Romans 1:4

“And declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord.” — Romans 1:4

Paul begins, before this passage, by saying that Jesus is the offspring of David according to the flesh. Paul emphasizes that Jesus came from a royal lineage the fulfillment of God’s covenant with King David that from his line would come One whose kingdom would reign forever (2 Samuel 7:12–13). Paul is declaring that Jesus is both fully human and fully God.

Then Paul continues, “And declared to be the Son of God.” The word declared in Greek is “horizō,” meaning to ordain, determine, or appoint. Have you ever noticed this or asked the question, Why did Jesus have to be declared, ordained, or appointed to be the Son of God? Isn’t He already the eternal Son of God?

There was no Son in heaven in the human sense before the incarnation. From the beginning, the Word of God existed eternally in the Father. John tells us, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” The Word was in the Father, His very expression, His divine self-revelation yet not yet revealed in human form as the Son, just as your word is not separate from you but comes out from within you.

Then, in the fullness of time, that Word stepped into His own creation. The angel told Mary that the Holy Spirit would come upon her, and the power of the Most High would overshadow her. The child conceived in her womb would be called the Son of God. In that moment, the invisible Word took on visible flesh. John wrote, “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.” This is where we begin to understand why Jesus was determined, declared, and appointed to be the Son of God, when He took on humanity. In taking on flesh, He humbled Himself, just as Paul said in Philippians, “though He was in the form of God, He made Himself of no reputation and was made in the likeness of men.” He was born of a woman, born under the law, so that He could redeem us who were under the law and make us sons and daughters of God (Galatians 4:4–5).

Through His incarnation, the Word was revealed as the Son, God in human form so that we, through faith in Him, might become children of God. As John writes, “To all who received Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become the sons of God (John 1:12).” And Paul adds, “You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus (Galatians 3:2).” This is one of the most important parts of God’s redemptive plan. He had to put on human flesh for a reason. First, the earth He gave to the sons of men for dominion and authority (Psalm 115:16). Second, without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sins (Hebrews 9:22). God has no blood, but man does. This is also what we can understand in Colossians 1:18, when Paul says that Jesus is “the firstborn from the dead.” Why He is “firstborn from the dead”? Paul explains this in the book of Romans through Adam’s transgression, death came upon all men (Romans 5:12). Adam brought sin and death into the world, and because of that, we were all spiritually dead. In Luke 3:38, Adam himself is called “the son of God,” yet he died because he transgressed God’s command. His disobedience brought separation and death to all humanity.

Then came Jesus, the second Adam who obeyed perfectly, even unto death mark a new beginning for mankind. He became “the firstborn from the dead.” This is where we begin to understand what Paul meant when he said, “Declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness.” For the Lord Jesus was not born of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God (John 1:13). A body was prepared for Him by God Himself, as it is written, “Wherefore when He cometh into the world, He saith, Sacrifice and offering Thou wouldest not, but a body hast Thou prepared Me” (Hebrews 10:5). And Paul also declares, “The first man is of the earth, earthy; the second man is the Lord from heaven” (1 Corinthians 15:47). This is where we understand that God was preparing a holy body and a pure blood. A body not continuing the corrupted flesh of Adam who transgressed. He created a new, undefiled flesh, made from heaven, and placed it in the womb of Mary. That is why the Holy Spirit overshadowed Mary because He was forming a body that would become the perfect sacrifice for sin, one that would satisfy God’s wrath against man’s transgressions. And this is where we truly understand the words of John the Baptist, who declared, “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” (John 1:29). Jesus was like a Lamb that is pure, spotless, and holy prepared by God Himself to bear the sins of all mankind

God not only prepared the body of Jesus to bear our sins, but He also declared Him to be the Son, so that through Him we all obtain sonship. “For whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.” (Romans 8:29) Through Jesus Christ, we were adopted into the family of God, redeemed by His blood and accepted in His grace. “Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself…” (Ephesians 1:5)

Now we can fully understand more clearly what Paul meant when he said, “by the resurrection from the dead.” Because the power of the resurrection of the Lord destroyed the power of death, which is the wages of sin (Romans 6:23). When He rose, we rose with Him. As Paul said, As Paul said, “If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: [We are no longer counted under Adam’s lineage] old things are passed away [Paul refer to Adam’s transgression that brought sin and separation from God] behold, all things are become new [in Him we have obtained a new life, new nature, and restored fellowship with our Heavenly Father] (2 Corinthians 5:17).

Jesus was declared to be the Son of God for you and me. The purpose of His sacrifice was not only to redeem us from sin, but to restore our rightful position as sons and daughters of God. Through His death and resurrection, Jesus brought us back into fellowship with our Abba Father, so that we might dwell with Him in His Kingdom forever.

Now, because you are a child of God, you have direct access to the Father in every situation whether in need, in struggle, or in confusion. Everything you will ever need can only be found in Him, for God alone is our source, our provider, and our help. Do not be deceived into thinking you are far from God. Jesus has brought us near to the Father. We are no longer distant or separated. This right cannot be taken away from us, it is a gift, not of our works, but by the grace of God. (Ephesians 2:8)

The only way to lose this fellowship is to reject or turn away from the truth, but for those who believe and remain in Him, our place as sons and daughters is secure forever.