Opening song 100- great is thy faithfulness
Closing song 430
- joy by and by
Scripture reading john 3:16-17 Slide 2
3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his
only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have
everlasting life.
3:17
For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that
the world through him might be saved.
This
is one of the world’s most quoted and known scriptures in the bible, and yet it
seems to me that it is the most misquoted and misused scripture in all the
bible.
I
have been moved to do a study on a small part of this text so that we as
Adventist have a deeper understanding of the text compared to the surface readers of the world.
I
really hope that we are not numbered among the surface readers, since the
prophet of the Lord is recorded to have said in “last day events pg 177.1”
Slide 3
When the shaking
comes, by the introduction of false theories, these surface readers, anchored nowhere, are like
shifting sand. They slide into any position to suit the tenor of their feelings
of bitterness.--TM 112 (1897). {LDE
177.1}
(have
you noticed the involvement of new age worship styles, the seeming lack of
clarity that exists on the topic of wearing jewelry and styles of dress etc.? Now you
know why it has crept into the church.
We are not studying as we aught….we are not anchored upon truth.)
You
have some here today that might be saying that john3:16-17 is clear and
straightforward and there is no need to study it. However after carefully
looking at this text I realize that there were precious truths in this text
that I have overlooked for years.
I
am not going to enter into a debate about your understanding of this text. However I intend to share the
insight that I have gotten from it. My hope is that you will bear with me today
as I do so.
Lets us pray!
The bible is its
own expository!
Whenever
we are studying the bible or digging deep into a text, it is important that we
let the bible speak for itself, i.e. we must use the bible to interpret the
bible. No outside sources are necessary.
It
is the use of many outside sources that has caused many a misconception in the
church. Since a misconception can be a dangerous thing, it becomes very important
to define/understand the terms in our scripture text. It is important that we
do not leave here with differing opinions or false notions.
For
the purpose of this part of the study we shall be looking for the meaning of “the only begotten son of God”. Sure some of you might be
saying that we know who that is…it is Jesus. And you are right for saying this,
but can you prove it from the bible what is Jesus being referred to as the only
begotten? What does it mean to be begotten? Let us look at a few texts that will
solidify our position.
Slide 4-6
What does it mean
to be begotten?
Gen5:3 And Adam lived an hundred
and thirty years, and begat [a son] in his own likeness, after his image; and
called his name Seth:
5:4
And the days of Adam after he had begotten
Seth were eight hundred years: and he begat sons and daughters:
5:5
And all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years: and
he died.
Slide 5
numb 11:12 Have I conceived all this people? have I begotten them, that
thou shouldest say unto me, Carry them in thy bosom, as a nursing father
beareth the sucking child, unto the land which thou swarest unto their fathers?
Slide 6
judges8:30 And Gideon had threescore
and ten sons of his body begotten: for he had many wives.
The meaning is clear
From
these text we should have a clear understanding of what begotten means, but let
us take it a step further by looking at meaning as originally written i.e. in the
Greek/Hebrew root of the word.
Although we don’t
need to go further to establish the meaning of (begotten) here are a few
additional texts
Lev 18:11 The nakedness
of thy father's wife's daughter, begotten of thy father, she [is] thy sister,
thou shalt not uncover her nakedness.
In
this chapter kinship is being established by God and He is here saying that marrying
to your sister is now wrong. So that which Abraham did (gen 20:12) is no longer
acceptable.
job 38:28 Hath the rain a father? or
who hath begotten the drops of dew?
psalm 2:7 I will declare the decree:
the LORD hath said unto me, Thou [art] my Son; this day have I begotten thee.
Lets
now consider the Hebrew and Greek origin of the word begotten.
Begotten comes from
the Hebrew
Slide 7
3205 yalad { yaw-lad’}
a primitive root; TWOT - 867; v
AV - beget 201, bare 110, born 79, bring forth 25, bear 23,
travail 16, midwife 10, child 8, delivered 5, borne 3, birth 2, labour 2,
brought up 2, misc 12; 498
Slide 8
GK - 3528 { dl'y:
}
& 4256 { hd;le
}*
1) to bear, bring
forth, beget, gender, travail
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to bear, bring forth
1a1a) of
child birth
1a1b) of
distress (simile)
1a1c) of
wicked (behaviour)
1a2) to beget
1b) (Niphal) to be
born
1c) (Piel)[1]
[1]Enhanced
Strong’s Lexicon, (Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.) 1995.
Ok
so in this sense we can understand why it was that Jesus was the begotten Son
of God.
Slide 9
He was the only
begotten son of God
There
was no man on Earth who could claim to have begotten Jesus.
