Sons of God

The same came for a witness to bear witness of the light that all men through him might believe. He was not that light, but was sent to bear witness of that light. That was the true light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. He was in the world and the world was made by him and the world knew him not. He came onto his own and his own received him not.

But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name, which were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. If you would, let’s let’s go to the Lord in prayer. Dear heavenly Father God, thank you for this day. Thank you for allowing us to be in your house, Lord, with your people.

Thank you, Lord, for the midweek service that we have that we can take a break from the the cares of this life and from our work, from the barrage of the devil and the world and the flesh, Lord, that we get to hone in and listen to your word and edify each other, Lord, and glorify you, lift up your name and worship, Lord. And we just thank you for all the blessings that you give us as children of God, those who are born again.

Lord, we just pray that you would help me, give me clarity of mind, help me to be able to edify the saints, Lord. Help it to be encouraging, Lord, and just help us to honor you, help us to apply it to our lives. And we just ask all these things in Jesus’ name, amen.

All right, so in verse 12 is is the focus. So it says, but as many as received him, to them gave you power to become the sons of God even to them that believe on his name. I’d like to start with with the idea of receiving him. So what does it mean to receive Christ?

Know, all I know everybody, pretty much everybody in here, we we know what that means, but I’d like to kind of kind of unpack it a little bit. It just it just means to fully accept the identity of Christ. Pastors preached a lot about it, just about the the identity of Jesus Christ. That you know, there’s a lot of religions out there. Of course, Mormonism, Roman Catholic, Roman Catholicism, all the cults.

They have this, they they know, they they have the name of Christ, but they don’t fully embrace. The reason they’re not saved is because they have not fully embraced what it means to They have not fully embraced the identity of Christ. His full biblical claims and a reverential trust. That record of God should be believed. It says in first John, I’m sorry, John eight. You could flip there if you like, but John eight chapter eight verses twelve and fourteen says, then spake Jesus again unto them saying, I am the light of the world. And that that parallels with John chapter one. It says, I am the light of the world, Jesus said. He that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

The Pharisees therefore said unto him, thou bearest record of thyself, thy record is not true. So they’re saying basically, you just tell you You’re just saying that you’re the you’re the God, you’re the Christ without anybody else you know, vouching for him. And it says, Jesus answered and said unto them, though I bear record of myself, yet my record is true. For I know whence I came and whither I go, but ye cannot tell whence I come and whither I go.

Also verse First John chapter five verses ten and eleven. It says, he that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself. So the witness that Jesus is Christ is in our own hearts. He that believeth on the son of God hath the witness in himself. It says he that believeth not God hath made him a liar because he believeth not the record that God gave of his son.

And this is the record that God hath given to us eternal life and this life is in his son. So true believers have fully embraced the identity of Christ. They recognize him for who he truly is. The the not just the facts of the gospel, but but the the claims of Jesus Christ, and how that that he is he is the the only our only salvation. There’s no other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved. So these people have trusted in Jesus Christ.

Now, it says in in Galatians three twenty six, for ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. So we know that the salvation is by grace through faith. Just quickly, wanna talk to you about, just to clarify who the sons of God are not. So in verse 13, it says it says, which were born not of blood, so that’s one category, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. So what does not of blood mean? What is that what is he referring to?

If you have a different opinion on it, or have you studied something different and you came up with another conclusion, let me know. But what I what I’ve discovered is to be Well, let’s start with what it means to be born. It says to be born is to be spiritually regenerated, made a new creation. So you know, I can’t even really explain it fully, but it’s just that God, instead of being born of of you know, physically, we are we are spiritually regenerated. Our hearts are made new in Jesus Christ.

It says first, second Corinthians five seventeen says, there if if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature. Old things are passed away, behold all things are become new. So we’ll dive deeper into it, but but that’s just That’s what it means to be born of God. Not of blood. So this speaks to a person’s natural lineage. So the Jews were were were relying on their lineage as a Jew, as a son of Abraham. Remember he said, we are we would be the sons of Abraham.

