We are Indeed God's Children

The question sometimes people ask is there are certain scriptures in the Bible that talk about predestination. We are predestined and people misunderstand what that predestination is all about. People think, oh well, you're predestined to be saved while others are predestined to eternal death. That is not the case because that's not a mind of a loving God. We are predestined to be children of God. And I appreciate very much the sermon that we had because the sermon that talked about the process of sanctification and that ties in into the sermon that I am covering today. Let's start first with Romans chapter 8 verse 29. Romans chapter 8 verse 29. And in fact, maybe let's just start with verse 28. It says, and we know that all things were brought together for good for those who love God to those who are called according to His purpose. That is such an encouraging scripture. How many of us hang on to this scripture? Because we know that in the end it will be good. Even though we go through trials today, it will be good. And it's good for those that love God and those that are called according to God's purpose. And brethren, we all sooner or later will be called. Some are not called yet, some will be called later, and we are being called now. And God has a purpose. What is the purpose that God asks for you and I? Sure, each one individually will have different very specific roles, but the main purpose which is applicable to all of us is that we all are to be children of God. We all are to be in His family. And so in verse 29 it says, For whom, if for new, you are also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son. In other words, God knows that, in fact, you know at the creation week, on the sixth day it says, Let us make man after our image and our likeness. The intent and purpose of God to create us is for us ultimately to be conformed to the image of His Son. Yes, during the creation week Adam and Eve were made physically speaking in the similarity of God. In other words, with hands, arms, legs, just like God is, albeit not matter, but spirit. In other words, of a different composition.

But spiritually speaking in our heart, like we heard in the sermonette, in our way of thinking, in our minds, we do not yet at this stage have the mind of God. We are working towards it, and that's what it's as it was so clearly explained, the process of sanctification of us becoming pure, becoming like God. So, as it says here, God has predestined us, has designed His goal, His destiny, that He decided right from the beginning, is that you and I are to be conformed to the image of Jesus Christ. In other words, for us to be children of God, like Jesus Christ is a Son of God. In other words, that Christ might be the firstborn among many brethren. Christ was the first that came from a physical life and is now a spirit being. Sure, he was a spirit being before he came to physical life, but he's the first one from physical life, from human life, from being humankind, to go back to the God-kind that he was. And therefore, he's the first born through that process. And we are likewise to be born through that same process. So what does this really mean, brethren? Why is firstborn so important to God?

Is God teaching us a spiritual lesson by the meaning and the significance of the firstborn?

There are many references in the Bible to firstborns.

Now, for instance, the story of the Israelites leaving Egypt. The firstborn of the Egyptians were killed, but the firstborn of the Israelites were passed over by the Lord and they were not killed. Then later on, you read in Numbers, explains that the firstborn of the Israelites, they belonged to God, but then he swapped them for the Levites. So there was the special meaning of the firstborn becoming a priesthood. Why is this focus on the firstborn so important? We also know stories like Isaac and Esau.

Esau was actually the firstborn, but God decided to change it around. Even before they were born, he says, Isaac will be first. And then later on, Esau despised this birthright. So God can, has the authority to decide who's going to be the firstborn. Another example where he swapped. There's the story of Reuben. You know, Jacob had 12 Psalms, and the firstborn was Reuben. But Reuben sinned, and therefore his blessing passed to Jacob, which also was the firstborn, but of Rachel, not of the young. And you look at the story of Ephraim and Manasseh, in which Jacob crossed his arms.

