Sunday English Service – 08 AUG 21​

Transcript

Last week, we saw one of the great blessings of our salvation, spiritual blessings of our salvation. We said that is — simply that we’re God’s children and God is our father. In other words, our salvation has brought us into a new relationship with God. In and through our salvation, we have now entered into a new relationship with God. What kind of a relationship? Father, children, relationship. And that is bigger, greater, better than just being saved from sin or judgment in hell. And yes, we are saved from sin, we are saved from judgment, we are saved hell and we are saved to righteousness. We are saved to holiness and where all that is true, but somehow this seemingly simple truth that we are God’s children and God is our father is really one step higher. This is something above and beyond the other things. The only thing that compares with it in the — we’ve been listing on many of these blessings. The only thing that compares with this is the union with Christ thing. In fact, these two are very related union with Christ and the fact that we are God’s children and are very related, you may think of it as being God’s children is the highest manifestation of union with Christ. In union with Christ, we receive every salvation blessing, but the highest we receive is this amazing relationship with God, not only with the Lord Jesus Christ, but with God father. God is our father and we are His children. 

So on the one hand, this is so simple. We are His children, God is our father that any believer can say, I know this, I enjoy this. But on the other hand, this is so profound and deep that no believer can say I know all about this and I enjoy all of it, and I appreciate and understand how all of it. And so that’s why we want to continue to look at this, that we are God’s children. And today I want to talk about how we are the sons of God. We are sons of God. We are sons of God. Today, we are going to look at the theme of sonship which follows from, we are children of God. We are sons of God. We are going to see how this theme of sonship, that we are sons of God runs from Genesis to Revelation. I’ll give you a little idea about it. And basically, it is right from the beginning of the plan salvation to the end of the fulfillment of salvation. You can see this theme of son ship, that is, we are sons of God. You can see it right from the beginning of the plan of salvation, right to its fulfillment end. And when you do that, this theme, when you look at the entire plan of salvation, when you look at the entire sweep. How God thought about our salvation, planned it, executed it step-by-step and it’s going to take it to a much higher end. 

When you look at all of it, it will unlock your understanding. It’ll help you to understand salvation better. It’ll help you to understand the Christian life better. It will help you to see how other things like God’s blessing and God’s power and God’s inheritance, and God’s — everything else that God gives. If you see it in context of sonship, you will understand it better and you will receive it better. We’ll talk about all this. We all want to receive God’s blessing. We all desire greatness in some capacity. We all desire to be perfect. We all have these desires inside of us. We know that we’re not meant to be this way. We are meant to be far higher than what we are. And where did that very desire come from? It came from God. We look at those kinds of things today. We’re going to kind of cover a wide sweep of the entire plan of salvation, give you a kind of broad overview, looking at it through this theme of sonship. That we are sons of God. 

Now, before we begin, let me clarify three things before beginning the story of sonship. Three things. One is why am I now saying sons of God instead children of God? Why change the word? Simple word children, why change it. And well, I’m changing it purposely because there is a difference between children and sons. And the Bible says that we are children of God. It also says we are sons of God. Sometimes it treats the terms equally, but sometimes it treats the term differently. Now, if you think about a family itself, there is a difference between a child and a son. The term children is used for smaller children. The term son is generally used for the more grown adult son. And in the Bible days, the term was very clearly separate for children and for a more grown person, especially this idea of sonship. Why does the Bible, for example, say son, because it connotes that we have received the full rights that belong to God’s children. The full rights that belong to God’s children. If you think of a child, a little baby in a home. It may be the child of the president also. But if it’s a two-year-old baby, it really is not enjoying the sonship. The full rights. That baby is really on the same level as the servants in the house. In fact, you even take a five-year-old or something. The servant is dictating that they employee in the is dictating how the five-year-old should behave. 

So the child has to submit itself to employees in the house. So if you look that child, you can’t say he is enjoying the full rights of being a child of this great king or president or whoever. But if that five-year-old becomes a 20-year-old or a 30-year-old, now then we’re talking about a son, not just a child, enjoying the full rights of sonship, whatever they may be. This idea that we progress from children to sonship is there in the Bible that this idea that we must not just be like a child, but must grow up into a son, come of age as a son, Paul himself uses the contrast when he speaks of the Old Testament, people of God as children of God, but he says, they’re not like us. They were under the law. And the law was like a tutor, keeping them under its control. But in the New Testament, Christ has freed us from the laws, so we are not like those Old Testament children, but we are like the New Testament sons. So the Bible itself tells us to think in this direction. Don’t just be a small child, grow up, come of age as a son. That’s one thing why we are talking about sons because sons enjoy the full rights of the household. 

Secondly, why we are saying sons and not sons and daughters, we are sons of God. That seems like we’re excluding daughters. But I’m not trying to exclude women or something like that. I’m trying to keep the language in line with the biblical language because the Bible for a specific reason says sons. We are sons of God. It doesn’t say for example much — it doesn’t say that often that we are daughters of God in the New Testament, especially it does say sometimes, but not often. More often the languages we are sons of God. It’s not trying to exclude females. It’s trying to emphasize a very, very noteworthy point. The ancient world was a male dominated world. And so in that male dominated world where women were not given equal rights to men. In that world, ancient world, 2000 years ago, when Paul was writing, for example, the daughter simply did not have the same status as the son in the house. In the Roman society, daughters had more of equal rights compared to other societies, but still even in the Roman society, you cannot say that the daughters were treated equally to the son. In the Roman household, the one who was at the top was the father. He had all the power and authority over the household. He was number one, unquestionable. This is how it function.

