How To Become A Child of God

As our American culture has diversified, oftentimes with stark differences in our thoughts on politics, government, identity, and theology [among many other classifications], it's not surprising that we have differing opinions on the concept of God's children. But here's the thing; which has more standing ... man's definition of God's children -- or God, Himself, deciding who could identify themselves with this approved title?

How many times have you said or heard, "We are ALL God's Children"? That statement comes from a heart that desires to love others. But is it Biblically true? It stands to reason that if you are a non-Believer, this question is of no concern to you, other than reinforcing your skepticism about the hypocrisy of Christians. But as true Believers, I think we will find that even we have varying opinions on what constitutes a child of God. We understand that the Bible tells us that everything and every person on earth has been created by God, and that God loves everything He has created. But there is a special designation for those who believe in Him.  

But even that statement needs to be clarified further. There are millions of people who call themselves Christians and say they believe in God and His Son, Jesus. They pray to the Holy Spirit and profess their faith openly. But do they express God's characteristics? Do they truly represent Him? Do they walk in His ways and earnestly personify His righteousness? Now, to be sure, no one on earth [except Jesus] can ever be perfectly like God. That's why Jesus is called God's only begotten Son. We must understand that the word begotten signifies that Jesus did not "become like God", but simply "is God". He, as a Person, possesses every attribute of pure Godhead.

So, how are we to understand what it means for us to be God's son or daughter; a child of God? Here's my take on it -- and I am certainly not declaring it to be fundamental truth or the only viable opinion. From a worldly perspective, everyone is God's child in the sense that He made us all. But to be God's begotten child requires a higher standard. Like Jesus, we must have God's nature or spirit, which can only be obtained by us humans when we are "born again" by God, and we attain that indescribable, intimate, and loving personal relationship that He and Jesus shared. We leave behind all the world has to offer, die to our flesh, and become one with Christ. 

There is lots of Scripture that talks about "children of God" and being a "child of God", but I think that 1 John 3 gives us one of the clearest definitions. Let's take a moment to dissect this short chapter and discern it from God's perspective [versus our fleshly thoughts]. Verse 1 says, See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know Him. By this verse, it should be clear, first of all, that there are different kinds of love, and the kind the Father has given us shows that we are His children. The love that we are endowed with makes us different -- we are designed to become the begotten children of God. We have the opportunity to be like Jesus --  possess the attributes of God and enjoy that intimate relationship with the Father. 

That opportunity happens when we are "born again"; imbued with the Holy Spirit and the promise of Eternal Life. That is evident in verses 2-3: Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when He appears we shall be like him, because we shall see Him as He is. And everyone who thus hopes in Him purifies himself as He is pure. As of today, we are believing and living for that promise, while simultaneously living in a sinful world to which we sometimes fall prey. Notice, first, that we must purify ourselves from sin, and second, that there seems to be a distinction of time and a process we go through to become a fully-recognized child of God. 

Belief and faith in Jesus opens the door to become a Child of God. Ephesians 1:13-14 expands on the concept of time to achieve this goal ... In Him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in Him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of His glory.

So, if you are Saved ... have professed Jesus as your Savior, and believe He is the Son of God, having redeemed your sins by His death on the Cross ... can you expect to be a child of God and remain so all the days of your life? Well, the way I interpret the Bible, that depends. Consider this group of verses .... Romans 8:16-17 tells us that the Spirit, Himself, bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs -- heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, provided [that] we suffer with Him in order that we may also be glorified with Him. Romans 8:9 says You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if  in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to Him.  

Can you see the conditions that are put on becoming a true Child of God? Words like "until", "provided that", and "if" seem to point to factors that influence the outcome of our salvation process. And, yes, I said salvation process. The Bible gives us so many clues to why we must remain steadfast in our faith during the process ... We see and understand our identity in part [1 Corinthians 13:12]; and the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith [1 Timothy 4:1]. You see, it is my opinion that because God has given us free will, we, as Believers, have the opportunity and the right to receive our promised inheritance to live forever with our Heavenly Father in His Heavenly Kingdom. 

The promise is guaranteed IF we live as begotten children; if we earnestly seek to be like Jesus: righteous, disavowing a sinful life, sharing the gospel, and loving God and our neighbor as commanded. When, through our initial salvation experience, we can set our feet on that path and maintain it, then we can see and understand that this lifestyle results in our entrance into God's Kingdom and our adoption as sons and daughters, with all the inheritance that has been promised us. If we use our free will to continue to sin, even after our salvation experience, then it's a different story and as simple as 1 John 3:9-10 ... No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God's seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God. By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother.  

