In this chapter we will continue to look at the power and authority given and promised to believers in Jesus, both which they have now through faith union with Christ and what they are yet destined to receive in the day of their crowning and glorification. In the previous chapters we have focused primarily on power as strength and might, as ability to will and to do. We observed various Greek words for "power" and showed how there were various kinds of power, authority being one of them. In this chapter and the next we will focus upon the authority, rights, and privileges of the children or sons of God. Involved in this focus will be words denoting those rights and privileges, such as crown, glory, honor, praise, etc.
Right To Become Sons Of God
"Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God--children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God." (John 1: 12-13 NIV)
The word "right" in this text is not from "dunamos," but from "exousia," which we studied earlier. It generally denotes governmental ruling, or political authority, and the sovereign rights, privileges, and responsibilities that are connected with it. Most translations therefore translate it as "gave them the right to become," although the KJV translates it as "power." But, it involves even more as we will shortly see.
All who ever become children of God, born of God, become so as a result of having been given that right or privilege. It is given to all who receive Christ, who believe and trust in him. They not only are given right to become children of God, but being children of God, they also become "heirs of God" and have therefore inheritance rights as children. In believing the believer becomes also a citizen of the kingdom of God and Heaven and have therefore citizen rights. Having believed the good news and having received Christ as Lord and Savior, the believer can then "lay claim" and "title" to being a "child of God," a member of the royal family, of "the whole family in heaven and earth." (Eph. 3: 15) This is truly an elevated or elite status.
Believers are the receivers of the greatest gift of all, the gift of Christ and his salvation. The words of the apostle John testify and say that the one who "receives" (Greek active voice) Jesus will in turn be received by Jesus and the Father. This is similar to Paul's words (in citing an OT promise) - "Wherefore come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord, and touch not the unclean, and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty." (II Cor. 6: 17-18)
"Come and receive me and my salvation." That is the gracious invitation given to all. It is similar to the language of marital union where a man first "leaves" his own family, mother and father, and then "cleaves" to his chosen bride. The sinner leaves the world and its way of thinking and cleaves to the good news, and receives Christ in his heart and makes covenant with him. When the man leaves and comes to his chosen wife, union occurs so that now "the two are one." So too when the sinner receives Christ. He finds that Christ receives him although he has no inherent right nor worthiness for Christ to do so. Christ receives him because he in grace gives him the right to do so. The sinner "goes out" in order to "come in." He comes out of himself, out of his unbelief, out of his old devilish wisdom, and "comes into" Christ, his kingdom, and his family. The sinner elects Christ and Christ openly and formally elects the believer.
"Right (exousia)" says one source, "means the power to do something and was a technical term used in the law courts, of a legal right. "Authority or right is the dominant meaning (of exousia) in the New Testament." (Vincent) ExousÃa refers to delegated authority and combines the idea of the "right and the might", these attributes having been granted to someone. Sinners saved by grace through faith have been given the authority, the "right and the might," to become members of God's family as His children, those of whom it can now be said they are "beloved of God", and can all God "Father." (See here)
"Vine on right says "not dunamis, power, but exousia, a right (dunamis expresses the faculty, the capacity, but the right is bestowed to those who receive Him.)"
"Utley on the right (exousia) - This Greek term can mean (1) legal authority or (2) right or privilege (cf. Jn 5:27; 17:2; 19:10, 11)."
"Westcott on the right - The word (exousia) does not describe mere ability, but legitimate, rightful authority, derived from a competent source which includes the idea of power. Comp. Jn 5:27, 10:18, 17:2, 19:10, 19:11; Rev. 2:26, etc. This right is not inherent in man, but “given” by God to him....As far as we can conceive of “this right to become children,” it lies in the potential union with the Son, whereby those who receive Him are enabled to realize their divine fellowship. They are adopted—placed, if we may so speak, in the position of sons—that so they may become children actually. Cp. 2Pet. 1:3, 1:4; Gal. 4:6. The fruit is not given at once, but the seed. It is of God to give, but man must use His gift, which faith appropriates."
