But when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth his son.
So by the way, he's already the son, made of a woman, made under the law.
It's not saying once he's made of a woman, he becomes a son, because he's already the
son when he's sent.
It's saying God the son took on human form, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem
them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.
The adoption of sons.
The Bible says that when we get saved, we get adopted into God's family.
We are not born children of God.
We're not born with the nature of God.
Bible says we must be adopted into God's family.
And when we get saved, what takes place is we are adopted into God's family.
Now I want to give this to you as an illustration.
I'm going to have Zion come up here now, right?
And I want to illustrate the difference between how we're children of God and how Jesus is
the son of God.
So we're going to stand up here so everybody can see.
And so let's say, for example, that I adopted Zion today.
Okay, now I did not ask for, I asked Mark for approval to have him as an example.
I did not ask if I could adopt your son, okay?
We already have three young kids, I'm not looking to adopt a fourth, okay?
But let's say I adopted Zion as my son today, okay?
How old are you, Zion?
Fifteen.
That would mean he spent the first 15 years of his life not being my child, right?
When you look at Zion and you look at me, do you see a strong resemblance?
No.
You say, why?
Because I didn't begat him.
He's not my child genetically or biologically or by nature.
If I adopted him as my son, he spent the first 15 years not being my son, and he does
not genetically have my nature.
He does not biologically have my nature.
He does not have my blood running into him.
Why?
Because he's not biologically my child.
I just adopted him as my child, right?
Now that's fine.
I appreciate it.
Thank you.
So that's all I need you for, okay?
But see, here's what I'm saying.
If I adopted him as my son, he doesn't by nature just turn into me genetically, by nature,
biologically.
Why?
Because he's not by birth my son.
I just adopted him as my son.
Now I'm going to have Zeph and Christabel come up here now, and I want to show you the
difference here.
All right, Zeph, Christabel.
All right.
They're excited.
Good job, Zeph.
Come on.
Where's Christabel?
All right.
We got the little guy here.
Where's Christabel?
Is she shy?
Ah, she's asleep.
No excuses.
No, I'm just kidding.
I begat Zeph, right?
If you look at Zeph, you can see a resemblance to me.
Obviously you can see a resemblance to my wife as well, but you can see a resemblance.
If you had never met, like let's say somebody was a first time visitor, an online listener,
and they came and they don't know what my children look like, they could look at him
and think, hey, that might be brother Stuckey's son.
Why?
Because you can see the resemblance.
Why?
Because genetically, biologically, by nature, he's my son.
Let me ask you a question.
Has there ever been a second in his life that he was not my son?
No.
Since the moment of conception, he has been my child.
Nothing could ever change that.
I mean, a child could say, you know what?
I hate you.
I'm running away from home.
They are still, by nature, your son.
I could pass away one day.
He is still, by nature, my son.
Nothing could ever change that.
Right?
All right.
You can go back to mom.
Good job, Zeph.
When we get saved, we are adopted into God's family.
How's that different from begetting a child?
Well, here's the thing.
People that support oneness, what they'll say is, well, if someone's begotten, there
has to be a moment of time where that takes place.
Is that the comparison God's making?
Here's what I'm saying.
If you beget someone as a child, there's never a single second of their existence where they're
not your child.
And here's the thing.
People that believe in oneness say that Jesus Christ is from the beginning, just not as
the son.
That's not possible by the very word begotten.
I mean, if it says only begotten, that means the entire existence of Jesus Christ, he has
been the son of God.
It can't be otherwise because he's begotten.
And it means by nature, genetically, he is part of God.
You say, well, Brother Stuckey, when did that take place?
Eternally.
Because by nature, he is the son of God.
And that can't be changed.
When you're using the phrase begotten, it means the one that you begot has your very
nature and that will never be changed.
And their entire existence, they are your son.
People that believe in oneness, what they say is, well, Jesus was around at the beginning
as a book with words.
And then he became the son at the virgin birth, then at the resurrection, he turned into the
Holy Ghost.
I mean, that's like one of the sci-fi movies you watch.
I mean, this is ridiculous.
I remember being a kid, there's that Terminator movie, he touched something and he turned
into another form.
That's what they're teaching about God.
That's not God.
God by nature is the three in one.
Now, turn your Bible to Revelation 13.
Revelation 13.
So what does it mean by the only begotten?
It means exactly what you would think it would mean spiritually, not physically in terms
of begetting.
It means Jesus is the only begotten son, he's the only son of God that has the very nature
of God.
That's what it's saying.
See, there's a lot of adopted sons.
What the Bible is saying is, hey, you know what?
When you got saved, you had to be born again.
You had to be adopted into God's family.
Jesus never had to be born again.
He didn't have to get adopted into God's family because he is the son of God by nature from
eternity past.
That is the comparison the Bible's making.
We have to become a child of God.
Why?
Because we're not born children of God.
Right?
If I adopted Zion, I had to adopt him for him to become my son because I did not beget
him.
But see, Jesus Christ is the only begotten son.