Becoming Children of God

Adam is not a son of God. Adam was formed from the dust of the Earth. He was created. His body was made as a sculpture out of clay, and his spirit was put there. "And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul." (Genesis 2:7) Adam was not born of man and woman, he was created from Mother Earth. Subsequently, a rib was taken from his side and a woman was made from it. Eve is part of Adam, also created, not born. They are not children of God, but rather of the Earth.

Likewise, we are not children of God in the flesh. As children of Adam and Eve we are also of the dust, of Mother Earth. "For dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return." (Genesis 3:19) 

God has one Son. There is no other. Jesus was born of a woman, Mary, and His Father is God, our Heavenly Father.  Gabriel told Mary, "the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God." (Luke 1:35)  It is essential to know that there is only one Heir to the throne of God -- Jesus Christ.

Adoption
However, one purpose of our existence is to become children of God. We were not born into His family so we must be adopted into it as His children. The entire eighth chapter of Romans is a treatise on the manner of our adoption into the family of Christ. "Ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together." (Romans 8:15-17) The Apostle Paul goes on to explain that belief in, and obedience to, Jesus Christ is the only way to obtain this adoption. He showed us the way. He fulfilled His mission, taking upon Himself all of the justice of the world so that we can choose to be with Him, to be adopted into the family of God.

Those who will not submit to the Word of Christ remain children of the dust, in opposition to God. They cannot enter into His kingdom, but rather have a place outside where there is no glory -- only weeping, wailing, and gnashing of teeth. The mercy and grace of God is to prepare a way for us to become His children.

Becoming a child of God is similar to becoming a child of our earthly parents.  As with the flesh, we must be born into the family of God. This is called being "born again." The first birth is to the family of Adam, receiving the flesh, and the second birth is when we are born to Christ, to become His sons and His daughters.  This birth is entirely our choice to join the family of God -- or not!

Born Again
Those who want to be adopted into the family of Christ have two requirements, as Jesus told Nicodemus, "Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." (John 3:5)

We become the sons of Adam when our body is born of water in the womb, the water breaks, and we come out, receiving our spirit, "the breath of life." Thus, we are born of the water and the spirit. Our re-birth has the same elements.

Baptism is the outward ordinance of being born again. Jesus Himself was baptized, though He did not need to be born again because He already was born into the family of God. Rather, He was baptized to show us the way. "But notwithstanding he being holy, he showeth unto the children of men that, according to the flesh he humbleth himself before the Father, and witnesseth unto the Father that he would be obedient unto him in keeping his commandments." (2 Nephi 31:7) Baptism is the beginning of being born into the family of God.

The next step is to be born of the Spirit. We must have both. If a baby is born of the water, coming out of his mother's womb, but doesn't receive a spirit, it is born dead. There is no life without both the body and the spirit. In the same way, our birth into the family of God also requires that we are baptized in water, and by the Spirit of God. As a metaphor for this, Moses brought the children of Israel through the Red Sea, representing the baptism of water, and then the children of Israel had to go through the River Jordan before they could go into the Promised Land. This represents the spiritual re-birth.

Spiritual Re-birth
The spiritual part of our re-birth happens after three requirements are fulfilled.

1. Faith in the Lord, Jesus Christ.
2. Repentance of all our sins.
3. Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins by one who has the authority.

Once these three are met, the Spirit enters into the heart. It is the Spirit of promise. We have no control over it. It is like the wind to us. First we receive the Gift of the Holy Ghost by one who holds the priesthood authority, then we pray and ask the Father for His Spirit, and God sends the Holy Ghost to change our hearts, to cleanse our souls and make us into children of God. Once we are born of the Spirit, the second birth is complete, and we are born into the family of God, becoming His children, heirs to His Kingdom, the Kingdom of Heaven.

Endure to the end
This is not the end; it is only the beginning. Birth is just entering into our new family and world, from there we need to grow and mature and become like our Father. Like any form of growth, our spiritual development happens over time. Having a right to the Throne, and actually inheriting it are two very different things. We must remain faithful to Him in order to inherit His Kingdom. If we turn from Him we will lose our inheritance because the promise is conditional, depending on our faithfulness. We are on probation. We fulfill the promise only if we endure to the end, when we actually inherit Eternal Life.

 

We are born into this world as the children of Adam, a lost and fallen man, created from dust, having no rights to any kingdom. Our whole family is lost and fallen. However, through our Lord and Savior we can be born again into His family, with rights to the very throne of God, the Kingdom of Heaven. As the Only Begotten Son of the Father Christ is the only One who can help us. If we choose Him to be our Father we are adopted into the family of God. Jesus Christ is the Father of our re-birth, and God is His Father. We can thus become one with God only through Christ, our Redeemer, and our Father. There is no other way.

Love and Choice

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son..." (John 3:16)

God loves the world. That means everyone. This is not about "good" people, it's about everyone. Jesus Christ was sent for everyone to give us a choice. Everyone may be saved by Him. The love of God is manifest in His Son, a gift that is Eternal in its scope, and universal in its application. Nobody is not saved by Christ. Let's discuss Salvation.  There are four distinct forms of Salvation

1. Salvation from physical death.
2. Salvation from suffering for our sins.
3. Salvation from hell.
4. Salvation from damnation.

Each of these is separate, distinct, and are gifts given on different conditions.  As parents give their children different gifts depending on their abilities, we are given the form of salvation for which we are prepared. We prepare ourselves to receive the gifts by submission and growth through making and keeping covenants with God.

