Are ALL People Children of God??? – (Part 2 of 3)

May 27, 2015June 2, 2015buildafoundation 1 Comment

Clearly in the verses, quoted by the preacher, the implication that ALL people are children of God, is not correct. If we take a moment to look at the verses, we’ll see that there is a prerequisite to becoming a child of God, an adopted son or daughter.

The opening quote given by the preacher says it all…

Ephesians 1:3-6 – All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ. Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son.

The preacher was correct in saying, “As Christ-followers our primary identity is not built on something we do, but on something that has already been done. Through Jesus Christ, you’ve been adopted as God’s son, as God’s daughter. YOU ARE A CHILD OF GOD.

(What does it means to follow someone/something? see – Follow the Leader?? – Joy in Serving – PHILIPPIANS (Chapter 2c) [6], http://wp.me/p5nZpi-ot)

YOU MAY BE ASKING YOURSELF, “SO WHAT IS YOUR PROBLEM THEN?”

First of all, think about this comment, You ARE a child of God.

Ok, sounds good, but here’s the puzzling part.

Let’s use the analogy of a baby girl I’ve given birth to. Now is this baby girl a child of Monica? Of course, the answer is yes. So, if this baby girl is my child, then there is no need for me to adopt her. Similarly, if ALL people are God’s children, then there would be no reason for us to be adopted by God, thus negating what the Scriptures say – God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family – Eph. 1:5

Given the above analogy, it would certainly seem that “something” is missing from this picture.

Secondly, in listening to the preacher’s message, it seemed as though he was glossing over Scriptural truths. The preacher correctly mentioned that it is through Jesus Christ, that you’ve been adopted as God’s son, as God’s daughter. YOU ARE A CHILD OF GOD, yet neglected to mention one small, but important detail – How is it through Jesus Christ?

I could interpret this in many different ways depending on where I am in my spiritual journey.

If I am a:

Atheist or Agnostic – Since I don’t believe God exists, or I’m skeptical about the very existence of God, I am glad that through Jesus Christ was downplayed/quickly passed over.
Seeker (someone who is checking out churches/Christianity) – I may not have even heard the part about adoption. I may just have heard, I’m a child of God.
A religion or belief system other than Christianity – I might not have heard that it’s through Jesus that I’m able to be adopted into God’s family. I might just have heard, ALL people are children of God.
A long time Christ-follower – I might not have realized that the way to become a child of God was quickly passed over. Having been a Christ-follower for a long time, I might have just made an assumption, “Sure everyone knows you become a child of God when you put your faith in Jesus for salvation.”

Thirdly, according to the verse in Ephesians 1:5, God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ, If ALL people are children of God, THEN ALL people must be Christ-followers too.

Yet, we know that is not the case. All we have to do is bring up the name of Jesus to our classmates, co-workers, friends, family members, etc. to know that ALL people are not Christ-followers.

Scripture confirms this observation saying,

But to all who believed Him and accepted Him, He gave the right to become children of God. – John 1:12

AND,

We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are. – Romans 3:22

It is through our individual/personal profession of faith in what Jesus did on the cross that allows ALL people to become an adopted child of God.

If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved. For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes in Him will not be put to shame.” – Romans 10:9-11

God saved you by His grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. – Ephesians 2:8-9

SO WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY IS TRUE FOR ALL PEOPLE?

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Are All People Children of God?? – (Part 1) http://wp.me/p5nZpi-pm

Response to Reader’s Comment – Are All People Children of God??? (Part 2) http://wp.me/p5nZpi-ro

Are ALL People Children of God??? – (Part 3 of 3) http://wp.me/p5nZpi-rg

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My Attitude!! My Rights!! – Joy in Serving – PHILIPPIANS (Chapter 2b) [5]

May 8, 2015May 18, 2015buildafoundation Leave a comment

We had talked about God’s counter-intuitive ways for people to experience joy in the posts, “I Just Wanna Be Happy!!”, http://wp.me/p5nZpi-kK. In Phil. 2:5, we see Paul is revealing to the Philippians another tip to experiencing joy in serving. He says, You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.

WHAT WAS JESUS’ ATTITUDE TOWARD SERVING?

He humbled Himself, not clinging to His rights as God, and taking the form of a servant. – v.6-7 Mark, in Mark 10:44-45, puts it this way – whoever wants to be first among you must be the servant of everyone else. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others.

IS GOD’S ATTITUDE DIFFERENT FROM THE “WORLD’S” ATTITUDE?

I think the answer would be a definite YES!!

As I think about the way schools, businesses, and various organizations measure success and HAPPINESS, it seems that the world connects success and HAPPINESS with personal achievement.

Whereas, when we look at the counter-intuitive teaching of Jesus, He encourages people to look for ways to be a blessing to others, connecting service with success and JOY.

YEAH, BUT WHAT ABOUT MY RIGHTS? WHAT I DESERVE?

Remember from v.6, Jesus did not cling to His rights as God.

Here are a couple of examples of our “rights” —

“I can have an abortion. It’s my body, and I have a “right” to decide what I want to do.”
“I worked hard to earn my money. I have the “right” to keep it all for myself.”
“I work hard for my grades in school. I have the “right” to be recognized and rewarded for my efforts.”