And Jesus said, I’m I’m able even of these stones to raise up seed seed unto Abraham. So so that that’s in Matthew three eight eight and nine. Nod of blood is just you know, we can’t ride on other people’s coattails. We can’t Just because we’re born into a Christian family does not not mean we’re saved in in any stretch of the imagination. This is a singular relationship with Jesus Christ of of with yourself.

It says, nor of the will of the flesh. Galatians two sixteen says, knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ. Even we have believed in Jesus Christ that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law. For by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified. That’s what it means to be What he says, nor the will of the flesh. That’s what it means.

There’s there’s nothing that we can do to try to get even in our own flesh, even in the natural man, there’s nothing that we can do. Even if we had some sort of semblance for religion or of God or wanting to get to him, we cannot get to him any other way. As you know, like the Bible says Jesus said, I am the way, the truth and the life. No man cometh unto the father but by me. There’s no other way to get to heaven.

So no no matter how much we try our our efforts, it cannot avail. The will of the flesh will not get us to heaven. We have to believe in Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and savior. Romans nine sixteen says, then So then it is not of him that willeth, there’s that will, nor of him that runneth, striving, working, but of God that showeth mercy. Lastly, says, nor of the will of man. So first Timothy two two five says, for there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.

James one eighteen says, of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first fruits of his creatures. And so we’re we’re The the will of the man is basically like, if someone else wanted to step in. Like say, let’s just say, you know, want my grandmother to be saved. I can will all day long, but I cannot get my grandmother saved. God has to be She has to be born from God. I cannot make her alive in Christ.

And so that’s the way with with all of us. We even if we had probably people praying for us when we got saved. You probably have your own stories of somebody you know in your family that was praying for you. And and that’s how you led, they you were led to the Lord. But but even your family members could not get you into heaven. And so that’s that’s what it means by the will of man.

Just just a quick note, I’m not gonna stay on here long, but there’s there’s other references in the scriptures of sons of God. I’m not gonna get into it very deeply at all, but sons of God is mentioned in Genesis six. That’s referring to angelic creatures, created beings. Also in Paul, Paul said in When he was preaching the begotten men at Mars Hill, he said said, we all live and have our being, even as your own poets say, for ye are for we are his offspring.

And you you might question, why does Paul say ye are like, all natural man are his offspring, and then how does that relate to us being sons of God in a separate category? Well, it just simply means, the offspring just simply means you are created by God. You’re It’s a it’s a You can almost put these into two categories. You’re either created by God physically, as the angels and all natural men, or you are created by God by being born again. So there’s those two categories.

What does God say about the sons of God? So how does that how does we’re we know we’re born again, but what exactly what exactly does that mean? The Bible says that the sons of God are born of his spirit, of the spirit. So John chapter three, if you would turn there, just a few pages over, John chapter three, Jesus is talking to Nicodemus, and in verse five, it says Jesus answered, verily verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born of water and of the spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, ye must be born again. The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh and whither it goeth. So is everyone that is born of the spirit. So to be born of God is to be born of the spirit. And I wanna get into the spirit primarily because that is how that is that’s where the the word power comes from in in that in the first verse we were we read.

John chapter one verse 12. But but quickly, just wanted to say we are we are also sons of God by adoption. So we’re not not only born, you know, you have the idea of being born. You know, Madeline was just born, Emma was just born. But we’re also But in a separate category, we’re also adopted at the same time. So we’re born of God and we’re adopted. That’s very very interesting. But nevertheless, that’s true. So it says we are Galatians, I believe. No, I’m sorry. Romans eight fourteen and seventeen. If you wanna turn there, can.

Romans eight fourteen through 17. It says, for as many as are led by the spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear, but ye have received the spirit of adoption whereby we cry Abba Father. The spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit that we are the children of God. And if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ.

