The Difference Between Jesus and The Rest of Us
I thought it might be good to "camp out" on this idea for a bit. There are many things in the Bible that I think "hurt our brains" if we dwell on them - so we just move on - accepting them as true. One of those things is the deity of Christ and our adoption as sons as daughters of God by faith.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. - John 1:1-4
Jesus, the only Son of God, existed from the beginning. The beginning of what? Eternity. Does eternity have a starting point? Uh - no. That is a hard idea for our mortal minds to wrap around. There was a beginning for mankind. A starting point in eternity that can be looked back to as a reference for our existence.
Jesus was begotten - not made.
What God begets is God; just as what man begets is man. What God creates is not God, just as what man creates is not man.
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. - 2 Corinthians 5:17
C.S. Lewis explained begetting is of the same being with the Father. “When you beget, you beget something of the same kind as yourself,” Lewis explains. “A man begets human babies, a beaver begets little beavers and a bird begets eggs which turn into little birds.
When we are born again - we are given a spiritual nature and are adopted into the family of God - but we are not the same as God - Jesus - or the Spirit. We are still God's creation and have eternal life through God's provision and the willing sacrifice of the Son who is part of the Godhead. We will never be part of the God head. We were not begotten by the Father - we were adopted by the Father and given a spiritual nature by faith. We are not a blood relative if you will.
For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. - Romans 8:29
If I am adopted into a family today, there is a legal transaction that makes me part of the family. So I am in a family but not by natural birth. BTW, the adoption process has a cost - in the case of my adoption into God's family, it cost the sacrifice of His one and only begotten Son. John 3:16
Jesus said to Nicodemus (I seem to be quoting this a lot lately!)
Jesus answered him [Nicodemus], “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?” Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. - John 3:3-6
All of mankind are not the children of God - but are God's creation. We were made by God and not begotten of God.
[God the Father] predestined us [his creation] for adoption to himself as sons [and daughters] through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. - Ephesians 1:5-6
Therefore - as I understand it - there is a difference between me and Jesus - Jesus is that natural Son of God - begotten - not made. Where I am God's adopted son making Jesus my brother through the adoption - made spiritually alive by the Spirit of God and redeemed by faith in Jesus- which is a new birth - part of the adoption - which is sealed by the Spirit.
See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. - 1 John 3:1
Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory.
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