1 John 3: 1 - 2 NKJV
I think back on my childhood every now and then and I recall certain points with fondness and others not so much. I'm sure that this is the way it is for most of us. For growing up is not something we can purchase or make go quicker, but something we all must experience. Indeed, our journey in Christ Jesus is much the same way. For we have our "Childhood" phase as well as that point when we put away our childhood things and lean on our understanding of Jesus as adults. As we think back, we can almost certainly remember who our parents were, who our family and friends were. The question then becomes, how did we KNOW that our parents were ours? Well, we knew that we knew, for even a child has that knowledge of who their mother and father are. To a child, there is no question, there is daddy and there is mom. This knowledge is instinctful in us. There have even been studies done that suggest that a newborn ALREADY knows the sound of its mothers voice immediately upon birth. How can this be? Well, that unborn child has shared time with its mother as it developed inside of her for 9 months. Now, you can't tell me that a newborn child will not have a connection with its own mother. Indeed, that child KNOWS in its heart the sound of his mothers voice. Spiritually speaking, is it possible that we also know our Fathers voice? I believe we do. As we are secure in our knowledge of who our parents are, I'm convinced that we also know who our heavenly Father is. As the apostle John tells us, we rejoice in the fact that God loved us enough that we should be called children of God.
11But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies dthrough His Spirit who dwells in you. 12Therefore, brethren, we are debtors—not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. 13For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, 14For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. 15For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba,e Father.” 16The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.
Romans 8: 11 - 17 NKJV
One question which was asked this morning was, where does this knowledge come from? For if we say we have not the knowledge that we are sons of God, why do we so often refer to Him as our "Heavenly Father?" I believe that we all have the inborn knowledge of our holy sonship, just as a newborn has the knowledge of who its parents are. As the apostle Paul tells us, it is because of this knowledge that our own spirit cries "Abba, Father!" That knowledge of our holy family tree is instilled in us. Can we also say, then, that the very knowledge of the truth of Christ Jesus is also in us from a young age? Perhaps, but it has taken many people quite some time to come to that realization. The fact that we often see ourselves in the physical and not the spiritual sense also has a huge effect on our realization of who we truly are. John tells us that it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but that when our heavenly Father is revealed to us that we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. I believe that this is confirmation that we are not only His children, but that we were created in His very image {Genesis 1: 27}. Our spirit, His son, knows our Father dearly. We are safe in this knowledge.
~Scott~
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