If so be that we suffer with him that we may be also glorified together. Also in Galatians is a parallel passage. It says, but when the fullness of time I’m sorry, Galatians four four through seven. But when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth his son made of a woman, made under the law to redeem them that were under the law that we might receive the adoption of sons. And because ye are sons, God has sent forth the spirit of his son into your hearts crying, Abba, father. Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.

That’s an amazing thought that we are not only a son, but we are an heir of God through Christ. Everything that Christ has, we have inherited as well. And and I’ll I’ll I’d like to get into that a little bit more tonight. But a couple key key things to think about is we do not take sonship from God. We do not we do not go up to God and say, hey, can I have this? Or you know, of course we ask God to save us, but but we don’t just come up and just take it by force. That is not how we we become a son of God.

We do not simply discover that we are already God’s sons. You know, some people have these weird mentalities where, you know, I was enlightened or I was, you know, some I had this experience. That’s not the case. God himself granted us sonship when we first trusted in Christ. God has given given that to us, and and we’ll we’ll see a little bit more about related to that.

So what do we have as sons of God? So going back to to the first passage, John chapter one verse twelve and thirteen. Verse 12 says, but as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name. I’m gonna try to unpack that a little bit. What do we have as sons of God? So we’ve been given power. And this word power, there’s a couple different there’s a couple different definitions of power in, especially in the New Testament.

You kinda have to know, you have to kinda have to understand how that’s being used. Because in a general sense, it sort of means the same, but in the word power here specifically is, in the Greek it’s exousia. It means the right or authority, has the ideas of the right or authority. Also liberty, freedom, and then ability and strength. Those are all kind of wrapped up into this word power.

Now what’s different though, is that in other passages of scripture, we’ll kinda see that too, but it’s the word dunamis. It’s the Greek word dunamis. It means force, or I’m gonna I kinda split it into category of authority and supernatural power. So for instance, miracles and know, of course like healings and speaking in tongues, the day of Pentecost, all that, that is that is power as well, but that has to do with with a kind of a different category of of power that it’s not what God is referring to here.

Nevertheless, this power comes directly from the spirit of God, and that’s why that’s why we spend so much time talking about the spirit of God. The spirit of God is that indwelling that gives us all this power that we’re talking about in first John, or I’m sorry, in John one verse 12. That is the spirit of God. So you could basically say power is spirit, that’s what it is.

So the word become is very significant too. So it speaks not only to what we became when we were born again, not only what we are now becoming by progressive sanctification, but the amazing truth is that the child of God is also looking forward to what we will be in our glorified body and our eternal inheritance. So when you see the word become, you know, you’re thinking about, okay, I became a Christian. I became a child of God at this point in time. This this You can go back to that date or that day, that moment that you accepted Jesus Christ.

But we’re becoming we’re becoming progressively, we’re becoming more and more. Not not more and more a son of God. Are We have that as a position. But we’re becoming more like a son of God in in that progressive sanctification. But then also we’re looking forward to the day when when we will be glorified, and we will be the the sons of God is is We’ll read the verse. I’m trying to remember where it is, but it says waiting for the manifestation of the sons of God. So what does that mean? It means we have not fully realized what we are in this as a son of God yet.

We’re getting little glimpses here and there. As we read the scriptures, we can understand more about more about who we are in Christ. But my whole my whole The burden I guess on my heart is is and what has been helpful to me. It’s I’ve been challenged, I’ve been convicted, I’ve been blessed doing this study, and I hope it is a blessing to you too. Because what I’m trying to show you is we have so much more in Christ. We have all this power in Christ that sometimes we don’t really realize that we have. You know, we we might have know it doctrinally, but we have not necessarily experienced it as fully.

And I’m not talking about I’m not talking about you know, speaking in tongues and and you know dancing in the spirit and all that kind of stuff. I’m talking about, I will get into it, but the the actual powers that you have as a son of God on a practical level.

Remember this power of course, again it comes from the spirit spirit of God. So we’re we’re gonna study what how the spirit helps us. God wants God wants us to know this power and how it works in our lives. So I’m talking to you about this power, but God God himself wants you to know this. He wants you to know what you have in Jesus Christ. It’s not just me talking. He he specifically told told us that he wants us to know. Ephesians one verse fifteen and nineteen, if you would turn to turn there. Ephesians one verse fifteen and nineteen.