This topic can actually become a controversial subject in this age of moral relevance, but it is the Bible that is the true measure of our adoption into the family of God. Read and research it yourself. What a privilege it is to be called a Child of God! And I praise God for the opportunity and the privilege that my salvation gives me to gain the attributes of His only begotten Son. I am committed to this process in my life; the process that conforms me into the image of Jesus that will result in my entrance into the Kingdom, when I will hear my Father say, "Welcome Home, my Daughter"!

2 Corinthians 6:18    And I will be a Father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty. 

 

Walking In The Darkness

Publicity Still courtesy of Angel studios

I've spent a lot of time talking about the Kingdom of God; learning how to operate in the Kingdom as we grow in the understanding of our Kingdom assignments. But today I want to give you a personal testimony of how Jesus can throw you a curve ball, especially when you think you have it all figured out.

For the last month or so, He has been pushing me to stop and focus on how I was accomplishing my assignment, and where I was going to go next with it. I know that the assignment He has given to me and my husband Mark is to continue His work in setting "the captives free" [from physical, emotional and spiritual bondage] through our Inner Healing Ministry. I also know that part of our assignment is to teach what Kingdom Living looks like, and then encourage and equip people to DO IT.  I fully understand that "Kingdom" is at the heart of what He has called me/us to do.

But my spirit is beginning to be troubled because I can also see that another level of our ministry is pulling on our hearts and, while we want to become involved and know our Inner Healing ministry has trained us to take this next step, I'm not sure how we are to enter into this new stage of our Kingdom assignment. I am fully aware that if it is Jesus's will, it will happen. And I know He can make a way, and I know it will be in His timing. But my soul is crying out to make it happen NOW!

I'm sure many of you can relate to the emotions that the movie Sound of Freedom stirred in your soul. I have been aware of Tim Ballard and his organization, Operation Underground Railroad, for about seven years, and Mark and I have financially supported this foundation. But it is easy to become satisfied with that effort when the evil is hidden and you are not directly faced with it. Tim's movie, Sound of Freedom, hits you directly in the gut and shatters your heart, and Mark and I can no longer put the sex trafficking and sexual exploitation of children on the shelf. This evil business demands more than money. It demands action! Bottom line: We are no longer satisfied with sitting on the sidelines!

I don't know what that is going to look like for us, but I'm asking Jesus to give us the desires of our heart. And those desires are to see these children delivered of their trauma and healed from the spiritual wounds and scars that trafficking has inflicted on their bodies, souls, and spirits. Yes, I know that these children are going to need psychological care, and their bodies are going to need medical attention. But they are also going to need the presence of Jesus to step in and heal the pain forced upon their innocence by pure evil. I and my husband want to be a part of that process and their journey to restoration and wholeness. 

Incidentally, we are blessed to be in the company of a group of people who feel strongly about the direction of our country and protecting our families from the deterioration in our culture. We come from all kinds of backgrounds and faiths. But we all have a strong moral compass and believe in the power of Jesus in our lives. And I have not been surprised at the response of the tough, masculine, Jesus-loving men after seeing Sound of Freedom. They want justice for the children! I am seeing them express their righteous anger; sensing the deep anguish they feel as they express their emotions over the film; and feeling their primal need to put an end to this evil. They instinctively know what Mark and I have discovered in our Inner Healing ministry... severe trauma takes long-term dedication and commitment on the part of the one ministering "healing" to the victim. The abuse, coupled with the hopelessness and despair of being held captive in this invisible system can literally kill their spirit.

But I do believe that Jesus is going to shatter their darkness soon and the sex-trafficking business will be exposed to His life-saving Light. And I know that I am not to hate anyone, and I'm supposed to love even my enemies, but it's hard to consider offering forgiveness to anyone who would willingly involve themselves in harming children for their own wicked pleasure. The Bible says, “The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron (Timothy 4:2).” That means their God-given moral consciences have been literally cauterized so that they are insensitive to any moral pangs that could keep them from committing these unholy acts. If they continue in this depravity, there will be no redemption for them. 

Yet, I am reminded that God can [and wants to] save even the most vile sinner. The Word of God says when a wicked person turns away from the wickedness he has committed and does what is just and right, he shall save his life. "Because he considered and turned away from all the transgressions that he had committed, he shall surely live; he shall not die" (Ezekiel 18:27-28). In an interview I watched with Jim Caviezel, the actor who played Tim Ballard in the movie, he reported that after he played Jesus in Passion of the Christ, there were instances of two murderers [who had gotten away with their crime years ago] and were moved to confess their sin and turned themselves in. He stated that he believes there will be whistleblowers who, after seeing Sound of Freedom, will come forth to confess their sins and participation in the heinous business of child sex-trafficking and blow the lid off this hidden evil. Lord, let it be so!

