THE ADOPTION OF SONS - II

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 FUNDAMENTALS OF DISCIPLESHIP

THE ADOPTION OF SONS - II

Matthew 13:15  For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.

A day is approaching when IAUE Elohim will call forth His mature sons from among His children; those who, by reason of experience and discipline have pursued the instruction of their Master Yahushua Messiah to recognize understand and obey His will.  What, specifically, will the Father look to see in those who have become qualified to experience this adoption of sons, the adult son placing?

First, let us look again at the promise of the adult-son placing:

Romans 8:13  For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.

14  For as many as are led by the Spirit of IAUE, they are the sons (huios) of IAUE.

15  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.

16  The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children (teknon) of IAUE:

17  And if children, then heirs; heirs of IAUE, and joint-heirs with Messiah; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

18  For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

19  For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons (huios) of IAUE.

20  For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope,

21  Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children (teknon) of IAUE.

The cardinal qualifier for becoming an adult son is “being led by the Spirit“ (v.14).  Paul tells us that we have been given the Spirit of adoption that provides that upward call to our very heart.  The Spirit “bears witness with our spirit that we are the children of IAUE.”  He confirms that we are His children, that we are in the class of people who are able to receive that recognition of sonship from IAUE.  Not all men and women on the Earth are in that class.  We must be the children of Elohim by the creative miracle of the new birth.

The second qualifier for becoming an adult son is “that we suffer with him” (v. 17).

2 Timothy 3:12  Yea, and all that will live godly in Messiah Yahushua shall suffer persecution.

Another thing to note in Romans 8:21 is that the adoption of sons will come as a liberation to the children, the “teknon” of IAUE.  We stated in our last post that the “teknon” differ from the “nepios” in that the nepios are newborn infants; and the teknon are the adolescents that have submitted to tutelage to become mature sons.  There is no mention of an adoption of the “nepios” of IAUE.  The nepios first must become teknon.  Now, with that in mind, let’s look at the following passage: 

Hebrews 5:8   Though he (Yahushua) were a Son (huios), yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered;

9  And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;

10  Called of IAUE an high priest after the order of Melchisedec.

11  Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing.

12  For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of IAUE; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.

13  For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe (nepios).

Let us first observe that even Yahushua learned obedience; and the atmosphere in which he learned it was that of suffering.  It is easy to obey easy commands.  It is easy to obey direction that does not produce any controversy or disagreement.  All such obedience does not reveal what is in our hearts; for even the flesh can obey commands that do not require much of it.  We have stated repeatedly that the law of Moses could be observed by men of wicked hearts; because such laws do not impact and shape the heart of man.  It is when the commands put us in a cauldron of resistance, disagreement, opposition, hardship…suffering, that our hearts are revealed through our obedience; and it is the heart of man that IAUE wants to be in allegiance to Him; not the flesh.

The writer of Hebrews reprimands his readers for not having grown up.  He tells them that they have been in the faith long enough to have become teachers by now; but they are still in need of pablum.  They are babes…nepios.  They are not even in the class of those who are qualified to answer the high call of the adoption of sons.  Note, particularly, that they were “dull of hearing.”  It is impossible to be led of the Spirit if you cannot hear His voice.  By this, we may recognize another qualifier for sonship:  Hearing the voice of the Spirit. (In every age of man: 1) Adam and Eve in the garden, 2) the time from the fall of Adam to Noah, 3) the time from Noah to Abraham, 4) the time from the cutting of the covenant with Abraham to the giving of the Law, 5) the time from the Law of Moses to the coming of Messiah; and 6) the current age of the gospel of Yahushua, one common denominator in every age has been the command to listen to and obey the voice of the Spirit.)

