New Teaching Series: Understanding Sonship: The Lamb Before the Foundation of the World

Series Focus: Understanding Sonship Today’s Focus: The Lamb Before the Foundation of the World Scripture: Revelation 3:18; John 1:1-14; John 3:16; Hebrews 6:16-20; Matthew 24:35 Greetings Kingdom Citizens Now we know Jesus as the only Begotten Son of the Father. We also know Jesus as being the Son of God. So what makes us sons of God? I know we hear the phrase used but many do not know what makes us scripturally, sons of God? This is what we plan to look at throughout this series to understand how we are called the sons of God. So let us get a great foundation and pray for revelation on this important issue of the Kingdom. Now, Jesus was here before the foundation of the world. I know that is a large statement. Because some denominations believe the Jesus did not show up until the New Testament and that is farther from the truth. Now to prove this we must be scripturally sound. Let’s read Revelation 13:8! Here we see reference to the book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the World. Now let’s break this down a get some understanding. First, the Lamb! Who is the Lamb? Let’s look at John1:29. John the Baptist made this declaration to the people upon the arrival of Jesus. He called Jesus the Lamb of God, which taketh the away the sin of the world. Now we looked at this scripture to see that Jesus was the perfect sacrificial Lamb for mankind’s sins. No animal can take away the sins of the world according to Hebrew 10:3,4. So, Jesus is referred to as the Lamb of God. But now we have a dilemma! If Jesus is the Lamb of God and he died on the cross for our sins then why was the Lamb slain before the foundation of the world? Now first you have to realize that you have 2 two situations happening but all for the same purpose. One sacrifice happens in the realm of space and time (natural and seen world) and the other happens in the eternal realm. But let’s look at the first sacrifice. Why was the Lamb slain before the foundation of the world, if the Lamb was going to come into the world and die on the cross for our sins? Well we have to remember that God being Father, Son and Holy Ghost all in one is the Alpha and Omega. So He knows the end from the beginning and God knew before He created Adam that mankind would sin against Him. So God made a covenant with Himself. A covenant is the promise of God’s grace and goodness extended to man. The covenant can be found in Hebrews 6:16-20. Now what is unique the first covenant could not be made with man because the Lamb as slain before the world so who did God make the covenant with? Himself. He makes a covenant to have sons and whoever becomes a son of God has a promise that is unmovable as the Word of God. Look at this! In Hebrews 6:17 confirmed it by an oath with Himself to have heirs. This is why God does not want you taking oaths, especially in these sororities, fraternities and secret societies because he knows you can’t keep them. But when God makes an oath, He keeps it. Matthew 24:35 states it best: “Heaven and Earth will pass away but my words will never pass.” So the Lamb (Jesus) was slain before the foundations of the world as a promise of the redemption of mankind back to the Father to be sons of God. Now we know whatever happens in Heaven it also has to happen on Earth. Is there no coincidence that Jesus came to Earth to restore mankind back to sonship with God as Father. See this is why we have to stop making our message end at the cross. Because if it had stopped at the cross then the work is undone but it was not until Jesus gave mankind the Holy Spirit again and made them a new creature so that sonship is restored. Look at John 1. John 1:1-3 talks about the beginning and the how creation was made by God. Now let’s skip to verse 10. He was in the world. Who? Jesus! And the world was made by Him (Jesus) and the world knew Him not. He (Jesus) came unto his own (children and brethren) and his own received Him not. But as many as received him (Jesus) to them gave he (Jesus) power (Holy Spirit) to become sons of God, even to them that believe on His name. This set of scriptures lay out the foundation of how sonship is received. But it was only done by John 3:16. So just as the Lamb was slain before the foundation of the world in the eternal realm, the same Lamb was slain on the cross and the blood was shed for the remission of sins in the natural realm. God made a covenant with Himself to have sons and ensure that every person has the ability to come back in fellowship with the family of God and receive their sonship rights. In the next message we will look at the crucifixion and what it means as it relates to Sonship. At Our Father’s Service, Elder Calvin Calhoun, Jr.