That second person you may say with the highest honor and the status and the authority and the inheritance and all that would be naturally the son in those days. And if it was a first-born son in some societies with double portion of inheritance and all that. So you have to kind of transport your mind back to 2000 years ago, Paul is writing in this culture where sons are treated in the highest possible in the household. Sons are adopted more than daughters and the Roman culture and so on. And so Paul wants to convey this truth. What truth that we who have come into God’s household have received the highest status and inheritance and privileges and duties and responsibilities possible. How does he communicate that? How to communicate? You can say, if you keep saying the sons and daughters, it won’t communicate. People won’t get the point. People just won’t get it. So Paul in order for people to get it says, we are sons of God. But the thing is he does not exclude women, if you look at Galatians 3, he says something very interesting. He says, we are all sons. Have you ever seen this verse? You should go to Galatians 3, verse 26. This is an important verse, I think. You can see very clearly that Paul is talking to male and female, all believers, and he’s going to call them all sons, very strange. 

Look at this, Galatians 3:26 for in Christ Jesus, you are all sons of God through faith. Look at that word in Christ Jesus, you, everybody say you. You is plural in the Greek. In Tamil, it comes out like [Tamil – 00:11:03] And even in English, that is there, you are all. Everybody say you are all. That means all of you, all of you. He’s talking to the Galatians church. All of you, all of you obvious includes male and female believers. All of you are sons of God through faith. And if you have any doubt, keep reading and he will become – he will be more specific. Look at verse 27. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ, have put on Christ. How many of you are baptized into Christ? Not just baptized in the water, been baptized into Christ off, which that is a symbol. As many of you as were baptized into Christ means as many of you as have been united with Christ, immersed into Christ, joined with Christ. That means every believer as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. So if you’re baptized with Christ, whoever you are, male or female, you are put on Christ. And then look at the next verse. Verse 28. There is neither Jew nor Greek, neither slave nor free. There is no male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. Now specifically he says no division male or female, Jew, Greek, slave or free, it doesn’t matter, you are all one in Christ Jesus. So if you follow his part, he is saying you are all, all of you are sons of God. And then all, whoever was baptized into Christ, you have put on Christ. And in this group, there is no division. You are all one into Christ, even the male female division does not count. 

Then he continues and says, verse 29, if you plural are Christ, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to the promise. He’s talking about heirs becoming, being entitled to an inheritance, so to communicate this whole thing that you have the maximum rights in the household next to the father, you have the highest it does and the privilege and the honor and the responsibility and the duty. You all have it. Doesn’t matter what your gender is. Doesn’t matter what your race is and so on. Paul says, you are all sons. It’s a strange statement to look at both the men and women and say you are all sons, but that’s how the Bible calls us. You are all sons of God. The point is you have the highest possible status under the father, in the household. So you are sons of God. That’s why we are saying sons and not daughters. I’m trying to retain the language so that when you read the Bible, you’ll understand. 

Thirdly, I want to clarify something else before we begin this story. I want to clarify that when the New Testament. I want to clarify the importance of the word adoption as sons. Last week, we spoke briefly adoption as sons. This is what is very important specifically even for today, we’re going to look at the story of sonship, from where it began to where it goes from the beginning of the plan of salvation to the end. And if you want to study how God made us sons, you cannot skip this word. What word? Adoption as sons. In the English Bible, it comes out as adoption as sons. I gave you certain passages last week, remember. In the Greek, it’s one word. This word is extremely important because you will see today. The first mention regarding the plan of salvation is this meaning the conceptually. And the last thing that the plan of salvation involves also involves this word from beginning to end this idea that we have been adopted as sons is there in the Bible. And if you somehow, don’t like the idea of adoption, you will miss the whole point. If you somehow think less of adoption, you will miss the beauty of what the Bible is trying to say.

That’s why last week I — last week I told you we have a very low view of adoption sometimes in our culture and day and society. But in the Bible, there is an extremely high view of adoption. And that is why it says our adoption as sons. Partly, there are many reasons, partly I told you last week, the Romans had a very high view of adoption. And so Paul is writing in that time period, but not only that, the Bible goes far beyond the Roman idea even. See the Bible does not see adoption as in any way, inferior or weak. Sometimes people think the only possible fault you can find with adoption is what? It’s this, that the DNA of the parents don’t get transferred. That’s the only possible thing you can point out. In every other way, that person is a child by law, by rights, by responsibilities, everything else is equal. The only thing you can say maybe is the adopted child does not get the DNA of the parent, but the Bible solves that problem as well. In our salvation, it says, we are not only adopted, but we are born again. We’ve received a new birth. And through that, we have received the nature of God, partakers of God’s nature. God’s seed abides in us. All this last week we saw. 

