The Distinction Between the Father and the Son

Well, happy Sabbath once again! We hear a lot about God in our public discourse today, don't we? We hear our politicians occasionally throw a bone to Christian believers, and in the middle of nothing they'll mention God. Hopefully that believers will say, oh, that man's like one of us. He believes in God. So we hear a lot about God in our public discourse today. But unfortunately, most of what we hear is disrespectful. And very dismissive of our Creator and our Lord. Sometimes a border's on blasphemy. But we hear the name God. Who and what is God? Today I'd like to answer that question and hopefully draw a distinction between two family members of what we know of as the one God. And that is God the Son, Jesus Christ, and God the Father. I hope to draw a distinction between the two today and explain the different roles that they played, and that they play, continuing, in different covenants.

When I was a young man growing up, I was religious, grew up in a Methodist household. And this is how it was explained to me the difference between God the Father and God the Son.

The way that I was taught is that they played different roles. God the Father was the God of the Old Testament. And he was austere. He was focused on law. He was quick to judge, quick to punish.

And then I was taught that the God of the New Testament was Jesus Christ. And Jesus Christ was present, approachable. He was the God of grace, the God of mercy, and that he was the God of compassion.

And that's how it was explained to me as a young child, the difference, the distinction between God the Father and God the Son. So let me ask the question, is that really true?

Well, it isn't true. And I think today it would be good for us to understand as we begin thinking about the spring holy days, you can't help to do that on a day this beautiful.

Start thinking about Passover and start thinking about the days of Unleavened Bread. I think it's really important for us to review who and what God is and understand the distinction between God the Father and God the Son.

So let's begin by going to the Gospel of John. John is very good at talking about this topic with something obviously near and dear to him. He had a profound knowledge of this subject. And we're going to be going back and forth in the Gospel of John a few times, and we're going to begin in the beginning of John. John 1 and verse 1. And some people believe that this is actually even before Genesis. This goes back to a time before the book of Genesis. John 1 and verse 1, if you will kindly turn there with me. It says, In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. Now here, of course, the Word is referring to the one whom we would know as Jesus Christ.

And it says that the Word was with God, and the Word was God. So Jesus Christ was with God. And He was God, is basically what John is saying here. He's using a Greek word. It's translated word here. That's logos, and that means a word. It means spokesman, thought, a concept, or it means an expression. That's what the word means in Greek. That's translated word. Let's continue verse 2. He was in the beginning with God. Again, this is still speaking of the Word, the pre-existent, Jesus Christ, the one who would later walk on this earth. Verse 3, all things were made through Him. And without Him, nothing was made that was made. In other words, the Word, the pre-existent Jesus Christ, made everything. Everything that was ever made in this universe all matter. Everything that we see, everything that's physical that was literally made was made by Him. Verse 4, in Him was life. In other words, He is the life giver. He is the God, part of the Godhead, that is the giver of life, the Creator, the very one there in Genesis who created the heavens and the earth, who refashioned the earth, who created Adam and Eve, and all the beauty and the flowers and everything that we experience and understand as part of God's creation. He was the life. He was the life giver. And the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. And He's talking about in context when Jesus walked on earth. He was light in a world of darkness, and the world didn't get it. Even most of His very own people didn't get it. They chose to remain in darkness rather than be attracted to the light. So here John's drawing a distinction very early on between Jesus Christ, the Word who was God, and the One who later on He will teach us is the Father who is also called God and was with the Word. So again, the Word is the Creator, that's life, the life giver, and was the One who made everything physical or material, the pre-existent Jesus Christ. So when you go back to the beginning of Genesis, it was the Word, again, Jesus Christ Himself, who instructed the creation of the universe and of the earth. Let's take a look now here at verse 6. There was a man sent from God whose name was John. So John was a forerunner. John was there to prepare the way for the witness of Jesus Christ. This man came for a witness, the bare witness of the light. Another name for the Word, which Jesus Christ was. He was a God of light, taking away darkness of revealing truth, opening blindness so that people could comprehend and see the light of God. That all through Him might believe. He, speaking of John, was not that light, but He was sent to bear witness of that light. That the true light, which gives light to every man coming into the world, He, this is Christ, was in the world and the world was made through Him. And the world did not know Him. He came to His own and His own did not receive Him. So even the Jewish followers, even His own people, did not receive Him. We're going to see later on, we'll take another letter of Scripture, where they tell Jesus that you're a Samaritan. What they're basically telling Him is that you're not one of us. You're not like we are. You're an outsider, Jesus Christ. You're an outcast. You're a Samaritan to us. You're not like we are. We'll see that in just a little bit. Verse 12, but as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become the children of God, to those who believe in His name, who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