And Joseph said, no, no, no, it's the other way around. He says, I know, but that's how God is done. So God has the right to select who he wants it to be as the firstborn, but there is a special blessing for the firstborn. Why? Is it just a physical thing? Or is there a spiritual meaning to it? Look at Romans chapter 1 verse 20. Romans chapter 1 verse 20. Yeah, it's talking about how physical things show us spiritual things. And therefore, these people, let's say, well, there doesn't exist a God. They don't have an excuse, because the physical things prove there is a God. Those scientists, one day, when they'll have to say, when they say, well, there's evolution, one day when they stand before God, Christ will look at them in the eye and say, you have no excuse. And they will have no excuse. But listen to what it says here in verse 20, because it says, since the creation of the world, the invisible attributes are clear seen. In other words, the spiritual intent is actually clearly seen by the physical. Why? Because God created the physical as a model to teach us a lesson of the spiritual. It says, being understood by the things that are made, even God's eternal power and divinity, or Godhead, so that they are without excuse. So even God's divinity and God's understanding of the family, for instance, it's explained by physical things.

And so, likewise, to the meaning of firstborn, the meaning of firstborn as a spiritual application. You and I know, through God's early days, which we observe, there's a plan of salvation. It starts with the Passover, and then it points to Christ. And then after that, we are symbolically redeemed by the Passover, with Christ's sacrifice, the bread and the wine. And then we have, during the days of the 11th bread, that we have to commit to obey God's laws. And then during the days of 11th bread, there is a ceremony called a wave sheath. And you, I know, you had a sermon at a couple of weeks back, about counting 50 from the wave sheath. And then you get to Pentecost. And Pentecost, being on the first day of the week, exactly seven weeks, and then one day after it, we have that offering of the first fruits, which is bread baked with leaven, which symbolizes us with leaven, which means with sin. We now have been redeemed. We've been brought back, but we still have sin in us. But we are offered, and we can be presented to the Father through the veil, which is Christ's body. Now we have to go through a process of sanctification, as we heard in the sermon today, until Christ's coming, which is symbolized as the day of trumpets. And when Christ comes, we will then be changed to spirit beings, being the firstborn of many others to be with Christ. And so there is the meaning of the firstborn. Yes, we the first fruits initially had to die of Pentecost, but we have to be sanctified. And those that remain faithful till the end, then they will be changed at Christ's coming. And beyond that, there is the whole meaning of the world tomorrow and the world that follows. But we can see that there is a sequence in this plan, because those at Christ's coming will be resurrected. But then there will be others that will be resurrected a thousand years later. You read that in Revelation 20. It says, thou shall come and reign with Christ. That is the first resurrection, and the remaining will be resurrected a thousand years later, which is the second resurrection. And so there is a timing for God to do things. That ties in with 1 Corinthians 15. So turn with me to 1 Corinthians 15. In 1 Corinthians 15, verse 22, it says, For as in Adam all die, which human being has not died? They all die. And we are still alive, but one day we will die, or we'll be changed if we still alive at Christ's coming. But it says, As in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. In other words, all will resurrect. Everyone, everyone, even the worst sinner that you can think of has been bought back by Christ's sacrifice. The worst sinner that you can think of will be made alive because of Christ's sacrifice. Because that's what it says, in Christ shall all be made alive. His death paid for everyone's sin, and they will come back to life. So, none of us can say, My sins are so big that Christ can't resurrect me.

Do you know what that means? None of us can say, I am so bad that Christ will not resurrect me. Because if that was the case, that Christ could not resurrect you, then his sacrifice was not sufficient, was not good enough, was incomplete.

So there's nobody, even the worst criminal, the worst criminal, the worst type of person that you and I can think of, you can put a name. I don't like to put names on people because I don't want to be a judge saying that person is going to be in a lake of fire or not. I don't like to do that. I don't like to go there. I think that's beyond my pay scale. I just say, hey, that will happen, but God will decide who is who. And I'm happy with that. And trust him, Christ will do a good job. He knows the hearts. But the point is, they all will resurrect.

In other words, their lives have been bought back by Christ's sacrifice.

Let's continue here in verse 23. But each one in his own order.

So everybody will resurrect, but some will be first and others will be second. There is an order.

