Some feel that because pagans might use certain symbols, Christians are prohibited from using them. This, however, is an erroneous conclusion. For instance, some wonder whether true Christians ought to use the symbol of the heart.

In this regard, the following correct answer was given by the Letter Answering Department of the Worldwide Church of God, shortly after the death of its human leader, Herbert W. Armstrong:

“You asked whether there is any biblical prohibition against using the symbol of the heart, since it is often associated with the pagan observance of Valentine’s Day. We should remember that it is God who made the heart. Reference is made to it many times in the Bible. God uses this organ as a SYMBOL of our attitude and thoughts, for example.

“The pagans merely adopted a stylized drawing of a heart as a symbol in their worship, as for Valentine’s Day. In fact, a number of other objects in God’s creation have been treated in a similar manner. But, the misuse of an object by this or that group, even if the people are atheistic, should not prohibit a Christian from putting it to a proper use. Based on this principle, it is not wrong to use the heart shape in jewelry, pillows, or other items.”

The article warns against using it if our conscience prohibits it (compare Romans 14:23). At the same time, we must not try to convince others of “our” individual conscience and persuade them not to engage in a certain course of action which is not prohibited in Scripture. For instance, some are vegetarians or refuse to drink alcohol, even though the Bible clearly shows that it is right and proper to eat clean meat and to consume alcohol in moderation. A vegetarian or someone who rejects alcohol must NEVER try to persuade others to become vegetarians or to refuse alcoholic consumption. (Of course, someone who refuses to drink alcohol would exclude himself from proper observance of the annual Passover service and his partaking of the symbols of bread and wine).

The above-quoted comments regarding the symbol of the heart apply to many additional symbols and courses of conduct. For instance, only because “nominal” Christians and even pagans decorate fir trees around Christmas time would not compel a true Christian to cut down his fir trees in his yard. If a Christian has decorating lights in his back yard all year long, he is not compelled to take them down just because nominal Christians and pagans use them around Christmas time. A Christian is not prohibited from buying and eating eggs around Easter time only because nominal Christians and pagans eat eggs around that time of year. The same is true for so-called Christmas pastry. Of course, it should never be eaten AS Christmas pastry, associated with Christmas celebrations, but the pastry itself is not wrong (neither are eggs around Easter time). Paul explains the underlying principle that for us, there are no idols, so we can eat clean meat that was offered to idols, as long as our conscience does not condemn us for this (1 Corinthians 10:25-28).

There are certain neutral or even meaningful signs which we might use in a positive way. For instance, there is one gesture or symbol which is used in sign language, meaning, I love you. However, some Satanic groups might have misappropriated that gesture or a similar sign for their own devilish purposes. The fact that they do so does not prevent a Christian from using it for the right reasons. The same is true for other signs, meaning victory or peace.

Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong was at one time reluctant to use the word “gospel,” as so many “Christian” groups had misappropriated the word to give it their ungodly and unbiblical spin. But Mr. Armstrong rightly concluded and decided that it was good and proper to use this word, as the Bible uses it, and we must not be concerned about our use of it, even though others are misapplying it.

Some have raised the idea that the Star of David, in the form of a hexagram (the compound of two equilateral triangles) is of Satanic origin. But even though pagans might have misappropriated a hexagram for their own sinister purposes, this does not mean that godly people cannot use it, and that the national symbol of the state of Israel is of Satanic origin.

The website http://www.scoutingresources.org.uk/countries/countries_flags.html states the following regarding the flag of Israel, which incorporates the Star of David:

“Religious symbols make up the flag of the modern State of Israel. The Star of David, its center piece, both leads back to Jewry’s glorious past and points to a Messianic future…”

Others add that the six points refer to the six days of creation, with the Sabbath being represented in the middle. Others claim that it represents the relationship between God and man—the three upward points represent the fact that we look to God for help, and the three downward points show that God is giving us His help.

The website http://www.juedische-allgemeine.de/article/view/id/2805 adds that the ”hexagram” has been discovered in the nation of Judah at least as early as during the time of the Second Temple.

Mr. Armstrong did not consider the Star of David as a symbol which should be avoided. When he met with Jewish representatives regarding planned excavations in Israel, he explained, by wearing and showing his Star of David cufflinks, that he was related to King David.

