AN HEIR OF GOD IN CHRIST 

By Pastor Max Solbrekken, D.D.

“But when the fullness of time was come, God sent forth His Son, made of a woman, made under the Law, to redeem them that were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.” (Gal. 4: 4 -7).  

How could anyone read the Bible and doubt God’s love for the human family? Would any rational person deny His mercy and grace? Most parents will do everything in their power to love and care for their children. Only someone who is perverted, an alcoholic, drug user or demented would harm their own child!

The greatness of God’s amazing love is more than the human mind can comprehend! It is greater than eternity. God our Heavenly Father gave His own Son to die for the human family which had broken His laws. But why and how could this take place? So great was His love for us that in the counsel of Heaven, before the foundations of the world, God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit formulated the Blood of Everlasting Covenant! (Heb.13:20)

Almighty God knew that Lucifer whom He had created, would lead a rebellion in Heaven and that the man He would create would be deceived, plunging the human family into perdition. He also knew that His desire for a family would be fulfilled by sending His own Son to meet the righteous demands of Divine Justice.

God the Son willingly chose to take upon Himself human flesh to Redeem a lost world. He would be incarnated: conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of a virgin, preach God’s Word, heal the sick, cast out devils, condemned to die on a cross and rise from the dead, to destroy Lucifer’s power and Redeem mankind!

God created Adam and Eve and placed them in the lush Garden of Eden, with this stipulation: “But of the tree of the knowledge of Good and Evil thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” (Gen. 2:15-17). Sadly, they were tempted by Satan and plunged their posterity into a world of sin, suffering, sorrow and death. Then, God sent Jesus Christ into the world to save us!

GOD SPARED NOT HIS SON

The Bible states: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world, but the world through Him might be saved.” (John 3: 16,17):

 “For He hath made Him (Jesus) to be sin for us, who knew no sin: that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.” (2 Cor.5:27). “He that spared not His own SON, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?” (Rom.8:32)

“Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for our sins, that He might DELIVER us from this present evil world, according to the will of God our Father.” (Gal.1: 3,4); “Looking for that blessed Hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for our sins, that He might redeem us from all, iniquity…” (Titus 2: 13,14)

 “Now unto Him that is able to do exceedingly above all that we ask or think, according to the Power that worketh in us…unto Him be Glory in the Church by Jesus Christ throughout all ages, world without end.” (Eph. 3: 20, 21)

“But if the Spirit of Him that that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, He (Holy Spirit) that raised up Jesus from the dead, shall also quicken (make life in) your mortal (weak, sick) bodies by His Spirit that dwells (living body) in you. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.

“For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear, but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit Himself beareth witness with our spirit that we are children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with Him, that we may be also glorified together.” (Romans 8: 11- 17)

“Likewise, the Spirit also helpeth (takes a hold of against) our infirmities; for we know not what we should pray for as ought:  but the Spirit Himself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And He that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit because He maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.

“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to His purpose. 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. Moreover whom He did predestinate, them also He called: and whom He called, them He also justified: and whom He justified, them He also glorified. What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who shall be against us? (Rom. 8: 26-31)

BORN AGAIN THROUGH THE BLOOD

 I am a son of God by adoption! I am redeemed by the blood of the Crucified Christ! I am a child of God by His mercy and the Grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. I am Born Again by the Word of God, through the Blood of the Lamb in the Name of Jesus Christ and justified by the blessed Holy Spirit! I am saved by Grace alone, through Faith alone and in Christ alone!

The amazing fact is that God chose us to be His very own children before the foundation of the world. We were predestinated unto the adoption of children and accepted in Christ, the Beloved! And, that we have Redemption, declared blameless by the forgiveness of sins through His blood alone!

“According as He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His Grace, wherein He hath accepted us in the Beloved. In Whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; wherein He hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence.” (Eph. 1:4-8)

THE MYSTERY OF HIS WILL

How could we ever know and understand with our finite minds and limited capacity, the complexities of the Mystery of God, unless it were revealed unto us by Holy Spirit? How long Almighty God kept secret the Mystery of His will, we do not know. He did not divulge it to Noah, Isaiah, Daniel or Abraham, but He revealed it to Paul. When it happened, we don’t know. Was it when he was carried into Heaven and heard things he couldn’t reveal or when he was beaten into unconsciousness or in deaths often. Or sitting in a prison somewhere?

