?

There is a misunderstanding about this issue. The misunderstanding is born in religion and human performance. Here, the focus is on us because that is what religion does — it focuses on US. And the thought in religion is that we start off being ‘babes in Christ,’ or what might be called children.

Once we develop and grow spiritually, then we somehow (by somebody’s standard) grow into becoming sons and daughters of God. It’s all based on our maturity, and how good of a ‘Christian’ we are.

This is not true in the New Testament gospel!

First John 3:1 says, “Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God.” And if you’re a woman, I hope you know that in Christ — in the spiritual realm — there is no male or female. We are all equal (Gal 3:28).

This is not conditional upon us, what we do, how good we are, or how well we perform.  This is a status God gives us when we come into his family and his Kingdom.

The fact is that we are all children — and we are all sons (or if you prefer, sons and daughters).

Consider the following carefully for balance

and for a proper spiritual perspective!

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The gospel is about a Father who loves us more
than we can ever possibly begin to imagine.
As his children, we come to know him as ’Abba Father,’
and fall in love with him more than we ever imagined.

The longing of our Father’s heart is for us to know him
just like a loving, dependent child relates to his Daddy –
but also as mature sons and daughters
know and respect their Father.

Both Jesus and Paul used the term ‘Abba Father.’
This denotes agape love and intimacy,
but also awesome respect and reverence.

The word Abba denotes an unreasoned expression of trust, love,
dependency and confidence from a child.

The word Father denotes a reasoned appreciation,
honor and esteem from a son or daughter.

We will always be both children –
and sons and daughters.

The familiar Jewish expression for God was ‘Papa.’
Our Father’s heart cry to us is, “Come to Papa!”
This is where everything good begins –
and extends beyond our wildest dreams.
Paul says it goes beyond all we can ask, think or imagine (Eph 3:20).

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In the Old Testament, people only knew God as ‘God.’ He was the God of the law. He was the God of judgment. He was the God who had to be reckoned with.

In the New Testament, we are blessed to know God as ‘Father.’

Better yet, even as ‘Abba’ — Daddy or Papa. This seems sacrilegious if your mind is filled with law and religious things. But if your heart is filled with love and grace, you know it’s true experientially.

The law and the prophets were perfect for their time. But Jesus came to fulfill the law, the prophets and the Psalms (Luke 24:25-26, 44). The New Testament gospel brought in a new dispensation — a new spiritual dimension — a new paradigm.

Thus Jesus said, “The Kingdom of God is within you.”

The New is 180 degrees different from the Old. The two cannot be combined. To do so is like mixing water with your gasoline, or worse, putting arsenic in your food.

I like to say that mixing the Old with the New is like mixing the blood of animals with the blood of Jesus.

Jesus emphatically told us not to pour new wine into old bottles.

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In the Old Testament, if you touch a leper, you become unclean.
In the New, if you touch a leper, he becomes clean.

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The Old was  revelation of law, sin, unrighteousness, and sacrifice,
–  this produced fear in life, and impending judgment in death.
The gospel is a revelation of God’s grace, love, and gift of righteousness,
– because of Jesus, the once-for-all sacrifice.
This produces peace aqnd joy — which is ultimate mental health.

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In the Old Testament, 3,000 people died when the law was given.
In the New Testament, 3,000 people were made alive when the gospel was preached in Acts 2.

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The Old was the ministry of condemnation and death (II Cor 3:6).

The gospel ministers righteousness and reconciliation (II Cor 3:9, 5:18).

Between these, Satan tries to blind our minds to the gospel (II Cor 4:2).

Matthew says to seek God’s Kingdom violently, and even by force.

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A woman was caught in adultery in John 8.

She was brought to be stoned under the law.
(I wonder where then man was. Doesn’t it take two?)

Jesus wrote the law. He knew what it said.
– We’re told “all things were created by him.”

He stopped and wrote in the sand. We’re not told what he wrote,
– so all we can do is guess.

But whatever he wrote, it contained so much grace that all the lawyers left — all the keepers of the law.

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Today there are three types of predominant thought:
1. religious, 2. political and 3. gospel of the Kingdom.

Religious thought condemns: it accuses, criticises and judges.

Political thought compromises: it combines and mixes it all together.

Gospel Kingdom thought is compassionate: it ministers grace,
acceptance, forgiveness and love.
– Paul says it is the GOODNESS of God that draws us to repentance.

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I sometimes hear someone say that preaching the gospel of grace is preaching a license to sin.

That person knows nothing of the truth and the power of the gospel of God. Paul says he is ignorant of the righteousness of God (Rom 10:2). He also says he doesn’t understand what he preaches and only makes confident assertions (I Tim 1:7 NASB).

The gospel is the gospel of grace (Acts 20:24), and the gospel of the peace of God (Rom 10:15).

When you truly know the gospel, it doesn’t cause you to want to go out and commit sin.

Instead it causes you to fall on your knees in appreciation, gratitude and worship.
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Roger Himes, The Gospel Coach