Ephesians one verse fifteen and nineteen. It says, wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and love unto all the saints, cease not to give thanks for you making mention of you in my prayers. That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the father of glory may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him. The eyes of your understanding being enlightened that you may know, here here’s here it is. That you that you may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power.

I wanna also read second Peter one three through four. You don’t have to turn there, but it’s second Peter one three through four. It says, according as his divine power hath given unto us all things, all things. You think about that. This is why I like to talk about it because it’s God has given unto us all things. And here’s it, here it is. That pertain unto life, that’s eternal life and this life, you you could say for sure. Life and godliness through the knowledge through the knowledge of him that called us to glory and virtue.

Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises that by these, ye might be partakers. We are partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

So again, I’d just like to say, there’s so much power that we have in Jesus Christ, and God wants us to know it. So I have twelve twelve so far in my study. I have 12 points if you are. If you are taking notes, can write these down.

First is prayer. Believers have been given power to pray. So in Ephesians two verse 18, it says, for through him we both have access by one spirit unto the Father. We have access to God. And what’s so fascinating about this is that we sometimes sometimes we forget that we as child of children of God, are in a totally different category than the world. We singularly have access to the spirit of God, to to prayer, through through to the father, through Jesus Christ, and the spirit making intercession for us.

And that’s just such an amazing truth, and it’s so it’s so wonderful. I’ve I’ve thought a lot about it, and I know you have too, but I’m just so glad that we have that ability to pray. That is a power. That’s that is a power of the Holy Ghost. That’s that’s when it says he gave us power to become the sons of God, that is it. That we have the power to pray.

And power, this this power, this access that we have, enables us to come to God in in boldness as well. Boldness is the power as well. Hebrews four sixteen, it says, let us therefore come boldly onto the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Also Hebrews ten nineteen and through 22, having therefore brethren boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus by a new and living way which he has consecrated for us through the veil that is to say his flesh and having an high priest over the house of God, let us draw near. Means coming to pray or communion with God. So let us draw near to God in in prayer or communion with him with a true heart, in full assurance of faith. So there’s there’s salvation, assurance of our salvation. In full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. That’s referring to the power of sin, power over sin, and a pure conscience before God.

So when we come to God, we’re coming to God in communion, in prayer. We’re drawing near to him in prayer with a true heart, so sincere heart in full assurance of our salvation. And our bodies washed are with pure water. So we’re coming to God clean before God. That’s how God wants us to draw near to him.

And the and the boldness is also displayed in first John five verse fourteen and seventeen. It says, and this is the confidence that we have, that boldness that we have in him that if we ask anything according to his will, he heareth us. And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.

For a little while now, I’ve I’ve God has burdened me about praying more. And and I asked pastor for a book. He asked if he knew any books on prayer. And just a little plug for E. M. Bounds, because if you haven’t read his book, I would definitely encourage you to read it. I’ve started reading it with Anna, and we’ve really only scratched the surface. But what I’m learning through about prayer is so amazing. Like you know, prayer is in a sense is simple. Know, we all know how to pray, know. And we do, we do. It is a simple thing. But what what you’ll find if you ever read that book and other books maybe, is that there is a lot to know about prayer. There really is. And there’s a lot to know how to how to ask in faith, how to ask according to his will.

Not everything that we ask is we get, because remember in James it says that we ask amiss, we won’t receive it. So but anyway, there there’s just so there’s a privilege of prayer. There’s boldness that we have in prayer in prayer. And that is the power of the Holy Spirit as a son of God. Number two, if you’re keeping notes, the the Holy Spirit has given us power to be assured of our salvation.

In Hebrews 10 verses 23, it says, let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering, for he is faithful that promised. God God has promised us eternal life, and God has also promised us the ability to to know. We have the power, the ability, the authority, the right as a son of God, to know for sure that we’re saved. That is the power that God is talking about in John chapter one verse 12. The power to become the sons of God. That we are becoming more like the son of God in our assurance of our salvation.

