Category Archives: Son

Four people, including a yellow furry character, stand at a bus stop beside a red double-decker bus.
Bible, Different, Hebrews, Holy, Messiah, Scripture, Son

THERE’S A DIFFERENCE

HEBREWS 1:5

“For to which of the angels did He ever say, ‘YOU ARE MY SON, TODAY I HAVE FATHERED YOU’? And again, ‘I WILL BE A FATHER TO HIM AND HE WILL BE A SON TO ME’?”

When my children were little, they used to watch Sesame Street. This was long before the show got woke on us. One of the regular parts of the show was “One of these things is not like the other.” Do you remember that? They would have three or four items on the screen, one of which was different than the other three. It helped children identify different objects and similar objects. That’s a great learning tool, isn’t it?

We are basically told in today’s verse that Jesus is not like the other heavenly beings. The writer quotes from Psalm 2:7 and 2 Samuel 7:14. We’ll look at those below in just a minute. These are but two of the 35 direct Old Testament quotations we will find throughout the book. In addition, there are around 30-34 allusions to the Old Testament. Whoever this writer is, we can be assured they had a keen knowledge of the Old Testament.

ASK QUESTIONS (Command to Obey, Promise to claim, Sin to avoid, Application to make, Something new about God)

There is Something new about God in this first quotation from Psalm 2:7. In this passage God is declaring that His Anointed will be the One to reign. Look at this passage in context (verses 6-8). “6‘But as for Me, I have installed My King upon Zion, My holy mountain.” 7 ‘I will announce the decree of the LORD: He said to Me, “You are My Son, today I have fathered You. 8 Ask it of Me, and I will certainly give the nations as Your inheritance, and the ends of the earth as Your possession.”’” That’s our Jesus. He is the Anointed One, high above any angelic being.

In the 2 Samuel 7:14 quotation the writer uses God’s covenant with David to point to Jesus. He was in the line of David, was He not? He is the Lion of Judah, right? Here too we see Something new about God. We know Jesus existed long before David came on his throne. But because of this covenant with David, God used his lineage to bring forth the Messiah. No angel was chosen for this task. Only His Son could provide the sacrifice.

Let me ask you a question. Do you stand out from the crowd because of your faith? Would anyone be able to pick you out of the mass of humanity as someone who walks with Jesus daily? We are in the world but not of it. If we appeared in that segment on Sesame Street, what would distinguish us from others? Carry Jesus with you everywhere you go and let Him show others you are different.

Thank You, God, for making me a new creation. My old self has fallen away. I want to stand out in the crowd for my faith.

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Notebook reading “Baby Names We Love:” with boys’ and girls’ names, hearts, stars, and crossed-out entries.
Bible, Excellence, Hebrews, Names, Praise, Scripture, Son

A MORE EXCELLENT NAME

HEBREWS 1:4

“having become so much better than the angels, to the extent that He has inherited a more excellent name than they.”

Names are important. What you decide to name your children will be with them the rest of their lives unless they decide to change it. When my wife and I named our children, we had a list of a few we liked but eventually settled on Christopher Carl and Casey Christine. They both carry our names. I was named for my two grandfathers whom I never met. They both died before I was born. But I am proud to carry their names.

In verse 4 we are told that Jesus had a more excellent name than the angels in that He was the Son of God. No angel could claim that name. There was only one Son – Jesus. Albert Barnes says the name Son “is a more honorable and exalted name than has ever been bestowed on them. It involves more exalted privileges and entitles Him on whom it is bestowed to higher respect and honor than any name ever bestowed on them.”

ASK QUESTIONS (Command to Obey, Promise to claim, Sin to avoid, Application to make, Something new about God)

The only Ask Question I see in today’s verse in Something new about God. I realized that the name given to Jesus (Son of God) is so much more than just a name. It carries with it power and authority that no created being (angels or mankind) could ever hope to attain. Don’t forget what happened to the angel who dared to try to make himself equal to God. Lucifer will forever burn one day in the lake of fire.

The Topical Lexicon says this about the term “more excellent,” “The adjective underscores an infinite gap between created spirits and the incarnate Lord. His ‘more excellent’ name embodies His eternal deity (Psalm 2:7), messianic kingship (2 Samuel 7:14), and saving authority (Matthew 28:18). By employing the term, the author affirms that no celestial being shares Christ’s redemptive prerogatives, thereby closing the door on any form of angel-veneration.”

