Conditions for being confirmed as a child of God

[瑤翰 김요한]

Conditions for being confirmed as a child of God (Romans 8:12-14)

Faith is the reality of things hoped for, and that faith is knowing that the whole world was created by the Word of God, and believing that what is seen is not only what appears (Hebrews 11:1-2), but also in the mystery of the supernatural.

Science is even saying that the visible universe is a hologram, right?It means that it is like a painting set by an invisible cause of creation.

Christianity is nothing but mystery.

Mysticism should be rejected because it means hoping for something to happen without doing anything, but the biblical mystery is that the salvation that is being achieved for me is the mystery of the spiritual world that goes beyond reason.

Romans 8:1-11 talks about the blessings of being a Christian.

From verse 12 onward, we are upgraded from Christians to children of God.

Q. To what debt do God’s children owe?

“Therefore, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh.” (Romans 8:12)

A. Judging from Romans 8:1 to 11, we Christians do not need to live with a sense of the flesh obligation.

So, can I live as I please? That's not it.

We only have the obligation to live under the guidance of the Spirit.

There is no longer any need to give in to the demands of the flesh.

What follows ‘therefore’ is the result of the previous statement.

So from now on, the treatment is different again, and it is on a different level, ‘Brothers.’

Brothers is a title that presupposes belonging to Christ.

So, when Apostle Paul says, ‘Brothers,’ it has great meaning.

When Paul, who knows God and clearly knows Christ, says, “Brothers,” he does not say it because it is pleasant to hear, but because he puts great content into it.

In the Epistle of John, John calls us, ‘Children.’

The place where the children enter is the holy city of new Jerusalem.

The Bible continues to develop from Christians to brothers who have become one with Christ and children of God.

Q. What are the results of living after the flesh?

“For if you live after the flesh, you shall die: but if you through the Spirit  do mortify the deeds of the body, you shall live” (Romans 8:13)

A. If you live after the flesh, you will die gradually.

Salvation can never be achieved.

Therefore, as the Spirit, you must stand firm on your own and put to death the deeds of the body.

People focus on managing their dying physical life well.

That's their daily routine of eating, exercising, and going to the hospital and pharmacy.

This is a dead business.

However, those who are led by the Spirit will return to dust on the outer self, so although they grow old,  the inner self is renewed every day.

It is a business of life in Christ (life business).

However, you must be careful because if you do it wrong, you may run the risk of becoming a cold and heartless person.

God’s glory and honor makes people confident.

However, it is a blessing from God that cannot be arrogant.

As the Spirit, I always bear the responsibility to put to death the deeds of the body.

This means that I must control with my spirit the desires of my body that are trying to do something.

In order to stay afloat on the water, just as a duck constantly moves its webbed feet beneath the water, we must always carry the death of Jesus through the message of the cross and allow the Spirit and life of the Lord to work.

We died only once with Jesus on the cross.

After that, the Spirit must put to death the deeds of the body every day.

If I have already confirmed that I have died and come back to life through Christ, and now I say, 'I have no obligation to the flesh', and I am controlled by the Spirit, then it is clear that I have already passed the cross.

According to the Gospel, it is said that it has already been decided by fate that a man was on the other side of the cross and came over to this side with Christ.

Regardless of our will, we were predestined in Christ before the foundation of the world, and through the Lord's death and resurrection, everyone has crossed at once.

Therefore, in terms of identity, we have already come to this side, that is, into Christ.

However, the reason why you are not doing so is because you do not know that you are a being who has already come over and are in Christ and whose master has changed and are a person who has already crossed the cross through Christ and  have no flesh obligations and have only spiritual obligations.

However, when you begin to be controlled by the Spirit in the Lord, like Paul, you say, ‘I die every day’ (1 Corinthians 15:31) and enjoy the blessing of living again every day.

That is the principle of the life of a believer, who lives as a person who is dead and but now has Christ living within me.

It is the secret and solution of the business of life.

If my thoughts or way of thinking are controlled by the Spirit, my members will naturally follow.

Therefore, “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are sons of God.” (Romans 8:14)

Anyone who is led by the Holy Spirit is called a son of God.

There is a difference between confessing with your mouth that you are a child of God and the Bible saying that you are the Son of God.

Christians in Romans 1-11 are now elevated to ‘sons of God.’

This is the development of faith that takes place even in Romans 8.

The Bible records our position and the Holy Spirit allows us to experience that position.

The Holy Spirit lets us know that we are Christians, and it is the Holy Spirit that confirm‎s that we are the sons of God.

That is why the Holy Spirit is the seal and guarantor of our salvation.

To be called the son of God is like being crowned the crown prince among princes.

A prince and a crown prince are different. Not all princes become crown princes.

The heir to the throne is the crown prince.

Therefore, there is a clear difference between saying, ‘I am a christian,’ and saying, ‘I am son of God.’ The level is different, and the treatment  of the Holy Spirit is different.

Because they only have the qualifications to be christians, they are not yet able to work.

Once he becomes the son of God he begins to work.

There is a difference between ordinary priests and high priests.

However, even the high priest is in charge of the house, and his son is the master of the house (Hebrews 3:6)

The fact that he became son of God is not an ordinary blessing.

Therefore, brothers who have become sons of God in Christ should not be in debt to the flesh and live according to the flesh, whining and doing business of death.

All who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 

Amen.

If you do not live according to the flesh but are guided by the Spirit, you will receive the confirmation of the Spirit, ‘You are my son.’

Only those who have gained freedom from sin and death in Christ and lived according to the Spirit know this.

There is a huge spiritual difference between being a christian and being a son of God.

Even in salvation, there are dimensions, top and bottom.

That is the distance from the throne of grace.

In a narrow sense, salvation means receiving forgiveness of sins and obtaining eternal life, but in a broad sense, salvation is the process of how we change after becoming a child of God.

That is why it is said, ‘You are saved’ (Ephesians 2:8), ‘Work out your salvation’ (Philippians 2:12), and ‘You shall be saved’ (Matthew 24:13).

The exact expression‎ is that salvation is in progress. 

Belief and knowledge become one, reaching the fullness of Christ (Ephesians 4:13)

Don't think you're done.

However, we must confess that I know that He knows the path I am taking and that He will complete me.

Paul had the hope that I have fought the good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith; henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of rifhteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge.(2 Timothy 4:7-8)

2 Timothy is similar to Paul's last words, and even after running that far, it says, 'From now on.'

The same goes for Philippians.

Paul says, 'Not that I had already attained nor were already perfect, but I press on toward the goal which is ahead, toward the prize of the calling from above'. (Philippians 3:12-14)

So, in Christ, there is no such thing as ‘It is finished, I have graduated.’

However, since he has begun a good work in us, he will continue to carry it out until the day of Christ.(Philippians 1:6)

Therefore, we need obedience to His desire to follow the Spirit and not the flesh.

Written by Ptr. Yohan Kim.

Translated by  Nancy Chung

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