Two things are implied. One is that the Father- hood of God is made accessible to men in Jesus Christ. He is the appointed trysting-place where men are sure to meet their heavenly l<ather. He was lifted up as an ensign (Is ll'"'-): when the nations see Him they know where to seek God. The children of God are scattered on the dark mountains of ignorance, Jesus is the trysting- place where they are gathered at the feet of their heavenly Father (Jn IP-). If men come to Him, they see the Father. The other fact is that Jesus gives men knowledge of the Father by teaching them to live as God's children must live. They must be meek and lowly in heart (cf. Mt 5^'^) ; He
can make them so. They must also learn obedi- ence to the Father's will. He otters to teach them this, saying with marvellous condescension, 'Take my 3'oke upon you, and learn ofme.' Heis wearing the yoke of obedience to the Father, and He finds it ' easy. ' A yoke is made for two. Jesus invites each man desiring to be a son of God to put his shoulder under tlie other end of His own yoke. Then he will walk in step with the great Elder Brother. Thus learning from Jesus, he will become a worthy child of God.
This great word has special significance because it forms a link between the Synoptic teaching and the teaching of Jesus in John's Gospel. There the enjoyment of filial privileges is made to depend upon man's relation to the Son (see especially Jn 519-47 628-10 819. 23-56). The words declaratory of the lo^'e of God in sending the Son to save men are variously assigned to Jesus and to the Evangelist. But even if they are the Evangelist's reflexion upon the words of Jesus, they do no more than sum up the tes ' ' quoted above.
In particular, it may be noted that Jesus claimed kinship with the Father because ' I do always the things that are pleasing to him ' ( Jn 8'''). "f his is in harmony with His reference to men who do the Father's will, as His ' brethren ' (Mt 12**). Men who accept His revelation of God and duty become His brethren ; all these ' brethren ' are related to God as His children. They comport themselves in a befitting manner, which is essenti- ally different from the .self-centred conduct of unregenerate men. This filial demeanour is gained by faith in Jesus as the Saviour. He offers Him- self to men as the Redeemer, through whom they can break away from sin and adopt the filial atti- tude toward God (Mt 23", Jn lO'*' '■^-^).
This conception of the teaching of Jesus on this subject is expressed by the Evangelist John in the striking sentence, ' As many as received him, to them gave he the right to become children of God, even to them that believe on his name : which were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God' (Jn !"•"). Here men are described as becominq children of God by believing on the name of iesus. They attain the dignity by a new birth that is from above. Their natural birth does not make them children of God. Before they stand in this rela- tionship they must receive a Divine energy. This energy is brought to them by the Word made flesh, who offers Himself to the world. Moreover, this reception of Christ is a continuous exercise of faith (tois TTio-Tfuowni'), implying an attitude God- ward that is maintained from day to day.
If an illustration may be permitted, it >vould seem that Jesus represents men as like liobinson Crusoe's first canoe. It was designed to float in the water and was capable of doing so : but it could not get into the sia. So it lay on the shore
like a lo^. Man God, and is capabl with Him. But Ik he must be carried and be launched v Christ is the migli out of death in sin When men believ
■lliiwship >vith (1 iilationship 'f I his destiny,
I I )i\inf love. Jesus 1 who can lift men ilifiu to the Father.
i^ iiiiriiose is fulfilled.
They realize their destiny and become children of God. Then they .spread their sails to the wind of heaven, and have ' life that is life indeed.'
"The .scope of this article does not include the general teaching of lln- Kpi-tli-- on this topic. But a brief reference iim~t 1m- iii:i.|.- lo that trachingin so far as it invohr- a .li-timt r.tiT.Mice to Jesus Christ. In general it may Ik; siiil that the teach- ing of the Epistles reproduces all the main features
CHILIARCH
CHOICE
tirliins I
.losns. Tim children of God arc \\ lite (liiil has come to them by faitli in .lr>n,(hii-i : llnS' ", Gal 2^^ IJn 2=^ 5". This new lit.' iiianilr~ls iivcH in a new moral state befitting' (iod's children ;ind ilwc to the power of Christ: Gal 5'"'-'', Eph 2'"', Col M''"'. In this con- nexion it maybe noted that ('In isti-uis are called 'children of lisht,' who biioic bccoiuiii.n' Christians were ' children of <li~oh.MU.ii.r,'snti'erina' the wrath of God' {Eph -2- :>\ Col ::'). Thus Christ is the Savionr thronnh « horn I ho children of God are re- born and morally lon.w, ,1.