So the only possible fault you can find with adoption has been solved. It is not there. As in terms of biblical adoption, it is absent here. There is no fault, no weakness with adoption in the Bible. It, in fact, it stands for the highest concept. I’ll show you today, you will hopefully see some of that. In the bible, adoption is a very important concept, an idea. It is a climatic idea, meaning everything in the Bible goes toward that. Everything in the Bible. If you look at the climax of redemption, it goes toward what our adoption as sons. What is the climax of redemption, our redemption, what is the highest blessing we get in redemption? What is the greatest thing we will get in redemption? Romans 8:23 tells you what it is. It is the redemption of our bodies. That will be the climax. That will be the consummation of our redemption. We are already saved. We are redeemed. Yes, but we have not reached this climax. What climax? The redemption of our bodies. What does that mean? It simply means that we will receive a body like Jesus one day. Romans 8:23, not only that, but we also have the first fruits of the spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption. The redemption of our body. Paul is saying we are waiting for, what? The redemption of our body.

When Jesus returns our bodies, if we are alive will be transformed to be like His glorious body. The dead in Christ will be raised first. They will also be transformed to be like His glorious body. Imagine, think about this. You and I are one day going to receive the same kind of body Jesus received, a glorious body, an immortal body, a body that will never perish. Don’t get tired looking at your body today. One day you will shine like the stars of the sky, is what Jesus said. There will be a glory of visible, radiating glory from the bodies of the redeemed. That’s so amazing that final climax is going to be. Now, what I want you to see is Paul says, well, how does he call that final climax? The redemption of our body? He says, we are waiting for what? The adoption. Do you see that? We are waiting for the adoption? What is the adoption? The redemption of our body, the final climax of the adoption which is salvation itself, the redemption of our body. The greatest thing that can come through salvation is this. The final climax is that our adoption as sons reaches its climax in the redemption of our body. Now don’t let this make you think that we are not yet adopted as sons. No Romans 8:15 says we have already received the spirit of adoption, but there is some element left yet to receive. So what I’m trying to say is simply this, the adoption in the Bible is a climactic thing. Everything moves toward it. It is greater than what we think. We think of it as a law thing, but Bible exalts it to another level. 

Bible connects this idea of adoption as sons to other extremely important concepts, such as the fatherhood of God, the sonship of Jesus Christ. The holy spirit who is called the spirit of adoption. It connects it to creation. I’ll show you today, to Adam, to Israel, to David. I don’t have time to show you today, but you can go see. It connects adoption to the resurrection of Jesus Christ, to the future resurrection of believers. It is such an important concept. Today, I’ll show you that it runs from eternity past to eternity, future from the beginning of the plan of salvation to its fulfillment ending. So why I’m seeing all this, if you have any hang-ups about adoption, please throw it out of your mind before we begin this. If you don’t, you’ll miss it. This is not the way we say things about adoption. No, no. This is something very high and exalted. And we have to submit our thinking to the Bible’s way. So simply let me put it like this. When we read the word adoption as sons today, I want you to try to think of it in the highest possible way, leave out all the nonsense baggage and get the point. The point is simply this. You have been made sons in the best and highest and most legal possible way. 

What does it mean to adopt somebody as a son? It is to legally make them as a son. That’s the meaning. That’s the whole point. To give them all the rights and the privileges and the status, and the honor of a son. That is the meaning. Why did they adopt a son? The best intention is to legally in every way, make them a son, legally. So when you see this, what I want you to take it like that simply the meaning is you are made a son in the highest and best possible way. And you are now a son and your son will be fully revealed one day. So that’s enough clarification. Let’s begin this long story. Not only we’re getting to the story, and you’re thinking my goodness, if this was the clarification, then how long is the story? We’ll see. The story of your son ship, where does it begin? It doesn’t begin with your salvation. It begins much before that. Where? Not with your birth, it begins even before that. Not when the world began, not even in Genesis 1, it actually begins before Genesis 1, before God made the world. That’s when it begins. You may say, where did we go before Genesis 1, go to Ephesians chapter 1, Ephesians Chapter 1 talks about what happened before Genesis 1, before God made the world. Let’s see what happened. Ephesians 1 verse 3 to 6, blessed be the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ who  has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him. In love, He predestined us for adoption to Himself as sons through Jesus Christ. According to the purpose of His will, to the praise of His glorious grace, with which He has blessed us in the beloved lot of words. But notice before the foundation of the world, that means before the world was made God, what did he do for us?

In this passage, the highest blessing mentioned here. Paul says blessed, be God for blessing us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places. And then he mentions the blessings. The highest blessing mentioned here in this passage is the adoption as sons. Later on, you will see inheritance, but inheritance is only through adoption. The highest blessing. Let me say this again. Ephesians Chapter 1 contains the most glorious opening verse 3 onwards down towards 12, where many blessings are mentioned, spiritual blessings, the highest blessing of which is the adoption as sons. What does Paul say? He predestined us for adoption to himself as sons. When did he do this? Before the foundation of the world, before the foundation of the world, Paul says God chose us in Christ. That means He thought of you and thought of Christ and joined you to Christ in His mind, planned that you will be redeemed by Christ through Christ in Christ, before the world was made. And not only that, He planned your salvation in such a way that you will be redeemed to be His son. You won’t just be forgiven of your sins. Think about this. God didn’t plan a salvation just to give forgiveness of sin, God didn’t plan a salvation, just to give above entry into heaven, God didn’t plan a salvation just to give you a list of blessings.

