Children of God

To anyone patiently waiting for me to blog... OK, I doubt there's that many, if any. Anyway, I've tried a few times lately, but having dial-up, I've had some trouble with the Internet lately. I've been lucky to get my e-mail some nights.

I've also been rather busy of late. I recently took a short trip to California for a scholarship interview at The Master's College, the school I'm planning on going to. I stayed the weekend with some nice friends of the family that live south of LA (the college is north of LA). I spent one night in the dorm at the college, and I met so many great students and staff that I don't remember hardly any of their names (if that makes sense. if it doesn't, sorry).

John 1:12-13
12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, {even} to those who believe in His name,13 who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.(NAS)

This verse is a strong case for predestination. Those who become children of God reach this point not by inheritance (blood), not by the will of the flesh, and not by man's will. Those of us that are children of God are children of God only through God. We received Jesus because he gave us the faith to do so.

Not born of blood means that just because someone's parents are Christians doesn't mean they automatically are. The Greek word translated "flesh" is a word that is often associated with the flesh nature and the sin that comes along with it. It can also mean the physical body, as opposed to the spirit. So, it is apart from our own fleshly desires that we are saved as God's children. It could also imply that it is outside of our own work in the flesh. Not by man's will means nearly the same thing. Even the desire to be a child of God does not come from man. We have to be "encouraged" by the Holy Spirit so to speak.

The fact that God chose us not on merit, but just because he could is encouraging. It means that our salvation is secure. Nothing we did got us salvation, and nothing we do will take it away. I know I probably say all this a lot, but I guess I feel it's important. It's also important to note once again with this what Paul says:

Rom 6:1-2
1 What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace might increase?2 May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it?(NAS)

The question is, how to balance eternal security with the need to stop sinning. From Romans 6:2, it seems that being saved from the slavery of sin, we wouldn't want to continue in it. This doesn't mean we'll never sin (on the contrary, in 1 John it says that anyone who claims to be without sin is not a true Christian), but it does mean that the pattern of sin in a believer's life should be less and less as spiritual growth takes place. We should continually be aiming for further Christlikeness.