Hebrews 5:14  But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

Here we have revealed a characteristic of children who are becoming sons.  They recognize that their physical senses (sight, smell, taste, touch, hearing) are the sense-gates to all that is perceivable and knowable in the flesh.  They are not the means whereby we are made aware of the things of the spirit world.  That is not their domain, their sphere of operation; however, “by reason of use,” which is to say, by repeated exercise and discipline, even their physical senses are developed to be able “to discern both good and evil.“  The obvious reason for doing so is to aid in their ability to obey the voice of the Spirit when everything around them is screaming to do the opposite.  Such disciples are not nepios.  They are not in need of milk to sustain them.  They are able to eat strong meat; which is to say, they are capable of receiving revelation of more Truth.  All Truth comes with a purchase price, and the immature are not capable of paying the price for the Truth that makes increasingly deeper cuts into our natural man.

From the last posting, we saw that the upward call is answered by pursuing three things:

1      The knowledge of Yahushua.

2      The knowledge of the power of his resurrection.

3      The knowledge of the fellowship of his suffering.

Today, we see that to obtain the reward of that upward call, we must do four things:

1      Be led by the Spirit.

2      Suffer with him.

3      Hear the voice of the Spirit.

4      Take command of your senses.

Now would be a good time to remind you of the difference between knowing something academically and having a revelation of that same thing.  One is knowledge comprehended by your mind.  The other is Truth that has come alive in your spirit.  One only adds to the catalog of things you know.  The other changes you.  The Father wants to change you...to make you like Him.  The danger to which every reader of this blog is subject, is that they he/she may increase in knowledge and be satisfied with that understanding, yet never possess the revelation.  Please take what you are learning and present it to Elohim with meekness, and ask Him to reveal the Truth to you.  This is His desire.  He will meet you if you approach Him with an honest and humble heart.

THE ADOPTION OF SONS

 FUNDAMENTALS OF DISCIPLESHIP

THE ADOPTION OF SONS

Philippians 3:14  I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of Elohim in Messiah Yahushua.

It is my belief that Paul (and pretty much all the writers of Scripture) drew heavily upon contemporary regional culture for language and illustrations that would convey spiritual truths.  One might say all of Messiah's parables are just such cultural stories so the hearer would be without excuse to understand what he was saying (Matthew 13:15  For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.).   

One such illustration used by Paul is often misunderstood because his terminology no longer means today what it did in the early years of the church.

Paul referred to adoption three times; the adoption of sons, once, and the adoption of children, once, in the following passages:

Romans 8:15 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.

Romans 8:23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body. 

Romans 9:4 Who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of Elohim, and the promises; 

Galatians 4:5 To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. 

Ephesians 1:5  Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Yahushua Messiah to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,

 

I normally try to refrain from referring to the Greek and Hebrew texts of the Scripture; but as I explained in earlier lessons in this blog, there are inherent problems with all translations due to the inability of the receiving language to adequately portray what is happening in the original language. It is needful to understand that there are three different words in the Greek text each of which are translated, "children."

nepios - non-speaking infant (refers to the earliest stages of development)

teknon - juvenile (refers to the phase of development from early speech up to, but not

                including, adult behavior and responsibility)

huios   - mature sons, capable of adult behavior and responsibility.

Nepios and teknon are not used in any of the verses above regarding adoption.  The word used in all five verses is huiothesia, which literally translated means: the adult son placing.

It is important, first, to acknowledge that none of us are "adopted" into the family of Elohim, in the sense that we understand adoption in our culture, today.  The Father did not look upon us as orphans needing a family to take care for us.  He did not sign some legal paper to bring us into his family to begin being treated as His children, though not being of His own family. No, we are BORN into His family.  The new life created within us by the exercise of the exact same power He used when he raised Messiah from the dead (Eph 1:19-20) birthed us into His family.  This is why Messiah is no longer called the only begotten of the Father; but rather, the firstborn among many brethren (Romans 8:29; Colossians 1:18).

