The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-08-25
AT MERIDIAN VI. Il. CHURCH.
Rev. Joshua stansfeId on Ethics of
Divine SOnship."

Divine sOnship."
At the Meridian-street Church yesterday
morning DIR. Joshua stansheId spoke on
THE Dignity and Ethics of Divine Son
ship" He took for his text, John, fiji, "a In
part he said:
Last Sunday morning in speaking upon
the dignity OF divine sOnship, we noted that
the assurance with which this truth is
brought out in the Christian scriptures dill
ferentiates our Christianity from all other
systems Of religion; not. indeed by denying
the worth OF theirs. but by emphasizing this
as climax revelation. We noted that a
basic principle or truth OF all religions and
religious lie was a SubcOnSciOusneSS Of
mans personal relationship to the divine
and that as man developed this conscious
ness was more clearly felt and distinctly
articulated until IL finally found its fullest
Noicing I'm Jesus Christ, the ever-cOnsciOus
Son OF the Father. Herein, indeed is one of
the distinctive glories OF the Christian re-
ng1On, not alone that He revealed the
Father, but he also revealed the sons of
the fatDers ana the believer In Him re-
10tces in that assurance; indeed, in the sub
Sequent experience of the church this be-
came one OF the distinctively New Testa-
ment truths. the dOstrine OF Christian as
surance. We noted further that this COM
Ing into the personal consciousness of our
divine sonship was nothing other or less
tnan the new birth. IL Is the coming into
a personal realization of who and what
we really are. The being born again. born
OF the spirit, born into the higher born of
tOO- cdll IL DIV Whatever will
Is the soul-consciousness of a higher and
better life, and. verify. before men can en-
ter the kingdom, they must be born again
To realize this consciousness we say is
the new birtL. the divine regeneration >
IL Is indeed the Divine Spirit witnessing
with our spirit that we are the children of
God But We should ever remember that
II Is because we are sons that God hath
sent the spirit Of His son into our hearts.
crying. Abba Father The Divine Spirit
does not come 10 make US sons but 10 make
GOV e9for Of -.
tarry long enough 10 urge that we allow no
old theological indOctrinations about sadop-
ton, and our being the children OF God by
adoption, and so forth, rather than being
inherently, naturally and essentially such
To mislead Us at this point. Speaking either
collectively or personally. our sin never un-
made Us or unrelated TO God. We were
We are We shall be forever the children ~
God However sinful. however unworthy
however Tar astray. We are His '0Tspring
ana the greatness OF our fan and the depth
CT our shame j. measured here You meas
urc the awfuincss OF any ruins from the
greatness and grandeur Of that which has
realm, 2mong the children OF God that YOU
have the saddest wrecks OF lie The high
est loss Il the loss OF a human. and tha Z
because ne Is "a son or God BE N noted
further that the awfulness OF our fan and
the greatness % our sin has not distanced
God from us, but in very real sense ha :
brought Him near 10 Us ia the person and
redeemine work OF His son Jesus Chrisf
who came 20 seek and To save Gods own
The burden OF redeeming love in divine rev
citation i 10 bring back that which has
gone astray and 20 restore that which was
lost. Yes, verify we are His offspring
and we are not made the children Of cod
BY adoption but rather we come 10 the
sublime consciousness OF the fact in that
experience.
since last Sunday mornings discourse
1 have read recent and lucid utterance OF
Archdeacon Wilberforce. given in West
minister Cathedral on the 10Th OF last month
he says. It IL necessary TO point out how
an entlre scheme OF erroneous theology has
been bIilt up from the unfortunate selec-
ton OF the English word adoption as a
translation OF the Greek word in the Origi-
nal That word. never used save IN the
Greek Testament. signifies the placing OF
one Who was uncOnsciOusly a son into
the knowledge and fuilness Of his Drivl-
leges. and A. cannot be tortured into the
meaning OF our English word adoption
which Implies the receiving into a family
one who was not a son before and training
and educating him az though he were a son.
IL We're not Gods. God could never make
me His son, and man is Gods son. not be-
cause God adopted him. but because man IA