# 8 --- Advent Meditation --- BECOMING CHILDREN OF GOD

To become children of the Most High is an amazing feat for the human race.  Notice: we never have to teach youngsters to pout, to demand their way, to be resistant to correction.  It comes naturally. It rides right along with them, embedded in their Adamic nature.

ADVENT MEDITATIONS

to remember the Incarnation of the LORD JESUS CHRIST,

EMMANUEL ~  GOD with us.

But as many as received HIM+,

to them gave HE+ power

Authority

Literal Greek: exousian

to become the sons* of GOD,

*children, not "sons"

Tekna ( children ) is in the Greek Text,  not huious (sons). The Greek Text has no variants listed for John 1:12. ( In other words, tekna is there in all manuscripts, according to Nestle-Aland's 26th Edition. It should have been translated as "children." )

even to them that believe on His+ Name:

Which were born,

not of blood,

nor of the will of the flesh,

nor of the will of man, but of GOD.

John 1:12-13

+  +  +

To become children of the Most High is an amazing feat for the human race. 

Our fallen human race has lost its original standing with GOD through the filthiness of sin, following the world, the flesh , and the devil.  We follow the lusts of the flesh, lusts of the eye, and the pride of life as soon as we be born . 

Notice: we never have to teach youngsters to pout, to demand their way, to be resistant to correction.  It comes naturally. It rides right along with them, embedded in their Adamic nature.

But as many as received HIM+,

to them gave HE+ power

Authority

Literal Greek: exousian

to become the sons of GOD,

children, not "sons"

Literal Greek: tekna, not huious

even to them that believe on His+ Name:

As children of GOD, we have a standing, a position, with Our FATHER Who art in Heaven.  We have a position, a standing, with Our LORD JESUS CHRIST Who+ came to loosen us from the grip of the satan. That is why HE+ was born in the flesh.

First of all . . .

it is our bounden DUTY to acknowledge that HE+ is the FIRST and FINAL AUTHORITY over our lives. 

HE+ has the right to tell us what to do.  HE+ has the right to tell us to correct our attitudes and re-direct our thoughts. HE+ has the right to insist that we change.

If we reject His+ Right to correct us, then we become illegitimate children who have no right to the inheritance.  If fact, we are not even acknowledged as belonging to the family !

Furthermore, HE+ has His+ bounden duty toward us, also.

His+ duty is to bring swift and uncomfortable CONSEQUENCES if we do not the things HE+ says !

YES, indeed, the very Words of CHRIST which we IGNORE will judge us, in the end. ( John 12:48 ) .

To become the children of GOD . . .

If we receive His+ LORDSHIP over our lives, as good children, then we have already been given  spiritual authority to be UN-HINDERED in becoming like our LORD JESUS CHRIST.

What is HINDERING us 
from doing this ?

+  +  +

Let Us Pray:

Dear Heavenly FATHER, to Whom all hearts are open, all desires known, and from Whom no secrets are hidden . . .  

Alas, I see that I have been hindering YOU from changing me in depth, as much as YOU want to change me. 

O LORD, I want the privileges of being Your child, but I flee from deep, life-changing correction.

I ignore Your SON'S+ re-direction of my life. I pursue my temporal values that I have been trained in . . . decent and conservative . . . yet worldly. I confess to serving Self in these pursuits.

I retain my will and ask YOU+ to bless it because I am "Your+ child."

Like an indulgent, spoiled child, I pout when YOU+ block my way. I refuse to be thankful when YOU+ stop me. 

I refuse to change my manner of jocular interaction, maintaining it is not "foolish jesting," and I cast off all attempts at sobriety.

I know Your+ Holy SON+ JESUS CHRIST did not save me --- clean me and make me whole --- so that I could re-enter the world and pursue it with confidence, this time.

No,  HE+ came to save me from my Self.

Forgive me , O LORD, for hindering Your Saving Work in my heart.

Help me to return to my rightful position; I will receive Your SON+ JESUS as the Corrector+ of my Self and all its pursuits to make me “happy.”  

This I pray in the Name of JESUS Who+ was born that I might be born into the Kingdom of GOD.

 Amen.

+  +  +

Come  unto ME+,

all ye that labor and are heavy laden,

and I+ will give you rest.

Take  My+ yoke upon you, and learn of ME+;

for I+ am meek and lowly in heart:

and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

For My+ yoke is easy, and My+ burden is light.

Matthew 11:28-30