There's an order. Christ is the first fruit. He is symbolized by those first fruits of the wave sheaf of Pauli. So he's the first. Afterwards, those that are Christ, that means you and I, God willing, if we remain faithful till the end, at Christ's second coming. That's what it says. Symbolized by the day of trumpets. And after that, later, as we read in Revelation 20, a thousand years later, there'll be a second, another resurrection, the others. And then comes the end. And so, it's up to God to decide which ones will be in that resurrection, and which ones will go to the lake of fire. That's part of a great white throne judgment, and that's something that God will do, or Christ will do. Because the Father delegated all judgment to Christ, as we read in John 5. So then comes the end. And when He, and right at the end of this, then Christ will hand the kingdom of God to the Father. And He puts the end to all rule, and all authority, and all powers. So, Christ will be in authority, and will hand it all to the Father.

But going back to firstfruits, we are going to be the firstfruits, if we remain loyal to the end at Christ's coming. At Christ's coming. Those that are He is at Christ's coming.

Look at James chapter 1. James chapter 1. James chapter 1.

Verse 17 and 18.

James chapter 1 verse 17 and 18. And every good gift, and every perfect gift, is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.

Of His own will, He brought us forth. Now the other interesting thing is the word brought us forth. That word is word related to begot. He begotten us. It's a word related to begettle. He brought us forth through the truth, through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures.

So we are going to be we, the church, members in God's church, those of us that remain faithful to the end, we're going to be a kind of firstfruits.

When is that? And how is that? How we brought forth? I think the question was also raised up in the sermonette, if I remember correctly, how we brought forth. Well, when you read Pentecost, on the day of Pentecost, God's Holy Spirit was given to the apostles and to the disciples. And it says, as you repent and are baptized, you will receive the Holy Spirit. So receiving the Holy Spirit is the key to this begettle process.

Receiving God's Holy Spirit is the key to this begettle process, because God's Holy Spirit is the seed from God that gets into our minds, into our spirit of manning man, and makes us, begets us, as children of God. Turn with me to 1 Peter chapter 1. 1 Peter chapter 1 verse 23.

In fact, we'll start from verse 22.

Since you have purified your souls by the truth, through the spirit and sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with your heart, having been born again. The word born is ganau, which means begotten or generated, ganau, generated. Begotten again, not of corruptible seed. What do you mean you are begotten again, not of corruptible seed? When were you first begotten?

You and I were first begotten when our physical dad, our physical dad's, corruptible seed, it was physical seed, impregnated the ovum in your physical mother, and my physical mother. And that's when you and I were first begotten.

There was a corruptible seed that went into the ovum and let's call it it started growing a little embryo and a baby.

But it says, yeah, having been begotten again, not a corruptible seed, but incorruptible. So we are now begotten again, it was a second time, but of a seed which is incorruptible. Which is that seed which is incorruptible? It's God's only spirit, which is given to us after baptism upon the laying on of hands. We receive the incorruptible seed and that incorruptible seed merges in with the spirit of man in man. So God's only spirit merges with the spirit of man in man in man. You have been you and therefore now you become a new being. Physically speaking, the corruptible seed of a humanlie ad joined the ovum of your human mother and you are begotten for the first time as a human being. And what do you have as a human being? You have a bit of the genetic code of your mom and you have a bit of a genetic code of your dad.

So now you are you. Put your name. Say for instance, George. That's it. That's how I became to be. Now George as the spirit of man in man, of George, and you have the spirit of man in man. Put your name in there. That in a spiritual analogy is the ovum.

At baptism upon the laying on of hands, the promise of the Father proceeds from the Father, but it's given to us by Jesus Christ because the Father is the Father. We receive that spiritual seed which is incorruptible and that begets us a second time now with to be a new being, a spirit person, spiritually speaking, but still in in an embryonic stage, spiritually speaking, still in the womb, which is the mother, which is the church, until after a period of nine months, physically speaking, after a period of faithfulness till the end, when Christ comes, we'll then be born again. And so you and I now, with God's early spirit, have a bit of our human DNA of you yourself and a little bit of God's spiritual DNA through God's early spirit. And that's how God writes in our hearts and our minds His principles, His character, His mind of love. But now we have to put it to practice and we need to keep asking daily for more of the Holy Spirit to help us overcome and to keep going.