In the Greek culture, in families of property or business, there was a formal ceremony shared by family and friends when a father would formally acknowledge that his juvenile son (teknon) was now a man. It was a formal declaration that his child had become a man, a huios.  Invitations would be sent to all whom the father wanted to share this glorious time with his family. It was at this point that the name of the family business would be changed; for example, from “Stephanos Carpentry” to "Stephanos and Son - Carpentry," as the father’s child, now recognized as an adult son, assumed a responsible role in his father's business. This was the “adoption,” the “adult son placing,” the “huiothesia.”

Now, looking again at our five passages of scripture referring to the adoption, it becomes apparent that there is an "upward call" in the disciple to the mature adult walk before the Master.

Compare these adoption verses with:

Philippians 3:7  But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Messiah.

8  Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Messiah Yahushua my Master: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Messiah,

9  And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Messiah, the righteousness which is of Elohim by faith:

10  That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;

11  If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.

12  Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Messiah Yahushua.

13  Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,

14  I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of Elohim in Messiah Yahushua.

Paul's passion betrays an inward upward call to maturity, to responsible behavior, to becoming as perfect as is possible in his body of flesh in order to win the “the prize” of that ”high/upward calling.”  He clearly understood that such a prize could not be won by keeping the law of Moses.  He acknowledges that the path to that prize, the path to apprehending that for which he had been apprehended of Messiah Yahushua, is to “follow after,” which is to say, explicit obedience to the law of the Spirit of life in Yahushua Messiah.  Following after, specifically, would bring him to:

      The experiential knowledge of Messiah Yahushua,

      The experiential knowledge of the power of Messiah Yahushua’s resurrection, and

      The experiential knowledge of the fellowship of Messiah Yahushua’s sufferings. 

Such a heart that pants after these things quite literally separates the men from the boys.  Most believers are willing to have the proverbial "ticket" to Heaven; but where are the "men" in the Body of Messiah that are daily laying down their lives as dead men to know the power of His resurrection; with a heart that is prepared to suffer daily for His name's sake?

All who have been born of the Spirit have this upward call within them, the call to the adoption, the adult son placing; but not all have the heart to allow that call to draw them unto perfection.  Most resist it in order to retain a certain level of selfish control over their lives and their personal circumstances.  The quality of our repentance dictates the nature of the development of our "childhood."  Many forever remain nepios.  Many enter the teknon stage; but only the elect attain unto the huiothesia of the Most High.

Romans 8:19  For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons (huios) of Elohim.
20  For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope,
21  Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children (teknon) of Elohim.

All of creation was subjected to the effects of death working through the sin of man, the bondage of corruption; yet even in nature there is hope for the deliverance that will come to it when the “children of Elohim” are liberated from childhood and the manifestation of their adult son placement is revealed.

Frankly, it would be a devastating reality to discover that I might not have laid down all that is necessary, might not have pursued all that is required, might not have experienced all that He desired for me such that I am not appointed a huios in that day.  This, certainly, was the heart of Paul; and absolutely the kind of heart that he sought to train in others.  It is this heart that is the very objective of the gospel; and it is this heart that is fundamental to our discipleship.

THE LAW OF THE SPIRIT OF LIFE - III

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FUNDAMENTALS OF DISCIPLESHIP

THE LAW OF THE SPIRIT OF LIFE - III

Hebrews 7:12 For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law.

It is necessary that we understand that the Law of Moses is a thing of the past.  It has no place in the life of either Jew or Gentile who has come to Messiah.  All who acknowledge Yahushua as Messiah must recognize that he is IAUE’s chosen high priest; and that he is of the tribe of Judah.  The Law of Moses was administered by the priesthood of the tribe of Levi.  Since the priesthood has changed, as the Scripture says, “there is made of necessity a change also of the law.”  This could not be more clearly stated.