God planned a salvation to adopt you finally, as His son make you a member of His family. Now when you see that adopted as son, you think of like this legally make you His son so that you can have the highest possible privilege and status and honor, and beauty and responsibility in the family. Of course, he always had a son, His one and only son, the only begotten son, Jesus Christ from eternity past. He was always there. But somewhere in that eternity, God thought about you, and he wanted you, and Paul is telling the Ephesians, Ephesian’s believers before the world was made, God thought about you. God chose you joined you to Christ in His mind, and then predestined you to be adopted as His son. That’s quite a strong word, predestined. He predestined you to be adopted as His son. Two, he thought of you? And he decided that one day you will become His son and enjoy every privilege and status that comes with that. 

So God planned to make you His son before the foundation of the world. Now, when you start there, then the next step to go in this story is creation. Now only we should go to Genesis 1. With this as the backdrop, you can understand Genesis 1 better. Why did God make such a glorious world? I call it a glorious world because it is a glory. It is an amazing world. I’m not talking about the world which man messed up. I’m talking about the world, which God made. If you want to see that world, you go to a place the man doesn’t live much, or it doesn’t go much. There are some places on the earth still that man has not ruined. You know what I mean? You go to these places, man doesn’t live. The scenery is beautiful. I’m talking about these very natural scenic places where not much people are found there, there you can find God’s creation. Even in this fallen world, that creation looks so beautiful and amazing. Why make a world like this? Why did God make such a huge world, such a big world? There are two reasons. At least we can give one is he made it for men. Why did he make the other reason is to reveal his glory. Why did He make it so huge world for men? Now think about this. Why all this for man is not even necessary. I’ll tell you the reason. He thought of man as His son. He didn’t think of man as a creation. No, no. He thought of man as His son. Think about Genesis Chapter 1. What are the first words that God speaks to men? Have you ever thought about this? What are the first words that God spoke to Adam? That’s important. What are the first words? Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, subdue and have dominion, Genesis 1:28. Have you ever thought about how amazing that is? That God could have chosen to speak any words, but he chose to speak these words. God could have said, for example, but I know who you are and who I am and know your place and stay in your place. He could have said you better obey everything I say, otherwise you’re finished. He could have said, do you know who I am? He could have said any number of things. But the first words He speaks are so gracious and so kind. And so for the wellbeing of men, that’s not just because of who he is, but it is also because of how he viewed men. He viewed man, not just as a creature, but as His son, as His son, He said, be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, subdue and have dominion. 

Even the rule — even the one rule that He gave, man, he said only later. He could have begun with that rule. You dare not eat of that tree. That’s not where He began. He says, be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, subdue, have dominion. If you can hear the tone of the voice of God, the father. If you can see how he saw Adam, he saw Him as His son. That’s why He created man in His image and likeness. Genesis 1, you will understand Genesis 1, if you look at it through the lens of sonship. Why did God make man in His image and likeness? Why? I’m not asking what does image and likeness mean? But why did he make Him in His image and likeness? Why did he make Him just like Him to enjoy a relationship, a father son relationship? That’s the reason. And that’s why he spoke to him so kindly words of blessing. And He told him, you be blessed. I want you to be blessed. God was telling Adam, your blessing is important to me. How many of you know that your blessing is important to God? I don’t know how important it is you, more important than it is to you, it is important to God.

Adam, didn’t go and ask for blessing and receive it. Adam, didn’t go and fall at His feet, He blessed him because man’s blessing is so important to God. Why? Because He thinks of man as his son. It’s the way you deal with your child, your child’s blessing is important. Your child’s wellbeing is important. That’s the way God thought about Adam, not just as a creature. If you thought about man, just as a creation, you would have treated Him differently. If we created computers, do we go and hug them or something? No. There is a special place in our heart for our children. That’s the kind of place God had for Adam. And if you look at it through that lens, you understand then why he’s such an amazing world for man. Why make him in His image and likeness. Why give Him this blessing and why say subdue and have dominion? I mean, those words really scare people sometimes. God tells man, be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth. And then the last two words are. They’re too much, subdue and have dominion. Then if you continue reading it, he says, I’ve given you everything. You may freely eat. Everything is yours to rule and reign basically. You are like the king of the world. You rule under me. You rule this world that I’ve given you. And people look at that and they get scared. Now what’s wrong with God. Why do you do that? Looks like too much. Man can’t handle that. You may say what you want. But if you understand it through the lens of sonship, you can understand. Ruling and reigning is too much for men, but if man is God’s son and ruling and reigning is not too much because God is the King of Kings who rules and reigns. How can his son not reign? It becomes as simple as that. The whole idea of ruling and reigning, having dominion, having exercising authority, living like king is too much, but you’re the son of a king and it’s not too much. And it’s appropriate. God made Adam like his son and gave him rulership because it was appropriate and fitting for the son of a great king. Everything in Genesis 1 before the fall, before Adam sinned, you can understand it better if you look at it through the eyes of sonship. For example, God expected obedience from Adam. Why?