And that's what we see, for instance. Let's go back a little bit and look at 1 Corinthians 2.

Verse 11 through 16. It says, For one man knows the things of man, except the spirit of man, which is in him. You know, you and I know the things of human beings, because you and I have a spirit of man in man. A dog, a cat, a parrot, a whale, a tiger, does not know the things of man, because does not have the spirit of man. It's that spirit of man in man that elevates the human brain above any other animal's brain. It's the spirit of man. So it says, One man knows the things of man, except the spirit of man, which is in him. So you and I can only understand the things of man, because we have the spirit of man in man. You know about the king in Babylon that was the obedient, and God removed the spirit of man. And God removed the spirit from him, and then he acted like an animal for a number of years, until God put back the spirit of man back in him, and then he became a human being again.

So it's God's power through the spirit of man that's the breath of life that is given us. But in analogy, you and I can only understand things of man. Because we have the spirit of man.

And the analogy goes one step further. Another person, another human being, can only understand the things of God, if the spirit of God is with them or in them.

Now, you and I can try and convince other people about the Bible, about the truth. You know what? It'll go over their heads, unless the spirit of God is with them or in them.

Just like you try and teach algebra to an elephant, you're not going to succeed.

Why? Because it does not have the spirit of man in him. So you can try and try and try and he says, why doesn't he get it?

Likewise, you can go to a person and try and try and try and show them. They're going to keep the Sabbath or whatever. Unless God gives them that ability to understand with the spirit of God, they will not get it.

Because what convinces us is the spirit of God and the word of God.

Not my words or your words, but God's only spirit and the Bible. So that's the only way that we can understand the things of God. And that's what he says in verses 11 through 16. He says, well, we read already part of verse 11, so they say, even so, no one knows the things of God except the spirit of God. Now, we have received not the spirit of the world, the spirit which is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. These things we also speak, not in words with man's wisdom, which man's wisdom teaches, but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spirit. So in other words, we understand these spiritual things because we have God's only spirit in us, and with the help of God's only spirit, we can get it. That is a miracle.

That is a miracle. Just like it is a miracle for an elephant to understand algebra.

For a human being to understand the things of God is a miracle that God gives us that understanding through His Spirit for us to get it.

So it continues in verse 14, but natural man, it was the man without God's only spirit, does not receive, does not get it, does not comprehend, cannot understand the things of the Spirit of God. Indeed, these things of God are foolishness to Him. If a person does not have God's only spirit, and he try and explain things, he says, ah, that's foolish. Oh, you're just one of them. You're just one of them. That's what happens. Why? Because they don't have God's only spirit. Nor can you know them, because they are spiritually discerned. In other words, they don't have that spiritual understanding. Just like an elephant does not have that human understanding. An elephant is humanly discerned. In other words, it does not get the things of human beings. But he who is spiritual can discern, can judge all things. If you're spiritual, you can understand, you can perceive us, you can distinguish clean from unclean, spiritually speaking. Yet he himself is rightly judged by no one. Why? People can't judge you. I mean, God can judge you. But if you are judging yourself, and you are changing and becoming like God, and if you're judging yourself, then God's mercy will be upon you. And mercy triumphs over judgment. For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ. How? Through God's Holy Spirit. In other words, we have the capability of thinking like God. How? By God's Holy Spirit. Because he gives us that spiritual understanding.

Gives us that spiritual understanding. Look at Romans 8 verse 5. Romans 8 verse 5.

Romans 8 verse 5. For those who live according to the flesh, set their minds on the things of the flesh. In fact, as we heard in the sermon, we've got this... If we are submitting ourselves to the last of the flesh, the last of the high, to those things, and if that is dwelling in our minds all the time. In other words, if we set in our minds, if that is what's the main thing that is dwelling in our minds. It says we don't have the mind of God there. For those who live according to the flesh, set their minds on the things of the flesh. And brethren, you and I must not live according to the flesh. But those who live according to the Spirit. In other words, we need to set the mind on the things of the Spirit. We need to, when those may be weak times or those wrong thoughts come into our minds, we need to strive, work hard in putting those wrong things aside and say, Christ can help me. And maybe even go on our knees and ask for help and get our minds clean.

