Chapter 45—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
Corinthians 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.
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