He
was the Son of God because he was begotten of God. God himself had reproduced
him (the Son) by the natural processes of birth. For a more graphic description
you could say that Christ proceeded from the loins of God, Or as John 1:18 puts it, He proceeded from the very bosom of His
father.
As
we move on in our study let us turn to Hebrews 1:3
Slide 10
Who was jesus?
Hebrews 1:3 Who being the brightness of [his] glory, and
the express image of his person, and upholding all things
by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on
the right hand of the Majesty on high;
Christ
was the exact image of the personage of the father.
-express-
this
is borne out even more clearly as we consider john 14:8-9
by the question that Philip asks of Jesus to show him the father.
Let
us go there! john 14:8-9
There
are some of you that are thinking that this is a physical description, but what
the scripture is talking about goes way deeper than physical attributes. (he
was the express image of his person-means his personality/characteristics perfectly
represented God.
Let
us look at two texts, which explains this.
eph3:19
Christ
being fully man was also fully God. In Christ’s case it was divinity clothed
with humanity.
When
we accept and are prepared for translation, it will be humanity clothed with
divinity as 1 john3:2 brings out ..”we shall be like him”
This
might not be clear for some, so let us look at two more texts as we move along.
gal 5:22-23,
vs
Ex34:6-7
Slide 11
Turn
with me to luke 3:38 as our study begins to deepen as to who a son of God is. In the Genealogy of Christ Luke establishes
one characteristic of a son of God.
luke 3:38 Which was [the son] of Enos, which was [the
son] of Seth, which was [the son] of Adam, which was [the son] of God.
Side note
Although this
is just one characteristic, if Adam had not fit the criteria this would
have been omitted. Adam reclaimed his title through Christ and thus could be
called a Son of God.
A son of God has
direct connections to Him
Adam
was not begotten, but he was the son of God in the very same way that Jesus
was.
No
man on Earth had begotten either of them.
In
one sense we can understand why Paul refers to Christ as the second Adam in
1 Corinth 15:45
Adam
had no man on earth to call father. He was directly connected to God, not
through any ancestry, but direct to God.
Just
as Jesus had no man on earth to call father so too Adam had no man on Earth to
call father. Therefore Adam was special in this sense from all other
descendants of man. Other men are grand/great-grand-sons
of God….but there is also one other characteristic that we have that sets us
apart from Adam. We were begotten
in the image and likeness of our earthly father. Let us look again at Gen5:3
Slide 13
Gen 5:3 And Adam lived an hundred and thirty years,
and begat [a son] in his own likeness, after his image; and called his name
Seth:
Vs
Slide 14
Gen 1:26 And God said, Let us make man in our image,
after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and
over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over
every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
Summary
Had
it not been for sin we would all have been born in the image of God and not the
image of Our Earthly father, whether you want to interpret that this Earthly
father is Adam’s sinful nature, or your direct Earthly father, is not very
important, once you understand the idea. However I prefer to say that we are
born in the image of our direct Earthly father since we do not all look alike
and do not have the same characteristics or traits.
Had
it not been for sin we would all perfectly reflect not the glory of sinful man,
but the Glory of God.
Slide 15
Part 2
What
does this understanding have to do with our text in John3:16…we are coming to
it.
Let
us go now even a little deeper into our scripture text.
Before
we do this, it becomes important for me to make a distinction.
Slide 16
The
bible is consistent and throughout scripture the meaning of the “son of God”
does not change. If it did change there would be plausible argument that the
bible is indeed contradictory and conflicting…and it was not a divine being
that wrote it, but a being that can err such as man.
Let us look now at
the characteristics of a son of God.
Characteristcs of a son of God
1.
A Son of God is supposed to be a Representative of a world/people –job1:
2.
having the ability to make more
sons, jn3;17, rom5:12-15
3.
with direct connections to God, -
jn1:13, gal3:26, 1jn4:7,1jn5:2-
4.
one who does not practice sin
– jn1:12, rom8:14, 1jn3:9
5. God’s will is fulfilled in his
life, -rom8:14, phil2:13, duet14:1
6.
special inheritance appointed by
God-gal 4:6-7
7.
sons of God will not die the
second death Luke 20:36
Continue
(1) So we understand that Jesus and Adam were Sons
of God in a special sense, but what did this uniqueness signify?
When
Adam was created, dominion was given to him. After sin he took the dominion and
gave it to Satan (Romans 6:16, John 8:34-35).
Man
beings subjects of Satan he had the right to represent the Earth in the
heavenly meetings. But Satan was not a
good representative. So earth was in need of a good representative a man who would
not only have earthly living experience, but one who could also visit heaven
when these meetings were called.