So that we live according to the mind of Christ. In other words, the Spirit of God. Verse 6, because to be carnal mind, it was for our mind to be set to be always thinking of on carnal things, is death. In other words, the end result will be eternal death, lack of fire. But to be spiritually minded, for us to be striving time and time again, yeah, occasionally we may slip, but we are in our hearts and in our minds, we try to do what is right. Yes, I know. We are frail. I know we are weak. And I know sometimes we slip up. But we get back on our knees and we don't give up and we ask God again for His mercy. And thank God, He's more merciful than you and I are merciful. God, because of His patience, He wants repentance. He wants us to repent. He gives us time to do it. And so, as we keep striving, we get better at it. We get better at it with time. And so, He says, to be spiritually minded is eternal life. The end result is eternal life, and the end result might be not in the short term, but in the long term will be the true peace. And you know what? If you are doing and thinking the right thing, you have this internal peace of mind that surpasses human understanding. That really, that's what it is. Because the coral mind, because the mind that is set on the physical things, is an enemy of God. It cannot be subject to the law of God. It's not and it cannot. So we if we remain in the flesh, as it says in verse 8, we can't please God. If we remain thinking about the things of the flesh, we can't please God. But verse 9, But you are not in the flesh. Oh yeah, physically we are in the flesh. But spiritually, in our minds, our minds, we're not inclined to the physical, the things of the flesh. We try to be on the things of the Spirit. But in the Spirit, in other words, if indeed you have God's Holy Spirit, if you have God's Holy Spirit, if you have the seed in you, this DNA, spiritual DNA of God in you, or with you, you're gonna strive to do what is right. And therefore, if you don't have God's Holy Spirit, in other words, if you don't have the Spirit of Christ, you are not His. You're not a Christian, you're not a Son of God, because it's God's Holy Spirit that makes you and I a child of God, begotten of God. That is so beautiful, brethren. It really is so beautiful and it's so encouraging. Now turn with me to 1 Peter chapter 1 verse 2. 1 Peter chapter 1 verse 2. And this is where it ties in exactly with the sermon that we have today, brethren. 1 Peter chapter 1 verse 2. There's a sermon today, a sermon that today was about sanctification, but look here. In 1 Peter chapter 1 verse 2, elect. You know, was this talking to us? Elect. According to the full knowledge of God, in the words we've chosen, according to God's plan, we are to be the children of God. In the sanctification of the Spirit. In other words, God's Holy Spirit gives us the tools, gives us the help, gives us what you and I need to be sanctified.

In other words, gives us the strength, gives us all the tools that you and I need to be sanctified. Let's give you an example. Let's say you're an electrician. As electrician, for you to do the job of an electrician, you need certain tools. I mean, you can't just do that by hand. You need certain screwdrivers, you need little pliers, you need something to take the the insulation off the wires, you need a soldering iron, maybe you need you need knowledge and skill, a whole lot of things to do the job of electrician. And so you have, let's call it, an electrician's tool bag.

But if you're a motor mechanic, you have a different tool bag.

Because the tool bag of electrician doesn't quite help you to do the job of a motor mechanic. Because a motor mechanic, you're going to have different tools, different spammers, and different things. Talk wrenches and I don't know what else. Spiritually speaking, we need a spiritual toolbox that is ideal to the job of making us children of God. And think about it. This is the work of God. And that's why in United's emblem it says, preach the gospel and prepare the people. Because that's the work of God. Yes, preaching gospel is a witness. That's one leg of the work of God. But the other leg of the work of God is those that are called and repent and change now. We've got a job to do and part of the work of God is to prepare these people in a way to be sanctified when Christ comes to be the first fruits to rule with Christ in the world tomorrow. So the job of the church is twofold.