The same conclusion must be reached about the use of other star-shaped symbols, including a pentagram (a five-pointed star). The Wikipedia Encyclopedia states the following:

“The pentagram was used in ancient times as a Christian symbol… By the mid-19th century a… distinction had developed amongst occultists regarding the pentagram’s orientation. With a single point upwards it depicted spirit presiding over the four elements of matter, and was essentially ‘good’. However, the influential writer Eliphas Levi called it evil whenever the symbol appeared the other way up. ‘A reversed pentagram, with two points projecting upwards, is a symbol of evil and attracts sinister forces because it overturns the proper order of things and demonstrates the triumph of matter over spirit…’”

As we should be able to see, the fact that pagans and occultists attach a particular meaning and human interpretation to certain pre-existing symbols should not compel a Christian to refrain from using these symbols. Otherwise, Christians will soon be prevented from using ANY symbols and signs, because pagans and occultists will undoubtedly misappropriate in time EVERY symbol in existence.

When referring to the pentagram, we should realize that that particular symbol of a star has been used throughout history, including for proper purposes. The website http://www.scoutingresources.org.uk/countries/countries_flags.html states the following about the American flag, which depicts stars in the shape of pentagrams:

“George Washington explained the flag’s features to the people in stirring words. He said: ‘We take the stars from heaven, the red from our mother country, separating it by white stripes, thus showing that we have separated from her, and the white stripes shall go down to posterity representing liberty.’… Several theories have been brought forward as to the origin of the stars… The story is told that in June, 1776, George Washington with two other men called on Betsy Ross, a widowed seamstress renowned for her needlework, at her upholstery shop in Philadelphia. They showed her a rough draft of the suggested flag and inquired whether she could make one. Betsy convinced her callers that it was advisable to use five-pointed stars instead of the proposed six-pointers because these could easily be made by a single clip of the scissors…

“Washington is said to have suggested that the stars should be arranged in a circle, to emphasize the full equality of the states. Actually, there was no definite rule about the arrangement of the stars at first. Earliest samples show a circle of 12 stars, with the 13th occupying the center… Originally it was intended to add a new stripe and star for each state joining the initial 13. By 1818, their number had grown to 20, and it became obvious that the method adopted was impractical. Consequently, Congress resolved to revert to the original 13 stripes, but to indicate the admission of new states by adding a star for each. That procedure has been followed ever since.”

One would be hard-pressed to conclude that Washington and others, who devised the American flag, did so with the desire of using Satanic symbols and with the ultimate ulterior motive of worshipping Satanic forces.

We must realize that God created and maintains or upholds the universe—including the stars and their constellations (Genesis 1:16; Psalm 136:9; 147:4). He used stars as symbols for Joseph’s brothers; for the entire nation of Israel; and also for angels (Genesis 37:9-10; Deuteronomy 10:22; Job 38:4-7; Revelation 1:16-20; 12:1). Both the symbol of the heart and the numerous symbols of stars have been designed to represent what God has created. That Satan and pagans may misuse them (compare Amos 5:26; Acts 7:43), and that fallen angels are also described as stars (Revelation 12:4), does not compel a Christian to avoid using the symbol of a star.

We might also note that the five-shaped star is represented in God’s nature as well, in the world of animals and plants. Therefore, we cannot conclude that the symbol of a five-shaped star is evil per se.

Some may say that Christians should then also be free to use the sign of the cross. However, a fundamental difference exists. Pagans created and used the sign of the cross in their worship ceremonies before it ever played a role in Jewish or Christian thought. In fact, Christ was apparently not even nailed to a cross, but to a stake. There is no example that Christians ever used a cross, even as a symbol, until the time of the pagan emperor Constantine who claimed to have seen a vision of a cross prior to a decisive battle. In any event, even allowing for the idea that Christ died on a T-shaped cross, why would anyone with spiritual understanding use this symbol of murder and death for the purpose of decoration or worship?

But to repeat, the fact that PROPER symbols are misappropriated by pagans and applied to non-godly concepts does not prohibit a Christian from using them for right reasons. For instance, Christ is clearly symbolized as a lion (Revelation 5:5), but so is Satan (1 Peter 5:8). Still, a Christian is free, of course, to use the symbol of a lion. The old seal of the Worldwide Church of God portrayed a lion, a lamb and a little child.