That is also connected to sonship. A true son will obey the father. But of course, that’s where everything went wrong. Adam didn’t turn out to be that kind of son. Although he was given everything, He disobeyed God and lost everything he was given. The disobedience, the rebellion against God made him to lose what he got. 

It was the highest kind of disobedience and rebellion. It’s not an ordinary people think, oh, after all he took a fruit and ate. That’s it? No, in that action, he was busy, he was saying though, God, even if you put only one rule, I’ll not follow that. The one thing you tell me not to do, I will do. How’s that for rebellion. It’s the highest act of rebellion. And that’s why God basically told him to rule the world. The only person he cannot rule is God, God rules over him. But this fellow tried to rule over God Himself. And that’s not going to happen. And that’s what happened in the fall. He tries, but he miserably fails. And finally, he loses everything. What does he lose? He loses the blessing. He loses that power, that authority, that status, that glory. It was close to the glory of God, then he feels naked. He loses literally everything, everything that was amazing about Adam is gone, not just for Adam, but for the entire human race, then let’s move on to the next part of the story. What Adam lost through disobedience. Now another son, a greater son, a truer son gains through obedience. Salvation comes through the son, not Adam, but a greater son. The son who was the son of God from eternity past. The eternal son of God became the incarnate son of God. The word became flesh. And this son gained everything that Adam lost through obeying.

Adam lost it through disobedience, this son gained it through obedience. Have you thought about the obedience of Jesus Christ to this emphasized throughout the gospels? I don’t have time to read a lot of scriptures to this. I’m just going to say like a story you can think of it. So in the gospels again, and again, it will say that Jesus obeyed the father. Jesus did the father’s will. Jesus says I only speak what the father tells me to speak. I only do what the father tells me to do. Throughout his life, He obeyed the father, but two particular instances, I want to highlight and contrast with Adam, Adam, the son of disobedience versus Jesus, the son of obedience. Take the wilderness episode, Jesus was tempted in the wilderness. You remember that?

Adam could not even withstand temptation in the garden. Jesus was victorious in his temptation, in the wilderness, Adam in the garden, probably with a full stomach, could not refuse one fruit. Adam was given the — I don’t know how many trees, but God said eat freely of anything, just one you’ll leave out, that’s all. You asked me Probably the guy was full. When the devil came and I don’t know, maybe he was not full, but he could have been full. But I’m saying for comparison sake, Jesus in the wilderness fasted 40 without eating, and read in Luke chapter 4. He was hungry. He was very hungry, it says. When it says very hungry, that is not just a namesake. Do you think the Bible is just saying Jesus was hungry [inaudible 00:36:43] Do you believe in the humanity of Jesus? Jesus was both fully God and fully man. When it says He was very hungry, He was very hungry. You know what we end up doing when we are very hungry and the devil comes up and just turn the stone into bread, eat it, satisfy your hunger. He could have done it, but he didn’t do it just because the devil told him. In his hunger, he resisted the temptation, which Adam could not do in his fullness in the garden. Jesus was victorious in the wilderness. 

But also I want to point out another episode at the end of His earthly life. He was victorious in the temptation, in the garden of gethsemane. Here, again, the contrast you can see, Adam could not withstand the easiest temptation in the garden of pleasure. Jesus was victorious or the hardest temptation in the garden of pain where it meant he had to choose the cross, choose temporary pain in order to fulfill the will of God, total contrast, the worst disobedience, the greatest obedience, Jesus. And that is what secures everything that Jesus secured for Himself, and for our — basically, he secure everything for us. He doesn’t need secure to get anything for himself. Why did Jesus come live and live such a perfect life, victorious in this temptation, go to the cross, do all this so that he can gain back everything Adam lost through disobedience, and that’s what Jesus gains back. Look at the Philippians Chapter 2 verse 6 onwards. Let’s read Philippians chapter 2 verse 6-11. Talking about Jesus, who being in the form of God did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant and coming in the likeness of men and being found in appearance as a man, He humbled himself and became obedient. Look at how it talks about Jesus. He humbled Himself, became obedient to the point of depth. Even the depth of the cross, you cannot go lower than that in humiliation and obedience. And then the next verse begins verse 9. Therefore. Everybody say therefore. Therefore, means for this reason. For what reason? Due to His obedience, due to the fact that He submitted to the nth degree, to the nth extreme, therefore God has also highly exalted Him and given Him the name, which is above every name, the name of Jesus, every knee should bow of those in heaven and of those on earth and of those under the earth, that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God, the father. His exaltation was due to His obedience. 

Jesus was already exalted before He came to this earth. He was already the eternal son of God, but He emptied himself, this passage says. Came down as a man, took on the form of a servant and then lived a perfect life, humbling himself to the max on the cross of becoming obedient. And then from that, he shoots back again, comes back from the heights to the depths and then goes back to the heights. But when He goes back to the heights, it’s not just for Himself, He always enjoyed the Heights. He always enjoyed the throne. He was always the son of God. But now when He goes to the throne and sits at the right hand of God the father, He is not just sitting as fully God, He’s also sipping as fully man, glorified man. Jesus did not cast off his humanity. Meaning when Jesus sits at the right hand of God today. It is not just for himself. It is for us. He has now gained all the power and the authority and the status and the privilege and the rulership and everything that Adam lost. But He has taken it to another level now. Adam’s level is way down here. What Adam lost is like this, but now in Christ, the Bible says we also have been raised up within Ephesians Chapter 2 verse 4 onwards. We have been raised, made alive together with Him, raised up together with Him, seated with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus. He’s not just sited there for Himself. 