Preach the gospel and prepare the people. And you know what? Individually, we have a job too, which is part of the work of God. And one of those important jobs is supporting the work by putting the shoulders behind the work. And two, is actually working on the part of preparing the people. And which people you and I can control and prepare. Me, myself and I, and you, yourself and you. You prepare yourself. I can't change you and you can't change me. But you know what? That is part of God's work, changing yourself so that you are prepared to rule with Christ as a first fruit in the world tomorrow. So preparing a people is one of the functions that you can do.

So if you are a housewife and you say, and you say, well, I cannot do the work of God. Well, you can. Number one, you can support the work, the organization that's doing the work, encouraging the ministry by being there and supporting them. But in addition to that, the other part of preparing a people is how you're doing about using God's Holy Spirit to be a child of God and changing yourself, preparing a people. And we all have a responsibility in doing the work of God in this manner. So brethren, as it says, yeah, it's a sanctification of the Spirit. Continue reading in First Peter chapter one verse two. For what? Oh, you can just obey and do whatever you want to know. For obedience. For obedience.

And sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ. For obedience, the sanctification of God through the Spirit is so that we become obedient children of God, doing what is pleasing to the Father and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus. Because we know time and time again that we slip up. And what we need? We need a little sprinkling now and again. Just clean this up again. As we go along, we'll slip up. Oh, we need a little bit of a cleaning up. It's like a child that runs and falls and scratches his knee. So we're going to do and disinfect and clean up the knee and then it keeps going. That's what we need all the time to keep going. That sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ to help us to keep going. Grace to you and peace be multiplied.

Grace and peace be multiplied. Brethren, we've got to change. We've got to bear fruit. We've got to bear much fruit. As the first born, the first few, we need to bear fruit.

Look at John 15, verse 1 through 5. The eyes that parable of that olive tree. John 15. John 15, verse 1 through 5.

And he says of a vine, a big partner of the true vine, I'm the true vine, and my father is the vine dresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit, he takes away. And every branch that bears fruit, he prunes. There may be more fruit. Now this is very meaningful. When I was back in South Africa, we planted some fruit trees, and then I had to go on to special training. I went to some nurseries. They were giving pluses on how to prune a tree. And there were certain ways of how to prune a tree. And why did I prune? Just to cut it down? To chop it down? No! I pruned it so it'll bear more fruit. That's why I did it. Now imagine that I am a tree, or that you're a tree, and now and again you've got to be pruned. You've got to be cut a bit, yeah, cut a bit there. I can imagine that's painful, I can imagine that's painful, isn't it? I mean a little chopping, yeah, a little chopping there, but it's for us to bear more fruit. So we all go through trials, we all go through difficulties, but as we read in Romans 8, it says, all things work out for good, because this pruning is for good. You and I might not understand. Sometimes the pruning is deep. Sometimes you've got to prune deep. But it says, and every branch that bears fruit, he prunes. So yeah, you are bearing fruit, but you're still going through trials. Why? So you bear more fruit.

It's amazing, the analogy. You're already clean because of the word which I've spoken to you, abiding me, and I knew, as the branch cannot bear fruit of itself. It was amazing. I'll cut the branch and leave a branch out there on the floor. It wouldn't be long, it would be dry. It would not be long, it will dry and dead. Only good for one thing to throw it in the fire. There's another analogy. So it says, as the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in Christ. You and I have to stay close to God through Christ. There's no other way. There's no other way. I am divine. Christ is divine. And you are the branches. He who abides in me in Christ, and Christ in him bears much fruit. How does Christ abide in us?

It doesn't have to read that we have the mind of Christ. Didn't we read that earlier? How do we have the mind of Christ? Because of the Spirit of Christ is in us. God's only Spirit is in us.

So we have to bear fruit.

We have to bear fruit so that we can be amongst the first fruits.