St. Paul writes: “Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given me for you, to fulfill the Word of God: Even the MYSTERY which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to His saints: To whom God would make known what is the riches of His glory among the Gentiles, which is CHRIST IN YOU, the Hope of glory.” (Col. 1:26,27)

He writes: “But we speak the Wisdom of God in a MYSTERY, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: which none of the princes of the world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of Glory. But as it is written, EYE HATH NOT SEEN, NOR EAR HEARD, NEITHER HAVE ENTERED INTO THE HEART OF MAN, THE THINGS WHICH GOD HATH PREPARED FOR THEM THAT LOVE HIM. But God hath revealed them unto us by His Spirit:  for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.” (1 Cor. 7-10)

GOD INCLUDED THE GENTILES

Here is the Mystery that God had hidden for ages! He would give His Holy Spirit to His children who received His Son Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour. He had chosen the Jews through Abraham as His chosen people. His plan, however, was to include the Gentiles through Christ’s Redemptive work! The Jews despised the pagan non-Jews, but God wanted them in His family as well!

St. Paul writes: “If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward: How that by Revelation He made known unto me the MYSTERY as I wrote afore in few words, Whereby, when ye read ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ, which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto His holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; that the GENTILES should be fellow heirs, and of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ by the Gospel.” (Eph. 3: 2-6)

He writes: “God hath delivered us from the power of Darkness, and hath translated us into the Kingdom of His dear Son: In whom we have redemption through His blood, even the forgiveness of sin: Who is the image of the Living God, the firstborn  of every creature: For by Him were all things created, that are in Heaven, and there in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by Him, and for Him: And He is before all things, and by Him all things  consist.

“And He is the head of the Body, the Church: Who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that is all things He might have the pre-eminence. For it pleased the Father that in Him should all fullness dwell. And having made peace through the BLOOD OF HIS CROSS, by Him to reconcile all things unto Himself; by Him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven. And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath He reconciled in the Body of His Flesh, through Death, to present you holy and unblameable in His sight; if ye continue in the faith…” (Col.1: 13)

JESUS’ RESURRECTION PROVES HIS DEITY

The Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead on the Third Day is the greatest Proof among many more, that Jesus Christ was and is and always will be the Son of the Father, full of grace, peace, and truth! The Bible states: “And I beheld, and lo, in the midst of the throne, and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders stood a Lamb as it had been slain…

“And they sung a new song saying, Thou art Worthy to take the book and to open the seals thereof: for Thou wast slain and hast Redeemed us unto God by Thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue and people and nation. And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth. And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angel round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory and blessing.” (Rev. 5:6-12)

“And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. And I heard a loud voice saying in Heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the Kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ: for the Accuser of the brethren is cast down, which accused them before God, day, and night. And they overcame him by the BLOOD OF THE LAMB and the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.” (Rev.12:9-11)

CHRIST IS RISEN: YES, HE IS RISEN INDEED!

During my crusades in the former Soviet Union from 1989 to 1995, I experienced many wonderful things. A must used expression in Russia and Ukraine was a greeting. When meeting a believer, one would say, “Christ is Risen” and the other person would answer, “Yes, He is Risen indeed!” The great truth that we must fully understand is the Jesus Christ is ALIVE and living within us. He said, “Yet a little while, and the world seeth Me no more; but ye see Me; because I live, ye shall live also. At that day ye shall know that I am in My Father, and ye in Me, and I in you.

“He that hath My commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth Me: and he that loveth Me shall be loved by My Father, and I will love him, and will manifest Myself to him…If a man love Me, he will keep My words: and My Father will love him, and WE will come unto him, and make our abode with him. He that loveth Me not keepeth not My sayings: and the word which ye hear is not Mine, but the Father’s which sent Me.

“But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost whom the Father will send in My name, He shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance whatsoever I have said unto you. PEACE I leave with you, My Peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” (John 14: 19-27)

WHATSOEVER YE SHALL ASK IN MY NAME

JESUS said, “Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak unto you, I speak not of Myself; but the Father that dwelleth in Me, He doeth the works. Believe Me that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me: or else believe Me for the work’s sake. Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on Me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do, because I go unto My Father.

“And whatsoever ye shall ask in My name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask anything in My name, I will do it. If ye love Me, keep My commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you forever; Even the Spirit of Truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth Him not, neither knoweth Him, but ye know Him; for He dwelleth with you and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.” (John 14: 10-18)

 “Ye have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye ask of the Father in My Name, He may give it you.” (John 15: 16),

 “But God, who is rich in mercy, for His great love wherewith He loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ (by grace ye are saved). And hath raised us up together and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come He might shew the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. For by Grace are ye Saved through Faith: and that not of ourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” (Eph.2:4 -10)

NO CONDEMNATION IN CHRIST JESUS

“There is therefore no condemnation to them in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” (Rom. 8:1); “Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God. And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is the spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.

“Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because GREATER IS HE that is in you, than he that is in the world. In this was manifested the love of God toward us because that God sent His only begotten Son into the world that we might live through Him.  (1 John 4: 2-4); “And this is the confidence that we have in Him, that. If we ask anything according to His will, He heareth us: And if we know that He hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of Him.” (1 John 5:14,15) Amen.