What is the name you use to call on Jesus? He is God’s only begotten Son, the Son of God, the Son of Man, the Light of the world, our High Priest, our Advocate, our Savior and Redeemer and our soon and coming King. Let me encourage you today to do a deep dive into the names of Jesus throughout Scripture. One of my favorites is not even in Scripture. He was Mary’s baby! And now we are His children. Hallelujah to the One with the most excellent name.

Lord, Your Son has so many names and titles, but You call Him Son.

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Bible, Holy Spirit, Intercession, Romans, Scripture, Son

ANOTHER INTERCESSOR

ROMANS 8:34

“who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, but rather, was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us.”

One of the joys of my ministry is the privilege to pray for our Every Man a Warrior leaders around the world. Even today I had the privilege to pray with our leader in the Dominican Republic and another in the Philippines. I received thank you emails from another three others in Ghana, Zambia and Ethiopia for praying for them. Intercessory prayer is such a blessing. I pray you are interceding for others.

Back in verse 27 of chapter 8, Paul talked about how the Spirit “intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.” The same word for “intercedes” is used again in today’s verse. I won’t rehash all I said back on verse 27. I refer you to that day’s blog entitled “Bullseye.” The word for “intercedes” means to hit the target. But in today’s verse, the intercessor changes. Now Paul says, “Christ Jesus is He…who also intercedes for us.” That’s double coverage! Wow!

APPLICATION

I like American football. Sometimes the defensive team will put double coverage on a player of the other team to prevent that player from scoring. Double the coverage cuts the chances a lot that the player will catch the ball thrown to him. Listen, the devil is trying to score as he accuses you daily. But since we have both the Spirit and the Son interceding for us, his chances are nil. We just have to trust our intercessors.

Why can Jesus intercede for us? Because, as Paul says in today’s verse, He died for us, was raised for us and now sits right next to the Father. He’s got the Father’s ear. Because the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are One, every time the Spirit intercedes for us, Jesus knows it and also takes that intercession to the Father. The Father is hearing it “in both ears.”

Never doubt that the Father hears your prayers. All through the Psalms and Proverbs we have verses telling us how the Father is listening to our voice. Psalm 5:3 is one of my favorites. “In the morning, O Lord, You will hear my voice; In the morning I will order my prayer to You and eagerly watch.” We pray. We wait. We listen. But God has heard. Never, never doubt that. Satan wants us to doubt. He will accuse God of not listening, but if Satan’s lips are moving, he’s lying. You can bet on that.

I cry out to You, O Lord, and I know Your ears are bent towards me.

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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Bible, Family, Father, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Romans, Scripture, Son

TEAMMATES

ROMANS 8:16

“The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God,”

Two is always stronger than one. The combined strength of two individuals has proven to be stronger than the sum of each person’s individual strength. We call that synergy. I have worked with team for most, if not all, of my ministry career. Some teams were stronger than others. Do you know why? Because in those weaker teams we had some members who didn’t give their all. You have heard it said a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. So true.

Paul reminds us in today’s verse that we are not on this journey alone. The Spirit is front and center in our lives. It is He Who empowers us to live our lives for Christ. It is He through Christ Who guides our thoughts and minds. And it is He Who, if we will allow Him, will keep us from those sinful behaviors that so easily entangle us. We are a team, a heavenly team.

APPLICATION

It’s interesting to me that the only three times the Greek verb summartureó is used in the New Testament, they are used by Paul in this letter to the Romans (2:15; 8:16; 9:1). Check out this one commentary’s remarks on this phrase. “The testimony of our own spirit is borne in that cry of conscious sonship, ‘Abba, Father’; but we are not therein alone; for the Holy Ghost within us, yea, even in that very cry which it is His to draw forth, sets His own distinct seal to ours; and thus, ‘in the mouth of two witnesses’ the thing is established. (Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary)

It is always good to have corroborating witnesses to prove a point. Here we have our spirit and God’s Spirit agreeing that we are children of God. Now, it would be one thing for us to say that on our own. I could claim to be the President of the United States. That claim wouldn’t go very far. If, however, that claim was backed up by the Supreme Court, I may very well be the President (don’t worry, I’m not, lol). Agreement with others carries weight.

