The Triune God predestined us to be adopted as sons, so we
would be conformed to the image of his Son, so that Jesus could be the
firstborn among many brothers, and that is why he is not ashamed to call people
like me his brothers.
“In love he predestined
us for adoption 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.”[1]
“For those whom he
foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order
that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.”[2]
“For it was fitting
that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory,
should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering. For he
who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one source. That is why he
is not ashamed to call them brothers, saying, ‘I will tell of your name to my
brothers; in the midst of the congregation I will sing your praise.’”[3]
NOTE 1: the primary way that all believers are to think of
themselves is as sons of God the Father who are brothers to our Lord Jesus Christ.
We are not “brothers and sisters” in our spiritual standing with God, creating
a distinction that does not exist in the spiritual realm. Rather, “in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God,
through faith.”[4]
Because all believers are “sons of God”
through their faith in Jesus Christ, “there
is no male and female”[5]
in reference to “this grace in which we
stand.”[6]
NOTE 2: While our spiritual standing with Jesus Christ takes
away all earthly distinctions (“There is
neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and
female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus” [7]),
the Church and family both operate within God’s created order, and so we
acknowledge and honor the distinctions between men and women, husbands and
wives, and parents and children.[8]
CONCLUSION: All who have faith in Jesus Christ must welcome
the wonder that we are all sons of God through our faith in Jesus Christ, that
we are all brothers to our Lord Jesus Christ, that Jesus is the firstborn son
among many brothers, and that he is not ashamed to call us who believe in him
his brothers. We can accept our unique place in God’s kingdom as men and women,
boys and girls, husbands and wives, parents and children, and we can accept our
unique gifting to serve the body of Christ in the love with which we have been
loved by God, all the while knowing that every one of us who believe in Jesus Christ
stand equal before the Father as his sons, and equal before our firstborn
Brother as his brothers.
© 2014 Monte Vigh ~ Box 517,
Merritt, BC, V1K 1B8 ~ in2freedom@gmail.com
Unless otherwise noted,
Scriptures are from the English Standard Version (The Holy Bible, English
Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good
News Publishers.)
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