WHAT DO OUR RIGHTS HAVE TO DO WITH SERVICE?

Because of our sinful natures, our natural tendency is to choose what we want, our will, verses God’s will. Our first reaction is self-preservation – me, me, me.

In Philippians 2:6-7, Paul is bringing to our attention that the world’s road to glory, fulfillment, success, happiness, etc., is nothing more than an illusion. Nothing more than a carrot dangling ahead of us, tempting us, and leading us to believe that if we catch it, then we’ll finally be HAPPY.

Paul describes Jesus’ preparation for service in Phil. 2:7, He made himself nothing, He emptied Himself, He took the humble position of a bond servant, and appeared in human form.

Jesus was now subject to “human” experiences. To pain, to temptation, to rules, to His parents, and most importantly, He was dependent on God.

I take a moment to note that Jesus, in choosing to humble Himself, to voluntarily take on the form of a human, in no way changed the fact that He continued to be God.

The fact that Jesus continued to be God, for He faced all of the same testings we do, yet He did not sin, Hebrews 4:15, is encouraging to me. It demonstrates I am not being forced to serve, or forced to depend on God. I choose to empty myself. I choose to serve. I choose to depend on God. Also, in making those choices I will not lose who I am, my personality, the characteristics that make me, me. No, instead I am accepting an opportunity to experience JOY.

Keep in mind that Jesus did not lose who He was, God. In the same way, as I mentioned above, we don’t lose who we are either. And who are we? Sinners!! – For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard – Romans 3:23

It’s because we’re sinners that we so desperately need a leader. We need to follow someone who has faced all of the same testings we do, yet did not sin – Hebrews 4:15. Someone who knows the way to JOY, and wants to help us experience JOY in our lives.

WHO SHOULD WE FOLLOW?

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Blessing and Being Blessed :) – Joy in Serving – PHILIPPIANS (Chapter 2a) [4]

May 4, 2015May 18, 2015buildafoundation Leave a comment

Paul defines serving in Philippians 2:3-4. He says,

DON’T be selfish

DON’T live to try and make a good impression on others
DON’T think only about your own interests, but be interested in others, too, and what they are doing

DON’T think that you are better than other people, be humble

I think Paul’s definition is interesting. Instead of telling people to do, do, do, having a what’s in it for me attitude, we’re told instead, don’t, don’t, don’t. Reinforcing others before ourselves. Reinforcing that we will experience joy through serving. Through sacrifice and humbling ourselves. As we bless others, we are being blessed in ways we would never have thought possible.

HERE’S AN EXAMPLE MY FRIEND, SARAH (NOT HER REAL NAME), SHARED WITH ME —

Sarah began bringing over meals to Pam (not her real name), who was diagnosed with cancer. Pam shared with Sarah how much her efforts meant to her and her family. She’s receiving healthy food, aiding in her recovery, as well as quality time with Sarah.

As a result of Sarah’s willingness to give her time to Pam, she has also been blessed. She’s learned to prepare delicious looking, and tasting, vegan food. She’s also found a confidant who has prayed with, and for her, as she’s going through her own emotionally difficult trials.

Although Sarah and Pam’s pain/suffering, are different, both woman have been blessed by each other in ways they could never have imagined. They may never have connected in this way if it weren’t for the pain/suffering each woman is experiencing.

Sarah put her own issues aside to care for her friend. And in her opinion, has been blessed far more than she’s been a blessing. And I bet if I talked to Pam she’d have the opposite response – Sarah has been far more of a blessing to her, than she’s blessed Sarah.

Isn’t following God’s ways interesting? 🙂

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In the last two posts, we learned that we can experience joy in suffering, http://wp.me/p5nZpi-mF, http://wp.me/p5nZpi-no.

As we begin to look at experiencing joy in serving, we see that suffering and joy are sometimes connected. Pain/suffering is something God promises to go through with us, Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. – Psalm 23:4

We have an opportunity to serve and bless others, and in turn be blessed. Allow God to use your pain/suffering to make a difference in someone’s life.

2 Corinthians 1:4 —-

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Really?? There Can Be Joy in Suffering?? – PHILIPPIANS (Chapter 1b) – [3]

April 30, 2015May 18, 2015buildafoundation Leave a comment

Continuing on from Philippians (Chapter 1a), http://wp.me/p5nZpi-mF…

ARE YOU IN PRISON?

You may not be in a literal prison, or even experiencing physically suffering, but you may feel trapped or discouraged.

Remember: The way you respond when you find yourself in conflicts at work, in your friendships, in your marriage, with your finances, with your teachers, your family members, etc. has to power to restrain you, or set you free. Your response reflects what you believe, and of who you believe in.

WHAT KEPT PAUL GOING IN ADVERSE SITUATIONS?

Paul, “I live in eager expectation and hope that I will never do anything that causes me shame, but that I will continue to be bold for Christ, and I trust that my life will bring honor to Christ whether I live or die. And while I live that means fruitful service for Christ.“ – Phil. 1:20,22

WHAT FUELED PAUL TO PUSH THROUGH HIS SUFFERING?

