BEYOND RELIGION part 1. THE FATHERHOOD OF GOD

BEYOND RELIGION  part 1. (THE FATHERHOOD OF GOD)

Religion has do with an organized system of beliefs, ceremonies, and rules used to worship a god or a group of gods (Webster). There were several religions in the world before Jesus came. People has  always formulated different ways to reach God.  Every religion has set of rules, behaviours and practices they believe they can use to reach God. Every religion believes certain actions and practices can be used to appease God. There are core things that makes Every religion. For example, Every religion has DISPLEASED DEITY that can only be pleased with some practices but in Christ God is forever pleased with man.  Every religion has a sacred edifice, In Christ we are the temple of God. We bring God to any Church when we gather ( To Read more on this check my post on GOD IN MAN). Every religion has a SACRED TEXT. In Christ, what makes our book sacred is only that it reveals Christ. The Bible is the word of God ONLY because it contains the person of Christ who is the word of God. Religion deals with bondage, in Christ WE HAVE BEEN MADE FREE. Every religion IS MAN’S ATTEMPT TO REACH GOD. But in Christ, we see that GOD CAME  LOOKING FOR MAN, even why we were yet sinners.

Romans 5: 6  For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. Note
7  For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.
8  But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Notice Christ died for sinners not for saints. God demonstrated His love for mankind in coming in the person of Jesus to die for mankind.
Jesus coming was not to introduce a religion. It is BEYOND ALL OF THAT.  In this series we will be looking at the different things that makes the coming of Christ beyond religion.
In John 3, it is not God so loved the world that He gave us a religion.  Jesus coming was not for any religion. IT IS FOR THE WORLD.

John 3:  16  For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
17  For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
18  He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

God gave the world a gift. The gift was not for any special set of people. What makes people special is when they receive the gift. Christ coming was so that people can have life in Him. The core of being in Christ is believing in Jesus not a set of rules and creeds. No religion ever sees the God they serve as there FATHER, but God is our father In Christ Jesus.

With all of these points, we can BOLDY SAY CHRISTIANITY ( Puting faith in Jesus for Salvation) IS BEYOND RELIGION.  This is the focus of this series.

First lets look at THE FATHERHOOD OF GOD.   One of the greatest privilege we have in Christ is that God becomes our father.  No religion in the world has their God as their father. It is out of the goodness of God that we should be His sons.

1John 3: 1  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.

It is out of God’s love for man Kind that we are made His sons. The father has lavished His love on mankind. Observe in the above Scripture that the world doesn't know us as sons God. Many times, when people hear that God is our father, they try to paint the earthly picture of a father to describe God. We leave in a world that we have many fathers who has failed in their responsibilities.  We should not allow man’s concept of fatherhood to define God for us.

It was so that men can become sons of God that Christ came as the son of God.
Hebrews 2:10  For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.
11  For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren,
Jesus though He is God, count it not robbery to be equal with God. He became man( son of God) so that He can bring many sons to God.  Some people argues that how can Jesus be the son of God? Do God has a wife?. It is illiteracy to ask that. The God that created man who gives the seed how can He not be able to give the seed Himself?   In incarnation , Jesus is the Only son of God. He is  God made visible( for more on this check my post on GOD'S SELFIEE ). We have one God who is not a man. It was so that men can become sons of God that God became man in His son Jesus. We are sons of God by inclusion because we put faith in what Christ has done.

What Does it actually mean to have God as our father or to be sons of God?

Let’s look at what happens when a man gets born again.
1peter 1: 23  Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.
24  For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: note
25  But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.
Notice in the scripture above we see that when a man is born again, the man is born by God’s word which is the Gospel. This is what the book of Romans and Galatians calls adoption as sons. The day a man believes what Jesus has done, the Spirit of God is joined with  his dead spirit and becomes one with his spirit.  This makes the person to become a son of God.
Romans 8: 14  For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
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 of God
Sons of God are “Led” of the Spirit. This led here is not talking of Devine direction.  It is the Greek world ‘agō’ it was used as brought in  Luke 4:40,  John 7:45,  Acts 5:21 and other places. The word means to bring, to bring forth, To carry. So from the context of the above scripture, as many that are brought forth from the flesh are the sons of God. How are we brought forth? By the Spirit. It is by the Spirit of God in us we can call God father. He is now our father, we are His sons. The spirit of God in us bear witness that we are God’s sons.  It  serves as an evidence of we being the sons of God.
This is what religious mind cannot handle. Don’t forget the world cannot know us. Religion is of the world.  The word father is the Greek word “patēr”. It means parent, father, originator, source. So when a man gets born again, God becomes His father, originator,  source, parent . The person becomes a new creature. This new creature is a son of God. Also read Galatians 4: 5-7.

As God’s Children, God can never leave us. He will never leave us nor forsake us.
Hebrews 13:5...for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
 6  So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.
It was God who said He can never leave us. NO CONDITION ATTACHED. It is the UNBREAKABLE SEAL. This is why we should not fear men. We have God, our father as our helper.,

Imagine all the abilities of God, the God who is limitless is your father. The God who is eternal actually gave birth to you that is why you have eternal life too. You actually have His life. This is why when a man is born again nothing like generational curses. You belong to a new generation now. For you to have a generational curse means God is cursed. The problem is that so many people pay more attention to there first birth than the second birth. NEVER EVER FORGET YOU ARE NOW BORN AGAIN. This is what you are told to BEHOLD. Keep looking at your new identity.  The new You. 2corithians 5:17
Take some minutes now and THINK,  GOD IS ACTUALLY YOUR FATHER IN CHRIST. God created everybody but is only a father to Those who have Jesus His only begotten son. If the president of a country is your father, how will you carry yourself? Actually what I am saying is that God the creator of whoever you see as your hero is your Father if you have Jesus. This is why we are called ROYAL PREISTHOOD, PECULIAR PEOPLE, CHOOSEN GENERATION.
This is why you are told to cast all your worries to God. You have a father that cares.

This is BEYOND RELIGION. What a life IN CHRIST. The same person that IS OUR GOD IS OUR FATHER. HE IS AN AMAZING GOD.

 

                     By OBIAZIKWOR EMEKE MODESTY
                         www.emekemodesty.com