So those who receive Him, those who are born through the will of God, are very special in God's eyes because they're the children of God, it says here. Verse 14, and the Word became flesh and dwelled among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. I just want to add here that if He's the only begotten of the Father and Jesus Christ is full of grace and truth, guess who else? If you're begotten of something, guess who else is full of grace and truth?

That's God the Father. So the Word here, Jesus Christ, was the light who came in the flesh into this world, and unfortunately, as I said, His own Hebrew people mostly rejected Him as the only begotten Son of God. So let's begin to draw the distinction between who and what Jesus Christ is as God and who and what He taught us to refer to the Father as God. Let's begin by first seeing what He said about Himself and His own role and His own purpose and how He influenced the Old Covenant. And later, we'll see what He said about the Father as it reveals the Father to His believers.

So we'll go to John now, chapter 5, and we'll pick it up here in verse 16. This is right after He had healed on the Sabbath day, upset a number of people because it didn't fit in their paradigm their rules of what they think was right and wrong on the Sabbath. So in their minds, Jesus Christ healing on the Sabbath was wrong. So they were quite harsh on Him, and so He has this discussion. And for this reason, the Jews persecuted Jesus because He healed on the Sabbath and sought to kill Him because He had done these things. He had dared to heal someone on the Sabbath. But Jesus answered them, My Father has been working until now, and I have been working.

You know, God continues to sustain the universe. Even on the Sabbath day, did you notice that the sun came up this morning? That's because God continues the work. He sustains the functioning of the universe. Verse 18, Therefore, the Jews sought all the more to kill Him because now He not only broke the Sabbath, but He also said that God was Father, making Himself equal with God. So they considered that to be blasphemy.

He used Himself and the Father in the same sentence. He said, My Father has been working till now, and I have been working. And they defined that as you're saying that you're equal with God, which, by the way, He was. And that upset them. So they were quite upset. Verse 19, Then Jesus answered and said to them, Most assuredly I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner.

And Jesus doesn't contradict them. He acknowledges that, yes, indeed, He is equal with God. But He willingly admits and submits to the example and instruction to the Father. And here's where we begin to be introduced to the understanding that Jesus Christ willingly, He voluntarily humbles Himself and gives all glory to the Father. He does not come to earth with His own agenda.

He comes to earth with His Father's agenda. It's not about Him. It's not about acquiring glory for Himself. He says, No, I'm here to do the will of My Father. I submit to Him. I give Him honor. I give Him glory. And because of that, He does the same thing back to Me. So again, Jesus acknowledges He's equal with God, but He willingly submits to the example and the instruction of the Father.

And we're going to see over and over again that that's a characteristic that Jesus Christ has. And why does He have that characteristic? Because He wanted to be the perfect example for us. How contrary is that to human nature? Billions and billions of people wake up every day and they want the glory. They want all the credit. They want accolades. They want to be praised. They want their will to be done. And in contrast to human nature, Jesus Christ is the direct opposite for a reason, to be an example for us. Because we should not be here with our own agenda.

We should be here to submit to the Father and the Son. And we should be here to do their will. Not to force our own will on other people. Not to express what we want, but to express what the will of the Father is, what God wants. Let's pick it up here in verse 20. For the Father loves the Son and shows Him all things that He Himself does. And He will show Him greater works than these that you may marvel. Well, what's a greater work than healing somebody in the Sabbath?

