Welcome to the Army

Aug. 24

Read: Romans 8:12-17

Welcome to the Army

“For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.” (v.14)

What does it mean to become “sons of God”? In an effort to be gender inclusive, we may find verses like this translated as “children of God”, but what if there is something greater at work here than gender? Likewise, it is a tremendous blessing and truth that having been redeemed by Christ we have relationship with God. But what if adoption and “sonship” is even more than friendship or relationship? As we saw yesterday in 2 Peter 1, God is stopping short of nothing other than welcoming us into being partakers of his divine nature. (2 Peter 1:4) Jesus himself is sharing “his glory” with us as his brothers and sisters. (cf. John 17:22) Now here in Romans 8 we see that we are being made “heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ…” (v.17) Jesus is sharing his inheritance with us! I can’t help but think there is something larger… more “cosmic” that God is doing here… something bigger than “us”.

It is interesting that “sons of God” is used in verse 14 whereas “children of God” is used to describe us in verse 16. What the tells me is Paul was aware of the idea of “children of God” and knew how to spell it out. It seems like God intentionally used that specific phrase - “sons of God” - despite the potential confusion with gender… but why? I think the reason is found in the Old Testament. When we look at the phrase “sons of God” in the Old Testament we find the phrase meaning something quite different:

“When man began to multiply on the face of the land and daughters were born to them, the sons of God saw that the daughters of man were attractive. And they took as their wives any they chose.” (Gen. 6:1,2)

“Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came among them…Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came among them to present himself before the LORD.” (Job 1:6, 2:1, see also Job 38:7)

What we begin to see is that “sons of God” is a phrase that is used of the heavenly beings God has created… what you probably call “angels”. The “sons of God” are the “heavenly host” that remain loyal to God, that worship him, and do the work God has called them to do. These “angels” / “sons of God” / “heavenly host” are the Lord’s army… they are his messengers… they are the ones God gives tasks to carry out and they also are entrusted with great power to do the work of the Lord.

What if being “sons of God” is actually more about being made like the heavenly hosts and brought into God’s plan and his worship in the same way? What if God being led by the Spirit is similar to the way that the “angels” are led by the Spirit and carry out God’s plan in this world? These “angels” are clearly spiritual beings - they do not have bodies. Their identities are purely spiritual and given by God. What if becoming a “child of God” is also the journey of finding our identity in what is true about us SPIRITUALLY and moving away from being defined by the “flesh” and “material world”? What if being “sons of God” is yet another example of being made a “spiritual being”… a “partaker in God’s nature”… being made “more like Christ” who IS GOD INCARNATE? (cf. Colossians 1:15)

Jesus seems to say as much in Luke 20:34-36

“And Jesus said to them, “The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage, but those who are considered worthy to attain to that age and to the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage, for they cannot die anymore, because they are equal to angels and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection.”

Jesus says we are being made equal to the angels and “sons of God”! We have a habit of thinking only in material terms… physical terms… the terms of this world. This world wants us to believe that there is no spiritual realm. Many Christians say they believe in the spiritual… but live as though the material world is all that there is. What if God is bringing us not relationship with him through his Son, Jesus, and transforming us into those who have eyes to see the spiritual realm and ears to hear HIS voice as he leads us? I think this is what is going on here! I think that is much more a picture of what it means to be made “sons of God”. We are literally being made into those who serve the Lord the same way that the “angels” serve him… we are being made equal to the angels. We are doing the work that “angels” do in this world… and we are carrying it out with the same blessing, power, authority, and direction that the “angels” have. As “sons of God” and “heirs with Christ” we have joined the ranks of the “heavenly hosts”… the “council of God. God is working through his people the same way that he is working through his “angels”! This is just one more step in our “expanded view” of what God is doing in us and through us by his Sons - Jesus - and his Spirit… all for his FAME AND GLORY. He alone is worthy of praise and worship! Welcome to the “Lord’s army”!