The sons of God

Originally and from all eternity, God had only one Son.  This Son is the uncreated Son of God.  He had been with God from all eternity.  He is the eternal Son of God.  The bible, in Hebrews 1 verses 8 and 9, states concerning the eternal Son of God,
'But to the Son He says:
''Your throne, O God, is forever and ever;
A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom.''



The Son Himself, the Lord Jesus Christ, spoke through an inspired King Solomon in Proverbs 8 verses 23 to 30.  Hear the Master:
''I have been established from everlasting, From the beginning, before there was an earth,
When there were no depths I was brought forth, When there were no fountains abounding with water.

''Before the mountains were settled, Before the hills, I was brought forth;
While as yet He had not made the earth or the fields, or the primal dust of the world.
When He prepared the heavens, I was there,
When He drew a circle on the face of the deep,
When He established the clouds above, When He strengthened the fountains of the deep.

''When He assigned to the sea its limit,
So that the waters would not transgress His command,
When He marked out the foundations of the earth,
Then I was beside Him as a master craftsman; And I was daily His delight,
Rejoicing always before Him.''



However, the Almighty had the intention of having a big family with many more sons.  First, He created the angels who are ministering spirits.  Hebrews 1 verse 7 states, 'And of the angels He says; ''Who makes His angels spirits and His ministers a flame of fire.''
In Job 1 verse 6, the bible refers to angels as sons of God:
'Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them.'



Lastly, God created humans.  In Luke 3 verse 38, Adam, the first human made by God was called the son of God.

Ordinarily, even in the world, a son is expected to carry the family name with pride and dignity.  He is expected to know and safeguard the family inheritance.  However, a son is most able to carry out these responsibilities when he comes of age, that is, when he comes to maturity.
This is why Galatians 4 verses 1 and 2 state,
'Now I say that the heir, as long as he is a child, does not differ at all from a slave, though he is master of all, but is under guardians and stewards until the time appointed by the father.'



In the natural realm, there are stages of life that cannot be skipped:
1. Birth:
    This is when one is born into a family.  Not unexpectedly, the whole family usually rejoices because there is an addition to the family.

2. Babyhood and childhood:
    Stage of being nurtured and learning to know about life and living.  It is also when one begins to know about the world into which one has been born.

3. Young adulthood:
     This is when one begins to learn to take responsibility.  It is the stage when one prepares for matured adulthood.

4. Mature adulthood:
    This is when one is ready to come into one's inheritance.  At this level, one must have been trained, tried and tested.



In the spiritual realm, the stages of life obtainable are similar to what we have in natural life:
a. Time of birth:
     This is when one is born into the family of God.  Ecclesiastes 3 verses 1 and 2 state that there is a time to be born.

b. Babyhood and childhood:
    Spiritually, there is also a period of babyhood and childhood.  A period when one's newly-born spirit is being nurtured and is growing.  For example, Paul, the apostle, referred to Corinthian Christians as babes in Christ. 1 Cor. 3 verse 1.

c. Young adulthood:
    There is also a period of young adulthood spiritually.

d. Mature adulthood:
    Finally, there is a point of mature adulthood.  The time of mature adulthood can also be described as the time set by the Father.  This is the time when one is ready to enter into one's inheritance.

Therefore, spiritually, one cannot expect a babe in Christ to have the strength of the 'young men' or the experience of 'the fathers.'



Even though Adam was referred to as the son of God in Luke chapter 3, we cannot forget that he eventually fell. Gen. 3.  Due to the fall, man's spirit died to God, that is, man died spiritually thereby losing his glory and his status as a son of God.  For him to be a son again, his spirit which died to God must be brought back to life again.  This means that man needs to be born of God again.  This is where the phrase 'born again' came from.
The Lord Jesus Christ was the first person to use the phrase.  He states in John 3 verse 3,
'Jesus answered and said to him, ''Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.''

This simply means that if one is not born again of God, one has no portion or inheritance in God.  Such a person is lost forever.



Nevertheless, the new birth is just the beginning of the journey to sonship.  Just as a baby or child is not saddled with any responsibility because he or she knows little or nothing, the same applies spiritually.  One cannot understand the deep things of God, one may not know what God is doing and one cannot do exploits for God unless and until one grows and matures spiritually.

What it means to be spiritually mature is found in Ephesians 4 verses 14 and 15:
'That we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head-Christ-'



Also, it must be stated that spiritual maturity, that is, sonship in the spirit realm has nothing to do with human gender.  This means that it has nothing to do with being male or female.
Galatians 3 verses 26, 27 and 28 state,
'For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.  For as many of you as were baptised into Christ have put on Christ.  There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.'