This is why we should never, never doubt our sonship with the Father. The Spirit of God says we are. All we have to do is agree with Him. He knows it’s true. Jesus knows it’s true. The Father knows it’s true. Celebrate the fact that you are one with them. As Jesus said, “I am in you.” Believe that and receive it. What a promise. I am given the privilege to call on my Father in heaven whenever I need Him. And He hears. 1 John 5:14 says, “And we have this confidence before Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.” Praise the Lord.

I am forever grateful, Lord, that You have given me the Holy Spirit to corroborate my testimony of being Your son.

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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Bible, Holy Spirit, Inheritance, Reward, Romans, Scripture, Son

SONS AND DAUGHTERS OF GOD

ROMANS 8:14

“For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons and daughters of God.”

I have mentioned my dad a lot in these devotional blogs through the years. I loved my dad. He was a special man. I am proud to be Jack Willis’ son. I have a son. I pray he will be able to say the same about me one day when I am dead and gone. I have a son-in-law who lost his dad last year. I have claimed him as my son, and I hope he is proud to be in our family. Sonship is powerful.

So, when Paul says those “who are being led by the Spirit of God” are His sons, that is a powerful statement. It is not something that he simply writes down in this letter. Remember, every word of the Scriptures is inspired by God (2 Timothy 3:16-17). You will notice the words “and daughters” is italicized. That is because those words are not in the Greek. The Greek word for “sons” can also mean children. So, this applies to males and females.

APPLICATION

This sonship (or daughtership I just made that word up) is predicated by “being led by the Spirit.” John 1:12 says, “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name,…” We have the right to claim this sonship, if we receive and believe. That’s what the Word says.

But “being led” implies obedience. The Greek word for “being led” means movement under authority. Isn’t that cool? We are moving under God’s authority through the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Paul has been talking about this flesh versus Spirit thing for a while now in this letter. This isn’t an easy thing for most of us. We have to give up our rights and yield to His rights over us. I heard it said this way – “When we come to Christ, all our rights are nailed to the cross.” Have you allowed your rights to die on the cross?

Sonship also implies being an heir to the One you call Father. When my father passed, he left an inheritance to his children. We don’t receive an earthly inheritance when we die. But if we are a follower of Christ and are sons and daughters of God, we will receive a heavenly one. (Colossians 3:23-24). How good is that? We will leave all our earthly possessions to someone else, but in its place, we receive an eternal reward. That’s because we are His sons and daughters. Praise the Lord.

I am so thankful that You made me Your son when I accepted Your Son as my Savior and decided to follow Him.

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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Bible, Father, Holy Spirit, Scripture, Son, Trinity

THE ONE

ROMANS 3:30

“since indeed God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith is one.”

When I met my wife back in 1985, I didn’t know she would be the one I would marry just a few months later. We only dated about 2 ½ months before we tied the knot. Through almost forty years of marriage God has shown me time and time again that she is “the one” He had for me. She completes me. She supports me. She truly is my help mate.

Paul uses the Greek word for “one” in today’s verse intentionally. It is not an implied “one.” It is actually in the text. The Topical Lexicon says this about that little Greek word for “one.” “The word translated ‘one’ is woven through the New Testament to denote singularity, uniqueness, unity, or an individual item or person. Its appearances range from everyday enumeration to the loftiest theological affirmations, binding together the Bible’s testimony about God, Christ, salvation, and the church.” This “one” God includes the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. There is no confusion about that in Paul’s mind.

APPLICATION

Back in Deuteronomy 6:4, Moses declares this often quoted phrase. “‘Hear, Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one!’” This phrase meant something then, and it means something now. Our God is the only one God. Just as in the days of the Old Testament, there are hundreds of gods being worshipped around the world. But they are all false gods with no power and no truth. Never forget that.

Isaiah 43:10 tells us something similar. “‘You are My witnesses,’ declares the LORD, ‘And My servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe Me And understand that I am He. Before Me there was no God formed, and there will be none after Me.’”

And then we have Jesus telling us in John 10:30, “‘I and the Father are one.’” In Christian arithmetic we have 1+1+1=1. That makes no sense to our finite minds. It’s no wonder Christians were accused and still are accused of worshipping three gods (the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit). You can study the Trinity until you are blue in the face, but it finally comes down to faith. I believe what the Bible says – period. It says it and that settles it, whether you believe it or not. God is One. And He is God for all who will come to Him and receive His Son and allow His Holy Spirit to indwell them through repentance and faith. I pray you have done that. Encourage someone else today to do the same.

God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit, I thank You that You are the One true God.


If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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