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ness." This sovereign act was actually a mystery closely connected with the manifestation of God in Christ, the Word of God made flesh. That is why the apostle to whom this mystery was disclosed affirms, "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" (Romans 8:29; cf. Ephesians 1:4). The apostle John expresses the same thought when he declares, "Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God" (I John 5:1), and "as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name" (John 1:12-13). It is essential to believe in Christ, the promised seed, for adoption into the fami ly of God.
It was therefore part of the mystery that, in the fullness of time, man should be complete in Christ (Colossians 2:10), to partake of His divine nature, and to become a child of God. The apostle Paul said that God "pre destinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will" (Ephesians 1:5). When Paul in II Corinthians 6:18 writes, "And I will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty," it shows how he has clearly understood Old Testament prophecies such as Jeremiah 31:33-34 and espe cially, II Samuel 7:12-16, which points to Christ and His Church.
It is written, "the first man Adam was made a living soul...that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual. The first man is of the earth, earthy; the second man is the Lord from heaven" (I Corinthians 15:45-47; cf. John 8:23-24). Therefore, as Christ commanded, to become a child of God, one has to be born again from water
andSpiritQohn3:3,5-7). TheBibledeclares,"Foryeareallthechildrenof GodbyfaithinChristJesus. Forasmanyofyouashavebeenbaptizedinto Christ have put on Christ...for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise"
(Galatians3:26-29). InhisEpistle,theapostleJohnadds,"Whosoeverisborn
of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God" (I John 3:9). Those "born again, not of cor ruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the Word of God which liveth and abideth forever" (I Peter 1:23), are called sons of God (I John 3:1). They are "born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God" Gohn 1:13).
ThechildrenofGodaretheChurch. HeistheFatheroftheborn-again believers. God "dwells in them, and walks in them..." (II Corinthians 6:16), to meet all their needs. (See also Isaiah 61:1-4; Psalm 37:39-40; Psalm 34:17- 20; Philippians 4:19; Matthew 6:9-13; Psalm 103:13; Matthew 23:9; Romans
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