How about resurrecting them from the dead? That's kind of a greater work, isn't it? Jesus would do that. Lazarus, right? God will do that in the future. So He was saying, God is going to make sure that even a greater work, the Father is going to make sure that even a greater work than just someone being healed is going to be performed. And people are going to marvel at that. Verse 21, do you think people marveled when Lazarus walked out of that tomb? You could have seen jaws drop. You bet they marveled. When He went into that little girl and tatha arrives, everyone thought she was dead. Do you think that stunned the people? Do you think they marveled over something like that? You bet they did. Verse 21, for as the Father raises the dead and gives life to them, so the Son gives life to whom He will, for the Father judges no one but has committed all judgment to the Son. In other words, the Father is the ultimate judge, but He has said, I am ceding the ability to make judgments to you, Christ. I'm giving you that authority. I'm giving you that responsibility. It's yours. Verse 23, that all should honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him. So Jesus states here that He has no individual will of His own, that His will is the Father's will. He has no agenda of His own and that He did nothing on earth except to do the will of His Father. Indeed, in essence, Christ told the Pharisees, watch my life and my ministry and all the miracles and the good works I do. And you know what you'll see? You will see the Heavenly Father. If you look at my example, you will see His will being performed. Everything I do, Jesus said, is a reflection of who He is and it's all about to reveal the Father to you because, as we'll see as the sermon goes on, they were unaware of God the Father. They didn't have the slightest concept or idea that there was God the Son and part of the God family also included God the Father. Now, let's see a discussion between Jesus and the Jews in the temple about Abraham because this is quite revealing. We're going to go to chapter 8. John chapter 8 and we'll pick it up here in verse 48.

Again, this is a conversation between Jesus and the Jews in the temple about Abraham. I think we all understand that Abraham, it's probably not too much to say he was literally idolized by the Jews at that time. He was held in the highest esteem, referred to as Father Abraham, as the classic example of faith and righteousness and godliness. So they kind of put Abraham on a pedestal. That's why this conversation is so interesting. Then the Jews answered and said to him, Do we not rightly say that you are a Samaritan and have a demon?

This is the phrase I was talking about. They accused Jesus Christ of all people of being a Samaritan. Again, implying you're an outsider, you're not one of the true Jewish people like we are. You're an outlier. You're outside of the community. He said, So do we not say rightly that you are a Samaritan and have a demon? And Jesus answered, I do not have a demon, but I honor my Father and you dishonor me, and I do not seek my own glory.

There is one, and he's referring to the Father, there is one who seeks, he means there is one who deserves and seeks honor and glory, and of course that's his father, and judges. So there's one who's the ultimate judge, and as we saw earlier, he's ceded the ability to make judgment to Jesus Christ himself. Verse 51, Most assuredly I say unto you, if anyone keeps my word, he shall never see death.

That the Jews said to him, Now we know you have a demon, Abraham is dead, and the prophets, and you say, if anyone keeps my word, he shall never taste death. Are you greater than our father, Abraham, who is dead, and the prophets who are dead? Whom do you make yourself out to be? Three phrase that in 21st century phraseology, just who do you think you are? Jesus Christ, who do you think you are?

Making that kind of a statement. So here Jesus is humbly told the Jews that he's not seeking honor, he's not seeking glory for himself, but to the father. He's pointing, teaching them, trying to reveal to them about who and what the father is. The Jews held Abraham in the highest esteem, and they challenged Jesus Christ on who he is and where he derives his authority. His answer will literally stun them. And it reveals to us the very fact that Jesus Christ was the God of the Old Testament.

Was the only God that they ever knew. Was the God who was there at the beginning of creation in Genesis. The same God who spoke with Abraham and Moses and inspired the prophets and caused the Old Testament to be written.

Inspired the Old Testament to be written. Verse 54, Jesus answered, And he says in verse 56, And he says in verse 56, Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day, and he saw it and was glad. Then the Jews said to him, You are not yet fifty years old, and you've seen Abraham? And Jesus said to them, Most assuredly I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am. Now, two things I'd like to point out in this verse.

Number one, it said here, That your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day, and he saw it and was glad. Do you remember that very beautiful metaphor in Genesis 22 when God told Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac? And of course Isaac was his beloved son. And that whole thing was about picturing the time when God the Father would have to allow his precious beloved son a promise to be crucified and die.

And if you remember that story in Genesis 22, they got to Mount Moriah, where later, by the way, Jerusalem would be located. And Abraham said, We're going to go up, said to his son, We're going to go up to Mount Moriah, and they're walking up there.