He didn’t need to prove anything to anybody. He came down for you and me as a man in the place of men to life that perfect life, which man never lived, and to die an efficacious death, which men could not do and to rise again and to be exalted to a place which man could never go apart from Him. But now man has been exalted. It is almost blasphemous to say, but in Christ, we are seated in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus is biblical truth. We are seated in Christ in the heavenly places. Think about that. The power, the authority. Jesus, everybody agrees. Jesus has all the power and the authority, but in Christ, the believer has power and authority and status and privilege and rulership, Jesus gained back everything Adam lost. Jesus did not just gain forgiveness of sins and entry into heaven. And just a little bit of a blessing. No, He gained back everything Adam lost. Adam lost His blessing, His rulership, His status, His relationship, everything He lost. Jesus gained back everything for us and in Him, we partake everything that He has gained. That’s why the Bible talks about redemption, including all of these things. 

For example, the Bible says that now we have access to the blessing of Abraham. Why? Christ became a curse, excuse me, so that the blessing of Abraham can come upon us. Galatians chapter 3, verse 13 Christ, as it is written, Christ became a curse. And through that, He gives us the blessing of Abraham. The New Testament also says, I didn’t read it, but you can read it on your own, Ephesians chapter 2. In Ephesians one, it talks about how Jesus has been raised from the dead and exalted to father’s right hand and every knee, every far above all principality power might and dominion and above every name that is named in this age and in that, which to come. And he has been given as the head of the church, his body, the fullness, which fills all in all. And then the chapter 2 talks about how only Jesus is raised and seated in such a high, lofty place. But believer is also in Christ. You look at revelation Chapter 1, verse 5 and 6. It talks about how the believers are made as Kings. Have you ever read that? My fathers preached a long series on that. We are Kings. That scares some people, how can you say we’re Kings? The authority of the believer. That’s also another series my father is preached on. The believers authority. The believer has authority and power. People get suspicious of this kind of stuff What do you mean we’re kings? How can we be Kings? He’s only the king. You won’t get it if you don’t get sonship. When you’re the son of the greatest king, you can be a king. 

If you look at it through the lens of sonship. All of it will make sense. If you look at it, isolated from the relationship of sonship, you’ll get suspicious, you’ll doubt it. And not only that, you will be putting the focus in the wrong place. It’s very important to look at all these great exalted salvation blessings through the lens of sonship. It is very important because sonship is about a relationship with the father. You have entered into a relationship with the father. You are his son, and therefore you enjoy the full status and the privilege and the honor and the power and the authority of a son, in union with His son. How will you ever understand passengers like 1 Corinthians chapter 3, where Paul says, the world and life and death is yours. Maybe you can read that passage, strange passage. Let’s look at that. Talk about extreme 1 Corinthians Chapter 3 verse 21. Therefore let no one boast in men for all things are yours. All things are yours. What is he talking about? Whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or things, present things to come all are yours, and you are Christ, and Christ is God. He’s saying the world is yours, life, death things, present things to come all are yours. Everything is yours. What he’s actually saying is why you fellows are fighting about petty matters, saying I belong to Paul, I belong to Peter. I belong to Apollo’s. Don’t you get it, you belong to Christ and Christ belongs to God. And therefore you inherited everything. You fellows are fighting about some little preacher.

The way Paul can speak, like this, is in his mind, he thinks of the believer as having entered into union with Christ and the highest manifestation of that union with Christ is our adoption as sons. We have become sons. That’s the highest manifestation, and therefore the world is our inheritance. You inherit the world because God owns the world and you are God’s sons. God owns the word. You are His sons. Therefore you also inherit the world. If you don’t look at it through sonship, it won’t make sense. It’s very important to look at it through sonship. Not only because it makes sense, but because it keeps your focus in the right place. When we talk about these other blessings. These are so exalted. These blessings are so exalted that it’s easy to put the focus only there and not see them in the context of a relationship with God. What will happen if you don’t see them in the context of sonship and in the context of a relationship with God is you may only be led to go after them, go after what God can give you, rather than God Himself as number one. 

You’ll only be interested in what the father can give, but not in your relationship with the father. If you don’t price the relationship, if you don’t see everything through the eyes of the relationships, like a little child. The little child doesn’t value the relationship with the father or anything, it only thinks what can the father give me and talk about the really little child. If the father can give me the chocolate, wow. That chocolate just brightens up its eyes and wow. And if the father can keep on giving those chocolates, then he’s the best father. It’s the chocolate that’s very important. But for the father, the chocolate is nothing. He gives the chocolate because this guy is his child. This boy is his child. And he will go on giving chocolates, he’ll cut it and say, that’s enough and the child gets upset. But for the father, the child is important. And if too much chocolate is not good, he has to stop it there, but the child is upset. Simply doesn’t see through the eyes of this relationship, it only sees the thing that it gets. Values the thing that it gets, wants more things. The father sees the child as his child. And when the child ask for something, the father is thinking not only this, but I will give this child whatever he needs. He is a good father. He’s a good father. He can give you whatever you need. 