I am convinced that I will remain alive so I can continue to help all of you grow and experience the joy of your faith. – Phil. 1:25

AN EXAMPLE OF JOY IN SUFFERING

Between 1942 and 1945, a Jewish man named Viktor Frankl, spent time in four different Nazi concentration camps. His family died, he suffered horribly, and he spent years watching everyone around him suffering and dying. Out of this horrific experience came the book, Man’s Search for Meaning.

Here is a few quotes to ponder from Frankl’s book.

“Suffering is of itself meaningless. We give our suffering meaning by the way we respond to it.”

“Everything can be taken from a man but one thing; the last of the human freedoms — to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances — the freedom to choose how you will respond to situation.”

“You can’t control what happens to you in life, but you can always control what you feel and do about what happens to you.”

TRANSFORMATION/STRENGTHENING

Allow your suffering to transform you. Allow your suffering to strengthen your faith in God.

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Really?? There Can Be Joy In Suffering?? – PHILIPPIANS (Chapter 1a) – [2]

April 27, 2015May 18, 2015buildafoundation Leave a comment

The Book of Philippians is a letter, written by the Apostle Paul. It is a rather short book, consisting of 4 chapters. Each chapter describing how joy can be experienced within different contexts.

Chapter 1 – Joy in Suffering
Chapter 2 – Joy in Serving
Chapter 3 – Joy in Believing
Chapter 4 – Joy in Giving

When I read Paul’s letters, I like to imagine that he wrote them to me.

By making the letters personal, as was Paul’s intention, I read them as “pep talks”.

They encourage me, while reminding me, that regardless of my circumstances there is hope when I put my trust in the Lord.

WHAT WAS PAUL’S RELATIONSHIP WITH THE PHILIPPIANS?

Looking at Phil 1:5 we see that Paul had a special relationship with the Philippians, You have been my partners in spreading the Good News about Christ from the time you first heard it until now.

Because of the close relationship Paul shares with the Philippians, he knows that they are troubled by his suffering. Therefore, he takes the time to reassure them that his suffering is not without purpose. Paul says, “I want you to know, my dear brothers and sisters, that everything that has happened to me here has helped to spread the Good News. For everyone here, including the whole palace guard, knows that I am in chains because of Christ. And because of my imprisonment, most of the believers here have gained confidence and boldly speak God’s message without fear.” – Phil 1:12–15

WHO’S IN CONTROL OF OUR LIVES?

He reminds the Philippians that God is sovereign, and in control of his (and their) life and circumstances. Paul lets them know that he is fulfilling God’s intended purpose for him.

SUFFERING => UNFAIRNESS OR OPPORTUNITY?

Paul saw his imprisonment, not as an act of unfairness, or God forsaking him, but rather as an opportunity. An opportunity to spread the Good News that Christ came to save people, including prisoners and prison guards.

He saw his situation through God’s eyes verses limited human eyes.

Paul encouraged people by the way he responded when he was put into less-than-desirable situations. He demonstrated his faith, and encouraged others to experience God’s provision and comfort found in suffering.

ARE YOU IN PRISON?

You may not be in a literal prison, or even experiencing physically suffering, but you may feel trapped or discouraged.

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IN CASE YOU MISSED A POST FROM PHILIPPIANS, SEE LINKS BELOW 🙂

– Want to Know a Secret – (Introduction) Philippians [1] , http://wp.me/p5nZpi-mp

– Really?? There Can Be Joy In Suffering?? – PHILIPPIANS (Ch.1b) [3] , http://wp.me/p5nZpi-no

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Want to Know a Secret?? – PHILIPPIANS (Introduction) – [1]

April 20, 2015May 18, 2015buildafoundation Leave a comment

My last post series was called “I Just Wanna Be Happy!!”,http://wp.me/p5nZpi-kK.

In that 4 part series, I touched on the difference between joy and happiness. I suggested that it is better to experience joy, which perseveres and is ongoing, verses happiness, which is temporary and fleeting.

Today I’d like to introduce the Book of Philippians. I have chosen this book to follow the series “I Just Wanna Be Happy!!” because it reveals the secret to experiencing joy.

The Book of Philippians was a letter written by the Apostle Paul, in approximately A.D. 61, to a church, in the Macedonian city, of Philippi. Paul had a special relationship with the Philippians. This letter expresses how much he cared for them, as well as, to thank them for the gift they sent him.

Keep in mind as we read this letter, that Paul wrote this letter while imprisoned in Philippi.

Paul started the church at Philippi on his second missionary trip to the area. Philippi was located in Greece, and was the first church established in Europe. Below are ruins from Philippi.

After Paul’s conversion, dated approximately A.D. 33-36 on the road to Damascus, he dedicated his life to serving the Lord. To read more about Paul’s conversion, https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts+9%3A1-22&version=NLT.

On his journey he experienced terrible poverty, great wealth, and everything in-between. No matter what his circumstance, Paul learned to be content. He says in Philippians 4:12, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need…

Keep an eye out for my next post, and discover the secret to Paul’s joy.

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