Genesis 12:2-3 (NKJV) I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you,
and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
Contrary to popular thinking, Christianity is not a Western religion, because the God we worship is not an idol or teacher of philosophy, but the creator of the world. Because He wanted every one of us to be His children, He humbled Himself and took on the form of a man to restore the relationship with all mankind. It is through this covenant that all the families of the earth shall be blessed. Jesus came to solve the sin issue that separated us from Him by paying the price so that we can be God’s children and part of His family.
Galatians 3:13-14 (NKJV) Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”), that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
God knew that we are sinners and weak in our flesh, and have no ability to fulfil the requirements of the law. Therefore, He established the unconditional covenant with Abraham so that nothing could hinder the Messiah from coming to save and redeem mankind. Jesus took upon all our sins—past, present and future—on the cross, dealing with the sin issue that separated us from God. God judged the sin issue on Jesus so that all of us, whether Jews or Gentiles, would become His children and receive the Holy Spirit in our hearts by faith and through faith.
Galatians 4:5-7 (NKJV) To redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!” Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.
The Holy Spirit can reside in our hearts since we have been cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ, and the longing in our hearts is finally filled with the presence of God. Now that we are sons and daughters, the Spirit of God helps us to cry out “Abba, Father”! God gave us the right to become His children.
While only Jesus is the ‘natural’ Son of God, all of us are adopted into the family. We have a common Heavenly Father and are joint heirs with Jesus. All that Jesus was to inherit is ours. Nothing can stop us from obtaining our inheritance, and nothing is going to dislodged us from the family of God. We are His children, we are seen in Christ, and secure in Him.
Sermon Series: Sonship
一旦是儿子，永远是儿子
创世纪 12:2-3 我必叫你成为大国。我必赐福给你，叫你的名为大，你也要叫别人得福。为你祝福的，我必赐福与他。那咒诅你的，我必咒诅他，地上的万族都要因你得福。
与普遍的想法相反, 基督教并不是某个西方宗教，因为我们崇拜的神既不是偶像，也不是哲学老师，祂乃是世界的创造者。神降卑为人，为要恢复与世人的关系，好叫每个人都能成为神的孩子，藉着这个盟约，地上的万族都要蒙福。基督来为要除去那使我们与神隔绝的罪的问题，祂付上了代价，使我们得以成为神的孩子，成为神家庭的一份子。
加拉太书 3:13-14 基督既为我们受了咒诅就赎出我们脱离律法的咒诅．（因为经上记着、“凡挂在木头上都是被咒诅的。”）这便叫亚伯拉罕的福，因基督耶稣可以临到外邦人，使我们因信得着所应许的圣灵。
神知道我们是罪人，我们的肉体软弱，没有能力满足律法的要求。因此， 神与亚伯拉罕立了无条件的约，这样就没有什么能阻碍弥赛亚来救赎世人。耶稣在十字架上担当了我们的罪愆 — 过去的、现在的以及将来的，祂处理了使我们与神隔绝的罪的问题。神在耶稣身上审判了罪，叫我们所有人，无论是犹太人还是外邦人，都能成为 神的孩子，使我们因信和借着信心得着所应许的圣灵。
加拉太书 4:5-7 要把律法以下的人赎出来、叫我们得着儿子的名分。你们既为儿子，神就差他儿子的灵，进入你们〔原文作我们〕的心，呼叫阿爸，父。可见，从此以后你不是奴仆，乃是儿子了。既是儿子，就靠着神为后嗣。
圣灵能够住在我们心里，乃是因为我们已蒙耶稣基督的宝血洁净，我们心中的渴慕终于被 神的同在所充满。如今我们既为 神的儿女， 神的灵帮助我们呼叫：“阿爸，父！”神已赐我们权柄作 祂的儿女。
只有耶稣是 神的“亲生”儿子，我们所有人都是被这个家庭领养的。我们有共同的天父并和耶稣同作后嗣，耶稣承受的一切产业都是我们的。没有什么能阻止我们承受产业，也没有什么能把我们从 神的家中驱逐出去。我们是 神的孩子，我们在基督里被看待，并且在祂里面得以安然。
讲章系列：作为儿子的身份
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