I was not born into a wealthy family and have never had much money, the result of which is that I take little for granted. Lately, though, I’ve come to realize how easily many of us take our privileges as children of God for granted.
The conception of Jesus was spiritual and took place when Mary the virgin received the word of God spoken by the angel Gabriel. Christians differ on minor issues but all agree that Jesus is “the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16). After 2,000 years, this remains the rock-solid revelation of the Christian Faith.
God has “many sons”, and the Bible calls us Christ’s “brethren”! (The ancient Greek for man is “anthropos” and it can refer to either male or female.) But how many of us really think of ourselves as sons of God with the same sense of awe as the Apostle John?
“Behold, what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called the sons of God.” (1 John 3:1) This should amaze us as much as it did John, but I suspect it doesn’t. Like sons born into wealth, we are unaware of our privileged relationship, and tend to take for granted the elevated status that comes with it.
“Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it does not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that when he shall appear, we shall be like him: for we will see him as he is.” (1 John 3:2) The world does not recognize us as such, but neither did it recognize our Lord as the Son of God. Only in the resurrection will the sons of God be manifested (Romans 8:19). Until then the long-suffering creation will continue to “groan and travail in pain” like a woman in birth. We too groan while waiting for the immortal bodies that will reveal our real identity.
Jesus was recognized as the Son of God by Satan and demons from the beginning of his ministry. Yet his people recognized him as God’s Son only when it was manifested in miracles. In our case it’s all too often the same: only when we do the miracles that Jesus did do those who know us look on us with awe.
I think of these as “flash” revelations: fleeting glimpses of the sons of God by those who otherwise see us as much the same as themselves, the differences being our godly lifestyle and witness.
It ought to astonish us that we are God’s sons — but does it? We seem not to realize the privileged relationship that is ours as sons of the living God. This privilege includes the ease of access we have to our heavenly Father and our ability to ask for whatever we will in the name of Jesus. As sons of God we should walk through this world with the confidence seen in Jesus. The thought of doing the same miracles Jesus did should not faze us at all.
We question why these works are rare in our personal experience, but need to see that Jesus did them while moving around from place to place, out from one human situation and circumstance and into another. This peripatetic lifestyle brought him into constant and continuous contact with people from all walks of life. We are static but Jesus was dynamic. The Lord told us to Go and Tell but we invite people to Come and See.
We refrain from referring to ourselves as sons of God, but Jesus taught us to pray to a heavenly Father who loves us and gives us only good things. When did you last give thanks to God for the privilege of being one of His sons?
Next time you pray, spend time telling Him how deeply grateful you are for your privileged status, close relationship and intimate fellowship. As you do, you’ll find yourself worshipping in the Spirit of his Son before you know it.
“And because you are sons, God has sent the spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying, Abba Father.” (Galatians 4:6) As God’s sons we have the spirit of the Son, and walk naturally in the same steps. It’s simple obedience, not complicated theology.