Do you understand my friend? It’s like that with us in our relationship with God, if we are not careful, because especially the world and our needs also are pulling us in that direction. We will start going after the needs. What we care about is the needs must be met. The blessing must come. This must happen. That must happen. The promotion must come or the job must come, or this must, if this doesn’t happen, everything has gone. It all depends on this. No, it doesn’t all depend on that. You have a relationship with God your father. When you think it all depends on this, you’ll automatically place that number one, but very language itself does not depend, that belong in the vocabulary of a Christian. It all doesn’t depend on whether you get this or not? It all depends on the relationship you have with Him. The moment find yourself speaking like that, you put this way high in priority than your father. See, rather than going — the world goes after things. The world goes after money. Goes after this, goes after power, prestige, whatever. Even they’re going after blessing also. But the thing is, they are not in relationship with God the father. We first run after Him. We put Him first, go after Him, place Him first, give Him the first priority. The relationship we have with Him, we give that highest priority. And in that relationship, through that relationship, we have all our needs met. When you give first priority to the relationship you have with your father, I’m telling you, your needs will be met. How can it not be met when your father is the king of Kings?

But the thing is, you don’t put the need so big in your mind. Although it’s easy to do. Like that child thinks of the world as that chocolate, we think so highly of whatever. A car, a job, a house. For us, that’s a huge thing. For the father, that is not a huge thing. I’m talking about your heavenly father, my friend, a house may be a big deal for you, a job may be a big deal for you, for your heavenly father, it is nothing. If He can easily give you a job. He can easily give you a house, the world and its full earth. And the fullness thereof belongs to the Lord. You think he can’t give you a house? You think He can meet your needs? No, but the thing is put Him first, put the relationship that you have with him. Think of yourself as a child of God. Meditate on that, put that high on the list. Don’t say it all depends on this. No, it all depends on my relationship with God. God loves me. God is my father. God cares for me. He will see me through. It all depends on Him, and therefore I’m going to make it. It’s so different, the way a child sees and the way the father sees, so different. That’s why we got to grow up from being a little child, to being a son who understands the value of the relationship and says, this is the greatest thing. I can’t ask for anything more in and through this, I will go forward. 

It’s so important, that’s why to think of everything in, I believe there are many lenses through which you can understand salvation, but here is one of the most important I think, sonship. You understand it through this lens, you understand your Christian life through this. You are a child of the living God, God is your father. You have the full rights and status and the privilege and the honor of a son, you live out of that. Let me show you how important it is to see, because it’s so important to understand these exalted blessings of salvation in and through the lens of our relationship as son, because the New Testament itself points us in that direction. Again, go back to Romans 8:23. We read that verse. I told you that is the most exalted blessing of salvation. There is nothing more exalted than one day literally shining like the sun and the stars that kind of glory. The only person maybe shining brighter than you will be Jesus. I mean, just picture that this is not joke. You are going to be dazzling. You may not look like a son or daughter of God today. But one day the world will acknowledge that you are sons of God, daughters of God, because there’ll be that visible glory, which even Adam never had. This is some different level altogether, in and through Christ we get this. Our bodies are going to be visibly radiating with the glory of God, and so such an exalted blessing that comes through salvation. But again, I want to point out in Romans 8:23, see how Paul thinks of it. He thinks of it in terms of sonship.

He thinks of the redemption of our body, the transformation of our body, the attaining the highest glory possible for a believer, the highest glory possible is yet to come. When he will receive a body like Jesus. Paul thinks of that highest glory possible in terms of what? Sonship. He says we, ourselves, groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for what? The adoption, the redemption of our body, the adoption, you can read it like this, the adoption, whose fullest manifestation is the redemption of our body. What I’m trying to say is the New Testament points us in this direction. It tells us think of these exalted blessings of salvation in terms of your sonship, not just for you, even for Jesus, the New Testament speaks like this. Finally, I’ll show you. One was Romans 1:4. Look at Romans 1:4, forget about the believer, even for Jesus. I told you Jesus was already in a high and exalted place, but he came down to earth. Humble Himself, lived a life of obedience, went to the lowest point at the cross. And then from there goes to that highest point again, right back to His throne. 

Look how the Bible speaks of this exaltation of Jesus. This resurrection of Jesus. It speaks in terms of sonship, Romans chapter 1 verse 1 onwards, I’ll read for context, Paul, a bond servant of Jesus Christ called to be an apostle separated to the gospel of God, which he promised through His prophets in the holy scriptures, the gospel concerning His son, Jesus Christ, our Lord, who was born of the seed of David, according to the flesh and declared to be the son of God, with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead. A lot of words again, but if you see what he’s saying, Paul is saying, the gospel is about His son, Jesus Christ, who’s earthly descent is the seed of David, according to the flesh. But now what’s this by the resurrection, He was declared to be the son of God with power. Jesus was always the son of God. But Paul says in the resurrection, He was declared to be, means manifested to be, means revealed to be the son of God in a powerful way. What was a little hidden was now revealed in glory and majesty. He was powerfully manifest as the son of God. Paul is talking about his resurrection, exaltation to the father’s right-hand, sitting on the throne, ruling and reigning. He has all that in mind and He says, He thinks of all that great exaltation for Jesus himself, attaining the highest glory. For Jesus, himself, He thinks of it in terms of sonship. 