God has That is a blessed gift, to not only be saved, but to know it. Second Thessalonians two sixteen says, now our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God, even our Father, which hath loved us and hath given us Everlasting consolation. It’s not just temporal, not here on this earth. Everlasting consolation, comfort and good hope through grace. That good hope is referring to the hope of eternal life.

Romans fifteen thirteen, it says, now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope, and through the power of the Holy Ghost. So that is the power that God gives us to know for sure that we’re saved.

First John three nineteen twenty one, it says, and hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him. For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things. Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then we have confidence toward God. So there’s a way to test your faith. First John is a perfect book to examine yourself and to know whether you’re in faith.

And that’s just it’s just amazing to that God has given us that power to, like I said, not only be saved and be in the right standing before God, but to know that we are. First John five thirteen, the whole reason John wrote that book is it says, these things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the son of God. He knew these people that he was writing to were believers. But he said, this is why I wrote to you, that ye may know that you have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.

That’s just a blessed hope. Thank God for salvation, and thank God for the assurance. Point three, God has given us the power through the Holy Ghost to have victory over sin. The world, the flesh and the devil. If you would please turn with me to second Peter one, three through 12. Second Peter one, three through 12.

Second Peter one, three through 12. I might not read all these verses. I know I’m reading a lot of scripture. But it’s better than what I can say. All right. It says, second Peter one three through 12 says, according as his divine power, that’s that’s again, there we see the word power. According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain to life and godliness.

It says, go down to verse five. We’ve already read the first two verses. Go down to verse five, it says, and beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, and to virtue knowledge, and to knowledge temperance, and to temperance patience, and to patience godliness, and to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness charity. For if these things be in you and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

But he that lacketh these things is blind and cannot see afar off. And here’s the here’s the key, and I know you’ve read this verse before. But it says, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. Wherefore the rather, brethren. So he’s saying, I’m giving you a challenge. Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you shall never fall.

For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and savior Jesus Christ. Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things though you know them and be established in the present truth. And truthfully, that’s why I’m saying this to you now too because we know these things. We all know this stuff. But he’s saying, I wanna tell you again, tell you again, tell you again. Why? Because Peter is telling his his followers, he’s saying, he’s actually describing a Christian who forgot they were saved. He’s describing, he’s saying, why did they forget they were saved? Because they didn’t do all these things. They didn’t add to their faith virtue, virtue knowledge and knowledge temperance. So I wanna say this, God has given us the power through the Holy Ghost. But here’s the kicker, we actually have to do the work as well.

And there’s other passages that we’ll turn to as well because talking about the effectual working of his power in me, you know. But it’s not that God gave us power and it’s we just have a free ride and you know, we don’t have to do anything. No. We we we this is a work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. And and if you don’t, you’ll find you might find yourself in a category where you forgot. That you were you were maybe saved, or you forgot that God had cleansed you from sin that you had already been free from.

Second Timothy one seven says, for God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. I know I’m just reading a lot of scripture because it I don’t know, in my study, I’ve just found it’s helpful for me to just put all these together.

So I wanna I wanna park there over over sin though. God has given us the power over sin. The Bible says that this is the victory that overcomes the world, even your face. It says in first John. So you know, and that sounds you know, maybe simplistic. But nevertheless, it’s true. Because if you if you trust God, and you’re looking towards him, looking unto him, Jesus the author and the finisher of our faith, we will keep ourselves from that sin, because we’re looking to Jesus to carry us through those those sins.

And so God God can give us the victory over sin. If you’re dealing with anything, lust, anger, pride, whatever the case may be, God has given you as a power through the Holy Ghost to have victory over that. And don’t don’t listen to yourself or the devil or anybody else that says, oh, you’re just born that way, or you know, you’re just that’s just the way you are. Know.