Until then, I am going to be persistent in asking the Lord to show me how I can become instrumental in bringing Your love and healing to the millions of children who are being harmed every day. Lord, you know my heart and my desire to DO the Kingdom -- not just preach it and teach it. I want to work with You to see this Evil eradicated from our culture and the world! Show me the way that I should walk in this darkness so that I can bring Your Light and Freedom to these precious children. I promise, I will run and not grow weary, and walk and not grow faint until all the children are rescued. Until you show me my path, I will wait upon You and daily renew my strength and faith for the battle ahead. Make it soon, Lord! I don't want one more child to disappear!

Psalm 35:6.    Let their way be dark and slippery, with the angel of the Lord pursuing them!

 

 

Our Chaos-Filled Culture

I hope you're in the mood to really challenge your mind and faith today. Because the subject of Chaos in our culture points to an ancient understanding that alleges to pre-date the Bible! In fact, it is directly implicated in the first two verses of Genesis. And that's the best place to start sharing my train of thought. Genesis 1:1-2 are usually read without any real attention because we Western thinkers aren't interested in the etymology of words. But here's how they read in the English Standard Version of the Bible ... In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.

Now consider the Living Bible's version of those same two verses ... When God began  creating the heavens and the earth, the earth was a shapeless, chaotic mass, with the Spirit of God brooding over the dark vapors. Furthermore, the Amplified version translates "without form and void", and "shapeless, chaotic mass" as formless and void or a waste and emptiness. Why am I spending so much time writing about the particular words chosen to describe the primordial earth? Because I want you to understand that with chaos there is no order; no accepted existence of authority; no rule or system of law [or regulation]. And who does that directly connect to? Chaos is a demonic tool of our Enemy to sow separation from God and His purpose for all men.

It is important to make these distinctions so that it becomes abundantly clear when I make the statement "In the six days of Creation, God made order out of Chaos." When we can understand that the earth had no discernible form, and was void [which is defined as a vacuum, emptiness, a chasm, a pit, and an abyss), then we get the idea that it truly was a "chaotic mass" and open to all the darkness of Satan, which includes distortion, mayhem, upheaval, deception, and confusion.

But the concept of Chaos is not exclusive to the Bible. In fact, my research shows that in the history of the religions of the world, the idea of the spirit of Khaos (spelled with a "K" in ancient history) was very much accepted. I was actually shocked to find that some believed Khaos was the child of deities that existed before God in both age and power! Obviously, these would be pagan deities and religions, but that doesn't mean their idea of what constituted Chaos wasn't incorporated into those ancient cultures -- and has survived thousands of years to still exist in our culture today.

See if you can detect some of these ancient pagan deities in our modern world as I share Khaos's "family tree" and geneology ... Khaos was believed to have given birth to many primordial deities who would later rule specific concepts of Creation. The most well known being Tartarus (Abyss), Eros (Love), Erebus (Darkness), Nyx (Night) and Gaia (Mother Earth). Gaia then brought forth Ouranos, the starry heavens and her male equal, to be her companion. With him she gave birth to the Titans and some of the other primordial deities.

But as we have seen in our own Biblical accounts, created beings can become corrupted and seek after their own glory. So, whether or not we can believe in the existence of an ancient deity called Khaos, we can certainly see that the essence or spirit of chaos is alive and well in our current cultural climate. The alarming rise of crime in our nation is a result of Chaos. The situation on our southern border is a picture of total Chaos. Our economy is in free fall, which is causing Chaos in the food, energy, and real estate sectors. And there is an ancient writing that quotes the primordial Khaos as declaring, "I am the darkness behind the stars, I existed billions of years before even the first spark of Creation was lit. God could not destroy me and neither can you". That is a very frightening and direct threat!

Sadly, the cultural reality of Chaos as complete disorder, confusion and turmoil is now making itself known among our children. And I believe it is because they possess the one thing that puts the fear of God into Chaos ... their innocence. And that innocence has made them a target for the demonic spirit of Chaos. An innocent child exhibits the very image of God ... His goodness, His innate truth, the offer of hope and trust to a heart that has not yet been corrupted. An innocent child represents the stark contrast between Harmony and Chaos, and when a culture has submitted itself to the insidious tactics of Evil and moral decay, then those that possess the spirit of Chaos must destroy that innocence. And so, we see the proliferation of ideologies like gender confusion and drag queen story hours into our culture as a means to destroy the innocence and identity of our most vulnerable. 

The spirit of Chaos seeks to cancel and nullify all moral principles. It seeks to promote the freedom to commit licentious acts on the grounds of self-discovery. It seeks to destroy a child's natural desire for purity and God. It is the state of our culture that tries to wean that out of our innocent children. It has been a long road since the beginning of the world that Chaos has traveled to get to this point in time in our culture ... shame on us for letting it get this far and jeopardizing the souls of God's innocent children! Pray that we can break this stronghold and restore moral decency and integrity for the sake of our innocent children and the generations to come.

#spiritofchaos #morality #protectthechildren #Godschildren #protecttheinnocent

Matthew 18:6    But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.