And he said, Father, I see the wood and the fire, but where's the lamb? Of course, on knowing that God had told his father that he was going to be used as a lamb. And what did his father Abraham tell him? Do you remember that? He said, Son, remember this is the man of faith? He said, Son, God will provide a lamb for the sacrifice. You see, brethren, he got it.

He understood that that whole exercise, and God asking him to be willing to sacrifice his own son, and Abraham being willing to sacrifice his own son, pictured and looked forward to a day when God the Father himself would have to painfully watch his very own son be crucified and sacrificed and his blood shed for the forgiveness of sins of all mankind. Indeed, your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day, the day of the mission that Jesus Christ would have, and he saw it and was glad. The second thing I want to point out about this scripture.

It says, Jesus said to him, this is verse 58, most assuredly he said to you, Before Abraham was, I am. Now, this rattled the Jews. They're about ready to pick up stones and stone him. Because here Jesus Christ makes it very clear to them that he is the great I am, spoken of in the old covenant. He existed before Abraham. He was the I am from the very beginning. The Jews got the connection with what God told Moses in Exodus chapter 3, where Moses said to God, Indeed, when I come to the children of Israel and say to them, the God of your fathers has sent me to you, and they say to me, what is his name?

What shall I say to them? And God said to Moses, the pre-existent, Jesus Christ said to Moses, I am who I am, and he said, thus you shall say to the children of Israel, I am has sent me to you. So when Jesus was telling those Jews that he said, before Abraham was, I am, he was revealing to them that I am the God of the old covenant. It was myself before I came into the flesh, and we'll read a little bit more about that in a few minutes. Verse 59. And then they took up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.

It wasn't his time to be martyred yet, so he just slipped on through and continued his ministry. I'd like to read a few things from the reary Bible notes here on verse 58. It says, quote, the I am denotes absolute eternal existence, not simply existence prior to Abraham. It is the claim to be Yahweh of the Old Testament, that the Jews understood the significance of this claim is clear from their reaction to the supposed blasphemy.

End of quote. In other words, they picked up stones. They understood exactly what he was saying, what he was implying. So now let's see what Paul said about Jesus Christ, who he is, and his connection with the Father. So we'll go from the book of John to Philippians chapter 2 and verse 5. If you'll turn there with me, Philippians chapter 2 and verse 5.

Verse 5, let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus, who being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God. Now it's not a very good translation, so I'll read this from the new century version. Christ himself was like God in everything, but he did not think that being equal with God was something to be used for his own benefit.

Some translations say he didn't think that being equal with God was something to be grasped. Again, so contrary to human nature. What do people want? People want to grasp it. They want to grab the golden ring. They want all the power and prestige that they can get. It's all about them.

In contrast to Jesus Christ, our example, even though he was equal with God, when it came time that there needed to be a Savior, he said, I'll do it. Send me. I'll do it. This was the greatest emotion ever experienced in the universe.

Jesus Christ willingly gave up his glory and equality with the Father to humble himself and to go, as I said before, from the glory of God to a dirtbag. Talk about a demotion. From the glory of God to a human being, a bag of walking flesh, with all the limitations, the need, the hunger, the sensing of pain, and all the things that you experience when you are a human being. And why did he did this? Well, he did this because being God, his one life was of greater value than all the creation. The sacrifice of his one precious, righteous life as the Son of God was of greater value than all human sins that could ever be committed. And that's why he was willing to do that. Verse 7, But made of himself no reputation, it wasn't about himself, it wasn't about pointing glory or trying to draw things to himself, attention, taking on the form of a bondservant of a slave and coming in the likeness of men, and being found in the appearance of a man, he humbled himself.

And he became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore, God, this is one who would be revealed to us as the Father, therefore God also has highly exalted him, and given him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow of those in heaven and those on earth and those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. So Paul here is explaining that Christ has eternally existed as God. He's agreeing wholeheartedly with what John said. Even though he was equal to the Father, he voluntarily gave deference to the glory of the Father.

