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Can You Stand Alone

Kind After Kind

    There’s a Godly principle that we see very early on in the scriptures – life begets life.  Or, as we often say, kind begets kind.  Genesis specifically shows that like kind begets like kind.  This principle is applicable to all living things – to the grass, to the fruit trees, to the fish and everything we read of in Genesis 1:24.  “And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so.”

    God created man-kindHe made them, man and woman, capable of reproducing their species, their kind, only as an embryonic step in His plan to reproduce Himself, the God-kind.  God is in the process of reproducing Himself by creating children who are a part of His Family – the Family of God.  In order for man to make that great leap, from man-kind to God-kind, God gives baptized Christians of His life – His Spirit, making us His Godly children.  “Even now, we are the children of God.” (1 John 3:2)

This inconceivable truth is lost on the world.  They think “children of God” is a platitude meaning simply that God created us.  They cannot grasp the awe-inspiring reality expressed in these words; that our mere humanity is being transformed into God-like-ness.   When a human being undergoes the Christian conversion process, he enters a transformation from temporary, mortal life to eternal God Life.

    Paul explained how the change in kind, from man-kind to God-kind, takes place.  “As many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God… you have received the Spirit of sonship [sons of God], whereby we cry, Abba, Father.   The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God.”  (Romans 8:14-16)

    God does not give His Spirit to everyone.  At this time, the promise of the Father (Luke 24:49, Acts 1:14, Acts 2:1-4) is given only to those who are called by the Father.  Jesus said, “No one can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father.”  (John 6:65)

    God’s Holy Spirit is given only to those who are repentant, have faith in Jesus Christ as their personal Savior, and are baptized.   God’s Spirit is the gift of God unto eternal life (Romans 6:23).

    In the same way that destruction followed the angelic rebellion, destruction also followed the sin of Adam and Eve.  They were thrust from the Garden of Eden.  When Adam sinned, it constituted the foundation of this present evil world.  The plan of God had a setback.  It came at great cost; God the Father would have to give up His Son, and Jesus would have to die to restore order and once again give man access to eternal life.  “… the Lamb [Jesus] slain from the foundation of the world.”  (Revelation 13:8)   “[Jesus] Who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father.”  (Galatians 1:4)

Chapter 3: God's Gifts


Teach Us To Pray