We should also realize that we are told in Numbers 2:2 that God ordered the tribes of Israel to use banners or standards, as well as emblems, to identify each tribe. Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible says:

“…what they were is not easy to say … [the] ancients were used to say, that there was in the standard of Reuben the form of a man, on account of the mandrakes, Genesis 30:14; and in the standard of Judah the form of a lion, because Jacob compared him to one, Genesis 49:9; and in the standard of Ephraim the form of an ox, from the sense of those words, the firstling of his bullock, Deuteronomy 33:17…”

The Jamieson Fausset and Brown Commentary adds:

“Jewish writers say that the standards of the Hebrew tribes were symbols borrowed from the prophetic blessing of Jacob—Judah’s being a lion, Benjamin’s a wolf…” [Genesis 49:3-24].

Barnes’ Notes on the Bible writes:

“Tradition appropriates the four cherubic forms (Ezekiel 1:5-12; Revelation 4:7 ff), the lion, man, ox, and eagle, to the camps of Judah, Reuben, Ephraim, and Dan respectively; and this, as to the first, has a certain support from Genesis 49:9 (compare Revelation 5:5), and as to the third, from Deuteronomy 33:17…”.

Some have suggested that the emblem of Joseph or Ephraim in particular was that of a unicorn (Deuteronomy 33:17 in the Authorized Version); and that Dan’s emblem was that of a serpent or a snake (compare Genesis 49:17).

Whatever they were, it is clear that God did not prohibit the Israelites from using banners and standards with pictures of men and animals. The fact that pagans might have misappropriated the same or similar pictures for their own false worship did not prohibit ancient Israel from using them for a right and proper purpose. The same principle applies for us today.

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

The question of sickness and healing has confused many people. Some don’t believe in godly healing; others claim that given enough faith, God will heal every sickness in this life. Some carry with them feelings of guilt, as they prayed to God for healing and were not healed, concluding that the reason must be their fault and their lack of faith. Some conclude that if we prayed to God for healing “in accordance with” or “subject to” His Will, this would already signify our doubt in God’s intervention. Some say that when Paul asked God for healing (compare 2 Corinthians 12:7-10), Paul did not really have the faith that God would heal him. They make the same argument regarding Elisha (2 Kings 13:14, 20-21), stating that Elisha was not healed because he did not have the faith that he would be healed.

We should be able to see that these conclusions cannot possibly be correct. To suggest that Paul and Elisha did not have enough faith in God’s healing is absolutely wrong. But those ideas show the confusion some people have regarding this often-misunderstood topic of sickness and healing.

It is true, of course, that when we are sick, God commands us to call for the elders of His Church to anoint us with oil—a symbol of God’s Holy Spirit—and to pray for us, and Scripture says that the prayer of faith will “save the sick,” and God will ”raise him up.” And we are also encouraged to pray for one another that we may be healed (James 5:13-16). But how is this passage to be understood, and what all is involved here?

We have prepared a free booklet, titled, “Sickness and Healing—What the Bible Tells Us.” We are going to quote pertinent excerpts in this Q&A, strictly focusing on the question of faith and healing:

“Some say that if we only have enough faith in God to heal, then we have an unconditional promise for healing in each and every case. But… this is not correct. If it were so, why was the apostle Paul not healed? Why were righteous prophets, like Elisha, not healed? …

“God may very well heal in this life, and quickly. Although God may heal people with little or no faith in Him, He generally only does so, if we believe that He can and will heal us. But without faith, there is no reason to think that God will heal us. Christ healed a blind man, saying to him: ‘according to your faith let it be to you’ (Matthew 9:29). He healed the demon-possessed daughter of a Gentile woman when He saw the woman’s faith. He said to her: ‘O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire!’ (Matthew 15:28). He healed a blind man, telling him: ‘Your faith has made you well’ (Luke 18:42). Sarah was healed and received a child, ‘because she judged Him faithful who had promised’ (Hebrews 11:11).

“… this does not mean that if we only have enough faith, we have an absolute unconditional promise that God will heal us immediately. More than faith may be involved. God may decide that it is best for us not to be healed right away. We need to always submit to the will of God, saying, as Christ did in the garden of Gethsemane: ‘O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will… O My Father, if this cup cannot pass away from Me unless I drink it, Your will be done’ (Matthew 26:39, 42). Christ did not doubt God’s power to intervene; likewise, we must never doubt God’s power to heal. Still, Christ was willing to submit to the Father’s will. Christ prayed to the Father, as it says in Mark 14:36: ‘Abba, Father, all things are possible for You. Take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not what I will, but what You will.’”