Hebrews 7:13  For he of whom these things are spoken pertaineth to another tribe, of which no man gave attendance at the altar.
14  For it is evident that our Master sprang out of Judah; of which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning priesthood.
15  And it is yet far more evident: for that after the similitude of Melchisedec there ariseth another priest,
16  Who is made, not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life.
17  For he testifieth, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.
18  For there is verily a disannulling of the commandment going before for the weakness and unprofitableness thereof.
19  For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did; by the which we draw nigh unto Elohim.

The reason a new priesthood was initiated is because the law administered by the former priesthood was carnal, week, unprofitable and imperfect.  When the new priesthood was initiated, the prior law was “disannulled.” So, what is this new law being administered by Yahushua Messiah, the High Priest of Elohim?  Do not expect to see it written on tablets of stone or scrolls of parchment.  Do not expect it to be comprised of statutes, and ordinances and rules and regulations that you can refer to on paper to memorize them to do them.  No, laws on paper would be no different than the Law of Moses.  They would be something the outer man could keep while maintaining the corrupt inward man of the heart.  What does the Scripture say?

Hebrews 10:16  This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith IAUE, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them;

Paul elaborates on this new law in his letter to the Romans.

Romans 7:2  For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband.
…
4  Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Messiah; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto Elohim.
5  For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death.
6  But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.

Paul, using the illustration of marriage, explains that a woman is under the law of her husband as love as he lives; but once the husband dies, she is free to marry again.  He goes on to explain that we are freed from the law of that marriage through our union with Messiah’s death.  However, we not only died to the law in Messiah; we were engaged to be married to him who rose from the dead.  This new marriage invoked a new law of the marriage.  This new law will not bring forth fruit unto death as did the Law of Moses.  It will bring forth fruit unto Elohim.

Romans 7:25  I thank Elohim through Yahushua Messiah our Master. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of IAUE; but with the flesh the law of sin.

This new law does not come natural to us.  It cannot be obeyed instinctively, as could the Ten Commandments. Even before a man becomes a disciple of Messiah, when he is spiritually dead and in darkness, he knows it is wrong to kill, to steal, to lie, to dishonor his parents, to curse IAUE.  This law comes natural to us.  The new law must be chosen.  We must, with our mind, be made aware of it and decide to obey it.  This process is one of the most fundamental elements of our discipleship.  Failure in this area is tantamount to a failed discipleship.

Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Messiah Yahushua, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

2  For the law of the Spirit of life in Messiah Yahushua hath made me free from the law of sin and death.

Paul tells us that the new law can also be called “walking in the Spirit;” that is to say, to hear and obey the voice of the Spirit is to obey the new law which is being administered by Yahushua Messiah our high priest. Obeying the voice of the Spirit delivers us from the consequences of obeying our natural instincts…even obedience to the Law of Moses.  A disciple who fails to walk in the Spirit is lawless; and this makes him an enemy of IAUE.

Romans 8:5  For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.

6  For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.

⁷ Because the carnal mind is enmity against IAUE: for it is not subject to the law of IAUE, neither indeed can be.

⁸ So then they that are in the flesh cannot please IAUE.

Here we find the purpose of the new law…to please IAUE; or more specifically, to do the will of IAUE. 

Hebrews 10:9  Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O IAUE. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second.

10  By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Yahushua Messiah once for all.

This brings us to the very purpose of discipleship to Messiah---learning how to do the will of IAUE.  It is the objective of the new law instituted by our high priest. It cannot be put into code, words on a page; for the will of IAUE is distinctive for each individual.  It is both personal and dynamic; and if we are not walking in the Spirit, we will not be aware of His will as it is revealed to us; and we will find ourselves, even though with good intentions, of doing that which does not please Him.

John 8:28  Then said Yahushua unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things.
29  And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him.

Yashushua did nothing of himself.  He initiated nothing.  He did what his Father told him to do.  He spoke what his Father told him to speak.  He did always those things that pleased his Father.  He laid down his life, forsaking his own will to do the will of his Father. 

This is the creative design of man…to do the will of IAUE.  Until we recognize this and devote ourselves to it, we will never experience life as our Creator intended.