Posted: 06/23/2014 at 4:39pm | IP Logged

God’s Offspring

By Duane Stewart

2 Peter 1:3-4, “According as His [God’s] divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him that hath called us to glory and virtue; whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises; that by these you might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.”

When speaking of the power of God we must consider just what it is that the word “power” means. It is the Greek word “DUNAMIS” which speaks of “inherent power; the power of reproducing itself.” Thus, the “all things” given us are contained within the Christ seed, with the power to reproduce itself and planted within the receiving man’s spiritual womb, the soul, for but one purpose. That purpose, to manifest life and godliness according to the life from within the seed. Life, as it is in the seed of Christ, pertains to that which is opposite to death. It involves resurrected eternal life, one of God’s greatest gifts. Thus, a people purposed by God to become His holiness as it comes through a life of godliness manifesting His inherent power.

God’s power, as promised to be resident within a people, carries with it the classification of being “divine.” This “divine power”, being resident within receiving man, speaks of a birthing from within, as they become God’s sons. That is, offspring of God to manifest His nature as sons of His nature. Acts 17:28-29, “For in him [Christ] we live, and move, and have our being, as also some of your own poets have said, for we are also His offspring. Therefore, since we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, something shaped by art and man’s devising.” Offspring points to a family, a like kind, race, nation and kindred. A moving beyond the fallen Adamic race into a rebirth, a people called the first fruits man-child of God, manifesting the Christ nature.

This God has promised and with great and precious promises, He enables a people to become “partakers” of the divine nature as they escape the world of lusts. To this, Paul gives witness of a people partaking of the glory that God reveals through them. This “glory” as spoken of here is the Greek word “APOKALUPTO” which has the meaning of “to unveil so as to be visible to the eye.” 1 Peter 5:1, “The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed.” Thus, a first fruits man-child company, the offspring of God comes to their time of revealing, a time when these shall be unveiled to be visible to the eyes of the world. They appear in the release of righteous judgment to bring deliverance, first to the fallen church and then to a sin cursed world. Judgment is that which separates the tares from among God’s people in preparing the bride for her wedding and appearing, an appearing that will establish the kingdom of God upon the earth.

In this purpose, the establishing of God’s kingdom on earth, man’s first step is to enter into a relationship with Jesus Christ. In this relationship, it is necessary for each vessel to begin to think according to the mind of Christ. Phil. 2:5, “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.” The mind of Christ comes forth from the vessel as God’s word brings the necessary changes within the soul. While the fallen soul of man is in all its ways carnal and faithful to its nature, the restored soul is of the nature, the mind of Christ and likewise faithful. The mind of Christ is a thinking process that thinks the thoughts of God. Any carnal doctrine, ritual or philosophy is not acceptable nor allowed to corrupt the simplicity of having a proper understanding relationship between God and your soul (mind). 2 Cor. 11:3, “But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent deceived Eve through his craftiness, so your mind [soul] be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.” Man’s carnal philosophical point of view concerning salvation and the new birth detract from the simplicity of Christ sacrifice. With the cross of Christ being the foundation of Christian living and thinking, the new birth must eventually affect the whole of man, the spirit, soul, and body, becoming the new creation man birthed through the workings of the cross.

The mind of Christ, in relationship with the Father produced the fruitfulness of their relationship. Jesus never responded to the worlds enticements but rather remained obedient to the Father. John 5:19, “… Verily, verily, I say unto you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He seeth the Father do; for what things so ever He doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.” This speaks of the Son submitting His intellect to the Father. John 12:49, “For I have not spoken of my own authority; but the Father who sent me, gave me a command, what I say and what I should speak.” Remember, the established covenant God makes with man is that obedience is better than sacrifice. This kind of obedience separates a people from the law of sacrificing for God’s favor while looking for His approval, to having a relationship of hearing and obeying, moving in the mind that is in Christ Jesus.

