Lord's Day 13 in the Catechism as we look at the question of Christ as the Son of God versus us as children of God. So let us read together questions and answers 33 and 34 of the Heidelberg Catechism. Why is he called God's only begotten Son, since we also are the children of God? Because Christ alone is the eternal, natural Son of God, but we are children of God by adoption, through grace, for His sake. Why do you call Him our Lord? because not with silver or gold, but with his precious blood, he has redeemed and purchased us, body and soul, from sin and from all the power of the devil, to be his own. So brothers and sisters, what is the difference between the sonship of Christ and our being sons and daughters of God. The Bible uses that terminology. And sadly, people get confused. The Bible uses the language of only begotten Son. One and only. There's so many different ways of trying to bring that picture out. Different translations. But the Bible is being very clear to us that Christ is of the same nature as the Father. We have a different nature. We are created. We are creaturely. And we are children of God by adoption, which is nonetheless awesome and amazing. But it does not make us into gods. And sadly, there are people who push that direction in these ideas. And we have to see what the Scripture says about it. So 1 John 1 verse 14, And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. Christ is, that Jesus is, the Word made flesh, the promises of the Old Testament, made flesh, and dwelt among us. Those who walked around with Jesus could tell that there was something different. It wasn't a halo. In fact, the Bible tells us, and we're gonna read that a little bit later in Isaiah 53, he had no form or comeliness that we should desire him. It wasn't, I've heard people say to me, oh Jesus was the most beautiful man who ever lived. The Bible says quite the opposite. He was ugly. He had nothing that we would desire Him. But brothers and sisters, God, the second person of the Trinity, as we've said earlier already in the service, reminded that The triune God exists before all time. And that second person of the Trinity, the Son of whom the Bible gives us one major distinction, that He is begotten of the Father. That He, in the Trinity, and our brains don't get around that, but that's the description that God gives to us. That He is of the same nature as God. But on the other hand, we are children of God by adoption. Reading Romans 8 verses 15 and following. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, Abba Father. The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together. The beauty of that passage right there is that we cry out to God, Abba, Father. We have the same address to the Father that Christ has. Yes, we are of a different nature, but we are joint heirs with Christ because we are adopted. Adoptive children often have that question. Do you love me as much, perhaps, as you would love natural children? Another way for adoptive children, the wonder is, that those parents chose you. Sorry kids, you're stuck with us as parents that have you normally. And we're stuck with you. The beauty of adoption is that parents choose to love that child. And by the way, love those children just as much as they love their true children. But we are adopted by God. That's what 1 John 3, verse 1 tells us. Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God. That we are called and seen as the children of God. By adoption, for the sake of Christ, we are adopted because of Christ, what He has done for us. Well then why do you call Him our Lord? The distinction there comes. Why then would we call Him Lord if we're children of God too from that perspective? Because He purchased us with His blood. 1 Peter 1.18-19 Knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things like silver and gold from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. that we were purchased, that we were saved by the blood of Christ. It was not with silver or gold, but with His precious blood, He has redeemed and purchased us, body and soul, from sin and from all of the power of the devil. 1 Corinthians 6, verse 20, For you were bought with a price, therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's. We were bought from sin and from the devil. We read that in Titus 2.14, who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for himself his own special people, zealous for good works. And so we were purchased with the blood of Christ. We were adopted because of Christ. So why do we call Christ our Lord? First of all, he's God. But second to that, we also need to be reminded that he bought us, he paid for us by the offering of himself in our place. And therefore, we are his. So what an awesome thing to be adopted children of God, to be purchased from sin, from the devil, from the judgment which we deserved, and given eternal life. by our elder brother, by our Lord Jesus Christ, our Savior. Amen.