No. God has If you are a child of God, if you received him, you have this power, and you need to exercise it. Number four is to discern spiritual truth. God has given us the power through the Holy Spirit to discern spiritual truth. First John five twenty first John five twenty says, and we know that the son of God has come and hath given us an understanding that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life.

First Corinthians two nine through 16 says, but as as it is written, I have not seen nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for them that love him. But God has revealed them unto us by his spirit for the spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? Even so the things of God knoweth no man, the spirit of God.

Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God. Why? Why have we received that? That we might know the things. See again, God wants us to know these things. That we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth comparing spiritual things with spiritual.

But the natural man receiveth not the things of the spirit of God for they are foolishness unto him, neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned. But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.

So again, see there’s a difference. There’s a stark difference between a natural man, what we were before we were saved, we were children of wrath even as others, right? And we are But now, as a child of God, we are totally different view. Not only that we we God has changed our mindset, but God has given us the power to increasingly have our mind be shaping more, and more, and more, and more to be discerning towards the spirit of God and towards the word of God.

And God actually, he demands it. Know, he demands us to be constantly in his word and to to grow. Again, this is this is not just something that God bam, born we’re born again, we know everything. No. No, we we have the capacity to know everything that we need to know through the spirit of God. We have the capacity. We have that power, but we need to exercise it. That’s what we learned learned in first Peter.

We need to be adding to our faith virtue, and virtue knowledge, and knowledge temperance, all those things. Hebrews five fourteen says, but strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age. Even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. So he’s he’s giving you a contrast between these are He’s actually talking about Christians specifically. But he’s saying he’s saying, you guys over here are older and you have exercised this.

You know, you’ve exercised your your discernment. And so now you can take more and more meat. And these people over here are still babies. And they just can’t do all that yet, but they have the capacity to do it. Number five is to offer up gifts acceptable to God. Did you know that people in this world cannot give anything acceptable to God? Romans eight eight says, for for they for they that are in the flesh cannot please God. You cannot please God if you are outside of Christ. You cannot please God if you have not received Jesus Christ as your personal savior.

And so But what what the child of God has is we actually have power. Everything you do. Brother David, when you go out preaching, when you go to all your evangelism meet ups and all your outreaches and stuff, if you weren’t saved and you tried to do that in your own will, all of that would burn. You can’t even please God. It doesn’t it doesn’t even please him here on this earth.

But because you’re a child of God, all of your earthly works actually count in eternity, and you’ll be rewarded for it. And so that’s what God is referring to here. God has given us power that our lives are actually worth living for, that they actually will count when we die. And we have that as a child of God, to offer up gifts acceptable to God. It says, first Peter two five, ye also as lively stones are built up a spiritual house and holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.

Second Timothy one six, I’m sorry. Second Timothy one fourteen, it says, that good thing which was committed unto thee keep by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us. So just that that the idea that God has given us committed unto us certain things, and we if we keep them, we’ll actually be rewarded for them one day. That’s why Paul was telling Timothy to keep that that which was committed to him.

Verse six, there’s a lot that I can talk talk about, but I’ll try to be try to be brief brief. Number six is to share the gospel in an experiential way. The the There are people, I have known people who can go through the Romans road. They can they can take you through the scriptures, but they found out later, hey, I wasn’t saved. So how So you can share the gospel without being saved. But But as a child of God, God’s given been given us this power to share the gospel in a way that we’ve experienced ourselves.

Romans one sixteen says, for I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth. To the Jew first and also to the Greek.

Sharing the gospel in a experiential way also has the idea of, you know, think about it. Why do why would we want to do this? Why would we even why would we even bother? You know? Well, there’s something inside of us that has that desire to to tell the gospel, and it’s it’s love of Christ. Second second Corinthians five verse fourteen and fifteen says, for the love of Christ constraineth us because we thus judge if one died for all of them, we’re all dead.