From that point on, as he walked into this earth, he always pointed every one, he always gave all credit, all glory to the Father, because he was here to do his Father's will. He willingly diminished himself to walk on earth as a mere human being. So what we see here is that the role of the Word, the Greek word Logos, as John mentioned, is the part of the God family that communicates with humanity, that provides the verbal expressions and the will, reveals the will of God, the one who communicates to us in the Old Testament, the one who spoke to Abraham and Moses and many others, the one who inspired the prophets. That was the Logos. That was the word, the pre-existent Jesus Christ. This is, again, a God who spoke to the Old Testament patriarchs, inspired the prophets, inspired the writings of the Old Testament, so that we can know what God's will was. So that's the distinction that Jesus Christ has. As the Son, who is equal with God, voluntarily emptied himself of glory to walk on earth as a human being and voluntarily gave all honor and glory and credit to the Father. He even taught his disciples to pray to the Father. That was his example. So what can we know about the Father? Well, much of what we know about the Father is revealed to us through the words of Jesus Christ himself, who came to literally reveal the presence of the Father to the Jewish people, and they didn't get it. They didn't understand it. Let's go to Luke 10 and verse 21. Luke 10 and verse 21. If you'll turn there with me.

This is an interesting scripture to me because we'll break into the context in verse 21. But this is after Jesus had set out 70 disciples to heal, to cast out demons, to do all kinds of wonderful things in his name, and they came back and they were rejoicing. We had a successful mission. We healed people. We cast out demons. We did all of these things. They said to Jesus Christ, and it even lifted his spirits. And the reason that I find it interesting is what happened to them.

By the time you get to the end of Jesus Christ's life, there are 11 faithful, loyal people. What happened to the 70? What happened to all of those people who were so excited about the truth, so excited about being the disciples of Jesus Christ, so excited about being sent out by Christ to do wonderful things? Where did they go? What happened to them?

Picking it up here now in verse 21. In that hour Jesus rejoiced in the spirit, in the news, of course, that the 70 themselves had returned rejoicing, and said, I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them to babes. God is in calling the wealthy. He's not calling the wise. He's not calling the brilliant people of the world. He's calling simple, salt of the earth people to his message, and they're responding. Even though, Father, for so it seemed good in your sight, all things have been delivered to me by the Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal him. A latter part of verse 22 is a very profound statement. He is saying, and no one knows who the Father is except Jesus Christ, and anyone whom Jesus Christ decides, he's going to reveal who the Father is. That's the way that you understand who God the Father is. So the Son and the Father know each other intimately because they are one, and they share the same spirit. Christ is saying that knowing the Father is only possible to those who Jesus chooses to reveal him to. That's what he's saying here. Let's see a parallel account of this in Matthew 11. Matthew 11 and verse 27, if you'll turn there with me. Matthew 11, 27. Jesus says, all things have been delivered to me by the Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, nor does anyone know the Father except the Son and the One to whom the Son wills to reveal him. So again, it's through Christ. The Father does the calling, but to know the presence, to know the Father has to be revealed to one by Jesus Christ himself. Because before the time of Jesus Christ, knowledge of the Father was unknown. The only God that they understood as part of the Old Covenant was the pre-existent Jesus Christ. Jesus is saying, in essence, it's impossible for you to know the Father unless I reveal him to you. You can't get that revelation just by reading Scriptures alone. Jesus is saying, you can't get that by visiting the temple. You can't get that by reading the prophets. I must reveal him to you. And how did Jesus Christ reveal the Father? Well, he did it in two basic ways, actually. Through his teachings and through his conduct. What Jesus taught his followers reflected his deep insight into the Father's thoughts and the Father's feelings. And the Father's ways. The Father himself expressed these qualities through his Son, the Word, Jesus Christ. The second way in which Jesus revealed the Father to his disciples was by means of his conduct. Because he didn't have his own agenda. He did the Father's will. He was perfectly obedient. And so when the Apostle Philip asked Jesus in John chapter 14 and verse 8, when he said, Show us the Father, Jesus said to him, quote, He that has seen me has seen the Father also. You want to know what the Father is like? Go ahead and look at my conduct. And go ahead and look at my teachings. And you'll know what the Father is like. Because it's not about me. It's about doing the will of the Father. John, let's go back now to John chapter 5 and verse 30. Again, I want to focus on the humility of Jesus Christ and the fact that even though he had equality with God, he set such a tremendous example of it not being about himself. It's being about the mission. It's being about giving honor and glory and credit and praise to the Father. John chapter 5 and verse 30. He says, I can of myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge.