This
was what Adam was supposed to do, and what Christ has done. Christ is now our
representative in those heavenly meetings.
Let us examine two of these
meetings.
Slide 17-18
Job1: 6 Now
there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the
LORD, and Satan came also among them.
(Slide 19-read from screen----see who were sons of God below)
These
Sons of God mentioned here do not live in the presence of God, they had to
return to their home and back again to each meeting.
Job2:1 Again there was a day when the sons of
God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them
to present himself before the LORD.
The
sons of God meet with God a different times, another time they met was at
creation.
(4 I know are mentioned in scripture, 3 in job and 1 in kings)
Job 38:7 When the morning stars sang together, and
all the sons of God shouted for joy?
Angels
are stars and we know who the sons of God were. At this time Adam was numbered
among the “sons of God”.
Different study (we are a special order of beings that will live in the
presence of God…although Earth will still be our home) – Earth will become the
capital of Heaven and God will dwell with his creatures a privilege no other
creature before has enjoyed.
Rev.21:3
And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle
of God [is] with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his
people, and God himself shall be with them, [and be] their God.
Slide 20
Who were these sons of God?
These sons were beings that came representing other worlds/peoples
which possessed all the aforementioned characteristics of a son.
With
this definition, we understand clearly why Adam could not have been re-admitted
to this meeting. (he had sinned and God’s will was not being represented in his
life)
It
becomes also understandable that though Satan came representing this Earth, He was
not a fit representative. He simply did not belong to the group in which he
came among. God had to let him know that Job was a far better Son of God than
he/Satan could ever be…...But since Job was still under the curse of Death he/Job
could not come to and be a fit representative for the Earth either.
In
other words…Although Job was living righteous, since Christ had not yet come,
the promise had not yet been fulfilled. Job’s faith had not yet bore fruit and
as such could not represent the Earth.
While the redeemer
had not come, those who had no faith ridiculed the idea that the redeemer would
come.
Which
is exactly what was happening in the Antediluvian period.
Seth and
Enoch-desires of Ages
Just
to go off track a little
Sis.
White lets us know that this is exactly what was happening in the Antediluvian
period. The daughters of men were ridiculing
the sons of God with the argument that no matter how you live, you are going to
end up in the same place. (the grave)
God had t o quiet the growing doubt by translating Enoch. This put an end to that argument that everyone
had to die.
Back to God’s claim that Job is a better representative
After
Satan realizes that ridicule is being brought upon him by a creature created
lower than him, (one who could not even attend the meeting) he resorts to his
trusty old tactics he accuses God of favoritism, and partiality (respecter of
persons) and God allows Satan to try the character of Job
and also the Word of God.
The book of Job
Is the great controversy in
a nutshell
Now
a definition for a son of God cannot be coined to include Jesus and Adam and
then some where else in scripture a Son of God is given a different definition
that cannot include them. Sons of God
demonstrate the same characteristics all throughout scripture, and thus must
therefore be described in the very same way wherever the phrase occurs.
(2) A
Son of God is supposed to have direct connections to God,
We
have looked at this already, showing how Christ and Adam were sons of God
because they were directly connected to God. Christ and Adam had no man on
Earth that fathered them.
(3) A
Son of God is supposed to be one who does not practice sin and God’s will
is fulfilled in his life.
This
has been established by the two examples mentioned before. Jesus is a Son of
God and Job was reckoned to be a son of God.
Now
this is where our study gets interesting.
Slide 21
8. If A Son of God is supposed
to be: (1)a Representative of a world/people (2) has the ability to make more
sons (3) has direct connections to God (4) one who does not practice sin (5) God’s
will is fulfilled in his life (6) has a special inheritance appointed by God
(7) one who will never die the eternal death –……if all these are true “Where or
How does any of us come in? (who were born in sin and shappened in iniquity?) Are
we sons of God; and if we are, in what sense?
To find
our answer we go to
Acts:17:28-29-we
are the offspring of God
How
is it that we are the offspring of God?
let
us turn to john 1:6-13
John chapter 1
1:6
There was a man sent from God, whose name [was] John.
1:7
The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all
[men] through him might believe.
1:8
He was not that Light, but [was sent] to bear witness of that
Light.
1:9
[That] was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the
world.
1:10
He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew
him not.
1:11
He came unto his own, and his own received him not.
1:12 But as many as received
him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, [even] to them that believe
on his name:
1:13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the
will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
Slide 23
In
other words God himself was our direct father. Here we see how it is that our
direct connection to God is accessed.
