Daily Bread – July 1, 2021 (The Fifth Day – Genesis 1:20-23) Romans 8:15 – You have not received back the spirit of slavery to fear, but you have received the spirit of sonship in which you cry out, “Abba, Father!” Part 4 ~ Paul’s Use Of ‘Huiothesia’ The word ‘huiothesia’ was not used in the Bible to describe placing someone who was not actually a natural-born son “in place” as a son. Adoption is to formally and legally declare that someone who is not one’s own child is, henceforth, to be treated and cared for as one’s own child. This is not the case with the New Testament saints because we were born of God, and therefore, God’s own children. We were once children of disobedience; and as such, Jesus rightly identified men as the children of the devil (John 8:44; Ephesians 2:1-3; 1 John 3:8). We are born of the Spirit and have become the offspring of the Word of God (1 Peter 1:23). The English word “adoption” does not testify to this truth, but rather leaves us with the status of having someone else other than God as our real father in a spiritual sense. If we are to believe this is true, we cannot truly say we have been born of God. In that Paul is the only one who used this word in the New Testament, we must understand it in the light of how he viewed the work of salvation. Paul absolutely believed we were born of God and were made a new creation through the miracle birth of the Spirit; and thus, he taught the message of sonship in this light (2 Corinthians 5:17; Ephesians 4:24; Galatians 6:15). Therefore, when he uses the word ‘huiothesia’, he is doing so in light of the saints having been begotten of God. Paul makes his usage of ‘huiothesia’ clear in Galatians 4. There, Paul described the status of a natural-born child, who is an heir, but without the authority or privileges with respect to His inheritance. In order for the child to have the authority over his inheritance, he must wait until he is matured. Through the New Covenant, those who have been made sons through the new birth are not like a child, but are set into the seat of authority to participate with Christ Jesus as joint-heirs (Romans 8:17; Ephesians 2:6; Galatians 4:7). It would be in this sense that a natural-born son would be described as being placed as a son. The son has now stepped into his inheritance and has been given charge over his Father’s goods. Blessings, Pastor Mark Spitsbergen
Daily Bread 7/1/2021