And that he died for all that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them and rose again. God has given unto us the ministry of reconciliation, but it’s the love that constrains us. It’s a love for people. And natural, the natural man does not have a love for people like that. They don’t want, they don’t care about seeing other people get saved. They don’t care really, even if they believe in God and they believe in heaven and hell, they don’t care really enough to tell them, to have those hard conversations to tell them, hey, you know, I know I love you, but I I don’t think you’re born again.

But two people are, you know, I don’t believe you’re gonna make it to heaven. Why? Because everybody has, they don’t have the love of Christ that actually is willing to have those hard conversations, and share the gospel in a way that can show that, hey, I was once in sin too, and now I’m free, and now And you can be too.

But that’s what we have as children of God. Also, have the ability to comfort others. In second Corinthians one four, it says, who comforteth us, Jesus Christ, who comforteth comforteth us in all our tribulation that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. I know that’s doesn’t quite fit into the sharing the gospel maybe, but but it’s the idea that we have that ministry, that we can actually comfort other people. Why? Because we ourselves as the sons of God have been given that consolation.

We’ve been given that comfort, and we can We’re the only ones who can do it. The the world cannot do, give people the comfort that God gives. And so that is a special thing as children of God, that is different. That’s what makes you different. That’s a defining characteristic of a child of God.

I have a few more. The promises of God, we have those. We have a home in heaven, we know that. We will we will be there with Jesus one day. We have the gift of the spirit. We’ve we’ve already talked about that and how he comforts our souls.

I want real quickly, I know we I’ll be wrapping up, but I wanna talk about the spirit of God leading. Forgive me. We are led by the spirit. We are led of the spirit. Romans eight fourteen. Romans eight fourteen. I think we’ve read it before. I’m gonna find it again.

Romans eight fourteen. Romans eight is a very good passage to read if you’re talking talking about the difference, the contrast between those who are saved and those who are not, and what we have in Jesus Christ. But Romans eight fourteen says, for as many as are led by the spirit of God, they are the sons of God.

Quickly, I’ll just say this, know, we There’s people There are times when the spirit of God will work in someone’s life. In a way that, I’m not gonna say it’s outside of scripture, because nothing really should be outside of scripture. But how do I say it? When pastor was was led to the mission field. You know, the scriptures themselves did not say go to the mission field. Go to Cambodia.

The scriptures do say to go into all the world and preach the gospel. But the Holy Spirit pricked his heart and said, I want you in Cambodia. So the spirit does lead us in that way. There are times when he leads us outside of like the direct teaching of scripture, if that makes sense. But but most of the time, and this is what I wanna point to tonight, is most of the time when when when it talks about being led to the spirit, there’s very practical ways where God Where where we actually are led led by the spirit on a daily basis.

Number one is, we’re led by the spirit to repentance. So if you don’t have that, you know, that this is what that’s referring to. Being led of the spirit, God It says, know you not that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? He’s not driving you to repentance. You know, he’s not cracking a whip behind you. He’s leading you. The goodness of God is leading you to repent.

Of course, know that we have chastening of the Lord. And we know that that God will chasten us if we’re astray. But but the idea of being led to repentance is really the goodness of God and it’s the spirit of God. Also holiness. You know, are you led into holiness? Is is there something in your life? Is is the Holy Spirit convicting you to be more and more and more conformed to the image of his son?

There’s love that we talked about. The love of Christ leading you to talk to somebody about the Lord. Leading you to share a Bible verse or whatever the case may be. There’s so many ways you could go, you could talk about that. But that’s that’s more like the practical level of how God actually leads leads his children. It’s not necessarily all the time in these you know, fantastic ways, although that does happen. But it’s more of on a daily basis. Are you being led by the spirit?

Are you following his word? Are you being led into the word? Are you being led into prayer? If you’re If you If every time you know, you you get into a sticky situation and you find yourself always doing something other than prayer, you know, that I’ve I found myself doing that. But the spirit of God never leads us away from prayer. It always leads us to prayer. So that’s one way we can know for sure that we’re we’re saved as well. There’s there’s a lot more I could cover, but but I’ll stop there. And I hope that was a blessing to you.