Christmas is a season in which many traditionally celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. It is also a time of festivities over which, families and friends, share feasts and gifts and care for the poor. My people of God, over this festive period, whatever your faith, inclination, or purpose, I want you to take a moment to reflect on the identity of Jesus, the “Son of God”.
1. JESUS: THE GREATEST GIFT
Jesus is the greatest gift of God to mankind on the earth. The Angel Gabriel foretold of his birth to Mary, and described the immaculate conception saying: “…behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS… The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore, also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. (Luke 1:31 & 35). The Prophet Isaiah also declares: “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9.6).
Christ was born: to establish God’s spiritual Kingdom on the earth; to reveal the Spiritual personality of God to mankind through the grace of salvation; to reconcile mankind with our Holy Father, so that those who believe on his name, would also acquire His spiritual personality to become “sons of God”. (Hebrew 1:2-3; 2 Corinthians 5:18-19; John 1:13). “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom”. (2 Corinthians 3:17).
2. IDENTITY OF GOD IN THE SON
The birth of Jesus is as much about the identity of the son of God, as it is about the Fatherhood of God to all mankind – our identity in our heavenly Father. (Matthew 6:9). Christ is the Son of God, the identity of the Spirit of God in the form of Flesh (human) on the earth. (John 14:7-9). But one might ask, how do we know the “Spirit of God”? According to the Gospel of John, “…Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God”. (1 John 4:2-3).
Brethren, while we may easily identify with our earthly fathers in the flesh, we can only truly identify with Father God when we know and experience him in the Spirit. God is a Spirit and they that worship him must do so in Spirit and in truth. (John 4:23-24).
Like our earthly fathers, our heavenly father desires a relationship and communion with his earthly children, so that he can shelter, feed, clothe, guide, shield, protect, teach, defend and lead us. (Psalm 18:2; 62:2; 91:2,4; 144:2; Mathew 6:8; John 16:3).
But unlike our earthly fathers, God is infallible, faithful, righteous and just in all his ways. He is great, abundant in mercy, knows and sees all things and nothing is impossible with him. (Isaiah 40:8; 1 Corinthians 10:13; 2 Timothy 2:13; 4:8; Luke 1:37).
How then can we, being human, and ruled by the flesh, benefit from God’s fatherhood without the indwelling of his Spirit of truth? How can we commune with a Holy God? And how can we understand Him when his thoughts and ways are not as our thoughts and ways? (Isaiah 58:8-9). Brethren, God himself has made the way for mankind to enjoy a spiritual relationship with Him through Jesus Christ our saviour by the Spirit of sonship.
3. THE SPIRIT OF SONSHIP
“But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him”. (1 Corinthians 8.).
3.1. ONE WITH THE FATHER
Jesus explains the spiritual relationship saying, “I and my father are one” (John 10:30; 1:1,2; 5:17,23). In other words, if you have the Spirit of God, you are one with God in Spirit. They who possess the Spirit of God as sons are they “which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God” because they have been redeemed by faith. (John 1:13; Ephesians 2:8).
Christ was slain and has paved the way for the redemption of mankind “by [his] blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation…” (Revelation 5:9). And by him has God established his spiritual kingdom on the earth so that all peoples, nations, and languages should be able to serve him. (Daniel 7:14; Luke 1:33).
Thus, one’s identity with God in Spirit as Father, is not consequent upon one’s birth, lineage, affinity, culture, nation, religion, etc. But of belief in his son Jesus, whom he has sent to reconcile us with him. (Ephesians 4:4,6; 1 John 5:10). “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are sons of God…[and] the Spirit itself bears witness with [their] spirit, that [they] are the Children of God”. (Romans 8:14; 16).
By Jesus’ revelation of God in human form, he reveals our identity with the ONE TRUE GOD and in Spirit. (John 17:2-3;14.6).
Thus, he prays for all believers saying: “That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me”. (John 17:21). Therefore, those who will receive and confess the Son Jesus from the heart and become sons, God will send forth the Spirit of his son into their hearts, by which they can identify with him spiritually and call him “Abba Father”. (Galatians 4:6).
3.2. CITIZENSIP IN GOD’S KINGDOM
God’s children who accept his fatherhood by expressing their belief in his son Jesus Christ, whom he has sent, become “born again” and obtain their passport to citizenship in his kingdom, on the earth and in heaven. (Ephesians 2:18-21; 1 Peter 1:4; Luke 22:29-30). God gifts mankind his Kingdom on the earth where His will may be done by believers, as it is in heaven. (John 3:3-6; Matthew 6:10). And there, they shall not want; he will lead them in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. They shall not fear evil though they may walk in the death and darkness of this world; and his goodness and mercy shall follow them all the days of their lives. (Psalm 23:1,3-4,6).
4. THE RICHES IN SONSHIP
Brethren, my prayer is that all may come to know the Love and mercy of Father God, and the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. (Romans 9:23-24; Ephesians 2:7;1 Corinthians 2:9-10)).
For by the act of salvation through the sonship, God demonstrates the riches of his glory in the life of believers, to “strengthen us with might by his Spirit in the inner man”. (Ephesians 3:16). And as sons of the Almighty God, he “is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think according to the power that worketh in us…”. (Ephesians 3:20; Philippians 4:19; Psalm 31:19).
Therefore, people of God, as you celebrate the holidays, do not be ruled by the works of the flesh and lusts in bondage and disobedience because of the lack of knowledge or understanding of your identity or sonship to the Almighty Father. (Mark 7:22 · Ephesians 4:19; Galatians 5:19). The abundance of lust does not satisfy the desires of want! Note that if the Spirit of God dwells in one, he is not controlled by the flesh but by the Spirit. And if one does not possess the Spirit of Christ, he is not his. (Romans 8:9).
Finally, brethren, be mindful of the gift of sonship that is available to you from Father God – IDENTITY IN THE SON OF GOD. And if you have not already done so, collect your gift, value it and guard it! Be not like the prodigal son who asked for a share of his “goods” choosing a “riotous living” over the glory of his father’s house. (Luke 11:15-32). A revelation of the TRUE identity of His Father, or the value of the riches in the sonship, would have taught him that the son that is ever with the Father, owns all that is the Father’s. (Luke 11:31). Thank God the prodigal came to this realisation, and returned! (Luke 11:17-20).
PRAYER
Almighty Father, I thank you for your word. We praise you for your gift of Jesus Christ to mankind and his redemption unto the world.
Dear God help thy people to discern your precious gift of sonship and their identity in you through the Spirit of sonship in Christ Jesus
Mighty God, deliver them from spiritual oppression, fear, lusts and the deceitfulness of worldly riches. Strengthen them with might by your Spirit in their hearts.
Gracious Father, satisfy them with the fatness of thy house, and supply all their needs according to Your riches in glory by Christ Jesus, including, kindness, tolerance, and patience.
I make this prayer in JESUS NAME.
MY WARMEST COMPLIMENTS AND BLESSINGS OF THE SEASON!!
Lots of Love, P. Schwartz (SOG) 25 December 2022
