# Synodical Conference Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1910_S20
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

20 Proceedings of the twenty-third convention

If we are God's children, we shall also let our heavenly
Father speak to us. "He that is of God heareth God's words,"
John 8:47. "We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth
us," 1 John 4:6.

If we are God's children, we shall also gladly speak to our
heavenly Father. "And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba,
Father!" Gal. 4:6. "Ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry: Abba, Father!" Rom. 8:15.

"My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him. For whom the Lord
loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom
he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you
as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?
But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers,
then are ye bastards, and not sons. . . . The spiritual Father chastens
us for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness. Now no chastening
for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous;
nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness
unto them which are exercised thereby," Heb. 12:5–8, 10, 11.

How, then, do we prove ourselves children of God? Children
prove themselves by their obedience. "As obedient children, not
fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance; but as he which hath called you is holy,
so be ye holy in all manner of conversation. Because it is written:
Be ye holy; for I am holy," 1 Pet. 1:14–16. "Be
ye therefore followers of God, as dear children. And walk in
love, as Christ also hath loved us," etc., Eph. 5:1, 2. "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works
and glorify your Father which is in heaven," Matt. 5:16. We are
partakers of the divine nature; therefore we are also to flee the corruptible
lust of the world, 2 Pet. 1:5–9.

8. We are heirs.
(Rom. 8:17.)

The Holy Spirit beareth witness with our spirit that we are God's
children. The Apostle concludes: "And if children, then
heirs." The one follows necessarily from the other.
It is certain that Christians are God's children; it is just as
certain that Christians are God's heirs.

God is our Father. And he is the same God who is the Father
of the Lord Jesus. "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord
Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again,"
1 Pet. 1:3. Christ and Christians have the same Father.
Consider it! Rejoice!