Page 130 - Bible Writers Theology Original

114 ♦ Bible Writers'Theology Chapter Six
in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will." Romans 8:29 affirms the prediction: "For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren."
The Bible applies the term sonship in three different manners. The first way refers to Christ, the only begotten Son of God, similitude and the par takerofHisdivinenature. ThesecondwayreferstotheAdamicgeneration, chosen to be the adopted children of God through Jesus Christ, by means of
regeneration in order to partake of His divine nature. The third way refers to angels, who without partaking of the divine nature of God are called "sons of God' by creation. Hebrews 1:5 and 6 reaffirms that Jesus is the only first begotten Son of God: "For unto which of the angels said he at any time. Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to him
a Father, and he shall be to me a Son? And again, when he bringeth in the first tegotten into the world, he saith. And let all the angels of God worship
The above confirmations assure us that whosoever of mankind is born of
^ second birth, has received the right to become the sons
n i, Adamic generation can claim their sonship by repentance through the mediation of the blood of Jesus, angels have no such access.
Once angels lose their sonship, they have no way to regain it. (See John 1:12- 13; 3:5-6; 1Corinthians 15:45-50; Galatians 3:26-27; Titus 3: 4-8; James 1:18; I Peter ^:^-25). Angels are not given the privilege of becoming natural chil-
^ P^^'takingofthesavingmysteryofChristJesus(IIPeter1:4; I Peter 1:10-12).
II The Evil Angels
As we have seen differences in the classification of good angels, there are also differences among the evil angels. There are angels that are kept in prison (II Peter 2:4; Jude 6). There are angels that are free to fight against the good angels and saints (Psalms 78:49; Matthew 25:41; Romans 8:38; I Corinthians 6:3; Ephesians 1:21; 6:12; Colossians 2:15; Rev. 9:14; 12:7-9).
There are evil spirits called demons mentioned in the gospels, which usu ally dwell in men and animals (Matthew 8:16, 29; Mark 9:25; Luke 11:15-19). Some demons are able to cause dumbness, blindness, injury and other phys icaldefectsanddeformities(Matthew9:32; 12:22;Mark1:26;Luke13:11-17). Some of the demons corrupt sound doctrines and godly wisdom in Christian fellowship (II Chronicles 18:19-22; Matthew 13:25, 39; I Corinthians 10:20-22; II Cor. 11:1-4,14; I Timothy 4:1-3; James 3:15).
^Sataniscalledtheprinceoftheevilspirits. Satanmaybeinterpreted "hatred . Satan is mentioned in the Old Testament and is mentioned fre-