Mainstream Christianity and critics of the Churches of God like to criticize the Church for teaching that we human beings were designed to follow the steps of our Elder Brother Jesus and literally become gods. Yet, the COG is not the only one that calls itself “Christian” and teaches that particular doctrine. Of course, broad is the way that teaches real heresy, and Jesus had stern warnings about taking the broad road leading to destruction.
Why is it so difficult to comprehend that we will become like God? We are called His “children”, we call each other “brother” and “sister” and Christ is called our “Elder Brother”, so why is it so difficult to grasp?
God is reproducing Himself. He created all the plants each “after his kind” and all the animals each “after his kind”. However, man stands out. Human beings were created differently – hands on, even.
26And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
27So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. (Genesis 1:26-27, King James Version)
We are created in God’s image for a reason. He desires a family. Sons and daughters naturally take after their parents. They are “in the image” of their parents.
3And Adam lived an hundred and thirty years, and begat a son in his own likeness, and after his image; and called his name Seth: (Genesis 5:3, King James Version)
The Bible even refers to the children of God as “gods”!
6I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High. (Psalm 82:6, King James Version)
It’s funny how there are some that will call this doctrine “blasphemy”. Can we call ourselves “Christian” and truly be so and deny Christ’s own words?
34Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods?
35If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken;
36Say ye of him, whom the Father hath sanctified, and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the Son of God? (John 10:34-36, King James Version)
If Jesus did not consider it blasphemy to call Himself the Son of the Father, why should it be blasphemy for us, who have the same Father? As the physical kind gives offspring of its own kind, God has offspring of the God kind.
The simple truth is that God is reproducing Himself. He is doing it through embryos contained in flesh and blood. These embryos will one day be born again as spirit beings, in power and in might.
Even as Jesus consider the Father greater than Himself, so is He the firstborn with the birthright of the firstborn, and we will always be lesser than He. Just as Jesus is not lesser in power or glory, neither will we. However, Jesus submits to the Father. We must submit to Christ. Just as Jesus’ authority will always be less than the Father’s, so will our authority always be less than Jesus.
When you think about it, that is only fair. After all, if it weren’t for Jesus, where would we be?