Thinking the thoughts of Christ takes away all sense of our own importance while the Holy Spirit produces in us a state of true humility. Man’s own efforts to portray a Christ-like nature falls way short of God’s expectations. The simplicity of man’s salvation only comes when man ceases in living for self, his own will power and importance, to see that God through Christ has supplied all the necessary sacrifice for man’s new birth. That is, a new birth that finally ushers in the glorification of Christ in and through the new born vessel. Remember, being born unto Christ full measure consist of a rebirthing of the whole man, spirit, soul, and body. In this, man falling short within self can test his thinking and his works to find they have no spiritual value. God does not sum up a person’s worth by his thinking, but the way he expresses his thinking in actual life. That is, by his character, his nature. To this, Paul states with this assurance, 1 Cor. 2:2, “For I determine not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.”

Remember, in the beginning man was the federal head of God’s creation on earth, a man that came directly from the hand of God. When God breathed into the formed man, the spirit of God entered into him and became man’s spirit, with man becoming a living soul. Then, as the results of Adams fall, an imparted breathing needs to take place again. This necessary breathing, when received, takes place in the beginning of man’s process for his restoration to his first estate. John 20:22, “And when He [Jesus] had said this, He breathed on them, and said unto them, receive ye the Holy Spirit.” Thus, man could once again, become a “living soul.” The living soul progressively restored brings resurrection into the receiving man as a new creation. This speaks of God’s offspring with a renewed spirit, soul, and body. This restored soul is forming a union between spirit and body according to God’s purpose. This purpose is to bring the immortal, indestructible Spirit of God into its rightful inheritance within man. That is, an immortal, indestructible man complete in spirit, soul, and body manifesting the nature of God. Phil. 3:21, “Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto His glorious body, according to the working whereby He is able even to subdue all things unto Himself.”

Change speaks of more than a forgiveness of mans sins, but change that is more in light of a changing from mans sin nature to the God nature which He manifested through Jesus Christ. Change means, as used in the above scripture, to transform. This change fashions the body of humiliation into that of a glorious body, that is, the body of Christ glory. How, except it is accomplished according to Gods working ability, Gods eternal intention. This speaks in light of becoming a visible expression of an invisible God, His offspring. The fallen man, who has become a god unto himself, he cannot discern nor know these truths of God’s purpose, but with the sanctified ones, separated from this carnal world and its knowledge, they begin to know these truths of God. 1 Cor. 2:12, “Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given us of God.” This is speaking loudly of the new nature of the sons of God, which know their rebirthing from within.

A new creation man, an offspring of God that now has the rights of God’s family. This new creation vessel is one who, now united as one with the Christ who has returned to His original position with the Father. John 17:5, “And now, O Father, glorify me together with your own self with the glory which I had with you before the world was.” As the flesh-man Jesus was God’s Son revealing unto men what God is like and revealing what restored man is to be like, in God’s image and likeness. In this purpose, Jesus continued in His prayer, John 17:22, “And the glory which you gave me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one.” Thus, God’s family in becoming His offspring speaks of every receiving man coming forth in God’s prescribed order to fulfill His eternal purpose. A people in spirit, soul, and body glorified that they might glorify the Father.

This promised glory speaks of a transformation that is the results of receiving the mind of Christ. This thinking mind is a soul that influences the vessel in looking upon and desiring the transforming power of God as He finishes His work in them. 2 Cor. 3:18, “But we all with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.” Paul, in agreement, as he wrote these words in Rom. 12:2, “We are to be transformed by the renewing of your mind…” No longer controlled by carnal religious rites and doctrines, but renewed by the power of the Holy Spirit to take on the mind of Christ. God’s offspring are now standing with Him in His order of transfiguration. After God’s last 6000 years, His sixth day presence has come, His remnant now knows their time of ascension is come to be with Him in His place of glory. A glory manifesting in the transformation of their whole being, to express the fullness of God’s eternal purpose, a family of sons who are manifesting all their God given family rights.

Matt. 17:1-2, “Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother [represents the remnant first fruits], led them upon a high mountain by themselves; and He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light.” This transfiguration projects a transformed people, those who have changed into the new condition of living a God-like life. This promise is a promise available to all who believe and receive. This, our day, is the time for this appearing of Christ through His first fruits sons who now become His glory in the earth, God’s offspring.

Duane Stewart