Trumpet Ministries Brothers of Christ
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The fact that the elect have been predestined to be the brothers of Christ, He being the Firstborn among many brothers, brings many concepts to our attention.
For one thing, it tells us we have been truly born of God. Being born again is not a mere figure of speech referring to our adopting the Christian belief system.
It tells us that when the Lord rose from the dead He became the Firstborn of many sons of God. The Lord, the Word, the Christ chose to become human in order that He might raise up an entire company of sons of God. The sons are not as great as He, of course. But make no mistake—God has given birth to them and they indeed are sons of God in the truest sense of the word.
We were not from the beginning, as is true of Jesus Christ. But by the will of God we are coheirs with Him of all the works of God's hands.
"Go tell My brothers I ascend to My Father and your Father; to My God and your God." This is what Jesus said to Mary Magdalene. There are awesome implications in this statement!
One hindrance to our full grasp on the promises of God is an understandable sense of reverence when we are approaching Divinity. We are not God, not as holy as God, and we know this. It is well that we do.
But when our reverence causes us to stagger at the promises of God it becomes a hindrance. The angels understand we have been made in God's image. We can relate to God and one another in a manner impossible to angels. They are not male and female.
We laugh, we cry, we trudge along wearily under the pressures of life. We are dust, and to the dust we return when our feeble frame expires. None of this is true of the angels.
There is no scriptural evidence I know of that angels are capable of love, although they well may be. However, love may be the single most defining characteristic of man. Satan and his followers wish they could love, but love forever is denied them. They exist in hate, corruption, and destruction and inspire people to exist in the same manner.
We have been made in God's image, but to attain to that image fully we have to be born twice—the first time of Adam and the second time of God.
The angels have been reduced (or exalted!) to the role of the servants of Jesus Christ and His brothers. However we are not, as currently is being suggested, to attempt to tell the angels what to do. Jesus Christ alone is the administrator of the Kingdom of God at this time. Whether He chooses to share this administration when He returns remains to be seen.
One of the dangers of our day of increased revelation is presumption! We had better cease trying to do "great things for God" and look to Jesus before we attempt to control the Holy Spirit and the angels!
Therefore Israel will be abandoned until the time when she who is in labor gives birth and the rest of his brothers return to join the Israelites. (Micah 5:3)
Jesus said, "Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet returned to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.'" (John 20:17)
For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. (Romans 8:29)
Both the one who makes men holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers. (Hebrews 2:11)
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