You know those that will be with Christ, these resurrection, look at Revelation 14. Revelation 14. It talks about them.

Revelation 14.

Let's talk about, and I looked and behold a lamb, standing on Mount Zion, lamb which is Christ, standing on Mount Zion, symbolic to the church, and with them 144,000, having his father's name written on their foreheads. And look a little bit later in verse 4. These are the ones who are not defiled with woman, spiritually speaking, with false religion, and they are virgins. They're not perverted with false religion. They stuck to the truth and remain clean. These are the ones who follow Christ, wherever he goes. So whatever Christ leads us, we're there. These have redeemed from among men. These have been bought back from among men, being the first fruits to God, and to the lamb, and to Christ. And in their mouth was found no deceit, nor are they without fault. For they, I beg your pardon, are without fault before the throne of God. Brethren, it's a very small number, as you can see, yeah.

And that is very sobering. That is very sobering. Brethren, these are the ones that are going to reign for a thousand years with Christ. Revelation 20. Revelation 20, verse 4 through 6, and I saw thrones, and that is set on them, and judgment was committed to them. For they are the souls of those who have suffered and through difficulties, and then a little later universes, and they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. The rest were not resurrected till a thousand years later. So these that are of Christ, thus is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is he who is part of the first resurrection, part of the first fruits, over such the second death as no power. For they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him during that millennium. Brethren, it is a great responsibility that you and I have been given to be reigning with Christ as the top echelon of his government in the world tomorrow, and is giving it to us. And we have to make sure that we stay clean, being sanctified with the Spirit.

Look at 1 John chapter 3 verse 7 through 10. 1 John chapter 3 verse 7 through 10. 1 John chapter 3 verse 7. Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as he is righteous.

Brethren, we need to practice righteousness. We need to be in the path of sanctification, practicing righteousness.

He who sins is of the devil. For the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose, the Son of Man was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. Whoever has been born of God does not sin. Again, the word in Greek is ganau. It means it's begotten. If you and I are begotten of God, we are going to be in the amongst us group that do not sin. As it says in verse 7, we are amongst the group that practice righteousness, that our hearts are committed to practicing righteousness. Doesn't mean we never fall. As we read elsewhere in John, he says, if you say you'll never sin, then you are liar. But we walk in the light. We are practicing righteousness. Our hearts are clean. And whenever we trip, we get to God and get that cleansed through the sprinting of Christ's blood. Whoever has been begotten of God does not sin. Why? Because he's seed. Because the Father's seed remains in him. Because God's Holy Spirit remains in us. Which you and I read earlier on is that incorruptible seed. In other words, God's DNA, spiritual DNA is in us. And we want to do what God wants to do. Interesting this word, cedia in Greek, isperma. It's God's seed. God's incorruptible seed, as compared to the corruptible seed that begot us for the first time. This is the second time we begotten. We're born of God. In other words, we've begotten of God. We've been fathered. Because we have the Father's seed in us. And therefore, because we have that seed, and because we have God's Holy Spirit, our hearts and our minds are committed and are striving, and are trying to be faithful with all our being till the end, so that we don't sin. Because we've been begotten of God. Because we have God's seed.

So are they. Sure there is. A dual duality in the meaning, yeah? Also that when will be spirit beings will never sin. But, yes, physical beings, we are striving to be spiritually minded. And when spiritually minded, that is the way of life and peace, as we read. So, brethren, you and I are predestined to be children of God, to have, by having God's Holy Spirit, that will help us to be sanctified so that we ultimately will be the children of God. Turn with me to Ephesians chapter 1. Ephesians chapter 1 verse 3.

to 5. Ephesians chapter 1 verse 3 to 5. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every special blessing in heavenly places in Christ. It was every spiritual blessing that you would need to achieve this end result of sanctification is blessed us with. Just as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, before the foundation of the world, God decided that he will have children of God. And he also decided that he would have some firstborn, and others will be born later. Not that others are better or worse. He can swap around the firstborn to another, like he did with what he did with, as we explained at the beginning, like Manasseh E. Frank, for instance. But he says that we should be holy.