Basically, it is Jesus, His sonship coming to a climax, declared to be the son of God in power. Interesting. There’s a clear parallel between Romans 1:4 and Romans 8:23. When Jesus is raised from the dead. That’s when He is declared to be powerfully the son of God. When we will be raised from the dead one day, that’s when we also will receive the adoption. If you go back to Romans 8 verse 19, look at this. I’m saying  that these two are parallel. Can understand one with the other. Romans 8:19, for the earnest expectation of the creation, eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. You see that. Creation waits for the sons of God to be revealed the glory that belongs to the son to a son of God, is a very high glory my friend. If we’re not talking about just ordinary somebody’s son here. No, but I’m talking about the son of the great king of Kings and the Lord of Lords. You are already the son of the great king and king of Kings and Lord of Lords. You have already received the spirit of adoption, but your full glory has not become manifest yet. One day when you are raised from the dead or when your body is transformed, it will be manifested. When you shine like the sun and the stars, what will be manifest? Your sonship will be manifest. Why? The King’s son will take the throne and rule and reign. It’s true for Jesus and for us. After His resurrection, Jesus sat on the throne and He’s ruling, and reigning. 

Exercising is full sonship. One day, you and me are going to be with Him along with Him, ruling and reigning over the entire world, exercising what? Our sonship. All of you. Doesn’t matter who you are from where you are. If you’re a believer, whether you’re male or female, what background, all these things don’t matter. Your status on this earth doesn’t matter. If you’re a believer, you’re a child of God. Not only that, you are a son of God. Now the New Testament says now grow up and act like a son. You’ll see so many places where the New Testament says, even the Old Testament, God tells His people, you are my sons, therefore don’t touch that. Forget the preferences in Deuteronomy 14, I think, or somewhere like that. In the Old Testament itself, it talks about a New Testament. 2 Corinthians Chapter 6, Paul quotes it, come out from among them, and I will be a father and you will be my — everything is viewed in the lens of sonship, not only power and authority and rulership and blessing, everything, even holiness. Why should you not be involved in certain sinful things? Because it is beneath you. You are the son of a great king. Think of yourself like this. You won’t get involved. It’ll be harder to sin. If you think of yourself like this, your prayers will become different. You’ll start asking for things that belong to sons of God.

You have the highest privilege in the household of God. Ask in your prayer accordingly, God is giving you full rights. In fact, the NIV Bible where it comes adoption as sons in all these passages in many of them. The NIV Bible translates it like that. We have received the full rights as sons. You’ve got full rights of a son, grow up, enjoy those rights, exercise those privileges, behave like a son in obedience. You want to know what a son is like, you look at Jesus. He’s the perfect son. He’s the proven son. He’s the consummate son. There’s no one like him. And he’s our model. And He’s the one and only son. The thing about usually one and only son in those cultures, you see the first son will take the double portion of the inheritance. But the Bible says that our elder brother, even though He takes the double portion, He shares everything with us, we’re heirs of God, and co-heirs with Christ, Romans 8:17 live according to your sonship my friend. You need to view your whole life. Let me just close some saying this. You need to view your whole life through this truth that you are the sons of God. You need to. When you’re asking for something in prayer, you ask according to this, where, when you’re believing for something you believe according to this, when you’re facing a challenge, you face it with this in mind, you are a son of God. Exercise your power and authority. Humbly obey like Jesus, the son, enjoy your intimacy with God. There’s so much, there’s so much. There’s so much.

Everything pretty much gets covered through this idea of sunshine. That’s way God, when he planned our salvation, He planned it as what? You will one day be His son and you are. And the full glory of that is yet to be revealed. And one day it will be revealed. And the Eternal plan of God will be fulfilled. This is not just about making you and me happy. It’s about God’s plan being fulfilled. See for some people, this is too hard to grasp, son of God, why are you talking about something impractical. No. Yeah. It’s about, I’m here to tell you that this is God’s plan. It’s what God wants. I don’t know whether you want it. I don’t know whether you’re ready to believe it, but God wants you to walk in the full privileges of sonship, because that’s how he thought of you before the foundation of the world. That’s how we planned the entire redemption executed it. That’s how it’s going to come to a glorious fulfillment where you will one day reveal the full glory of your sonship in Christ. Let’s all stand up. It’s important to God. Ephesians 1 says, it is according to His will, the good pleasure of His will. It also says it is to the praise of the glory of His grace. This is God’s will. This brings God glory and it brings us all the benefits. Thank you, Lord. Let’s give thanks to God for everything thing that He has planned and executed in this amazing plan of salvation for predestining assess sons, to be sons and for sending His own son to gain this sonship for us, in and through Christ Jesus. Let’s thank God for today, we are sons and daughters of God, with full status privilege, honor, rights, responsibilities in God’s household.