To interject, we must understand that it may NOT be God’s Will to heal us right away, or completely, or at all, in this life. And there are reasons for that. To argue with and deny this, we are really “tempting” God or better “testing Him severely,” trying to force OUR Will on Him. Some have done this, refusing to take medical help–for instance, an insulin-dependent diabetic refuses to take insulin–“believing” that God would heal the person of diabetes. In some cases, they nearly died, and some did, in fact, die. This is not unconditional faith—it is “foolishness” and unbiblical conduct.

To continue:

“Christ experienced what it was like to suffer in the flesh, so that He could become our merciful High Priest (Hebrews 2:17; 4:14–16; 5:6–8). All of us need to be compassionate and merciful toward others. In going through trials and suffering, including [a prolonged] sickness, we develop empathy for others who are also afflicted with sickness (compare 2 Corinthians 1:3–7). This may be, at times, one of the reasons why God may decide not to heal us right away.”

This is an important observation which we must never overlook when contemplating the issue of sickness and healing. Christ was familiar with sickness (Isaiah 53:3), so that He could become our MERCIFUL High Priest—knowing how it is like to be sick—and we must experience similar occurrences so that we can empathize with those who are sick and become merciful and compassionate people.

Continuing:

“Without faith, however, we have absolutely no guarantee that God will heal us, even though He otherwise might have done it. Notice the following revealing examples: We read that Christ ‘did not do many works’ in Nazareth ‘because of their unbelief’ (Matthew 13:58). We are even told in Mark 6:5–6 that He could not do mighty works there because of their unbelief. If we do not have enough faith in God, then we are to pray and fast in order to GROW in faith. Christ said that given enough faith, ‘nothing will be impossible for you’ (Matthew 17:20). At the same time, He explained to His disciples that they needed to pray and fast MORE in order to be given the kind of faith that was necessary to cast out a powerful demon (verse 21)…

“Faith is necessary for healing, but faith alone is not enough. Our way of life has a great deal to do with whether God may choose to heal us or not. We read in 1 John 3:22: ‘And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight.’ (Compare, too, Matthew 21:22.) If we please God, by keeping His commandments, then we CAN have confidence that God WILL heal us, in HIS time, and when it is BEST for us.”

To summarize at this point, in order to be healed, we need to have faith and we must live lives which are pleasing to God, which includes, keeping His commandments in the letter and in the spirit.

Related to this is another extremely important condition that we must fulfill so that we can look confidently towards healing. We state the following:

“… James says in chapter 5, verses 13–16: ‘Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray… Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.’

“We are being told in James 5:16 that we are to ‘confess [our] trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that [we] may be healed.’ The Greek word for ‘trespass,’ paraptoma, is used in numerous additional passages, for instance in Galatians 6:1; Ephesians 2:1; 2:5; or 2 Corinthians 5:19. It is consistently and correctly translated in the New King James Bible as ‘trespasses’ in those passages. We are told in Colossians 2:13 that God, upon our repentance, forgives us all of our ‘trespasses.’ We are also told that if we forgive men their ‘trespasses,’ our Father will forgive us our ‘trespasses’… [What] we need to confess to our brother or sister, in order to obtain his or her ‘forgiveness,’ are those [trespasses] that we have committed against our brother or our sister. Mark 11:25–26 tells us: ‘And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses.’

“Unresolved problems between brethren might even prevent healing of physical sickness. James 5:16 tells us, ‘Confess your trespasses to one another [with the goal to ‘clear the air’], and pray for one another, THAT you may be healed.’ After all, Christ told Peter to forgive his repenting brother ‘seventy times seven’ (Matthew 18:22). In Peter’s question, the brother had sinned against Peter and had come to him to express to him his sorrow—in other words, to ‘confess’ to Peter his trespass or sin against Peter.

“We also read in Luke 17:3, ‘Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him.’ Notice, too, Matthew 5:23–24, ‘Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First, be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.’

“If we commit a sin or trespass against someone else, resulting in an offense and a problem within our relationship with that other person, we are to ‘confess’ our sin or trespass to that person, asking him or her for forgiveness, with the goal of restoring our relationship…

“The Scripture in James 5:14–16 is a command for us, that if we are sick, we are to ask for God’s true ministers to anoint us with oil [a symbol of God’s Holy Spirit of power] and to pray over us. We have to pray with faith, and we have to repent of our sins, if our sickness is a result of sin. This shows that not every sickness is the result of sin, but sin CAN be the cause of it. Further, we have to repent of our trespasses towards others, and we have to forgive others the trespasses committed against us. Then, we are told, God will heal us if we are sick. He might do it immediately, or within a short while. But then again, He might not do it in this life. He will, however, do it without question at the time of our resurrection. We read that God will raise up the sick person. The word for ‘raise up’ is the same Greek word used when God talks about the resurrection from the dead.

