Systematic Theology
Man as a son of God
Advertisements
The pervasive biblical model of man’s relationship to God is that of sonship. In Luke’s genealogy, Adam is “the son of God” (Luke 3:38). Scripture sometimes describes angels (Job 1:6; 2:1; 38:7; Dan. 3:25–18) and human kings (Gen. 6:2, 4) as sons of God. Israel is the son of God (Deut. 1:31; 8:5; Hosea 1:10).
Jesus is the eternal Son, the Son who inherits his Father’s throne (Matt. 14:33; 16:16; 27:54; and often elsewhere—see chapter 21). In and through Christ, believers are redeemed from sin to become children of God (Rom. 8:14,16,19; Gal. 4:1-6; Phil. 2:15; Heb. 12:7; 1 John 3:1-2).
Man as a son of God
The content of filiation is very similar to that of the image. The son resembles his father as the image resembles what it reflects. In the Hebrew language, to say that someone is “son of” something is to say that he has the same characteristics.
In Mark 3:17, Jesus calls his disciples James and John “sons of thunder,” perhaps suggesting a noisy, violent spirit.
Barnabas (Acts 4:36) means “son of encouragement,” which suggests a caring and comforting character. So a son of God is someone who is like God, who is God.
Evidently, there are many ways to be like God.
The likeness that angels have to God,20 though true, is not the same likeness that human kings, or Israel, or the NT saints, or Jesus have to him.
We have also seen that man’s position as the image of God gives him an authority subordinate to God. Sonship also implies regal qualities. Like kings, God’s sons have power, authority, and presence within his domain.
Final Considerations
Thus, God describes the church as “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession” (1 Pet. 2:9, reflecting the language used regarding Israel in Exod. 19:6).
The biblical story as the story of God's covenants, God's kingdom, and God's family. It can be told through the figures of the image and the son. We have seen that God made man to be his covenant servant, his vassal king, and his son within his family.
Consequently, the three biblical stories come together as the story of God's relationship with man, the highest of his creatures.