Salvation from physical death

Because we are mortal, we all must die, where our spirits and bodies are separated. The body doesn't function without the spirit, and the spirit is powerless without the body. The spirit needs the body, and the body needs the spirit. It is not a happy separation. Three days after His death on the cross, when His lifeless body was laid in a tomb and His spirit was in Heaven, He returned with power and authority to enter into His body and be resurrected. He became immortal, never to be separated again. And, because He was resurrected, every person ever born on the Earth will also follow Him and receive their immortal and complete body to live forever in Eternity. It is a gift. Everyone gets it. The reason all are worthy of it is because we all made a covenant with our Father in Heaven prior to being born on the Earth. Based on this covenant we are given this gift no matter how we live our lives on the Earth.

Salvation from suffering

The power of God is found in His perfect justice. He cannot deny justice its due, or He would cease to be God. We are sinners, and have created pain for ourselves and others. We have been disobedient in many ways, doing our own will instead of God's. Now, we must pay for our crimes through suffering to the full measure all the suffering we have caused to others. As the ripples of water flow out forever when a rock is dropped into a clear lake, the suffering we cause continues to affect others -- generation after generation. There is no end to suffering -- except for one thing. Jesus Christ was innocent, but suffered all the pains of a damned soul in hell. That is unjust. Because He did this, He can plead our case before God. God must be just. Jesus suffered innocently so justice requires that He be compensated. His only desire for compensation is that those who believe on His name be spared from suffering. He stops the ripples. He rights the wrongs. He dries every tear. He heals every wound. We are spared from Eternal torment through His suffering. This requires only that we ask. Even those who go to hell can be spared suffering if they ask Christ for mercy.

Salvation from Hell

Hell is separation, it is emptiness, nothingness, a lack of connection with others. It is being alone for all Eternity. Jesus can save us from this fate through His wonderful Atonement which means to bring together as one. Without the Atonement we are forever doomed to being separate and single with no hope of ever connecting with others. Christ takes us out of Hell, and brings us into Heaven, where we can become a functional body with others. The minimum requirement for this is written, "As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God." (Romans 14:11) Those who are willing to bow the knee to Jesus Christ, and confess His leadership, can enter into Heaven. The three glories of Heaven have different requirements, all of which require bowing to the will of God through His Son, Jesus Christ.

Salvation from damnation

The misunderstood term "damnation" literally means what it sounds like. As a dam holds back water, damnation is to be held back from growing and learning, to be stopped in our progress. Damnation doesn't only apply to hell, though all the souls in hell are damned because they cannot grow, however, it also applies to some places in Heaven.

"Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it." (Matthew 7:14)

Thus, to gain Eternal Life is not the same as salvation from Hell, or going to Heaven. There are many in Heaven, by far the most, who are damned. They are stopped in their progress. They don't move on. They stay just as they are, saved from suffering and hell, having a measure of glory and connection, but not progressing on to receive more.

 

The greatest salvation is given to those who believe in Him.  "...that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3:16).   Only those few who believe in Jesus Christ can receive "eternal life, which gift is the greatest of all the gifts of God." (D&C 14:7). The requirement for Eternal Life is to make and keep all the covenants of the Holy Priesthood, up to and including the covenant of Eternal Marriage, becoming one with your spouse. Only those who follow Jesus all the way without stopping may gain this Exaltation and continue with Him forever.

 

Thus, the love of God is manifest to all, from the greatest to the least, through His Son. I am amazed by His mercy and love. When Jesus said, "Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you," (Matthew 5:44) He included Himself. He is the perfect example of "doing good to those who hate (reject) you" because He saves even His enemies, and offers them all forms of salvation, even Eternal Life. He suffered for the damned souls in hell just as much as those who gain Eternal Life. He sends no one away. 

Condemnation

After Jesus told Nicodemus about how God loved the world, He added:

"For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved." (John 3:17)

Jesus is the Judge of the quick (living) and the dead, He doesn't, however, condemn any of us. Rather, He is the standard by which all are measured. We measure ourselves by Him. If we measure up, we are worthy, prepared, or ready to enter into the Kingdom of God. If we don't, we have another place in Heaven prepared for us. If we refuse a place in Heaven, then we can opt to stay out with Satan and his followers. Jesus does not cast us out nor condemn us to die. Instead, He prepared a place for each to receive our desires. We can have all we want through Him. He allows us to choose Heaven or hell. He doesn't condemn the sinner, but rather offers the means for repentance. He wasn't sent to condemn, but rather to save every one of us to the degree we desire. Because of Him we have a choice.

Mortal life is like a journey through a city, starting in the low areas filled with slums, and progressing on to the mansions in the hills with servants swimming pools.  Our Guide, who owns everything in the city, tells us He will give us a free house anywhere we desire.  We start with a large group, but as we go, people begin to file off where they want to stay.  Some stay in the ghetto; most see a modest neighborhood as desirable; while few press on to the large mansions.  We stay where we are most comfortable.  Each is given the gift he desires.

There is good reason to "stand all amazed at the love Jesus offers me." I can have my desires through Him. He does not condemn, reject, or cast out anyone, but rather saves each one in every way possible. He saves us from death, suffering, hell, and gives those who desire the opportunity for Eternal Life. It doesn't matter who you are or what you have done in the past, by learning of Him and following Him all possibilities are open to you. He loves you and will give you all you desire of Him. It's your choice.