1 John: 3 v 2 & 3 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that has this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.
The word pure mentioned in the above scripture is speaking about maturity. Once we are born again we have started the journey of maturing as sons of God.
As Gal: 4 v 1 & 2 states…Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be Lord of all; But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father.
We are now sons of God but not necessarily mature sons of God, every believer ‘born again’ is now in the process of BECOMING.
In the book My Father My Father by Sam Soleyn with Nicholas Soleyn; this theme is presented…Those who are already invested heirs are empowered to become members of the class.
Within the designation “sons of God” exists degrees of maturity and inheritance. Being translated into the Kingdom of God, one is initially and automatically named as an heir of Christ. However, each individual must undergo an extensive process of change and transformation from the culture of orphans to the culture of sons, and subsequently, to the status of mature sons. Only by this process can one faithfully represent the Father in all things. Therefore in the scriptures there is a spectrum of son-ship related to one’s maturity. For example, the word used for one who is “born again” and is in the infantile state is nepios, of which Paul wrote in his letter to the Galations, “What I am saying is that as long as the heir is a child, he is no different from a slave, although he owns the whole estate.” This is distinguished from a teknon of which the apostle John wrote, “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God…. Here the word used for “sons,” teknon, implies a son with sufficient maturity to have a reciprocal relationship with father, defined by love, friendship, and trust; such as a disciple.
Similarly, in his letter to the Romans Paul wrote that “those who are led by the Spirit of God,” referring to a son in the huios stage, which is one who is a mature son, fit to represent the father. As sons grow in maturity, the Holy Spirit endows them with greater measures of inheritance. The scope of their representation of God the Father is widened accordingly, and the power that sustains them is increased accordingly. The Holy Spirit, whom Jesus specifically commissioned to represent Him, faithfully executes the terms of inheriting His estate.
When we were in the world, before being “born again,” we were fashioned in the culture of the Kingdom of this world; Now through the redemptive work of Jesus Christ we have been brought into the Kingdom of Heaven, and being in God’s Kingdom, we must submit to the maturing process.The change & transformation which we desire to experience will be produced through the fiery trials of circumstances that we yield to….
1 Peter: 1 v 7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ.
1 Peter: 4 v’s 12,13 & 14, Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the Spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified.
Only through this process will Father bring us to the maturity by which He will empower, enable and trust us with His inheritance.
Can I bear all that the Father has prepared for me in my inheritance? My present state reveals where I am in this process.
God has promised to perfect that which He started as I continue to yield to Him in this process….
Be it unto me Lord, according to your word!!
Amen! Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out!
My present state should be to humble….. right?