A
direct connection that is similar to that of Adam and Jesus. God working in us and through us
so that we reflect His glory fully.
Phil 2:13 (eph3:19) ……but what does this mean? Turn with me to Gal 2:20
Born again-in eternal life
When we are in Christ it is Christ
that lives in us. The old man is dead. Gal 2:20
It is only through this death that we
become directly connected God.
Since this is the case, as a son of
God you depend upon God for everything, and you do not seek help from any
earthly powers.
Slide 24
2pet1:3
The good news is that he has already
made provision for your requests.
2peter 1:3 According as his divine power hath given
unto us all things that [pertain] unto life and godliness, through the
knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:
Slide 25
It is an awesome thing that God has
bestowed upon us to be called the Sons of God.
Slide 26
1john3:1 Behold, what manner of love the Father hath
bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world
knoweth us not, because it knew him not.
3:2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it
doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear,
we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
rom 8:19
For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the
manifestation of the sons of God….
Slide 27
Let us recap
Although
we are not yet sinless God has declared those that believe to be. Adam was
created this way and Jesus was born and grew up this way. Although these two
individuals were “sons of God: in a special sense and had no one to call father
except God, we too can be called “sons of God”.
How
can we be called Sons of God; especially since we have earthly fathers and have
been born in sin and shapened in iniquity? psalm51:5
John 1:12 But as
many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, [even]
to them that believe on his name:
1:13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the
will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
Slide 28
Matth 5:43-48
5:43 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou
shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.
5:44
But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do
good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and
persecute you;
5:45 That ye may be the children of
your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the
evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.
5:46
For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the
publicans the same?
5:47
And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more [than others]? do
not even the publicans so?
5:48
Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is
perfect.
O.K.
so this is how we become sons of God, but where does our sinlessness come from?
Simply
put it is imputed to us. (justification-explained)
Christ’s
death was important, but his life was equally as important, because it is his
sinless life that is imputed to us. Without his life we would have no
righteousness to claim.
Expand
Because
of the love bestowed upon us, because of our belief God has reckoned us, though
undeserving, to be His sons.
Heb 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped
for, the evidence of things not seen.
While
it is not yet a reality in our life, because we believe, that it is, it is
counted unto us to be our sinlessness.
Rom 4:3 For what saith the scripture? Abraham
believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.
Slide 29
Now
is where our scripture reading makes sense.
What
do the sons of God do?
Ok…so
now that we know that we who have believed are the sons of God and in a special
sense, what are we to do?
John 3:17
For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that
the world through him might be saved.
Do
we understand the commission?
Slide 30
In
this sense we are a type of Christ; and rightly we have taken on the name Christian,
expressing that we understand our commission. There is not much difference
between Christ and us, all things that He did, we can do, as a matter of fact he
said that we would be able to do greater
things than he did. John14:12
Slide 31
Even
the same commission that He received from The Father He has given unto us.
Slide 32
John 17:18 As thou hast sent me into the world, even so
have I also sent them into the world.
Slide 33
Part 3
John 3:17
For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that
the world through him might be saved.
It
is not our responsibility to condemn anyone, but to help save them.
For
those who would raise the objection that I am a female and therefore a daughter,
to you I say that you can only have one of two identities, either you identify
with men i.e Adam (and therefore become a daughter of men) or with Christ and if
you identify with Christ then are ye Abraham’s seed and heirs of the promise.
But
let us turn to (anyway)
Gal 3:28-29
Now
having said this…..
Was Enoch a son of God? -Out of Love named his son Methuselah that
the world might be warned about the impending judgment and be saved
Was Noah a son of God?- Out of love preached 120 years so that the
world might be saved
Was Joseph a son of God?- out of love was used to preserve the nation
of Israel/Egypt during a time of severe famine
Was Esther a son of God?- Appointed queen and out of love was used to save
the Jews from annihilation during the reign of king ahuaserus
Was Daniel a son of God?- out of love pleaded for the lives of the
wise men of Babylon
Was Jesus the son of God?- out of love died so that we don’t have to
Are you a son of God? What are you doing out of love that
others might be saved?
Slide 36
Appeal
If we truly accept the title
that God has laid upon us, let us fulfill our mandate. We are not the stars of
Heaven but the Sons of God, let us walk, talk and even think as sons until we
become the living word, just as much as Christ was while he walked this Earth.
I am about to do the closing
prayer, but before I do so is there anyone here today who need me to pray that
the Lord will help you behave as a son, I ask that you raise your hand, if you
are not yet baptized and would like to say today, “Lord I believe help my
unbelief I ask that you come forward.
Closing prayer
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