Who is the "legitimate" and "rightful authority" that grants "the right" for "becoming a child of God"? Is it not God himself? Also, is it not a free gift of grace? It is certainly not a status that one earns. It is not an honor or title given to the world's elite.
"To become" is from the Greek word "ginomai" and means "to come into existence, to cause to become or come into being and signifies a change of condition, state or place. Ginomai is the root of the verb gennao (used in Jn 1:13-note) which means to beget, to give birth, to produce offspring (cp our English word - "gen"-erate)...And so ginomai means to become something (a child of God) that one is not."
Enumeration Of Rights & Privileges
1. Birth rights and privileges
2. Sonship rights and privileges
3. Heir rights and privileges
4. Citizen rights and privileges
5. Servant rights and privileges
6. Agent rights and privileges
7. Soldier rights and privileges
8. Sovereign rights and privileges
Of course, to list all the rights and privileges would be a lengthy endeavor. But, the above may be viewed as some of the main categories of them. But, before we look at the above category of rights separately, let us first mention what we might call "right of entry," or "right of admission," or "right of access."
Right of Access
In thinking about the right of ingress, or permission to enter, let us notice the three places where the word "access" is used by the apostle Paul.
"Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God." (Rom. 5: 1)
"For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father." (Eph. 2: 18)
"In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him." (3: 12)
The word "access" in these three passages is from the Greek word "prosagoge" and denotes right of admission or a being "brought to" or into something. Wrote W. E. Vine in his NT Words:
"lit., "a leading or bringing into the presence of" (pros, "to," ago, "to lead"), denotes "access," with which is associated the thought of freedom to enter through the assistance or favor of another. It is used three times."
By "freedom to enter" is meant the same thing as "gracious right to enter." Who has right to enter Heaven? This was asked by the Psalmist, saying:
"Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? or who shall stand in his holy place? He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully. He shall receive the blessing from the LORD, and righteousness from the God of his salvation. This is the generation of them that seek him, that seek thy face, O Jacob. Selah." (Psa. 24: 3-6)
Those who shall "ascend into" or enter Heaven, to the "hill of the LORD," are they who are clean and have a pure heart. It is they who are of "the generation of them that seek" the Lord, and who "seek his face." The cleanliness of soul, heart, mind, and spirit, that is required for entrance, comes by the "washing of water of the word" and "the blood of Christ." (See Eph. 5: 26; I John 1: 7; etc.) Said the Psalmist again: "Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word." (Psa. 119: 9)
Of this right of access and entry we also have this word from the Apocalypse:
"Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city." (Rev. 22: 14)
Being given the "right to become children of God" the believer in Jesus Christ also has a "right to the tree of life," to "life," "immortality," and "eternal life" (Rom. 2: 7; II Tim. 1: 10), a "right to enter in" into that celestial city's gates, the new Jerusalem, the capital of "the world to come." Peter spoke of this grand entrance into glory, saying:
"Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall: For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ." (II Peter 1: 10-11)
An entrance that is "ministered" to believers "abundantly"? What does than mean and entail? It is indeed a "warm welcome"! But, it is more than that. It is also what is called a "triumphal entry." The above words of Peter suggest an entrance that involves splendor and richness, a "grand entrance" as we said, with heavenly "pomp and circumstance."
Jesus spoke of this "entrance" into life and immortality, into the kingdom of God, and gave the condition for entering.
"Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." (John 3: 5)
Being born again, receiving Christ, believing in him, becoming children of God, this is what gives a man his "right to enter." These are they who keep the orders of Jesus their king and commander, and who will hear him say:
"Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord...Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord...Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents. For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath. And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth." (See Matt. 25: 14-30)
Notice how the word "enter" is used several times. Entrance is granted to believers, to his faithful servants. The pretender however who failed in his Lord's stewardship entrusted to him is denied entrance and is excluded from "the joy of the Lord" in Paradise, where is the tree of life, and in further judgment, the Lord orders that all that the unfaithful servant has in possession be "taken away"; And, what is taken away from the infidel is given to the true believers. There is so much to unpack in these words pregnant in meaning. The wealth of the wicked, of the unbelievers, will be given to the saints. We previously observed how Paul said to the Corinthians "all things are yours," which included everything in the world. The unbelievers (and this is especially true of the world's elite) lose everything as a result of their choice to not believe in Christ.
Paul in Hebrews also spoke of this "entering" into eternal life and glory as an entering into eternal rest.
"And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not? So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief." (Heb. 3: 18-19)
"Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief." (4: 6)
The right to enter God's eternal rest is given to those who are believers, to those who have faith (belief and trust) in God, the Father, the Son, and Holy Spirit. Those who are without faith, unbelievers, will not be granted entrance. The right of entrance belongs to those who are the "children of God by faith in Christ Jesus," through a new birth of the Spirit and through the Gospel. Wrote Paul:
"We have an altar, whereof they have no right to eat which serve the tabernacle." Heb. 13: 10)
Paul has talked a lot about both the altar of incense and the altar of sacrifice in first Corinthians, especially of the latter. He wrote:
"Do ye not know that they which minister about holy things live of the things of the temple? and they which wait at the altar are partakers with the altar?" (I Cor. 9: 13)
"Behold Israel after the flesh: are not they which eat of the sacrifices partakers of the altar?" (10: 18)
Though by the words "they which minister about holy things...of the temple" he intends the priests of the old testament (covenant), yet they are applicable to every believer in Jesus of the new testament (covenant). He becomes a priest unto God who becomes a believer, in being united with Christ. So Peter wrote to believers saying "you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession." (I Peter 2: 9) The new covenant temple in which believers serve is the church or assembly (or house of the Lord) and even his own body which is also called a temple.
Every believer in receiving Christ has become a "partaker of the altar," that is, he has eaten of the burnt sacrifice. Jesus said "except you eat my flesh and drink my blood you have no life in you." (John 6: 53) Christians say "we have an altar" and so did the Jewish temple priest, but there is a difference in the two altars and sacrifices. Eating of the old testament altar and its sacrifice cannot give eternal life. Only by partaking of the new covenant altar and its sacrifice is salvation from the guilt of sin. Salvation consists in partaking and eating, of ingesting the good news into heart and soul, of mentally taking Christ into the heart, soul, and mind. The altar is Calvary the place where Christ, "the Lamb of God," was sacrificed on the cross of crucifixion.
The "right to eat" is available to all who hear the good news and gracious invitation, but it is only obtained by those who actually believe or take within them that holy sacrificial lamb. Obtaining the "right to eat" of the sacrifice of Christ, his flesh and blood, grants one the right to eat of the tree of life, as we have observed, and also to feast at the master's table throughout eternity.
Being believers, people are children of God. Being children they are heirs and have rights to God's inheritance. Being mature sons of God they are given authority and power to formally represent and to act on behalf of the family, to conduct family business. There are enormous privileges and honors associated with this status as God's elect.
Concerning the rights and privileges of the saints, we must differentiate between that which is now enjoyed and that which awaits a future realization. As we have observed in previous chapters, the believer is destined to rule the world to come with Christ, to judge the world, to judge angels, to sit with Christ on his throne, to rule the nations, etc. But, some of the delegated power and authority of the believer is given for exercising in this life. Said Paul to Timothy:
"Speak these things, exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no one despise you." (Titus 2: 15)
Though the "authority" especially involves Timothy's authority as an elder and teacher, yet it does not exclude every believer. Every believer has authority to teach and to rebuke. It is done in the name and by the authority of Christ. Christian parents can teach and exhort their children in regard to the things of the Lord. They can "rebuke with all authority" when disciplining their children. Other examples could be given.
"Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen." (Eph. 3: 20-21)
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