And my judgment is righteous because I do not seek my own will, but the will of the Father who sent me. So again, I want you to notice the example of the humility of Jesus Christ. He has no personal agenda, but to support the will of the Father. It's very important that we understand that and we understand why he set that example. Because he doesn't want us to be like carnal human beings grasping for honor, grasping for attention, grasping for prestige. He wasn't like that himself. And he lived that life so that we could emulate and realize that that is what Christianity is about. Not the way of the world. Verse 37. It says, and the Father himself who sent me has testified of me. You have neither heard his voice at any time nor seen his form. Regarding the Father, you've never heard his voice. You've never seen any kind of a form of what God the Father is like. Verse 38. It says, but you do not have his word abiding in you because whom he sent, speaking of himself, you do not believe. You search the Scriptures, and the only Scriptures they had to search, I might add, are what we call the Old Testament. You search the Scriptures for them you think you have eternal life, and these are they which testify of me. And why? Because Jesus Christ was the God of the Old Covenant. When you search the Scriptures, you know what you find when you look in the Old Testament? You find the Word as the God who created the earth, as the God who spoke to Abraham, spoke to Moses, inspired the prophets, inspired the written Word of God. Verse 40. But you are not willing to come to me that you may have life. So again, one of the reasons Jesus Christ came to earth was to reveal who and what God the Father is. Christ gave deference and honor to the Father. He even taught his disciples to address their prayers to the Father just like Jesus did. And he taught them the model prayer in Matthew 6. Now let's take a look at John 17 and verse 24. John 17 and verse 24. John was inspired to write, Father, quoting Jesus, Father, I desire that they also whom you gave me may be with me where I am, that they may behold my glory, which you have given me. For you loved me before the foundation of the world. Oh, righteous Father, the world has not known you, but I have known you. That these have known that you sent me, and I have declared to them your name, and will declare it that the love with which you loved me may be in them and I in them. So let's put some of these puzzle pieces together. Yet again, Christ came to reveal the Father as part of the new covenant. Think of the covenants as relationships. The old covenant was the old relationship, and it was between God, whom we know of, also here is the word, the pre-existent Jesus Christ, and it was with a secular nation that was void of God's Holy Spirit except for rare cases. There were some leaders, there were some prophets who received God's Spirit, but for the most part, under the old covenant, most, the overwhelming majority of people, did not have God's Holy Spirit. It was an old relationship. And because it wasn't a spiritual relationship, because it wasn't an intimate relationship, all they needed to know under that covenant was the pre-existent Jesus Christ. That's all they needed to know to obey that covenant, to live productive physical lives, was to have a connection with the word, with the logos.

But then there came time for the new covenant. We'll refer to that as the new relationship. It is spiritual. And God wants us to have an intimate, personal relationship with Him, and in order for that to happen, we need to know the totality of whom God is.

No longer just knowing the pre-existent Jesus Christ and the words that are written in the Old Testament, but also to have a loving and a personal relationship with God. We need to know not just God the Son, but also God the Father, the totality of the family of God. And that is why Jesus came as the mediator of the new covenant, to came to reveal who and what the Father was. They share the same Holy Spirit, the same Spirit that they offer to us. I'd like to give you an analogy.

I have a family. I love my children. I love my grandchildren. When they come over, I kiss them, I hug them, give them a little bit of special attention, because they're very special to me. That's one kind of relationship that I have. I do not have that same relationship with the employees at Walmart.

Now, it's the same person, the same values, the same mindset. What's the difference? The difference is that it's a different kind of relationship. The Old Covenant was one type. The old relationship was one type of a relationship. And it included all they needed to know. It included the knowledge of God as Yahweh, as the one, the pre-existent Christ, who later became known as Jesus Christ. The new relationship, the new covenant, in order to be part of that and have that intimate relationship with God that He desires, we needed revealed to us that God is also a Father. The same God that Jesus Christ Himself talked to and spoke with.

