You’re A Legal And Vital Child Of God
Behold, what manner of love the Father hath
bestowed upon us, that we should be called the
sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not,
because it knew him not (1 John 3:1)
The Christian is the legal and vital child of God—a
bona fide child of God. In 1 Corinthians 6:20,
the Apostle Paul declared, “For ye are bought with
a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in
your spirit, which are God’s.” That’s the legal aspect
of redemption: you’re bought with a price. And now,
God has brought us to live in His class of being, and has
poured Himself into us, thereby making our physical
bodies His tabernacle of witness; His living temple: “…
know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy
Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye
are not your own?” (1 Corinthians 6:19). This is the
vital aspect. The legal aspect made the vital experience
of the God-life possible!
It’s like our righteousness, some still think that
what we have is just a legal righteousness, no; we
have a vital righteousness. God has given us His
righteousness, and now, you have the ability to
stand in His presence without guilt, condemnation,
or inferiority. In 1 John 3:1-2, the Apostle John cried
out: “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath
bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons
of God….” This isn’t a promise, neither is it a prophecy.
It’s a declaration of reality, a present-hour truth.
The vital aspect of our sonship is that when you
were born again, you were born of the Spirit of God. 1
Peter 1:23 says, “Being born again, not of corruptible
seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which
liveth and abideth for ever.” Now, you have the life
of God in you; you have ceased to be an ordinary
person; you live a supernatural life.
Rather than using the Greek word, “huiothesia”
which explains adoption or placing as sons, that is,
one who was taught how to handle authority, the
Apostle John carefully chose the word, “teknon,” to
explain that we’re vital sons of God; we’re born of
Him. NOW are we the sons of God, not tomorrow
or someday, or when we get to heaven, but now; it
happened immediately you were born again. Galatians
4:6 says, “And because ye are sons, God hath sent
forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying,
Abba, Father.”
Prayer
Dear Father, thank you for the legal aspect of redemption
which made the vital experience of eternal life possible.
You’ve made me a partaker of the divine
nature,an associate of the Godkind. I’m full of life,
and I live victoriously to your glory and praise,
in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
Further Study
1 John 3:1-2 CEV; John 1:12-13
1-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN
Galatians 3:15-25
Songs of Solomon 6-8
2-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN
Luke 23:26-33
2 Samuel 9-10