It does NOT say, "for as many as react to difficult situations, these are sons of God."
Greek--TEKNON = Son = One who is a son by mere fact of birth = baby or immature son = John 1:12
Greek -- HUIOS = Son = One who can be identified as a son because he displays the character or characteristics of his parents = mature son = Romans 8:14
It is the mature sons who are led by the Spirit of God.
Immature Christians are less likely to follow the leading of the Spirit of God. Most often they react or respond emotionally or intellectually to circumstances the face. They have not yet learned to act only on the Spirit of God's leading.
We grow in character through obeying the council of the word of God in the midst of suffering.
"Though He (Jesus) was a son ( huios), yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered" Hebrews 5:8
Physical growth is a function of time. No two-year-old child has it ever been 6 feet tall. Intellectual growth is a function of learning. Spiritual growth is a function of neither time nor learning, but it is a function of a obedience.
"Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin." 1 Peter 4:1
A person who has ceased from sin is a perfectly obedient child of God. He is mature. He chooses God's ways, not his own. Just as Jesus learned obedience by the things he suffered, we learn obedience by the difficult circumstances we face. When we obey the word of God that is spoken by the Holy Spirit, we will grow and mature in the times of conflict and suffering. Our knowledge of Scripture is not the key. Obedience is.
Disobedience is one reason why we have people in the church who have been Christians for 20 years, and who can quote verses and chapters of the Bible, and have heard 1000 sermons, and have read many books, but still wear spiritual diapers.
When we meet with a difficult situation, rather than responding by the Spirit of God, we seek to protect ourselves in our own way....we will be "always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth." 2 Timothy 3:7. We will never come to the knowledge of the truth because we do not apply it.
Truth must be allowed to have its way in our lives if we are going to grow and mature. It is not enough to give mental assent to obeying it. Even though we continue to learn, we never mature because of disobedience.
A common excuse for self preservation through disobedience is offense. There is a false sense of self protection in harboring an offense. It keeps you away from seeing your own character flaws because the blame is deferred to another. You never have to face your role, your immaturity, or your sin because you see only the faults of the offender. Therefore, God's attempt to develop character in you by this opposition is now abandoned. The offended person will avoid the source of the offense and eventually flee, becoming a spiritual vagabond.
If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.
Many times God will allow people to run from situations he desires them to face if they are set on running from them in their hearts.
God knew Elijah was set on escaping the difficult situation. So he allowed it, though it is obvious from his question that it wasn't his original plan. 1 Kings 18 -19
If we are so set in our hearts not to face difficult situations, God will actually release us even though it is not his perfect will....he will allow us to do what we want even when it is against his original plan-even when it is not in our best interest.
Often God's plan causes us to face hurts and attitudes we don't want to face. We run from the very thing that will bring strength to our lives. Refusing to deal with an offense will not free us from the problem. It will only give us a temporary relief. The root of the problem remains untouched.
It is impossible to establish a healthy relationship with a person who has left another relationship better and offended. Healing must take place.
Love forgets wrongs so that there is hope for the future. If we have truly overcome an offense, we earnestly seek to make peace. The time may not be right immediately, but in our hearts we will watch for an opportunity for restoration.
It is the path of humility and self-denial that leads to healing and spiritual maturity. It is the decision to make another's well-being more important than your own, even when that person has brought you great sorrow. Pride cannot travel this path, but only those who desire peace at the risk of rejection. It is a trail that leads to humiliation and abasement. It is the road that leads to life.
What we learn in the presence of God cannot be learned in the presence of man.
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