Sonship

[Daily Devotional]

Sonship 

As many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God,
even to them that believe on his name. John 1: 12. 

When Adam's sin plunged the race into hopeless misery, God might have cut
Himself loose from fallen beings. He might have treated them as sinners
deserved to be treated. He might have commanded the angels of heaven to pour
out upon our world the vials of His wrath. He might have removed this dark
blot from His universe. But He did not do this. Instead of banishing them
from His presence, He came still nearer to the fallen race. He gave His Son
to become bone of our bone and flesh of our flesh. "The Word was made flesh,
and dwelt among us, . . . full of grace and truth" (John 1: 14). Christ by
His human relationship to men drew them close to God. He clothed His divine
nature with the garb of humanity, and demonstrated before the heavenly
universe, before the unfallen worlds, how much God loves the children of
men. 

The gift of God to man is beyond all computation. Nothing was withheld. God
would not permit it to be said that He could have done more or revealed to
humanity a greater measure of love. In the gift of Christ He gave all
heaven. 

Divine sonship is not something that we gain of ourselves. Only to those who
receive Christ as their Saviour is given the power to become sons and
daughters of God. The sinner cannot, by any power of his own, rid himself of
sin. . . . But the promise of sonship is made to all who believe on His
name." Every one who comes to Jesus in faith will receive pardon. 

God was to be manifest in Christ, "reconciling the world unto himself" (2
Cor. 5: 19). Man had become so degraded by sin that it was impossible for
him, in himself, to come into harmony with Him whose nature is purity and
goodness. But Christ, after having redeemed man from the condemnation of the
law, could impart divine power to unite with human effort. Thus by
repentance toward God and faith in Christ the fallen children of Adam might
once more become "sons of God." 

When a soul receives Christ, he receives power to live the life of Christ. 

>From God's Amazing Grace - Page 52