photo #8986261

GOD'S SONS AND DAUGHTERS "Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty." (II Cor. 6:17-18) I received a question regarding this passage and how it seems to teach that one becomes a child of God and remains a child of God by the self effort, or work, of living a separated life. I believe this presents a classic case of standing versus state. The believer's STANDING is that he or she is a SON of God (not a daughter) as a result of being born again through faith in THE Son of God (John 3:1-8; John 1:12-13; I Pet. 1:23). This concerns our RELATIONSHIP, and it is settled and eternally secure, because we have ALREADY been accepted in Christ (Eph. 1:6). We are HID with Christ in God (Col. 3:3) and sealed with the Holy Spirit until the day of redemption (Eph. 4:30). The believer's STATE is TEMPORAL, not eternal, and it deals more with practical FELLOWSHIP than with doctrinal relationship (Php. 4:11; 2:19; Col. 4:7). Paul is saying in II Corinthians 6 that a believer must practice Biblical separation from unbelievers, if he expects to maintain good fellowship with God, much like a son or a daughter would seek good fellowship with his or her parents through willful obedience. The fact that the passage references Old Testament scripture is a clear indication that no doctrinal statement concerning our STANDING in Christ is being made, since NO ONE in the Old Testament enjoyed a standing in Christ as a SON of God and no born-again son of God in the New Testament is called a daughter of God. The passage deals with practical fellowship and nothing more.