Our purpose is to use God's Holy Spirit in the process of sanctification, so that you can be holy and I can be holy, and without blame before him in love. Having predestined us to the placing as sons, in other words, to the sonship. The meaning of the word adoption is not that good, but the word in Greek is placing as sons, or in other words, for us to be truly sons, as sons by Jesus Christ to himself. It was the sons of God through Jesus Christ to the Father. Sons of God, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of the glory of his grace, by which he made us accord accepted in the beloved.

So he made us accepted through Christ. Look at verse 11. Look at verse 11. In him also we have obtained an inheritance. What is our inheritance? You read that in Romans 8, it says we are to inherit God, to be co-heirs with Christ. We have obtained an inheritance. What is the inheritance?

To be children of God in the family of God, being predestined, God chose the side that this would be the purpose for mankind. That's why human beings are born to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, that we who first trusted, we amongst the first fruits, there's a wonderful meaning about the first fruits. The first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of his glory. In him you trusted after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, in whom also you believed, and you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise.

Yes, it's of promise because it's the promise of the Father that it will give us the Holy Spirit. Who is the guarantee? God's Holy Spirit working in you and in I, making us understand the truth, is the guarantee. It's the down payment. It's the guarantee. It's the promise from God and he's faithful of our inheritance in order to be in the kingdom of God until the redemption of the purchased possession to the praise of his glory, until the time of his coming when we will indeed be in the kingdom of God.

God has promised that we will be there, but it's up to you and I to use God's Holy Spirit through the process of scientific to be there and to be the first fruits. Look at 2 Peter 1. I have implied this a little earlier, but look at 2 Peter 1. Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus Christ our Lord.

It's interesting that in this epistle, Peter starts by saying grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. And you know what he ends this epistle by saying grow in grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. He starts it with this and ends it with this, but he says he continues that be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus Christ our Lord.

And he says has his divine power, what is his divine power? He's the Holy Spirit. It has given to us all things. It has given to us, as I was giving the example of the electrician and the motor mechanic, it's giving to us all the spiritual tools, all things that you and I need that pertain to eternal life and to become like God and God in us through the knowledge of him who called us by glory and virtue by which you have given to us exceeding and great precious promises. You see, through God's Holy Spirit you and I have great promises because the Holy Spirit is a guarantee of those promises that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, that you and I may work through sanctification through using God's Holy Spirit so that we may become divine, not just human nature, but we become divine nature.

We may be changed. In other words, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust, in the words through human nature.

Brethren, and then it goes on, therefore because of that put on these things and grow on these things and then it says in verse 10, be diligent to make your calling and election sure by putting these things to practice so that you will never leave or lose this promise. And if you do that, says in verse 11, you will have an entrance supplied to you. In other words, you will be in great abundance for sure in the everlasting kingdom. In other words, in the kingdom of God. That is the key to be in the kingdom of God. To use the divine power that God has given to us with all things that pertain to eternal life and Godliness so that you and I can be the first fruits. So is God teaching us some lesson by being the firstborn and the first fruits? Yes, because you and I will have a greater blessing. Like the firstborn will have a double portion.

Physically speaking, that was a promise. For us, spiritually speaking, would be a bigger promise to be amongst the firstborn, the first fruits. So don't ever say, I don't think I can make it. Don't ever say, I don't think Christ will never be able to forgive me. Because you can make it. Because you have all things that God has given you for eternal life and peace, which is God's only Spirit. You have it. You just have to use it. You have the tools, spiritual tools. You just have to use them. So why are the firstborn important to God? Because those will be proven faithful first. Those will be the top leaders and the Christ. Those will rule in the world tomorrow. And those will be an example that the others can make it. Because if you and I are able to make it, how much more the others, which in many ways are wiser than us in this world. So the spiritual firstborn are vitally important. And God has chosen you and I to be amongst the firstborn.