“The connection is clear: IF we fulfill the conditions mentioned in James 5, we WILL be in the resurrection, having had our sins and trespasses forgiven and our sicknesses healed. If, on the other hand, we do NOT repent of our sins AND of our trespasses committed against our brothers and sisters, and if we do not forgive our brothers and sisters their trespasses, we will NOT be in the resurrection, nor will we receive physical healing from God.

“In effect, God is saying: ‘I will raise you up, perhaps right now to honor your faith in Me, but for sure at the time of Christ’s return, IF you have faith in Me and IF you repent of your sins and IF you confess your trespasses to your brother and sister, against whom you have sinned, thereby bringing about reconciliation between the two of you.’ We are not to confess sins against God to others, but if we have wronged another human being, we must go to that person and bring about reconciliation.”

And still, even if we had “perfect” faith and lived a “perfect” life and had brought about perfect reconciliation with our brother and sister, God might STILL NOT heal us in this life from a particular sickness. Why not? Because God might have in mind a superior purpose for us in this life which He deems much more important than our healing from temporary frailties. We state in our booklet:

“If we REALLY love God, then we will have developed such a close relationship with Him that we will understand and accept the fact that God may respond to our plea for healing with the words, ‘Not yet, My child.’ God will make His Will known to us as He did to Christ in the garden, and to Paul, and we will accept it, knowing that God will never do anything that is bad for us. We will understand that ‘all things work together for good to those who love God’ (Romans 8: 28). When Paul understood that God would not heal him from his sickness in this life, he said, ‘Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities… for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong’ (2 Corinthians 12:9–10).

“At the same time, we are not to give up. In Paul’s case, God revealed it very clearly to him, leaving no doubt that He would not heal him. But even Paul asked three times for healing before God made His will known to him. We must, therefore, in faith, continue to pray to God for healing when we are sick, never doubting that He can heal us and that He will do so (compare James 1:6–8), unless important reasons prevent Him from doing so. We must never have the frame of mind, ‘I will ask God for healing, but I’m not sure whether He will heal me, since He might not be able to, or want to.’ Rather, we must be convinced that God WILL heal us, and we must ask Him in faith, while making sure that we do everything we can so that God is not prevented from healing us by our conduct (such as lack of faith, refusal to repent of sin, etc.).”

Christ died for us so that we can have forgiveness of sins. He suffered for us so that we can have healing from our sicknesses. His Sacrifice accomplishes both, and because of it, we can have eternal life in God’s Kingdom. When we are born-again members of the Family of God, we will have a new body… a spiritual body, freed from sickness and decay. Some say that applying God’s promise for healing to the “next life” is insufficient as by then, we do not need healing. But we do. It is not self-evident or to be taken for granted or that God owes it to us that we enter the Kingdom of God with “healthy” bodies. We only will do so because of the Sacrifice of Jesus Christ. And even those who die with sickness in this life and are resurrected in the Second Resurrection as physical beings will be resurrected with healed physical bodies. This fact is not self-evident or to be taken for granted either… it is only going to occur BECAUSE of Christ’s Sacrifice and God’s promise that He will heal our physical infirmities.

To conclude, if we are sick, we are to pray to God for healing and avail ourselves of the privilege of calling for the elders of His Church to anoint us with oil and to pray for us. MANY were healed who did this – some miraculously in an instant. Others did not experience immediate healing, or healing at all in this life, but lack of faith or ungodly living or lack of reconciliation with others did not HAVE to be the reason. We must of course make sure that we do our part, and we must then have the unshakable confidence and trust that God WILL heal us—in HIS due time—never questioning Him, and never trying to ”force” Him to do what WE want Him to do, even though it would not be in our best interest and might even prevent us from entering His Kingdom. We might not fully understand all the reasons why someone is not healed right away or at all… but we MUST have the absolute faith and conviction that God knows everything; that He can do everything; and that He will do everything that we ask… in His due time and subject to His Will.

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

It is absolutely correct that Jesus Christ is referred to, in English translations of the Bible, as the “only begotten” Son of God.