Now, as I prepare to conclude the sermon today, we're going to be going to our final scripture in just a few seconds. I'd like to highlight an important thing about much of this information. Going back to when I was a child, what I was taught about God, I was taught that God was basically a closed family. God consisted of a trinity I was taught, and it was closed. It could never be expanded. It was God the Father, God the Son, and I was taught God the Holy Spirit, which, of course, is incorrect, but that's not my topic today, whether the Holy Spirit is God. But I was taught that this triune God was a closed family relationship. It's sealed. That's all there was. That's all there ever would be. Let's go to Romans 8 and 12, and we'll see where Paul helps us to understand that not only does God's family presently composed of the Father and the Son, but God is doing something very wonderful, very special, and very precious for us. He has invited us to become part of his family. Romans 8, this is a final scripture for today. Final verses, I should say.

Chapter 8 and verse 12, He says, You put the death, the deeds of the body, you will live. So our lives are a lifelong growth session in which we chip away, in which we progressively become more like God and root out from our hearts and minds the carnal thoughts and actions and conduct of humanity.

God didn't call you out of a fearful world to bring you into an environment of fear all over again. He said, That's not what God is about, but you received the spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, Abba, Father. Abba is a very enduring Aramaic term, like we would say, Daddy or Pops, Papa. He's saying, we can have this kind of relationship with the Father. But if we didn't know who He was, how could we? If Jesus Christ, as part of His mission, hadn't been to reveal to us God the Father, then how could we say, Abba, Father? If we didn't even know He existed. Verse 16, the Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are the children of God, and if children then heirs, heirs of God and joint, heirs with Christ. If indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together. For I consider the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared to the glory which shall be revealed in us. You say, Mr. Thomas, I'm going through some difficult health challenges right now that sometimes get me down. My response to you are, these are the sufferings of this present time only. I say, Mr. Thomas, I lost my job. Mr. Thomas, I'm underemployed. Mr. Thomas, I've got financial problems. The answer to that is the sufferings of this present time. They are only here for a short while. And they are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly awaits for the revealing of the sons of God. This word adoption here is a Greek word, and it means the placing as a son. You are not a natural born son. It's a term used in the Roman Empire. Roman adoption was different than Jewish traditions. And Paul is the only New Testament writer to employ this Greek word, and it's translated, adoption. And he uses the term to describe the status that persons receive when they've been redeemed by Jesus Christ. It's a great metaphor. How do you go from being a self-absorbed carnal blob into the family of God, spiritual and eternal life, and all of those wonderful qualities?

Well, the physical has nothing to do with the spiritual, so he uses the metaphor of adoption. Someone who's not naturally yours, but biologically, but you bring them in and then you make them part in your family. You give them your name. You let them inherit everything that's yours. You love them and treat them as if biologically they're your very own. That's why he uses this term and this phrase.

When led by the Spirit, all believers, Paul taught, become Abraham's offspring and heirs with him of God's promise. So what Paul was saying here is it doesn't matter what you erase. It doesn't matter your previous religious views. It doesn't matter your ethnicity. When you become a child of God, you become Abraham's spiritual offspring and you become a full heir of all of God's promises to Abraham. All right, our final scriptures today, picking up here in verse 20.

So he said, To teach us to rely on God in total faith and commitment. Continuing here, verse 22.

Somewhere else there's flooding going on in somewhere in the world. We live in a world, indeed, of futility, a world in which the creation groans like it's in labor pangs together. And he says here in verse 23, Not only that, but we also have the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves. You go through trials? I do. Do you ever groan within yourself? Get frustrated? Get a little bit discouraged at your own conduct? Maybe the words that come out of our mouths? The kind of things that we're thinking of? Do you ever groan and get discouraged at that? Sure you do. We all do.

And he continues and says, Eagerly waiting for the adoption, for the redemption of our body, for the time when Jesus Christ comes to earth, that that wonderful first resurrection will occur. And we will be changed in the twinkling of an eye from this mortal flesh into immortality.

That time we will be adopted fully and completely into the family of God.

Well, in conclusion, what a privilege it is to become part of the family of God as His begotten children. Do we appreciate that? Do we think that that's wonderful? Do we thank God every day for opening our minds to the truth, for revealing that to us? I hope we do. And as we begin, in a very early way to think about the Spring Holy Days this year, let's make sure that we appreciate and honor this gift of family, and that includes the gift of one another and the opportunity we have to get to truly know God.

Have a wonderful Sabbath day.