We Become Children of God to Grow unto New Jerusalem
God in Christ is life, the divine, eternal life. In resurrection He became the life-giving Spirit (1 Cor. 15:45) to impart this life into us. Through this age and the kingdom age this life brings forth and 
builds up New Jerusalem, God’s eternal goal.
John 1:12, “as many as received Him, to them He gave the authority to become children of God, to those who believe into His name, who were begotten…of God.” This is our receiving Christ to be born of God as His children. “The Spirit Himself witnesses with our spirit that we are children of God” (Rom. 8:16).
By our receiving Him as our life, He is able to move onward to His goal, His heart’s desire, with us. This life grows and spreads in us to constitute us with the essence of New Jerusalem, the city of life.
To become children of God is wonderful. First John 3:1 declares, “Behold what manner of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and we are.” Yet we need to grow. First John warns us, “little children, abide in Him, so that if He is manifested, we may have boldness and not be put to shame from Him at His coming.”
To abide in Him is to live by the divine life we received, not by our natural life. At present we must exercise to do this but by the time of New Jerusalem all hindrances will have been removed and we will abide in Him one hundred percent.
Posted by Don on March 18, 2022