We read in John 1:17-18:

“For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.”

This passage addresses the fact that Jesus Christ came to reveal the Father and the spiritual intent of the law, and that He made forgiveness of sin possible. He is referred to as the “only begotten Son” (some translate, the only begotten God), being in the “bosom” of God the Father, thereby showing the intimate and close relationship between the two members of the God Family.

In John 3:16, a similar statement is made:

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

We can only obtain salvation and eternal life through Jesus Christ—the “only begotten Son”—and as one initial step, we must believe in His Sacrifice. But His death does not save us; we will be saved by His Life which He lives in us through the Holy Spirit.

And so, we read in 1 John 4:9:

“In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him.”

On the other hand, converted Christians are also referred to as God’s begotten sons and daughters and His begotten children; and Christ is called the firstborn among many brethren. When we receive God’s Holy Spirit, we are begotten children of God; and when we are changed to immortal Spirit beings at the time of Christ’s return, we become God’s born again children. Likewise, when Jesus Christ was resurrected from the dead, He became the first-BORN Son of God.

We read in John 1:12-13:

“But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name; who were born [begotten], not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.”

God must call us; it has nothing to do with our will to be called. And when we respond and “receive” the truth, we can become begotten children of God at the time of our baptism, when we receive the Holy Spirit. In the passage above, the term “begotten” should be used. The Greek word is “gennao” and can mean “begotten” or “born,” and it can even describe the process from begettal to birth.

In Galatians 4:4-7, this development is further explained:

“But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, ‘Abba, Father!’ Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.”

Christ never sinned. He became a Man—fully flesh—to overcome sin in the flesh and to die for us, paying the penalty for our sins. We were under the law—its penalty—and so He was placed under the penalty of the law to make our redemption possible. We can receive God’s Holy Spirit and become sons and daughters of God—first begotten children and finally born again children. The term “adoption” is an incorrect rendering—the better translation is “sonship.”

Paul elaborates in Romans 8:14-23:

“For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption [better: sonship] by whom [which] we cry out, ‘Abba, Father.’ The Spirit [itself] bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together… For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God… because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God… we who have the firstfruits of the Spirit [are] eagerly waiting for the adoption [sonship], the redemption of our body.”

As converted Christians in whom God’s Spirit dwells, we are begotten sons and daughters of God. We have already obtained sonship—we are already God’s (begotten) sons. But when we are changed into Spirit beings, we will obtain the full sonship of immortal born again God beings in God’s Family, as we are told in 1 John 3:1-2.

There is a fundamental difference between Jesus Christ, the “only” begotten Son of God, and converted Christians, who are also called begotten sons of God. Christ has always existed; there was never a time when He did not exist. Since all eternity, He was the second member of the God Family—the Word or Logos, the Spokesman of God the Father, as John 1:1 explains. He was always the Son, as God was always the Father.

But when Christ became a human being as the “only begotten” of the Father (John 1:14), He became a BEGOTTEN Son of God IN THE FLESH. While we—flesh and blood human beings—become begotten children of God through the gift of the Holy Spirit in us, Christ—the immortal God being—became FLESH and the begotten Son of God through the miracle of transformation from Spirit to flesh. He was the ONLY Personage who was EVER begotten in this way, and in that sense, He was the only SO begotten Son of God. We also read that since His conception as a human being in Mary’s womb, He had God the Father’s Holy Spirit within Him without measure.

Notice how Christ’s miraculous transformation and begettal took place.

We read in Matthew 1:18-25:

“Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit… an angel of the Lord appeared to [Joseph] in a dream, saying, ‘…that which is conceived [literally: begotten] in [Mary] is of the Holy Spirit. And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS [Savior], for He will SAVE His people from their sins.’ So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, ‘Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,’ which is translated, ‘God with us.’”

A parallel account of the announcement of the virgin birth can be found in Luke 1:26-38. Notice especially the angel’s saying in verses 31-32, 35: “And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest… The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.”

No other human being was conceived and begotten in this way, and therefore, Christ IS the only begotten Son of God in that sense. But Christ is also the firstborn among many brethren, and converted Christians are also begotten sons of God. To emphasize the distinction between Christ’s “begettal” and our “begettal,” we referred to Christ as the only SO begotten Son of God, indicating that while others will also be called begotten sons of God, their “begettal” does not occur in the same way and does not describe the same process as Christ’s begettal did.

Lead Writer: Norbert Link